WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking
Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, delivered the following remarks at
a hearing entitled, “Fighting Forced Labor: Closing Loopholes and Improving
Customs Enforcement to Mandate Clean Supply Chains and Protect Workers.”
The text of Ranking Member
Crapo’s remarks, as prepared, is below.
“Thank
you, Mr. Chairman. This is a very
important hearing.
“The
International Labor Organization estimates nearly 25 million people in the
world are victims of forced labor.
“The
criminals behind this tragedy reap nearly $150 billion in profits every year.
“As
horrifying as that is, nearly 30 percent of the victims are also victims of
forced sexual exploitation—and generate $99 billion—or 2/3 of the profits I
just referenced.
“The
fight against forced labor is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue; it is
an issue that unites all Americans.
“That
is critical to remember.
“Americans,
including consumers, workers and businesses, are all committed to this
fight—and doing everything possible to combat this scourge.
“The
problem lies not with them, but with foreign autocrats, and individuals who
lack all sense of basic humanity. Our
fight is with them.
“For
example, China’s government has pressed nearly 100,000 Uyghurs and other Muslim
minorities into forced labor, while euphemistically calling it ‘poverty
alleviation.’
“As
the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy explained in a report last week,
China’s treatment of the Uyghurs meets every criteria of genocide under the
United Nations’ Genocide Convention.
“That
report’s findings join declarations by foreign legislatures, including Canada
and the Netherlands, and track with a similar determination made by the State
Department during the Trump Administration.
“Accordingly,
Senators like Marco Rubio and Jeff Merkely, and many others, are showing
leadership on this issue through their proposed Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention
Act. “Their
efforts should be matched by the current Administration.
“The
U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor are meeting today in
Alaska with their Chinese counterparts.
“Forced
labor is among the human rights issues they need to press with them.
“Critically,
this all reinforces we need to broadly empower Americans and other good
citizens of the world to be able to more effectively respond to this
challenge.
“This
includes effectively utilizing technology to identify where goods made with
forced labor can enter the supply chain.
“It
means our laws and regulations must be transparent and provide informative and
thoughtful guidance so Americans know how to avoid importing such goods.
“It
means we need to know the ongoing efforts of our businesses so that the
government can help leverage them in the fight against forced labor.
“Many
of them have developed best practices to stamp out forced labor from their supply
chains.
“We
need to leverage their experience and expertise.
“Finally,
it means we must partner with civil society to raise awareness on this
important issue.
“The
witnesses we have today can speak to each of these points.
“Their
expertise and knowledge will help this Committee address this important matter.
“Mr.
Chairman, I am glad this is an issue we both care about deeply.
“Thank you for
organizing this hearing. I look forward
to the testimony from our witnesses.”
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