[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 47 (Friday, April 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3562-S3563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    STATE DEPARTMENT REAUTHORIZATION

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, on the legislation we are fixing to take up, 
the State Department reorganization bill, this is the result of 
literally years of work, give and take, by Senator Helms, the chairman 
of the committee, and by the administration. I think credit has to go 
to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She worked with Senator Helms 
on this State Department reorganization, which is so long overdue, 
which would allow us to do a

[[Page S3563]]

better job in our foreign policy apparatus. Senator Biden has been a 
good partner, I believe, with Senator Helms, as the ranking member on 
that committee that reported this legislation, in developing this State 
Department reorganization.
  So this is very important legislation which has been a long time 
coming.
  The second part of that bill does provide for the U.N. arrearages, 
something over $900 million, I believe. You can still argue about how 
much really the United States owes to the United Nations. You can still 
argue that the United Nations doesn't always make the right decision. 
You can argue back and forth. But it is an agreed-to compromise which 
will allow the United States to fulfill its commitment in a way that a 
majority of those directly involved, Republican and Democrat, 
conservative, moderate, and liberal, feel is a fair way to get this job 
done.
  So that is an important part of this package, not only the 
reorganization of the State Department, which will be of tremendous 
benefit, I believe, in the next few months and years of this 
administration and of future administrations, but then you add to that 
that we are finally addressing this question of U.N. arrearage. That is 
very important.
  There is also included in this bill language that maybe nobody is 
totally happy with but language dealing with the so-called Mexico City 
issue, which is language that would have some restraints on lobbying 
other governments and organizations with taxpayers' dollars to promote 
the changing of laws to provide for abortions or to deal with the 
abortion issue. It is an issue that we have been tangled with for 
years. I am not diminishing it by putting it that way, but it is just 
something that we have been trying to find a fix to. There is no easy 
answer. You have passionate people on both sides of the issue. And I 
have clearly been on one side of the issue forever. I don't think that 
taxpayers' dollars should be used to promote abortion. Does anybody 
want to question Jesse Helms on this issue? Anybody? No.
  Now, the others who are on the other side of the issue, such as 
Senator Biden, they argue very strongly. They have been consistent on 
the other side. This is a compromise. This is a part of the package. 
This is a way to deal with three very important issues in this package. 
It has been agreed to reluctantly, but now I think with understanding 
and vigor, by the Senators who are involved directly with this 
legislation.
  So I urge my colleagues to think about it, recognize that you may not 
like one piece of the three or maybe two of the three, but what is the 
alternative? Are we never going to reorganize the State Department? Are 
we never going to deal with the U.N. arrearage issue? Is the abortion 
issue going to be involved with U.N. arrearage, State Department 
reorganization, IMF, appropriations bills? How long will this go on 
this year? This is the solution. So I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
  I caution the administration and urge them to stop lobbying against 
this legislation, their bill. I have expressed this to the Secretary of 
State, in which I said, ``Madam Secretary, this is the last train out 
of Dodge on the U.N. arrearage.'' Now, I don't believe it will happen--
if this bill doesn't pass the Senate and if this bill is not signed by 
the President, then the U.N. issue is probably dead for the year.
  Am I advocating that? Am I defending it? No. I am just stating a 
fact. I don't see how you do it. Senator Helms and Senator Biden have 
reluctantly agreed to this process, but it is the only process, I 
believe, that will allow us to deal with these three difficult, 
complicated, but important issues.
  So I hope the Senate will have a good debate today and will think 
about it. I don't think anybody is going to be surprised by what is in 
here. We do not need a lot of pontificating on either side of the 
aisle. You are for or against State Department reauthorization. You are 
for or against the U.N. arrearage issue. And you may be for or against 
the abortion issue. But this is a reasonable solution, and I hope it 
will pass when we vote on it Tuesday at 2:25.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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