[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S2150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           FISCAL YEAR 1998 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss my strong concerns 
regarding the fiscal year 1998 emergency supplemental appropriation 
bill. I was extremely disappointed by last week's decision by the House 
Republican leadership to split the fiscal year 1998 emergency 
supplemental bill into two separate legislative pieces: one includes 
funding for defense and disaster relief and the other contains funds 
for the International Monetary Fund and payment of U.S. arrears to the 
United Nations. I was similarly disappointed that the Senate 
Appropriations Committee not only marked-up two separate pieces of 
legislation, but that funding for U.S. debts to the UN was not included 
at all.
  Mr. President, I am very concerned about the House and Senate 
legislative strategy involved in splitting the supplemental 
appropriations bill. I firmly believe that the Congress must act 
quickly to pass a single, emergency bill prior to the April recess.
  It is imperative that the Congress act immediately to supply the $18 
billion requested by the administration for the IMF. I am pleased that 
the Senate Appropriations Committee voted yesterday on legislation that 
includes both the $14.5 billion to replenish the IMF's capital base and 
the $3.5 billion for the new arrangements to borrow, NAB, while 
encouraging necessary IMF reforms. The Asian financial crisis poses too 
great of a threat to the economic prosperity of the American people to 
allow it to become mired in non-related, political debates. As 
Secretary Rubin has stated, ``Financial instability, economic distress 
and depreciating currencies all have direct effects on the pace of our 
exports, the competitiveness of our companies, the growth of our 
economy and, ultimately, the well-being of American workers and 
farmers.'' To be clear, the growth and competitiveness of our economy 
is at stake.
  Mr. President, I am confident that the vast majority of our 
colleagues agree on the importance and the need to move forward with 
the IMF funding proposal. However, my fear is that while we are likely 
to see quick action on defense and disaster relief, a separate funding 
vehicle for the IMF is likely to get bogged down in non-related 
arguments.
  The American people have a right to ask: if there is agreement, why 
the delay? It appears that certain Members of Congress are prepared to 
hold funding for the IMF hostage to their desire to fight, yet again, 
the international family planning issue.
  Mr. President, I do not begrudge the concerns of my colleagues who 
feel strongly about the issue of international family planning. I 
recognize that disagreement exists. In my opinion, international family 
planning assistance is essential to health care in developing 
countries, resource and environmental management, and economic 
development. While I am confident that this is an issue that we will 
once again fight during consideration of the fiscal year 1999 foreign 
operations appropriations bill, I believe that it is extremely 
irresponsible to hold up IMF funding to debate this issue.
  Mr. President, the truth is I've actually begun to lose count of how 
many issues are being held hostage by proponents of the so-called 
Mexico City language. We now see reports that this issue will be 
attached to the conference report on State Department reauthorization, 
thus slowing up efforts to achieve much needed reforms in our foreign 
policy decisionmaking structure. Similarly, payment of our debts to the 
United Nations are also being held up over this same issue. At a time 
in which we are asking our allies to stand with us in opposition to 
Saddam Hussein, to force him to comply with the UNSCOM inspection 
regime, we refuse to pay our debts. It would be naive to think that 
this doesn't affect our ability to lead at the United Nations. It is 
time for real leadership in the Congress; it's time to move forward on 
this issue.
  I would like to draw my colleagues' attention to an editorial that 
appeared in the March 16 edition of the New York Times entitled 
``Foreign Policy Held Hostage.'' This editorial clearly outlines the 
risks to our broader foreign policy goals when narrow interests are 
pursued indefinitely. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of 
this editorial be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the New York Times, Mar. 16, 1998]

                      Foreign Policy Held Hostage

       House Republican leaders flaunt their disregard for 
     America's broader interests by letting anti-abortion 
     crusaders hold up funding for the International Monetary Fund 
     and the United Nations. The money is being held hostage to an 
     obnoxious amendment by Representative Christopher Smith of 
     New Jersey that would block American financing of any foreign 
     group lobbying for less restrictive abortion laws abroad. 
     President Clinton rightly threatens to veto any bill with the 
     Smith language.
       A similar ploy by Mr. Smith blocked I.M.F. and U.N. funding 
     measures last fall. Speaker Newt Gingrich should understand 
     that I.M.F. and U.N. payments are too vital to American 
     interests to be ensnarled in abortion politics and ought to 
     let an unencumbered bill pass the House.
       The $18 billion for the I.M.F. is meant to replenish its 
     reserves after the recent bailouts of Thailand, South Korea 
     and Indonesia. Asia's financial crisis is not over, and the 
     fund may need the money in the coming months. America's trade 
     interests and even the health of the economy could be 
     jeopardized by delaying this funding.
       The nearly $1 billion for the U.N. would pay off most of 
     America's debt to the world organization. For years, Congress 
     has withheld some of America's dues to leverage reforms at 
     the U.N. Many of those changes have now been adopted under 
     the leadership of Kofi Annan, the new Secretary General. 
     Other countries have had to make up for the loss of American 
     money, undermining Washington's bargaining power in the U.N. 
     If the back dues remain unpaid, the United States will lose 
     its voting rights in the General Assembly next year, an 
     embarrassment for the nation that led the effort to create 
     the United Nations half a century ago. Abortion politics has 
     no place in determining America's role in the U.N. and the 
     I.M.F.

  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, I close by urging the Senate to move 
swiftly to pass a single fiscal year 1998 supplemental appropriations 
bill before we leave for the April recess. The safety and prosperity of 
the American people and our economy is too important to do less.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Roberts). Under the previous order, the 
Senator from Wyoming is recognized to speak for up to 45 minutes.

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