[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 101 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H4329-H4333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2506, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT
FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2002
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules,
I call up House Resolution 199 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 199
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 2506) making appropriations for foreign
operations, export financing, and related programs for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other
purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed
with. Points of order against consideration of the bill for
failure to comply with clause 4 of rule XIII are waived.
General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not
exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Appropriations. After general debate the bill shall be
considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The
amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules
accompanying this resolution shall be considered as adopted
in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. Points of
order against provisions in the bill, as amended, for failure
to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI are waived except as
follows: page 75, lines 17 through 23; page 107, lines 11
through 17. No further amendment to the bill shall be in
order except those printed in the portion of the
Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8
of rule XVIII and except pro forma amendments for the purpose
of debate. Each amendment so printed may be offered only by
the Member who caused it to be printed or his designee and
shall be considered as read. At the conclusion of
consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall
rise and report the bill, as amended, to the House with such
further amendments as may have been adopted. The previous
question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and
amendments thereto to final passage without intervening
motion except one motion to recommit with or without
instructions.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The gentleman from Florida
(Mr. Diaz-Balart) is recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall); pending
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration
of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate
only.
(Mr. Diaz-Balart asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 199 is a modified open
rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 2506, the fiscal year 2002
foreign operations appropriations act.
The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, evenly divided and
controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on
Appropriations. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment may do so, as
long as it complies with the regular rules of the House and has been
printed in the Congressional Record for other Members to see.
This is, as I have said, Mr. Speaker, a modified open rule that will
allow all Members the opportunity to offer amendments. This is,
obviously, a fair rule that will allow Members ample opportunity to
debate the very important issues which are connected to this underlying
legislation.
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The underlying legislation is a product of bipartisanship. The
Committee on Appropriations has funded a wide variety of programs while
staying within the strict budgetary constraints. The bill provides
funding for debt relief for heavily indebted countries. It increases
funding for the Peace Corps. It increases funding for the Child
Survival and Health Programs Fund. It provides disaster relief for our
friends and neighbors in El Salvador.
The legislation also reaffirms our commitment to our great ally,
Israel, by fully funding President Bush's request of almost $3 billion
for aid to Israel.
The bill also includes language that requires the President to
determine whether the PLO is complying with its commitments to renounce
terrorism. If the President cannot determination that the PLO is in
substantial compliance with its commitments, then he must impose one or
more of the followings sanctions for a time period of at least 6
months: either the closure of the PLO office in Washington, the
designation of the PLO or one or more of its affiliated groups as a
terrorist organization, and the limitation of assistance provided under
the West Bank and Gaza program of humanitarian assistance.
Additionally, H.R. 2506 provides funding for portions of the
President's Andean Regional Initiative. The Andean region, Mr. Speaker,
is home to the only active insurgent movement in our hemisphere and
home to the most intensive kidnapping and terrorist activity in our
hemisphere. These activities pose a direct threat to hemispheric
stability. The President's Andean Regional Initiative will strengthen
democracy, regional stability and economic development in the region.
The President's initiative will work to promote democracy and
democratic institutions by providing support for judicial reform, anti-
corruption measures and the peace process in Colombia.
This program will also work to foster sustainable economic
development and increased trade through alternative economic
development, protection of the environment and renewal of the ATPA, the
Andean Trade Preference Act. The initiative will work to reduce the
supply of the illegal drugs at the source, while simultaneously
reducing U.S. demand through eradication and interdiction efforts.
There are two distinctive features of this program compared to last
year's Plan Colombia assistance, both of whom aim to promote peace and
to stem the flow of cocaine and heroine from the Andean region.
First, the assistance for economic and social programs is roughly
equal to the assistance for counter-narcotics programs. Second, more
than half of the assistance is directed at regional
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countries that are experiencing the spill-over effects of the illicit
drug and terrorist activities.
