DATE=11/3/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=CONGRESS/NORTH KOREA (L ONLY) NUMBER=2-255775 BYLINE=PAULA WOLFSON DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Republicans in the U-S Congress plan a direct challenge to the Clinton administration's North Korea policy. They say hearings will begin when lawmakers reconvene in the New Year, and legislation could be ready in a matter of months. V-O-A's Paula Wolfson has details from Capitol Hill. TEXT: Republicans in the House of Representatives make no secret of their distaste for the current North Korea policy. The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee -- Congressman Floyd Spence of South Carolina -- is blunt. /// SPENCE ACT /// The administration's policy of appeasement and bribery with North Korea has not worked. /// END ACT /// Mr. Spence was one of several leading Republicans named to advise Speaker Dennis Hastert on North Korea. Their initial report breaks no major new ground, and provides no specific recommendations. But it does offer some insight into the thinking of the Republicans, who control the House. The report says the threat posed by North Korea has grown over the last five years. Speaker Hastert says the escalating threat is the result of a flawed U-S policy. /// HASTERT ACT /// The findings of this report are disturbing. And the future trends are even more troubling. The next five years will be crucial in dealing with the challenges posed by North Korea. /// END ACT /// The Republicans leave no doubt their focus in the months ahead will be on a deal to provide North Korea with nuclear power plants. /// BEGIN OPTIONAL /// House International Relations Committee Chairman Benjamin Gilman says humanitarian aid to North Korea will continue. /// GILMAN ACT /// We have not recommended cutting off humanitarian food assistance to North Korea, (but) we would like better monitoring. /// END ACT /// /// END OPTIONAL /// The New York Republican says he wants to work with House Democrats to draft necessary legislation. But members of the minority party are very skeptical. A spokesman for International Relations Committee Democrats says they have been shut out of the process so far. He says they were denied copies of the Republican report on North Korea until after its public release. White House officials were also denied advance copies of the report. Presidential Spokesman Joe Lockhart says the administration stands by its North Korea policy. /// LOCKHART ACT /// We know there is a threat. We have been dealing openly and aggressively with that threat for many years now. And we believe the Agreed Framework [under which the United States gives North Korea nuclear power plants provided it does not develop nuclear weapons] is the proper way to do that, and is the most effective way to do that. /// END ACT /// But Mr. Lockhart also says the administration is aware much more needs to be done. He says if members of Congress have constructive ideas, the White House is willing to listen. (Signed) NEB/PW/gm 03-Nov-1999 15:07 PM EDT (03-Nov-1999 2007 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
