[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E2140] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OF 1998 ______ speech of HON. JAMES P. MORAN of virginia in the house of representatives Saturday, October 10, 1998 Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was among those who voted against this bill when it came before us earlier this year. I did so primarily because I was concerned that the sanctions in the bill would have adverse impact on our ability to combat religious persecution and other abuses of human rights across the globe. I am pleased that this bill has been amended to address these concerns and I now fully support this legislation. The sanctioning mechanism now gives the Administration a wide array of powerful tools with which to combat persecution. It also provides the flexibility necessary to ensure that our efforts to combat religious persecution do not harm our programs to combat other serious human rights abuses such as forced labor and prostitution, slavery, and female infanticide. I commend my colleague, Mr. Wolf, for his tireless work on this important issue and urge my colleagues to support this critically important bill. ____________________