The United States shares close cultural and economic ties with Latin
America. We have a unique opportunity to help strengthen our hemisphere
as a whole, and the President's Andean Regional Initiative is an
important step in the right direction.
HIV/AIDS has become an international crisis of tremendous
devastation. In Africa, an estimated 17 million people have already
lost their lives to AIDS, including 2.4 million who died just this last
year. The Committee on Appropriations has made international HIV/AIDS
relief a priority for this Congress by allocating $434 million within
the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund for HIV/AIDS research and
treatment and an additional $40 million in other accounts.
This bill fully funds President Bush's request of $100 million for a
global HIV/AIDS trust fund, and the level of $414 million available for
bilateral HIV/AIDS assistance exceeds the authorization level of $300
million by $114 million.
In addition to the $434 million appropriated in this bill, it is my
understanding that the Committee on Appropriations has also included
$100 million for HIV/AIDS assistance in the supplemental appropriations
bill which, Mr. Speaker, we expect back from the conference shortly. As
a matter of fact, the Committee on Rules will be meeting on it this
evening.
That is a total of $534 million for HIV/AIDS relief. I think it is a
recognition of the degree of tragedy that the pandemic represents for
mankind. I commend the Committee on Appropriations for their actions in
that field.
Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. It balances national security needs
with humanitarian aid. This is, as I stated before, an open and fair
rule. I would urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the
underlying legislation which is very important to the national security
interests of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-
Balart) for yielding me time.
This is a modified open rule. It will allow for the consideration of
the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2002.
As my colleague has described, this rule provides for one hour of
general debate to be equally divided and controlled by the chairman and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. It allows
germane amendments under the 5-minute rule. This is the normal amending
process in the House. However, the rule permits only amendments printed
in the Congressional Record.
Mr. Speaker, foreign assistance is important to all Americans. As the
last superpower of the world, the United States is the only Nation with
the ability to provide significant humanitarian assistance throughout
this world. This helps maintain our Nation's moral authority and our
negotiations on diplomatic issues. This has a direct effect on the
success of our economic and military position which in turn benefits
all Americans.
But aside from self-interest, providing humanitarian assistance is
the right thing to do. Just as we are obligated to help our fellow
Americans who are less fortunate than we are, we also have an
obligation to help peoples of other nations.
Foreign aid does work. Many of my colleagues have seen this, and I
have seen this firsthand in different countries. Earlier this month I
returned from East Timor, which is a former Portuguese territory which
faces numerous challenges in setting up basic institutions that we take
for granted. I saw a number of projects that are funded through this
bill. I saw coffee growing in a cooperative that employs 100,000
people. I also saw a U.S.-supported printing press which is helping to
establish a free press in East Timor. These are directly funded through
this bill.
I also saw a mobile clinic where immunizations and maternity care is
given to village women and children, and this was funded by UNICEF
which receives funding through this bill.
The scenes that I saw in East Timor are repeated throughout the world
where U.S. foreign assistance saves lives and strengthens nations.
The Committee on Appropriations crafted a good bill which increases
overall funding for foreign aid. I am especially pleased that the bill
provides generous support for the Child Survival and Disease Programs
Fund which is intended to reduce infant mortality and improve the
health of the poorest of the world's children. The bill is a bipartisan
product which included consultation with the minority; and I commend
the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the subcommittee chairman, and
the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) for their work.
However, I regret that the committee could not increase foreign aid
more than it did, especially considering the cuts that have occurred
over the past 15 years. The overall levels are still too low. In fact,
the funding for foreign aid in this bill is still only about half the
level of 1985.
Mr. Speaker, I am also concerned about the rule that we are now
considering. This rule includes two self-executing amendments; that is,
the rule automatically accepts two amendments to the bill. The power of
the Committee on Rules to include self-executing amendments should be
used sparingly, and it is highly unusual to self-execute two
amendments. I do not believe that there is sufficient justification in
either case.
