[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 170 (Tuesday, October 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S16371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   MIDDLE EAST PEACE FACILITATION ACT

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, tonight at midnight, the Middle East Peace 
Facilitation Act [MEPFA] will expire. Last night at 8:20, a written 
request for a short-term extension was faxed to my office by the State 
Department. This morning, I spoke to Secretary of State Christopher 
about the issue. Until the letter and phone call, my office had 
received no communication about the need for the latest extension. I 
know the Secretary is concerned that a delay in extending the act could 
be read as lack of support for the Middle East peace process. I share 
that concern, but I am also concerned that we have an administration 
that refuses to deal responsibly with Congress.
  I want to be very clear: the U.S. Senate has gone on the record on 
repeated occasions supporting the Middle East peace process. We have 
extended MEPFA three times this year: on June 23, on August 11, and on 
September 29. Each time the Congress acted promptly. I hope we are able 
to act today as well.
  We support the peace process. We understand the risks being taken by 
both sides. We understand that peacemaking is not easy, and that the 
process is subject to disruption. As I speak today, Israel's withdrawal 
from the West Bank town of Jenin has started. Our lead negotiator in 
the Middle East, Dennis Ross, called my office this morning from Israel 
to express his concern over the consequences of not extending MEPFA.
  Extending MEPFA allows the President to waive certain provisions of 
law concerning the Palestine Liberation Organization. It allows the 
provision of United States assistance to the Palestine authority, and 
it allows a Palestinian office to operate in the United States. The 
Foreign Operations Appropriations Conference Report provides for a 
permanent extension of MEPFA but it is not likely to be enacted soon.
  If Congress does not act today to provide another short-term 
extension, the President's waiver authority will lapse. Under these 
time constraints, unanimous consent is required to proceed.
  Today, I am informed the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Helms, will object to any unanimous-consent request extending 
MEPFA unless the terms of a previous agreement entered into by the full 
Senate have been met. The last time the Senate extended MEPFA, Senator 
Helms and Senator Kerry of Massachusetts worked out an agreement 
providing for consideration of S. 908, the Foreign Relations 
Reorganization Act.
  For the benefit of all Senators, I would like to briefly review what 
has happened over the last month. On September 29, the Senate passed an 
extension of MEPFA and entered into an agreement providing for 
consideration of S. 908 after the managers agreed on an amendment. On 
October 10, Senator Helms wrote to Senator Kerry and urged him to make 
some kind of offer. The next day, Senator Kerry responded that 
``progress was being made'' in developing an offer.
  On October 19, Senator Kerry met with Senator Helms and provided an 
outline--not legislation--of a proposed managers' amendment. Later that 
day, Senator Helms made a counter offer to Senator Kerry, changing the 
amount of savings from reorganization from $1.2 billion over 4 years to 
$2.5 billion over 5 years. Senator Kerry's response was to propose 25 
additional changes in the bill and to request unprecedented guarantees 
about the outcome of a House-Senate conference.
  Until this morning, Senator Helms had heard very little from Senator 
Kerry or his staff. While staff negotiations have begun, there is no 
agreement on the central issue of cost savings. Once again, the 
administration has refused to provide information to Congress about 
cost information. I hope the Democrat manager, Senator Kerry of 
Massachusetts, is able to make a legislative agreement today, whether 
the administration is willing or not.
  The State Department wants Senator Helms to lift his objection to 
proceeding with MEPFA despite the almost total lack of effort over the 
last 32 days. Senator Helms is completely within his rights to object 
to any unanimous-consent request. I hope that as the day proceeds, 
Senator Kerry and the administration decide it is finally time to deal 
seriously with the Senate majority.
  Contrary to some of the statements made by the administration, 
Senator Helms is not insisting on ``getting his way.'' What he is 
insisting on is that the will of the majority be heard, and that the 
Senate simply have a chance to vote on whether to save money by 
reorganizing our international affairs agencies.
  I believe in the importance of bipartisan cooperation. Let me point 
out that if the administration had not orchestrated a filibuster of S. 
908 earlier this year, the Middle East Peace Facilitation Act would 
have been permanently extended by now--in that same legislation. 
Unfortunately, due to the administration's intransigence and refusal to 
negotiate, MEPFA is once again a last-minute demand on a busy Senate 
schedule.
  I hope we are able to work together on MEPFA, and I hope it happens 
today. I hope a managers' amendment is filed today. However, it is 
going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to work together on one 
issue today if there is no cooperation from the other side on moving to 
conference on the budget reconciliation bill.

                          ____________________