Posts Tagged ‘kyl’
The Sergei Magnitsky Act and Human Rights
Senators Ben Cardin (D–MD) and Jon Kyl (R–AZ) have joined together to sponsor a modern piece of human rights legislation, the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act.
The legislation is designed to punish gross violators of human rights while allowing the U.S. to extend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Russia.
Sergei Magnitsky was a 37-year-old attorney and accountant who worked for Hermitage, then the largest Western private equity fund in Russia. In the course of his work, he uncovered a giant corruption scheme that involved embezzlements of $230 million from the Russian Treasury by law enforcement and tax officials. After making accusations, he was arrested on fabricated tax evasion and tax fraud charges.
Magnitsky died in isolation at a Russian prison, where he was denied medical care and beaten mercilessly by guards, as confirmed by an investigation by the Russian Presidential Council on Human Rights.
Although the Magnitsky Act is targeted toward human rights abuses in Russia, Cardin and Kyl would apply the act to major human rights violators based in all countries.
Congress should extend PNTR to Russia so the U.S. can benefit from that country’s recent admission to the World Trade Organization. This would mean that Russia would no longer be subject to the Jackson–Vanik Amendment, an important tool for promoting human rights during the Cold War that is no longer relevant in the 21st century.
Replacing the Jackson–Vanik Amendment with the Magnitsky Act would more effectively encourage Russia—and other countries that systematically abuse human rights—to respect the rights of their citizens. займ онлайн на карту без отказа hairy girl zp-pdl.com https://zp-pdl.com/emergency-payday-loans.php займ срочно без отказов и проверок
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Bill sustains fight against human-rights abuses
In 2008, a young Russian attorney chose to do something courageous. That man, Sergei Magnitsky, took the daring — and in his country, unprecedented — step of publicly exposing a vast web of corruption and tax fraud presided over by some of Russia’s most senior officials. Those authorities, stung by his insolence, quickly arranged for Magnitsky to be tossed in jail on trumped-up charges. Over the course of a year, he was beaten, tortured and denied medical treatment; he ultimately died on Nov. 16, 2009.
Magnitsky could then have become just another statistic, another smothered voice for freedom, another example of the corrupt prevailing over the crusading.
Fortunately, that did not happen. Magnitsky’s story found a voice through a diverse coalition of human-rights activists, business leaders, academics, think tank scholars and journalists — a coalition that helped inspire us to draft bipartisan Senate legislation that would hold accountable officials from all over the world who disregard basic human rights, who fail to uphold the rule of law and who unjustly jail, abuse and murder whistle-blowers like Magnitsky.
Indeed, despite our differences on other issues, we both agree on the need for this so-called Magnitsky bill.
The United States has long been a global leader in the fight against corruption and human-rights abuses, and there is broad, bipartisan support in Congress for continuing to honor that important tradition. However, even as the House and Senate have begun to advance versions of this legislation as part of a comprehensive legislative package to grant normal trade relations to Russia (and in so doing, repeal Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik sanctions), a key difference has emerged between the two bills: While our Senate bill would hold these types of officials accountable no matter where they might prey, the House’s version would deal only with Russian authorities.
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The Russia Trade Pile-Up
So how can legislation supported by business groups, democracy activists, Senate Democrats, House Republicans and the Obama Administration be in danger of failing? Answer: Only in Washington.
That’s where things stand with a bill to normalize trade with Russia that includes a provision to sanction gross abusers of human rights. Early last week all looked good. Montana Democrat Max Baucus and Arizona Republican Jon Kyl crafted a compromise in the Senate Finance Committee that’s ready for a floor vote. Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp and ranking Democrat Sander Levin knocked together a House version in a few hours.
Then on Monday every House Member received a letter from the United Steelworkers and the Communication Workers of America. The unions called the bill “woefully deficient” in enforcing Russian compliance with World Trade Organization rules. This is false, since Russia will join the WTO on August 22 no matter what, and failure to adopt “permanent normal trade relations” would only hurt U.S. companies in Russia. Yet Democratic support notably softened.
