[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 170 (Tuesday, October 31, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16433-S16434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, on October 20, a letter from four 
former National Security Advisers was sent to the chairman and ranking 
member of the Committee on Foreign Relations expressing their support 
for the work of the National Endowment for Democracy [NED]. According 
to these four distinguished experts, NED ``has served our national 
interest well through its timely support of those who advance the cause 
of democracy.''
  As we make the difficult budgetary choices that will help guarantee 
for us and our children a prosperous future, it is essential that we 
not discard those programs--particularly those that are cost-
effective--which enhance our long-term security. As the following 
letter from Messrs. Allen, Brzezinski, Carlucci, and Scowcroft points 
out, the National Endowment for Democracy is such a program.
  I ask that the letter be printed in the Record. The letter follows:

                                                 October 20, 1995.
     Hon. Jesse Helms,
     Hon. Claiborne Pell,
     Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington, DC.

     Hon. Benjamin Gilman,
     Hon. Lee Hamilton,
     House International Relations Committee, Washington, DC.
       As former National Security Advisers to the President, we 
     are familiar with the work of the National Endowment for 
     Democracy (NED). In our assessment, NED, established under 
     President Reagan as an instrument in 

[[Page S16434]]

     his campaign for democracy, and sustained with the bipartisan 
     support of the leadership of both houses of Congress, has 
     served our national interest well through its timely support 
     of those who advance the cause of democracy.
       The Endowment, a small bipartisan institution with its 
     roots in America's private sector, operates in situations 
     where direct government involvement is not appropriate. It is 
     an exceptionally effective instrument in today's climate for 
     reaching dedicated groups seeking to counter extreme 
     nationalist and autocratic forces that are responsible for so 
     much conflict and instability.
       Eliminating this program would be particularly unsettling 
     to our friends around the world, and could be interpreted as 
     a sign of America's disengagement from the vital policy of 
     supporting democracy. The Endowment remains a critical and 
     cost-effective investment in a more secure America, and we 
     support its work. We hope that you will join us in that 
     support.
           Sincerely,
     Richard V. Allen,
     Frank C. Carlucci,
     Zbigniew Brzezinski,
     Brent Scowcroft.
  (At the request of Mr. Dole, the following statements were ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

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