"The position of the government of France encourages Iraqi defiance of United Nations Resolution 1441,"  said Saxton, who is heading up the newly-created House Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee. "In fact, the French position may be well-received in Baghdad and encourage Saddam Hussein to continue not to cooperate with U.N. inspectors."

The bill bars the French government, any organization under its control, or any company organized under French law from receiving U.S. grants or funds in a post-conflict Iraq. (See attached bill)

"If the French government does not want to participate substantively in disarming Iraq of its chemical and biological weapons, it should not receive one dollar in any contracts after the conflict," Saxton said. "They can't have their cake and eat it, too."

Saxton introduced an earlier resolution several weeks ago which discouraged American tourists, the American government or American companies from participating in the 2003 Paris Air Show. A second resolution he introduced would specifically bar the Department of Defense, including the U.S. Air Force, from participating in the show. The latest bill completes a trio of bills intended to provide different options to express U.S. sentiment to the French government.

"Congress now has diverse choices to respond to the action— or inaction— of the French government," Saxton said. "We expect them to support the efforts of the United States, Britain, Italy, Spain, Poland and other countries to enforce U.N. resolutions that demand that Saddam Hussein disarm himself of weapons of mass destruction as he had agreed to after the Gulf War."