Meanwhile, the Administration has been missing in action. President Obama hasn’t pressed Members, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn’t lobbying the Hill. We’re told that when he met with House Democrats on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner stressed taxes but not this ostensibly high trade priority.
White House enthusiasm has ebbed since the Senate overrode its objections and added the Magnitsky Act, which bans Russian rights abusers from visiting or banking in the U.S. Mr. Obama also may not want to push a bill disliked by unions and that some criticize unfairly as rewarding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bad behavior. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hasn’t committed to a floor vote before the August recess.
If Democratic leaders won’t lead, then some Republicans ask why they should. After the Ways and Means voice vote, Speaker John Boehner scotched quick House floor action. “If the president really thinks this is an important issue that we have to deal with, then maybe he ought to be out there making the case for it,” he said. “I haven’t seen that as yet.”
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Senate Finance poised to approve Russia trade bill
Senators were poised Wednesday to clear the first hurdle to extend permanent normal trade relations to Russia, but plenty of uncertainty remains.
The Senate Finance Committee is expected to easily approve a measure combining a repeal of Jackson-Vanik, an obsolete Cold War-era provision, along with a human-rights measure that would punish Russian officials involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in prison.
“By enacting PNTR together with the Magnitsky bill, we are replacing Jackson-Vanik with legislation that addresses the corruption and accountability issues that Russia confronts today,” Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said.
The show of bipartisan support — Baucus and ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) hammered out the compromise — could boost the bill’s chances of getting through Congress before lawmakers leave for a month-long August recess.
Russia is on track to join the World Trade Organization next month. All that is left for its accession is for President Vladimir Putin to sign the package, which passed through Russia’s upper chamber on Wednesday. Once Putin signs, the clock begins ticking, and Russia will become a member of the WTO within 30 days.
Still, there are plenty of pieces in play with no resolution in sight.
Lawmakers are divided over whether to pass a clean measure repealing the 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment, while also holding Russia accountable for what lawmakers say is a dismal human-rights record.
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Senate panel approves normal trade relations with Russia, adds human rights provision
A Russia trade bill that could double U.S. exports to Russia but complicate already frosty relations with the former Communist superpower advanced in the Senate on Wednesday.
Lawmakers rejected a provision that would have required the president to certify that Russia is no longer supplying arms to Syria.
The Senate Finance Committee combined the trade measure with a bill to punish Russian human rights violators.
The committee’s unanimous vote to lift Cold War trade restrictions and establish permanent normal trade relations with Russia came against a background of strong objections to Russia’s poor human rights record, its threats against U.S. missile defenses in Europe, its failure to protect intellectual property rights, its discrimination against U.S. agricultural products and most recently its support for the Assad government in Syria.
Enacting permanent trade status is necessary if U.S. businesses are to benefit from the lowering of trade barriers that will take place when Russia enters the World Trade Organization next month.
Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said current U.S. exports to Russia, about $9 billion a year, could double in five years if trade relations are normalized.
“There is no time to waste. America risks being left behind,” Baucus said. “If we miss that deadline, American farmers, ranchers, workers and businesses will lose out to the other 154 members of the WTO that already have PNTR (permanent normal trade relations) with Russia.” U.S. imports from Russia last year were four times the export level.
Getting the trade bill through Congress has been a top priority for business and farm groups, which see it as a jobs creator and a boost to the economy. “Without PNTR, U.S. companies and workers will be at a distinct disadvantage in the Russian market as our competitors in Europe, Asia and elsewhere begin to lock in sales and long-term contracts,” said Caterpillar Inc. chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman, who also chairs the Business Roundtable’s International Engagement Committee.
