[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 113 (Tuesday, September 1, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9724-S9730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999
The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
Amendment No. 3495
(Purpose: To provide a limited waiver for certain foreign students of
the requirement to reimburse local educational agencies for the costs
of the students' education)
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask
for its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell], for Mr. Lugar,
proposes an amendment numbered 3495.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of
the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 114, strike all after line 1 through page 115 line
6 and insert the following:
SEC. 578. LIMITED WAIVER OF REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENT FOR
CERTAIN FOREIGN STUDENTS.
Section 214(l)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)), as added by section 625(a)(1) of the
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
of 1996 (110 Stat. 3009-699), is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B), by redesignating clauses (i) and
(ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively;
(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses
(i) and (ii), respectively;
(3) by striking ``(l)(1)'' and inserting ``(l)(1)(A)''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(B) The Attorney General shall waive the application of
subparagraph (A)(ii) for an alien seeking to pursue a course
of study in a public secondary school served by a local
educational agency (as defined in section 14101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8801) if the agency determines and certifies to the Attorney
General that such waiver will promote the educational
interest of the agency and will not impose an undue financial
burden on the agency.''.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this amendment has been cleared on this
side of the aisle and, I believe, on the other side.
Mr. LEAHY. There is no objection on this side of the aisle.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3495) was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. LEAHY. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
American Educational Institutions in Lebanon
Mr. ABRAHAM. Would the Senator from Kentucky yield for a question?
Mr. McCONNELL. I would be happy to yield to the Senator from
Michigan.
Mr. ABRAHAM. I want to thank the Senator from Kentucky for the
interest
[[Page S9725]]
that he and his committee have taken in American educational
institutions abroad, and the role they play in advancing basic American
values in countries of key strategic interest to the United States. As
the Chairman knows, I believe that Lebanon is one of the countries
where American leadership is especially needed. Therefore, I was
pleased that the committee's report on S. 2334 gives special
recognition to the importance of the American University of Beirut and
Lebanese American University. As the report states, both these
institutions, AUB and LAU, deserve further support from the American
Schools and Hospitals Abroad program. I would like to ask the Senator
from Kentucky if he agrees with me that AID also should directly
support the American educational institutions in Lebanon through our
bilateral aid program to that country.
Mr. McCONNELL. Yes. The Senator is quite right. Our aid program to
Lebanon is structured so that all assistance is channeled through
grants or contracts to American non-governmental organizations or U.S.
firms. The American educational institutions there should be the first
to be supported. Education is at the heart of what we are trying to
accomplish with our aid program. It instills the fundamental values
that will guide the next generation of leaders. It will determine
whether those leaders share our commitment to democracy and free market
principles, and whether they learn how to solve their own problems or
remain dependent on us. An investment in American education will pay
greater dividends than anything else we can do in Lebanon.
Mr. ABRAHAM. I am pleased to hear the Chairman say that.
Unfortunately, AID currently is not pursuing such a policy in Lebanon.
The agency has established three strategic objectives for the country:
expanded economic opportunity, increased effectiveness of democratic
institutions, and improved environmental practices. Each of these
objectives certainly deserves special attention and are quite
important, thus I have no complaint about them as such. But,
strengthening the American educational presence in the country should
also be an objective. In fact, it should be the primary objective. The
American educational institutions can help achieve these other three
objectives, and many more, if their core educational and research
activities are enhanced. To some degree AID recognizes the invaluable
resource they have in these institutions, and the agency is in fact
contracting with them to help accomplish the goals it has set for the
country. But it seems to have missed the essential point that these
institutions themselves need revitalization after fifteen years of war
in Lebanon, and that this cannot be accomplished without supporting the
rebuilding of weakened institutional structures. The American
educational institutions in Lebanon can and should be called upon to
help rebuild the country, but it is shortsighted not to commit
additional resources to rebuild them as well.
Mr. McCONNELL. The Senator from Michigan has special knowledge of
Lebanon, and his expertise is well respected by all his colleagues here
in the Senate. The point he makes is indeed sound. I am grateful to
have his observations, and I am sure that AID will want to give them
heed. I would like to assure my colleague that the committee will
encourage the agency to do so, and we will monitor the situation to see
if changes are made.
Mr. ABRAHAM. I thank the Chairman.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(At the request of Mr. McConnell, the following statement was ordered
to be printed in the Record.)
Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I wish to thank Chairman McConnell
and Senator Leahy for their work in putting together a foreign
operations funding bill that provides for our national security
interests while doing so under tough fiscal constraints.
I would also like to commend the Chairman and Ranking Member on their
recognition of the important role Tunisia has played in the Middle East
Peace Process for the past several years.
Tunisia has been a long-time friend of the United States. Tunisia
has, since the beginning of the Peace Process, fully committed itself
to this process, which is viewed as the only way to restore peace in
the Middle East.
They launched the first U.S.-PLO dialogue as well as the first
preparatory talks between Israeli and Palestinian leadership in Tunis.
Tunisia was the first Arab country to host meetings within the
framework of the Peace Process.
Furthermore, a trilateral meeting was held in Washington in October
1995 bringing together the three Foreign Ministers of the United
States, Israel and Tunisia, followed soon afterwards by another
trilateral meeting, in January 1996, in Washington, D.C. A decision was
then announced to open, both in Tunis and in Tel Aviv, interest
sections in order to encourage the process of normalization between
Arab States and Israel.
The Tunisian's have undertaken these diplomatic initiatives at some
level of security risk. Tunisia's next door neighbor is Libya.
Nevertheless the Tunisians have refused to engage in an arms race. In
1997, they participated in 20 joint military exercises with the U.S.
and the European Command.
I believe it is time that we demonstrate our appreciation and support
for this country through funding commitments. I also encourage the
Administration to begin exploring additional funding initiatives in
fiscal year 2000.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Senator Inouye and Senator Stevens were
instrumental in securing funding for Tunisia. I have had a number of
conversations with both members regarding this initiative. I have also
advised them of the tough fiscal constraints under which we in the
Foreign Operations Committee are operating.
However, I too recognize Tunisia's importance in the Peace Process
and have agreed with Senator Leahy to provide $7 million of Foreign
Military Financing (FMF) in this bill. $5 million is available under
draw down authority and $2 million will be available through a direct
grant.
I want to assure Senators Inouye and Stevens that if the Tunisians
continue their role in the Peace Process, we will explore other funding
initiatives in the fiscal year 2000 Foreign Operations Appropriations
bill.
Mr. Inouye. Mr. President, I thank Chairman McConnell and Senator
Leahy and look forward to working with them on this issue in the Fiscal
Year 2000 Appropriations bill.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Roberts). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Privilege of the Floor
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that privileges of
the floor be granted to Bob Guidos, a fellow on my staff, during the
pendency of S. 2334, the foreign operations appropriations bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Chair.
Mr. President, I have submitted three amendments for consideration by
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Foreign Operations
Appropriations Subcommittee. It is my understanding that there will not
be objection, but I would like to briefly describe each of these
amendments and then offer them for consideration by the Senate.
The first amendment that I will offer is one which addresses the
microcredit issue. This is one that I think is of extraordinary
importance in terms of supporting and promoting the entrepreneurial
spirit of small business people around the globe through the use of
microcredit loans.
For those unfamiliar with the term, microcredit is a very small loan
given to very poor people with dramatic and positive results. By
accepting this amendment, we could enhance the lives of thousands of
impoverished people
[[Page S9726]]
throughout the world as well as their families and communities.
Many years ago, I journeyed to Bangladesh with a colleague of mine
from the House of Representatives, Mike Synar of Oklahoma, who passed
away a couple years ago. In Bangladesh, we saw the activities of the
Grameen Bank, the people's bank, which gave small loans to very, very
poor people. Through those loans, these peoples lives were transformed.
The people understood that this was a rare opportunity. And, they were
supported by people in their communities who would cosign the loans.
The payback rate on the loans was in the high 90th percentile. With
only a few dollars, maybe $100, a woman in Bangladesh had a chance to
buy some tools that would allow her to pursue a trade and to feed her
family. Another woman might be able to buy a dairy cow and with the
milk from that cow she could feed her children as well as provide
products for sale, which would provide some income for her family.
These microcredit loans are not charity; they are a means to provide
poor, fledgling entrepreneurs in lesser developed countries with loans
for startup of individual businesses. It has proven to be a successful
way to help these people achieve economic independence and dignity for
themselves.