One of the self-executing amendments adopted by the Committee on
Rules involves an earmark for environmental programs. It is not certain
from which account this money would be taken. However, it appears that
the money could come from funds intended to provide debt relief for
poor nations. If that is the case, then this amendment is ill-advised.
The money for debt relief is needed to reduce the crushing debt that is
destroying the economies of some needy countries.
However, because this amendment is automatic under the rule, the
House will not have the opportunity to fully debate this amendment and
establish for the record its ultimate effect.
Furthermore, the rule requires preprinting amendments in the
Congressional Record.
Mr. Speaker, despite my misgivings on the rule, I will not oppose it.
I urge the adoption of the rule and of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), the distinguished chairman of the Republican
Conference.
Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I speak today to congratulate the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) on his leadership in crafting a bill
that ensures that we are the strongest Nation in the world and not
forget our duty to the rest of the world. Specifically, I congratulate
him for his support of democracy and economic development in West
Africa and in, particularly, the country of Nigeria. Nigeria is the
most populous nation in West Africa with 120 million people; and, as
such, it is the key to peace and prosperity in that region.
After suffering through years of oppressive military rule, Nigeria is
on the road to democracy. Today, the fledgling democracy, led by
President Obasanjo, stands ready to lead Nigeria into a new era of
prosperity. We should assist the people of Nigeria in their quest for
democracy.
As part of our support for democracy in Nigeria, we should support
the work being done by our government through the Education for
Development and Democracy Initiative. The Initiative was founded for
the purpose of improving the quality and access to education, enhancing
the availability of technology to lesser developed countries, and
increasing citizen participation in government. These are all
principles that support democracy and, therefore, deserve our support.
I thank the gentleman for support of this initiative.
However, there is one issue that troubles me because it hinders the
growth of democracy in Nigeria and attacks the fiber of American
society. The issue I speak of is the trafficking of drugs being
masterminded by criminals operating in Nigeria and West Africa. Despite
the committed efforts by President Obasanjo and his administration,
these criminals still engage in the
[[Page H4331]]
wholesale movement of drugs into the United States. Not only do these
people bring deadly drugs onto the streets of America, they also
destroy the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians worldwide. This stain
on Nigeria's reputation hinders the economic expansion and democratic
reforms that President Obasanjo is working to institute.
We must strengthen our partnership with Nigeria in fighting the drug-
trafficking kingpins operating out of West Africa. It is a large task,
and the dedicated agents acting as part of the Africa Regional
Anticrime Program deserve our support.
The gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) has made that support possible
with this bill. I commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) for
his leadership and thank him for his support of these programs which I
feel are crucial to supporting the ideals of democracy in Nigeria and
in West Africa.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Lowey), who is the ranking minority member on the
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related
Agencies.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule, but I
would like to express my concern about one aspect of it. I am
specifically concerned about the self-enactment of two amendments. Both
of these amendments are legislative in nature. There were several other
requests for legislative amendments which were turned down by the
Committee on Rules. I do not understand the rationale used to single
out these two.
The first of these, an Olver-Gilchrest amendment to strike the
language prohibiting funds for Kyoto implementation, has been accepted
on the other bills and would have been accepted on this bill. A self-
enacting rule only serves to foreclose debate on the issue.
The second self-enacting amendment inserts the requirement that $25
million be made available for debt-for-nature swaps from within
existing funds provided for debt relief. My concern is not with the
program itself, which I strongly favor. My concern is that the bill had
contained permissive language providing up to $25 million for the
program.
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Passage of the rule will mandate that $25 million be donated to Debt
for Nature swaps from amounts provided for debt relief either in this
bill or from previously appropriated funds. The Treasury Department has
sufficient funds on hand now to pay the anticipated bilateral costs for
debt relief through the end of fiscal year 2002. Six countries were
anticipated to become eligible for debt relief in 2002. However, it now
appears that two additional countries (Ghana and Angola) may become
eligible in the coming year.
