[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 20 (Tuesday, March 1, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  AID PROGRAM FOR STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION PRESENTS ONGOING 
                                PROBLEMS

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute, and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, a little over a year ago the Congress, 
unfortunately, voted to send $12 billion to the States of the former 
Soviet Union through the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
  We had already sent and are still sending billions more through other 
programs, departments, and agencies.
  I have opposed this aid because we are well over $4 trillion in debt 
and still losing hundreds of millions more each and every day. But even 
those who support this aid should be upset about two articles which 
appeared last week in the Wall Street Journal.
  The headline last Thursday said: ``U.S. Aid is Quite a Windfall for 
U.S. Consultants.'' The stories told of consultants reaping millions, 
with typical consultants receiving $800 a day figuring in all costs. 
Some consultants are receiving as much as 90 percent of certain aid 
contracts.
  The article said that there is ``dancing in the streets'' by 
consultants, but hardly any of the money is getting through to the 
average Russian. The stories reported of ``criticism because of waste 
and meager results,'' and quoted one expert as saying that ``the aid 
benefits Russians minimally, if at all,'' and that he expects ``a 
scandal down the road that is going to upset the taxpayers.''
  The Federal Government today really helps almost no one other than 
the bureaucrats who work for it and well-connected Government 
contractors.
  Mr. Speaker, this Russian aid should end. It is not helping the 
Russians, and it is unquestionably hurting American taxpayers.

                          ____________________