Subject: IFCSS HQ NR-4047: KEEP THE PRESSURE!

From: IFCSS HQ <ifcss>
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 02:49:34 -0400

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IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 4047       October 1, 1992
                     KEEP THE PRESSURE
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Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS)
   733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005
         Tel. (202)347-0017  Fax: (202)347-0018
                Email: [email-masked]

                     Keep the Pressure
                     =================

     The lobbying for S.1216 has entered the final stage.
Unfortunately, at this critical moment, the HQ and Mr. Zhao
Haiqing have not reached agreement as to the strategy. Given
the importance of the issue and the urgency of the situation,
the HQ feels obliged to provide our students with reasons why
we need to generate and keep pressure on the White House.

     First, the strategy has been worked out with our legal
advisors at Arent/Fox who since 1989 have guided us through every
steps of our lobbying, including all the actions taken by Zhao
Haiqing. We believe their experience and wisdom is essential to our
success.

     Second, we all know President Bush's general approach to
China-related issues. The only situation under which President Bush
is going to sign the bill is that he feels enough pressure,
which, at this critical time of election, can be easily
translated into votes, which he badly needs. It is hard to imaging
that the President will put his signature to the bill if there is
no threat of loss of vote.

     Third, there are currently three bills in Congress which are
in veto-override situations. The first one is the Family Leave bill
which has been vetoed by the President and the override effort
failed. The second is MFN bill. The House has voted to override
President's veto and the Senate is going to pick up the issue soon.

     If we can put considerable pressure on President Bush to sign
the Protection Bill, he might choose to sign the bill early to
reduce resistance to his veto of the MFN bill.

     But, if he does not sign the bill early and if the MFN is
overridden in the Senate, then the President might veto (or
pocket veto) the protection bill to reduce the pressure from
the Chinese government.

     Fourth, our own experience with the Pelosi Bill of 1989 has
well demonstrated how the pressure from the public works. Before
and after the Pelosi bill was passed in the Congress, IFCSS tried
several times to contact the White House, but to no avail. However,
as the pressure mounted with editorials in national newspapers
bombarding Bush, the White House offered a meeting between the
President and IFCSS delegates, which we rightly declined because
we did not want let down our friends in Congress. The result is
known to all -- the President provided essentially the same
protection as specified in the Pelosi bill.

     Of course, the picture is different this time. Since there has
been no deadlock between us and the White House, there is no need
for open confrontation with the White House. This is why we have
stressed the positive approach. However, that does not mean that we
are guaranteed a success. No one has guaranteed that. Of course,
there were reports that Bush will sign the bill. But he has not
said any thing publicly. He can also change his mind. WE CANNOT
TAKE ANY CHANCES. We want to use the pressure as a VETO-PROOF
measure.

     Let us see the most recent cases: In July, the bill was stuck
in the House, it was the massive campaign by the students in the
whole nation that produced a huge pressure on the House members and
dramatically turned the events (Congressman Conyers did not
reintroduce his Haitian amendment when the House passed S1216). A
few days ago, the bill was stuck in the Senate, it was the pressure
of hundreds and thousands of phone calls, faxes, telegrams that
made Senator Simpson aware of the strong support for S1216. And
he wisely withdrew his amendment.

     Therefore, the best way to prevent a veto is to put pressure
on the President which can be most effectively generated by
mobilizing the news media and those senators, congressmen and
governors who have influence on Bush. This is exactly what the HQ
has been doing and what we have been asking our students to do.

     According to informed sources, the pressure has already
brought about positive signs. Thousands of signatures have been
sent to the White House; the S.1216 issue has caught the attention
of many newspaper editorial writers; some newspapers such as
L.A. Times, Richmond Times Dispatch are planning to publish
editorials addressing the concern of Chinese students; Some
well-known Chinese American in D.C. area are planning to send
petitions to the President in support of the bill. Our lawyers
will conduct an editorial research in the next several days
and will send the copies of those editorials to government
agencies.

     Let us keep up the good work and make our bill too weighty
to be vetoed. We cannot afford to sit back and wait at this
extremely important moment. We must make up the time that
has been lost.

     Pressure from the CSS communities and the general American
society have carried our protection bill through the two Houses
and it will again produce VETO-PROOF effects and carry our
bill through the White House.

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         IFCSS Headquarters Office    Signature
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