If only six countries become eligible in 2002, Treasury estimates
that $22 million will remain in the bilateral account. If more than six
countries become eligible, a significant portion of the $22 million on
hand would be required to pay those costs.
The bottom line is that passage of the rule could jeopardize
Treasury's ability to pay the costs of both bilateral and multilateral
debt relief.
These concerns were not an issue when we put the bill together,
because the authority for the Debt for Nature program was permissive.
We were not consulted on the inclusion of this amendment, and I insist
that we not leave Treasury short of necessary funding for debt relief
next year. I would indicate to the chairman and to the House at this
point that I intend to work with the chairman to correct this problem
in conference.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), a new Member of this House who
already has established a reputation as an expert in the area of
foreign policy and international relations.
Mr. KIRK. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and this bill; and I
would like to congratulate the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and
the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) on the successful completion
of this their first measure.
Before being elected to Congress, I spent a great deal of my career
working on various aspects of the United States foreign assistance
programs. I have seen firsthand the positive effects these programs can
have on building democracy, providing critical humanitarian aid, and
making the world a safer place for us all. I commend almost all aspects
of this bill but especially for continued vital assistance programs
around the world to fight HIV/AIDS and also for international family
planning. The data is now in that international family planning is one
of the best ways to reduce the incidence of abortion. We have seen
clearly in Kazakhstan that if you support women's rights, if you
support maternal and child health and you want to reduce the incidence
of abortion, you support international family planning. I also want to
commend the committee for its action on Tibetan refugee assistance and
support to our allies in the Caucasus, particularly Armenia.
I am especially pleased with this bill's strong support of Israel and
stability in the Middle East. This bill provides strong funding for
Israel under the Economic Support Fund as well as for Egypt, a critical
ally in this region. I want to particularly commend the chairman's
strong bill language regarding the continued escalation of violence and
the PLO's lack of 100 percent effort to achieve 100 percent compliance
with the Oslo Accords. I urge my colleagues to support this measure and
to support Israel.
Mr. Speaker, I am totally committed to America's role in the world.
As a new member of the Committee on the Budget, I took up the sometimes
lonely fight for the International Affairs budget function 150. It is
that battle that we must continue in years to come. It has always been
my belief that it is less expensive in American blood and treasure to
support our allies than to try to accomplish something unilaterally
with military forces overseas. This bill is a good investment. It
represents the best that America has to offer in the world. I urge its
adoption along with the rule.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to voice my
support for both the Foreign Operations appropriations bill and the
rule, and I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their
efforts. I am pleased that this legislation addresses two areas of the
world very important to me, Armenia and India. However, in both cases I
am hopeful that more money can be found for both countries in
conference.
Earlier this year in testimony before the Subcommittee on Foreign
Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, I requested the
subcommittee provide no less than $90 million in U.S. aid to Armenia.
This was the amount that Armenia received in last year's bill. I was
encouraged by the $82.5 million that was approved by the subcommittee
because it was substantially higher than the $70 million President Bush
requested in his budget earlier this year. However, I know that Armenia
needs at least as much as it received last year.
I am also pleased that no changes were made to section 907 of the
Freedom Support Act. I have been concerned that negotiators involved in
the Nagorno-Karabagh peace process would attempt to use section 907 as
a bargaining tool prior to a peace agreement.
I am also happy, Mr. Speaker, that the subcommittee included language
encouraging the State Department send more of the money Congress has
appropriated in the past for aid to Nagorno-Karabagh. In the past, I
have been concerned that out of the $20 million allocated to the people
of Nagorno-Karabagh, only $11.8 million has been sent to the region for
aid programs. It is important that these remaining funds be
appropriately sent to the region to ensure that the residents of
Nagorno-Karabagh receive the assistance.
Appropriators should also be commended for expressing the need to
provide a peace dividend in the event a settlement is reached between
the Caucasus nations over Nagorno-Karabagh.
