Calling On North Korea To End Hostile Rhetoric And Activity Toward South Korea

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of this resolution put forward in March by my good friend and Homeland Security ranking member, Peter King, to show solidarity with our South Korean allies in their hour of need. Its consideration is timely; it is timed to coincide with tomorrow's Washington summit meeting with the President of the Republic of Korea.

North Korea is fast becoming a foreign policy crisis spiraling out of control. In April, there was a long-range missile launch; in May, there was another underground nuclear test. Only 1 week ago, a Pyongyang kangaroo court took the provocative and morally reprehensible act of sentencing captured U.S. citizen journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee to 12 years in a labor camp. North Korea also continues to hold a South Korean citizen as a hostage. Our thoughts and prayers are with those captives and their families.

The United Nations Security Council has finally passed a resolution with some teeth. Unfortunately, U.N. Resolution 1718, passed in 2006 after Pyongyang's first nuclear test, was ignored when North Korea returned to the negotiating table.

North Korea's response to this latest U.N. resolution has been more bluster and brinkmanship. The North Koreans revealed, to no one's surprise, that they have maintained a highly enriched uranium program all along, in addition to their plutonium program. They now threaten the world with more bombs and possible nuclear war.

Earlier this month, Kim Jong Il sent a patrol boat into South Korean waters to back up his threats made against our South Korean ally. Some are now convinced that there will be a future military confrontation along the DMZ or in the Yellow Sea. And today, 28,500 U.S. military personnel still stand guard in South Korea, a country often called ``the last frontier of the Cold War.''

The ``Dear Leader'' is obviously testing the mettle of this President and this Congress. Kim Jong Il has responded to the outstretched hand of President Obama's inaugural address with missiles, nuclear bombs, the seizure of American citizens, and a threat of war. He is preparing to launch yet another long-range missile, one that could reportedly reach the United States and is likely to conduct yet another underground nuclear test.

I say enough is enough. Now is the time for the consequences which our current North Korean Special Envoy, Stephen Bosworth, promised after the April 5 missile launch. Last week, Secretary Clinton raised the re-listing of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism as one possible consequence. But a few days later, the House Rules Committee refused to allow consideration of an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, offered by my good friend and ranking member, Representative Ros-Lehtinen, which would have done just that. It is unfortunate that Secretary Clinton would consider this, but not the House leadership.

The time for hesitancy is over, Mr. Speaker. America needs to respond to North Korea.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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