Congresswoman Betty McCollum discusses with VOA her reasons for introducing a bill to extend Normal Trade Relations or NTR to Laos.
The Democrat congresswoman from Minnesota's 4th District says she agrees with many of the concerns that people who oppose NTR for Laos have - that the Lao government is repressive and lacking on human rights -, but she says 30 years of isolation has not brought about democratic reforms in Laos.
Therefore, she wants to end that practice and believes that greater engagement with Laos will put direct pressure on the Lao government to move faster on human rights, religious freedom, and political freedom.