[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  OCEAN FREIGHT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM

 Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I am concerned that at a time when 
private volunteer organizations [PVOs] are virtually overwhelmed with 
requests for assistance of all kinds in the Caribbean Basin, a source 
of extremely valuable support, AID's Ocean Freight Reimbursement 
Program [OFRP], will apparently not even receive the level of funding 
available last year for the shipment of urgently needed supplies.
  In report 103-287 the Senate Appropriations Committee strongly 
commends the efforts of private volunteer organizations, stating that 
PVOs provide invaluable support in implementing programs to meet basic 
needs in both development and emergency situations. The committee also 
recommends that best efforts be made by the Agency to provide funding 
at last year's levels to several specified programs, including the 
Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program.
  I am therefore extremely disturbed to learn that, far from the 
committee's OFRP recommendation to fund at the same level as last year, 
the Agency has capped these funds to a maximum of $150,000 for any 
qualifying PVO, which means of course that the level of actual goods 
supplied this year will have to be reduced by some quarter of a million 
dollars if the balance of the freight costs must be picked up 
privately. Many other PVO's benefiting from the OFRP must find 
themselves in the same position.
  Mr. President, at a time when the Nation finds itself in need of all 
the assistance it can get from friendly sources overseas and in 
particular in the Caribbean, it is utterly shortsighted to curtail an 
inexpensive and exceptionally useful program such as the OFRP, which 
helps to maximize substantial private sector contributory effort.
  The Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program should in fact be augmented 
rather than decreased. It should, at the very least, continue to be 
funded, as we have recommended, at the same level as last year. I urge 
the attention of my colleagues to this important matter.

                          ____________________