It is interesting that where we found people in Bangladesh involved
in microcredit, we also found timely discussion and debate about
critical issues, such as the elevation of the status of women, for
example. It wasn't a surprise to find that the women involved in
Grameen Bank were also actively involved in prenatal activities so that
their children would be more healthy. They also actively participated
in family planning programs on a voluntary basis that helped them to
take personal responsibility for the size of their families as well as
other issues that all of us, I believe, agree are part of the solution
to dealing with developing economies.
My amendment will change the status of the program in one slight
respect. It gives microcredit a higher priority among U.S. enterprise
development efforts. This amendment will ensure that at least half of
the funds already appropriated through this bill, S. 2334, for USAID
for microenterprise initiatives will be used for programs providing
loans of less than $300 to poor people, particularly women, or for
institutional support of organizations primarily engaged in microcredit
loans.
We don't increase the overall spending amount; we merely have a
reallocation of the smaller loans in this package. Existing loans have
a remarkably high repayment rate of 95 percent or more.
This amendment supports the goals of the Microcredit Summit held in
Washington, DC, in 1997 to offer credit for self-employment and other
financial aid. It also supports the goals found in S. 2152, the
Microcredit for Self-sufficiency Act of 1998, introduced in June,
sponsored by myself, Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, and 22 other
Senators on a bipartisan basis.
I believe that the use of microcredit loans is a pragmatic and proven
method for fostering the growth of small businesses.
I thank the chairman for acceptance of this amendment.
Amendment No. 3496
(Purpose: To allocate funds available for activities pursuant to the
Microenterprise Initiative)
Mr. DURBIN. I send this amendment to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no objection, the pending
amendments are set aside so that the amendments offered by the Senator
from Illinois are the pending business. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] proposes an
amendment numbered 3496.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 11, line 15, before the period insert the
following: ``Provided further, That, of the funds
appropriated under this heading and made available for
activities pusuant to the Microenterprise Initiative, not
less than one-half shall be expended on programs providing
loans of less than $300 to very poor people, particularly
women, or for institutional support of organizations
primarily engaged in making such loans''.
Amendment No. 3497
(Purpose: To express the sense of Congress regarding United States
citizens imprisoned in Peru.)
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, my second amendment is one that deals with
an issue of some controversy in my State of Illinois and one that we
have followed very closely.
Several years ago, two young people from Illinois made a very serious
mistake. These young, I believe then teenage girls accepted an
invitation to fly to Peru. It sounded too good to be true and it was.
They found themselves lured into a drug trade and subsequently were
arrested in Peru.
For almost two years now, these young ladies, one is Jennifer Davis
of Illinois, have languished in prison in Lima, Peru. Neither Jennifer
Davis nor her family deny the fact that she is guilty as charged and
that she should be sentenced and should serve time for the crime she
has committed. In fact, she has cooperated fully with the Peruvian
authorities and those who are seeking to find who was responsible for
the drug trading involved.
The difficulty, of course, is that the Peruvian legal system is much
different than the United States system. It took an excruciatingly long
period of time, nine months, before Jennifer was actually charged,
brought to trial, and convicted. We had hoped that the trial and
conviction would lead to the possibility of her being sentenced and
then extradited to the United States to serve time for her sentence in
an American prison, which is customary under international law. But,
the conviction was appealed by her codefendants. Under the Peruvian
system, the appeal went to the Supreme Court, which called for a new
trial. Now, the process has started all over again.
I have spoken directly to Jennifer Davis' parents. I have spoken to
the U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Mr. Jett, about this case. It is not my
intention in offering this amendment to in any way be confrontational
with the Government of Peru. What we are attempting to do is to urge
them to follow accepted international standards for a timely hearing
and a timely trial of Jennifer Davis and all other Americans being held
in Peruvian prisons. We do not presume the outcome of these trials. We
do not ask for special or favorable treatment, only that they be
treated as prisoners are treated in the United States and most other
countries--in a timely fashion--and that any decision by those courts
be carried out in a fair manner.
That is all that we can ask. It is all that we do in this amendment.
I send the amendment to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair asks the Senator, we still have the
Senator's first amendment pending. Does the Senator wish to dispose of
his amendment prior to offering this amendment?
Mr. DURBIN. I certainly do. I ask the chairman of the subcommittee if
he has any objection.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have no objection to the Durbin
amendments. Maybe we should go ahead and approve the first one.
Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Senator.
