[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 112 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

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                               speech of

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2606) making 
     appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and 
     related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2000, and for other purposes;

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Chairman, the Foreign Operations Appropriation 
bill for fiscal year 2000 that was reported by the appropriations 
subcommittee, was a fair and bipartisan bill, given the tight funding 
restrictions.
  Although the subcommittee's allocation of $12.8 million was $2.7 
million below the FY 1999 funding level, I am pleased that the panel 
included increases in critical programs such as, the Child Survival 
Account and the Assistance for Displaced and Orphaned and Children 
Account within U.S.A.I.D. These programs provide critically needed 
assistance to sick, needy, and orphaned children in developing 
countries.
  I would like thank Chairman Sonny Callahan and Ranking Member Nancy 
Pelosi for including $34 million, for the U.S. Agency for International 
Development's Collaborative Research Support Programs--a 100% increase 
over last year's funding. This program utilizes our leading 
universities, including the University of California, to help 
developing countries make improvements in agriculture. Supporting 
agricultural research is critical because we know that political 
stability is largely dependent on a developing country's ability to 
maintain a stable food supply. The Collaborative Research Support 
Program helps developing counties achieve this goal, thereby furthering 
our own interests as well as theirs.
  However, despite the increases in these valuable programs, I must 
strongly object to the $200 million that was cut from the World Bank's 
International Development Association at the direction of the 
Republican leadership. Cutting funds from this multilateral development 
program sends a message to other member-countries that the U.S. 
believes it is O.K. to shirk one's responsibility to developing 
countries. We should not send this message.
  I object, not only to the substance of this cut, but also to the 
manner in which this cut was made. As I previously stated, the bill 
reported out of subcommittee was a fair, bi-partisan bill. 
Unfortunately, the continuing insistence of the Republican leadership 
to make last minute cuts to our appropriations bills during full 
committee and House floor consideration has sorely undermined what 
should be a bi-partisan process.
  Not providing responsible levels of funding for our government 
programs not only hurts our country, but results in increased emergency 
spending in the long run. While I will vote in favor of the bill in 
order to move the process along, it is my hope that the Republican 
leadership will recognize the short-sightedness of this strategy and 
restore this bill and others to their original funding levels.

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