The bill also includes language directing assistance for confidence-
building measures and other activities to further peace in the Caucasus
region, especially those in the areas of
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Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabagh. These measures include strengthening
compliance with the cease-fire, studying post-conflict regional
development such as water management and infrastructure, establishing a
youth exchange program and other humanitarian initiatives.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, in regards to India, a massive and devastating
earthquake hit the Gujurat region in January. I am grateful for the
more than $13 million that has already been sent to assist the region,
but clearly $13 million is not enough to address the continued
struggles India, particularly Gujurat, is facing during this
earthquake's aftermath. We must continue to provide as much support as
possible.
An amendment may be brought up to provide more direct assistance for
earthquake relief. Another may be proposed that would add $10 million
to the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID. There is also
the possibility of providing more assistance in conference. I would ask
that my colleagues support these efforts. But in any case, Mr. Speaker,
this is a good bill and I would urge its adoption.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick).
(Ms. KILPATRICK asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank our new chairman,
the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), for his tenacity and his
bipartisanship as we put together a very good bill. I thank the
gentleman from Arizona very much for his leadership and to our ranking
member, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), for her hard work
as we worked together to craft a bill that is a good one and is also
bipartisan.
In the development assistance account, this bill does address the
problems; and the rule that we have before us today helps to implement
the bill that comes forward. In the child disease account and health
account, we find that we have $1.4 billion there to begin to help with
some of the diseases in the world. I wish there could have been more
money for the diseases, and I am hopeful that we will work to find more
money as we move into this process. Airborne diseases such as
tuberculosis and others need more attention; and I would hope that as
we move forward, we will be able to address more dollars into those
accounts.
The Andean Counterdrug Initiative. Last year, this initiative was
called Plan Colombia. We put in $1.3 billion for Plan Colombia. Today,
less than 25 percent of that has been spent. We hope that because 90
percent of the cocaine and heroin that comes into our country comes
from Colombia that we would begin to spend this money for interdiction
of these drugs and to begin to meet the drug crisis here in America.
Unfortunately, it has not begun. I would hope that our committee would
call a hearing and that we would hear how that $1.3 billion is going to
be spent. This bill gives an additional $600 plus million for that same
counter initiative of drug control. I am hopeful again that we are able
to spend this money for the interdiction of drugs which is a cancer in
America.
Drug treatment is a must. We must put more money into drug treatment.
I do not think yet our country has gotten that. Yes, you must cut off
the supply through interdiction, but you also must put money in
treatment, treatment on demand. I know we will see a few amendments
here that speak to some of that. We have not yet addressed that in this
entire budget and certainly not in this Foreign Operations budget. But
overall it is a good budget, and it is a good bill.
I do have some concerns about those things that I have mentioned. I
will work with the chairman and our ranking member as we go forward to
increase funding for HIV/AIDS and increase funding for the attack on
the cancer, drugs, in our community.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the rule/bill and thank the
distinguished Chairman of the Subcommittee Mr. Kolbe who has worked
extremely hard to try and craft a bipartisan bill in spite of extremely
limited resources and wide and varying demands by both sides. I would
also like to acknowledge the work of the Ranking Member Mrs. Lowey, who
has worked hard and successfully ensured that she was prepared and
engaged on the many issues facing her in her new leadership role on
this side of the isle.
development aid
This bill is a decent bill that attempts to address the increasing
demands on foreign assistance. I am pleased that this measure provides
$2.5 Billion in Development Aid which includes $120 million for UNICEF.
I am pleased that the amount that we have funded is nearly $200 million
more than the President requested for Development Aid (both Development
Assistance and Children Survival and Disease Programs.)
development assistance account
Although the bill provides less than the President's request in the
Development Assistance account, it does provide $1.1 Billion--$76
million more than the current level of funding. In the Development
Assistance account I have fought to ensure funding for programs like
Education for Development and Democracy Initiative (EDDI) which is an
African-led development program--with special emphasis on girls and
women--concentrating on improving the quality of education and access
to it.
child survival and disease programs
We have funded the Child Survival and Disease Fund at $1.4 Billion.