Vote on Amendment No. 3496
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the amendment?
Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3496) was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which
the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. DURBIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3497
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the second amendment.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] proposes an
amendment numbered 3497.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
[[Page S9727]]
At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following
new section:
SEC. ____. SENSE OF SENATE REGARDING UNITED STATES CITIZENS
HELD IN PRISONS IN PERU.
It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) as a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, the Government of Peru is obligated to
grant prisoners timely legal proceedings pursuant to Article
9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, which requires that ``anyone arrested or detained on
a criminal charge shall be brought promptly before a judge or
other officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power
and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or
release'', and that ``any one who is deprived of his liberty
by arrest or detention shall be entitled to take proceedings
before a court, in order that that court may decide without
delay on the lawfulness of his detention and order his
release if the detention is not lawful'';
(2) the Government of Peru should respect the rights of
prisoners to timely legal procedures, including the rights of
all United States citizens held in prisons in that country;
and
(3) the Government of Peru should take all necessary steps
to ensure that any United States citizen charged with
committing a crime in that country is accorded open and fair
proceedings in a civilian court.
Mr. DURBIN. If there is no objection from the chairman or ranking
member----
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have no objection to the second
Durbin amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the amendment? Without
objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3497) was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which
the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. DURBIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized.
Amendment No. 3498
(Purpose: To require a report on the training provided to foreign
military personnel in the United States during fiscal years 1998 and
1999)
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I have one last amendment. Let me
apologize. I thought they were going to be considered en bloc. I
understand now.
This last amendment is an attempt to address a matter of great
concern in an objective manner, and that is the concern of some in the
United States that we have expended taxpayers' dollars over the years
for the training of foreign military officers and personnel in the
United States with sometimes unintended tragic results.
First, let me say, that many of the individuals who have come to the
United States from foreign countries to receive military training have
returned to their home countries and have served the cause of justice
and the cause of civilian control of the military in an admirable way,
but there have been notable exceptions.
I will not at this moment offer the amendment that I had planned to
offer involving the controversial School of the Americas. I was
prepared to offer that amendment which would close down and terminate
the School of the Americas. That is an amendment which has been
considered for many years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I
voted for it there. I believe we should close that School. That is
still my heartfelt belief.
I have spoken to those who share my point of view. It is their belief
at this moment that we should not offer that amendment. I follow their
advice on the subject.
Instead, I would like to offer for the consideration of the Senate
and the House of Representatives and all others an amendment that would
require the Inspectors General of the Department of Defense and
Department of State to submit a report to Congress which spells out
exactly what training is available to foreign military leaders and
personnel in the United States, including the location, the duration,
the numbers involved, the cost of the training, the purpose and nature
of the training and, most importantly, an analysis as to whether that
training is consistent with United States foreign policy and the goals
of promoting democracy and the civilian control of the military and the
promotion of human rights. I think this will set the stage for a more
thorough and thoughtful consideration of all of the programs that might
involve foreign military officers and personnel being trained in the
United States.
Let me say at the outset, I believe that some of these programs are
invaluable, that many of the men and women who are participating in
them leave the United States and go back to their home countries
prepared to really create a new military ethic. I think the United
States should continue on that course. But, unfortunately, in the past,
particularly in the case of the School of the Americas, there have been
some very controversial instances where those who have been trained
have responded in ways most of us would consider to be anathema. They
have returned to their home countries and have been involved in conduct
of which I am sure no one would ever approve.
I ask and urge adoption of the amendment which I have offered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Has the Senator submitted the amendment?
Mr. DURBIN. I will submit the amendment. I just returned, Mr.
President, from a few weeks away, and I am trying to get back into the
flow of things. I thank the Senator for his forbearance.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair welcomes the Senator back. The clerk
will read the amendment.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] proposes an
amendment numbered 3498.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following
new section:
Sec. ____. (a) Not later than January 31, 1999, the
Inspector General of the Department of Defense and the
Inspector General of the Department of State shall jointly
submit to Congress a report describing the following:
(1) The training provided to foreign military personnel
within the United States under any programs administered by
the Department of Defense or the Department of State during
fiscal year 1998.
(2) The training provided (including the training proposed
to be provided) to such personnel within the United States
under such programs during fiscal year 1999.
