The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WORKING CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H3494 on April 17, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WORKING CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ACT
(Mr. MORAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, a year ago, a 12-year-old boy by the name of Iqbal Masih was murdered in Pakistan because he had dared to speak out against child slave labor.
Iqbal had been sold by his father for $16 when he was 4 years old. He was chained to a loom. When he made a mistake, he was savagely beaten.
With the help of an American firm, he escaped and spoke out against this practice, which is actually on the rise in Asia and Africa and Latin America, because there is so much profit to be made by exploiting children that poor governments are very easily corrupted.
He tried to make a difference. He was murdered. But it is up to us to follow his lead, to show his courage.
Today in honor of Iqbal and the millions of children who work as forced laborers, I am proud to introduce the Working Children's Rights Act. It will deny U.S. foreign aid to countries that refuse to enforce their own labor laws, it will deny aid to governments that continue to violate the most basic human rights of children, and it will require the State Department to investigate corruption and provide for yearly hearings, so that we will never forget the terrible plight faced by millions of children like Iqbal Masih.
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