Rep. Frank Wolf: short answers to big questions

Wolf weighs in on reporting guidelines, the Defense budget, and relations with Cuba.

By Suzanne Kubota
Senior Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio.com

Congress may be on Easter vacation but that hasn’t slowed down business in Washington. FederalNewsRadio asked Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) for his reaction to the new stimulus reporting guidelines, the 2010 Defense budget, and whether the U.S. should consider changing our relations with Cuba.

Recovery Act reporting requirements
There are a lot of questions that really have not been answered, yet they want to get everything out quickly so it has an impact with the economy.

Are they even understood?
This bill passed so fast… Very few people actually had an opportunity to read it.

The 2010 Defense budget
A lot of the things in the budget are very controversial… If you notice, this was announced when Congress was not in session and I think a lot of people were taken by surprise on it. I think it’s going to be a long, long difficult road.

Should there be a more open travel and trade policy with Cuba?
I believe, and this is me speaking, that human rights and religious freedom trumps trade.

Would you care to elaborate?

We watched the whole thing take place with regard to China. People said “if we just give the Chinese MFN (most favored nation status) everything will be wonderful.” Now we’ve got a trade imbalance, our jobs have gone abroad, the Chinese have 30 Catholic priests in jail, the Chinese have protestant pastors in jail, the Chinese have persecuted the Uyghurs – the Muslims up on their border, the Chinese have plundered Tibet… the Chinese are spying against us, the Chinese have compromised about 17 House member computers – the International Relations Committee computers – and people say “oh, let’s trade.” Trade is good, but we really ought to speak out on behalf of the people for human rights and religious freedom.

The House of Representatives will return from the “Spring District Work Period” on April 17th.

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On the Web:

Rep. Frank Wolf – wolf.house.gov

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