(b) For each case of training covered by the report under
subsection (a), the report shall include--
(1) the location of the training;
(2) the duration of the training;
(3) the number of foreign military personnel provided the
training by country, including the units of operation of such
personnel;
(4) the cost of the training;
(5) the purpose and nature of the training; and
(6) an analysis of the manner and the extent to which the
training meets or conflicts with the foreign policy
objectives of the United States, including the furtherance of
democracy and civilian control of the military and the
promotion of human rights.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise in support of an amendment to the
fiscal year 1999 Foreign Operations appropriations bill offered by the
Senator from Illinois [Mr. Durbin]. The amendment requires a report to
the Congress from the Inspectors General of the Departments of Defense
and State detailing the type and purpose of military training provided
to foreign military personnel within the United States during fiscal
years 1998 and 1999. I am pleased the Senate has adopted this
amendment.
I have long been opposed to the continued operation of the United
States Army's School of the Americas (SOA), located at Fort Benning,
Georgia. This amendment will ensure that the Congress receives a full
accounting of the duration, cost, purpose and nature of the foreign
military training at all sites within the United States, including the
School of the Americas. The report required by this amendment will also
include a list of the number and country of origin of foreign military
officers trained and the units in which these officers serve. Further,
the report must include an analysis of whether or not the training
these officers receive conflicts with the foreign policy objectives of
the United States.
While the Senator's amendment includes all foreign military training
that is conducted in the United States, this is an especially
appropriate time to talk about the training at the School of the
Americas in particular. All across our country, millions of children
are beginning a new school year. Most students this year will study
math, science, history, and English, and perhaps foreign languages, art
and
[[Page S9728]]
music. And they will learn the basic values of our society--honesty,
integrity, and how to get along with each other.
There is one school in our country, however, that has not subscribed
to these basic American values. It is called the School of the
Americas--a name which evokes the idea of a shared system of values
among the United States and our democratic neighbors in the Americas.
This school was created in 1946 with the best of intentions--to train
Latin American military officers in combat and conterinsurgency skills,
with the goal of professionalizing Latin American armies and
strengthening the new democracies in our hemisphere. Its curriculum has
included some history and math and science and foreign languages, to be
sure. But this school has replaced the traditional three Rs with the
three As--arrest, abduction, and assassination. Because many of its
graduates have excelled at the three As, the school has earned the
nickname the ``School of the Assassins.'' Others call it the ``School
of Dictators.''
In 1991, following an internal investigation, the Pentagon removed
certain SOA training manuals from circulation. On September 22, 1996,
the Pentagon released the full text of those training manuals and
acknowledged that some of those manuals provided instruction in
techniques that, in the Pentagon's words, were ``clearly objectionable
and possibly illegal.'' The techniques in question included torture,
extortion, false arrest, and execution. And the students have learned
these lessons very well.
The school's alumni directory reads like a who's who of international
criminals. Among its graduates are Manuel Noriega, at least 19
Salvadorean officers implicated by El Salvador's Truth Commission in
the murder of six Jesuit priests, and officers who participated in the
coup against former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Since I first came to the Senate in 1993, I have been contacted by
hundreds of Wisconsin residents, including religious and school groups,
who see the closure of this school as a moral imperative. The
importance of removing the imprimatur of the United States from this
school has been driven home many times during the listening sessions I
hold in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties every year. I share my
constituents' shock and disappointment that our government continues to
operate a school with the miserable record of the School of the
Americas. As a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I
am committed to promoting human rights throughout the world. We cannot
do that by continuing to operate this school.
I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of S. 980, legislation
introduced by the Senator from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] to close this
school. The movement to close the School of the Americas is not a new
one. Over the past several years, there have been a number of votes on
this issue in the House of Representatives. Many of our colleagues in
the other body share my concern about this school. Last year, an
amendment to close SOA was defeated by the narrowest of margins. It is
clear that the momentum behind the bipartisan effort to close this
school is growing, and I believe that SOA's days are numbered.
While it may be appropriate under certain circumstances for the
United States military to offer training to military forces from
friendly nations, it is a mistake to conduct this training at the
School of the Americas. I have no objection to training military
officers from Latin America, but to continue to do so at this school
places all future training under a sinister shadow of doubt. This
school's reputation has been irrevocably tainted by the blood of the
victims of its graduates. In order to remove any suggestion of
responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people from the United
States, and in order to lift the cloud of suspicion over American
military training, we must separate the legitimate training exercises
conducted by the United States military from the sordid acts most
notorious graduates of SOA. The only way to do that is to close the
School of the Americas once and for all.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have no objection to the Durbin
amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the amendment offered by
the Senator from Illinois?
Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3498) was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which
the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. DURBIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. DURBIN. Thank you, Mr. President.
Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Privilege Of The Floor
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Doug
James, a legislative fellow in the office of Mike DeWine, be granted
floor privileges during the pendency of S. 2334, the foreign operations
bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 3499
(Purpose: To earmark funds for a hydraulic drilling machine to provide
potable drinking water in the region of the Nuba Mountains in Sudan)
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment by Senator
Brownback which has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. I send it
to the desk, amendment No. 3499.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the pending amendment will
be set aside. The clerk will report the amendment.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell], for Mr.
Brownback, proposes an amendment numbered 3499.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment
be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
On page 15, line 13, before the period insert the
following: ``: Provided, That, of the funds appropriated
under this heading, not less than $500,000 shall be available
only to Catholic Relief Services solely for the purpose of
the purchase, transport, or installation of a hydraulic
drilling machine to provide potable drinking water in the
region of the Nuba Mountains in Sudan''.
Mr. McCONNELL. It is my understanding there is agreement to the
amendment on both sides.
Mr. LEAHY. There is no objection on this side. We find this amendment
perfectly acceptable.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the amendment? Hearing
none, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3499) was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. LEAHY. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Amendment No. 3502
(Purpose: To provide for progress reports to Congress on efforts to
update the architecture of the international monetary system)
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent it be in order to
send to the desk an amendment on behalf of the Senator from South
Dakota, Mr. Daschle, and myself.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the pending amendment will
[[Page S9729]]
be set aside. The clerk will report the amendment.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Vermont [Mr. Leahy], for Mr. Daschle, for
himself and Mr. Leahy, proposes an amendment numbered 3502.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the appropriate place insert the following:
Sec. 1. Short Title.--Progress Reports to Congress on
United States Initiatives to Update the Architecture of the
International Monetary System
Sec. 2. Reports Required.--Not later than July 15, 1999 and
July 15, 2000, the Secretary of the Treasury shall report to
the Chairmen and Ranking members of the Senate Committees on
Appropriations, Foreign Relations, and Banking, Housing and
Urban Affairs and House Committees on Appropriations and
Banking and Financial Services on the progress of efforts to
reform the architecture or the international monetary system.
The reports shall include a discussion of the substance of
the US position in consultations with other governments and
the degree of progress in achieving international acceptance
and implementation of such position with respect to the
following issues:
(1) adapting the mission and capabilities of the
international monetary Fund to take better account of the
increased importance of cross-border capital flows in the
world economy and improving the coordination of its
responsibilities and activities with those of the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
(2) advancing measures to prevent, and improve the
management of, international financial crises, including by--
(a) integrating aspects of national bankruptcy principles
into the management of international financial crises where
feasible; and
(b) changing investor expectations about official rescues,
thereby reducing moral hazard and systemic risk in
international financial markets--
in order to help minimize the adjustment costs that the
resolution of financial crises may impose on the real
economy, in the form of disrupted patterns of trade,
employment, and progress in living standards, and reduce the
frequency and magnitude of claims on United States taxpayer
resources.
(3) improving international economic policy cooperation,
including among the group of Seven countries, to take better
account of the importance of cross-border capital flows in
the determination of exchange rate relationships.
(4) improving international cooperation in the supervision
and regulation of financial institutions and markets.
(5) strengthening the financial sector in emerging
economies, including by improving the coordination of
financial sector liberalization with the establishment of
strong public and private institutions in the areas of
prudential supervision, accounting and disclosure
conventions, bankruptcy laws and administrative procedures,
and the collection and dissemination of economic and
financial statistics, including the maturity structure of
foreign indebtedness.
(6) advocating that implementation of European Economic and
Monetary Union and the advent of the European Currency Unit,
or euro, proceed in a manner that is consistent with strong
global economic growth and stability in world financial
markets.
Mr. LEAHY. I understand there is no objection to this amendment. The
amendment is by Mr. Daschle, and joined by me.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, there is no objection on this side.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the amendment offered by
the Senator from Vermont, on behalf of the distinguished Democratic
leader? Hearing none, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3502) was agreed to.
