I have long  believed that respect for human rights should form the core of American foreign policy.  In the past, we have let other interests trump our concern for the basic human rights of others, which is both morally wrong and shortsighted.  Where human rights flourish, understanding and prosperity follow.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to give a voice to the voiceless.  I have been active in drawing attention to human rights violations in Vietnam, Pakistan, and here in the United States.  I was one of the Co-Founders of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, which has worked to bring attention to political persecution in Vietnam and to put pressure on the Vietnamese government to respect human rights.  I strongly opposed granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to Vietnam because of continuous human rights violations by the Vietnamese government.  I also fought for the release of one of my constituents, American Citizen Cong Thanh Do, who was imprisoned by the Vietnamese Government for over a month without being formally charged.  When Pakistan's Musharraf disbanded the Pakistani Supreme Court, I demanded that the Bush administration pressure him to reinstate the court.  I have also consistently fought the Bush Administration's efforts to secretly torture suspected terrorists.

The time has come for us to restore America's reputation as a humane and morally upstanding nation.  I will continue working to ensure that human rights remain an important foreign policy goal, and, with the help of the new Democratic President and Congress, America can reclaim its place as the world's beacon of freedom.