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Russia Trade Bill Set to Advance in U.S. Senate, But Passage by August Recess Uncertain
A Senate panel appears headed to back Wednesday the lifting of trade restrictions on Russia, but the White House faces an uphill battle in its effort to win congressional approval before its long-time geopolitical rival joins the World Trade Organization as expected next month.
Several senators and private-sector supporters of legislation to approve permanent, normal trade relations with Russia said the bill is likely to clear its first major hurdle, by winning the backing of the Senate Finance Committee.
But a number of senators cast doubt on whether Congress can pass the bill before lawmakers leave town in early August for recess, raising the risk that U.S. companies will be put at a competitive disadvantage in trying to win Russian business. Rising tensions with Russia over Syria, Iran and human rights issues are complicating passage, with senators of both parties looking to attach measures to the trade bill to punish Russian human-rights violators.
“I’m very concerned about the human rights abuses and the bad behavior of Russia,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas.) Still, he and Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.), the minority whip, predicted the Finance Committee would approve the bill.
“I think things are fairly well resolved, that the (trade bill) would be accompanied by the Magnitsky legislation,” said Mr. Kyl. He was referring to a measure, named after a Russian lawyer who died in prison after accusing Russian government officials of fraud, that would freeze assets and deny visas to Russian human-rights abusers.
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More senators oppose lifting trade sanctions on Russia
Four more senators joined the opposition to repealing the Jackson-Vanik trade sanctions law against Russia on Friday, unless that repeal is accompanied by a new law specifically targeting human rights violators inside the Russian government.
Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), John McCain (R-AZ), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) wrote a letter Friday to Senate Finance Committee heads Max Baucus (D-MT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to let them know that they oppose Baucus’s effort to repeal the 1974 Jackson-Vanik law unless it is replaced with the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2011 — legislation meant to promote human rights in Russia that is named for the anti-corruption lawyer who died in a Russian prison, after allegedly being tortured, two years ago.
Without repeal of the Jackson-Vanik law, U.S. businesses can’t take full advantage of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization, but the senators believe that the Magnitsky bill is needed to ensure the Russian government is not let off the hook for their deteriorating record on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
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KYL STATEMENT AT FINANCE COMMITTEE HEARING EXAMINING RUSSIA’S ACCESSION TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a committee hearing examining the accession of Russia to the World Trade Organization (WTO):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that I understand the message this hearing is meant to convey: “American businesses want access to Russian markets. We should repeal JacksonVanik and grant Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations without delay and without conditions. It’s a slam dunk.”
But it isn’t a slam dunk.
Let’s stipulate that American businesses, farmers, and ranchers should be able to sell products to Russia, and that free trade is important and beneficial to the United States.
We still need to determine whether America is getting a good deal through Russia’s WTO accession, and whether more should be done to protect our interests. For example, Russia has never ratified the bilateral investment treaty that the Senate ratified years ago. That treaty would prevent Russia from expropriating businesses, an admittedly big problem in Russia. This is a very basic economic right that isn’t being protected.
In addition, one of our witnesses will discuss Russia’s failure to remit royalties, which is also not
directly covered by the WTO agreements.
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Sen. Kyl takes strong stand against top Obama administration trade priority
The number two Republican in the Senate on Thursday threw a wrench into White House plans for quick passage of a Russia trade bill.
Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) flagged his opposition to granting Russia permanent normal trade relations (PNTR). The Russia bill is the top trade priority of the Obama administration this year.
Russia is slated to join the World Trade Organization this summer. If Congress does not repeal the so-called Jackson-Vanik amendment, a Cold War-era law which makes trade relations conditional on Russia allowing free emigration, Russia will be allowed to retaliate against U.S. exporters.
“I think that I understand the message this hearing is meant to convey: ‘American businesses want access to Russian markets. We should repeal Jackson-Vanik and grant Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations without delay and without conditions. It’s a slam dunk.’ But it isn’t a slam dunk,” Kyl told a Finance Committee hearing.
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