This amount is $169 million more than the current level and nearly $400
million more than the President's request. Here, I have fought hard to
fund programs like Hopeworldwide's Siyawela (which means ``We are
Crossing Over'' in Swahili) program in South Africa which through
support groups provides children affected by AIDS, infected by AIDS and
orphaned by AIDS with counseling, medical care, psychosocial support,
basic education, nutritional support and recreational activities.
Do not be mistaken--I have criticisms of the Foreign Assistance
measure as well. First there is the issues of HIV/AIDS. It is clear
that this measure does not go far enough to address this global
pandemic that is devastating large portions of the world's population.
Today between 34 and 40 million people are HIV positive, with over
18,000 new infections daily. More than 95% of these infections occur in
developing countries. At this rate, by the end of the present decade,
nearly as many will have died from AIDS as soldiers were killed in all
the wars of the 20th century. It is predicted that nearly 100 million
people will be infected with the disease by 2005. In the face of this
pandemic our measure provides $474 million for AIDS prevention and
Control which is $159 million more than currently provided and $45
million more than the President's request. While I commend the
Committee for providing additional funding it is not nearly enough to
address this global scourge. Estimates of the amounts needed to address
this issue range in excess of $7 to $10 Billion dollars. Surely the
richest country in the world could provide further funding and set an
example for the rest of the world to follow.
andean counter drug initiative
In my humble opinion, the money we provide for military assistance to
many countries could go a long way to addressing the problems of HIV/
AIDS. This bill provides $676 million for Andean Counterdrug
Initiative, the newest incantation of the former Plan Colombia. This
amount is provided on top of the $1.3 billion we provided in last years
bill. At best, this funding represents a botched attempt to interdict
drugs in a way that has been highly immeasurable and adversely affects
the people of the Andrean region.
In Colombia where this initiative began, there are widespread
outcry's for an end to the military assistance. There are reports of
human rights abuses by all warring factions. The Colombian military and
the paramilitary are accused of colluding to the detriment of the
Colombian people. The rebel groups are also criticized for kidnapping
and conscripting the children of this region. I don't think we know who
is doing what in Colombia, but we do know that the flow of drugs across
our borders has not been significantly reduced. We know that all
parties involved potentially profit from our war on drugs.
Fumigation
Then there is the insistence by our country on a policy of Aerial
eradication also known as fumigation. Aerial eradication of coca
without sufficient alternatives simply moves the problem from one place
to the next. Efforts in Bolivia and Peru shifted the focus of
production to Colombia. According to the UN Drug Control Programme's
2000 report, coca cultivation in Peru declined 82,201 hectares between
1990-2000 and increased by 82,500 hectares in Colombia in the same
period. Eradication without alternative development moved production
from Colombia's Guaviare province to Putumayo province; now it is
moving to Narino province and Ecuador. Since massive fumigation efforts
were launched in December, there has been no change in the US price of
cocaine (according to DEA 5/23/01). What is perhaps the most troubling
is that there are complaints of illness and environmental degradation
resulting from the fumigation policy our country is promoting. As long
as US users crave drugs, greedy drug lords will find new
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territory to produce their product. As long as there is crushing
poverty in the region, there will be a supply of poor farmers to grow
coca and poppy. Sending guns to Colombia cannot solve the problems of
hunger in Latin America and addiction in the US.
The roots of Andean problems are social and economic as are the roots
of many of the problems in this country and the rest of the world. This
bill is a good bill, but by far it is not the best. It could go a lot
further in addressing the social and economic concerns that fuel many
of the world's problems.
Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, again supporting the rule, urging our
colleagues to support it as well as the underlying legislation which is
so important, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the
previous question on the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________