Mr. LEAHY. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. McCONNELL. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Amendment No. 3503
(Purpose: To urge international cooperation in recovering children
abducted in the United States and taken to other countries)
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending
amendment be laid aside so that we can consider an amendment by the
distinguished Senator from Arkansas, Mr. Bumpers.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LEAHY. I send the amendment to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Vermont [Mr. Leahy], for Mr. Bumpers,
proposes an amendment numbered 3503.
Mr. LEAHY. I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be
dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the appropriate place add the following:
SEC. . SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION IN RECOVERING CHILDREN ABDUCTED IN
THE UNITED STATES AND TAKEN TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) Many children in the United States have been abducted
by family members who are foreign nationals and living in
foreign countries;
(2) children who have been abducted by an estranged father
are very rarely returned, through legal remedies, from
countries that only recognize the custody rights of the
father;
(3) there are at least 140 cases that need to be resolved
in which children have been abducted by family members and
taken to foreign countries;
(4) although the Convention on the Civil Aspects of
International Child Abduction, done at the Hague on October
25, 1980, has made progress in aiding the return of abducted
children, the Convention does not address the criminal
aspects of child abduction, and there is a need to reach
agreements regrading child abduction with countries that are
not parties to the Convention; and
(5) decisions on awarding custody of children should be
made in the children's best interest, and persons who violate
laws of the United States by abducting their children should
not be rewarded by being granted custody of those children.
(b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the Sense of the Congress
that the United States Government should promote
international cooperation in working to resolve those cases
in which children in the United States are abducted by family
members who are foreign nationals and taken to foreign
countries, and in seeing that justice is served by holding
accountable the abductors for violations of criminal law.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I understand there is no objection to this
amendment.
Mr. McCONNELL. There is no objection on this side, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the amendment? Hearing
none, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3503) was agreed to.
Mr. LEAHY. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. McCONNELL. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. McCONNELL addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Amendments Nos. 3504 and 3505 En Bloc
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have two amendments by Senator
Kempthorne that have been cleared on both sides. I ask unanimous
consent that they now be considered. I send them to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the pending amendment will
be set aside to consider the pending amendments offered by the Senator
from Kentucky. The clerk will report the amendments.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell], for Mr.
Kempthorne, proposes amendments numbered 3504 and 3505 en
bloc.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of
the amendments be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendments are as follows:
amendment no. 3504
(Purpose: To require the purchase of American agriculture commodities
with funds made available through this bill and to require the
Secretary of the Treasury to report annually on federal efforts to
purchase American agriculture commodities with funds made available
through this bill)
On page 77, line 20, after the word ``all'' insert
``agriculture commodities,''.
On page 78, line 3, insert ``(d) The Secretary of the
Treasury shall report to Congress annually on the efforts of
the heads of each Federal agency and the U.S. directors of
international financial institutions (as referenced in
Section 514) in complying with this sense of Congress
resolution.''
[[Page S9730]]
amendment no. 3505
(Purpose: To direct the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the
United States executive directors of international financial
institutions to use the voice and vote of the United States to support
the purchase of American agricultural commodities)
On page 49, insert ``(a)'' before ``The''.
On page 50, line 11, add the following: ``(b) The Secretary
of the Treasury shall instruct the United States Executive
Directors of international financial institutions listed in
paragraph (a) of this section to use the voice and vote of
the United States to support the purchase of American
produced agricultural commodities with funds appropriated or
made available pursuant to this Act.''
Mr. McCONNELL. I believe there is no objection to the two Kempthorne
amendments.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the amendments? Without
objection, the amendments are agreed to.
The amendments (Nos. 3504 and 3505) were agreed to.
Mr. LEAHY. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. McCONNELL. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I do not believe we have an amendment at
the moment. We are still checking around. I urge Members if they have
amendments to bring them to the floor because I have a feeling we are
probably not that far away from third reading.
Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, moments ago, we adopted amendment No.
3503 by the Senator from Arkansas, Senator Bumpers. I ask unanimous
consent that Senator Hutchinson of Arkansas be added as a cosponsor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, has the Pastore rule expired?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Pastore rule will expire at 12:30.
Mr. BYRD. I thank the Chair. I ask unanimous consent that I may speak
out of order.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________