[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 148 (Thursday, September 21, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14105-S14106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ORDER FOR RECESS

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come 
before the Senate, I now ask that the Senate stand in recess under the 
previous order following the remarks of Senator Pell.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  
[[Page S 14106]]

  Mr. PELL addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, the Senate has now adopted legislation 
making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and 
related programs--the so-called foreign ops appropriations bill.
  This is the first major foreign-affairs-related legislation to pass 
the Senate this year. We have not yet passed authorizations for the 
State Department and other foreign affairs agencies, or for the foreign 
aid program. We also have yet to pass an appropriation for the State 
Department--which is usually done along with the Commerce and Justice 
Departments.
  The reason why we have not yet passed these measures--and why we were 
able to pass the foreign ops bill--gets to the very heart of 
bipartisanship. The authorization bills and the Commerce, Justice, 
State appropriations bill represent, in my mind, partisan efforts to 
mandate drastic and poorly conceived cuts and reductions in foreign 
policy programs and agencies. In their present form, the bills are so 
controversial that it has proven difficult even to bring them up for 
consideration.
  I am pleased to note though--with a few notable exceptions--the 
foreign ops bill has been crafted with a fair amount of bipartisanship, 
and by comparison to the other bills, represents a sound basis for 
discussing our foreign assistance and other programs.
  I do not wish to suggest that I support every provision of this bill. 
I do not. I have deep concerns about the unnecessarily low spending 
levels and about some of the language dealing with the former 
Yugoslavia, North Korea, and Russia--countries and issues of critical 
importance to the U.S. foreign policy agenda. While most of the 
multilateral lending institutions have fared reasonably well in this 
bill, I also regret that there is such a low level for the 
International Development Association, which lends to the poorest of 
the poor. I hope that where possible compromise language can be worked 
out on all of these matters in conference.
  I also want to note that the Appropriations Committee, in its report 
accompanying the foreign ops bill, expressed strong support for the 
American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program, known as ASHA, a small 
but effective program of which I have been a longtime advocate. Among 
other things, this program has provided U.S. support to the American 
University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, and other 
important institutions that have advanced U.S. foreign policy goals 
abroad.
  Mr. President, I again want to emphasize and commend the bipartisan 
approach that has been apparent on this bill. I hope that spirit can be 
preserved as we move down the road.
  I yield the floor.

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