[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 27, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I see my good friend from Kentucky on the 
floor, and I want to take this moment to clarify a couple of funding 
issues in the Foreign Operations portion of the Omnibus Appropriations 
bill.
  I notice that the conference report is silent on the issue of funding 
for Laos. Is it the chairman's intention that the administration should 
implement the language contained in the Senate Foreign Operations 
Appropriations Report, 108-106?
  Mr. McCONNELL. I thank the Senator from Vermont. Before I respond, I 
was wondering if he could take a moment to read the Senate report 
language for the benefit of our colleagues.
  Mr. LEAHY. I would be happy to. It reads:

       The Committee recommends that USAID provide $2,000,000 in 
     Child Survival and Health Programs Fund and Development 
     Assistance to Laos--one of the world's poorest and most 
     repressive countries--through non-governmental organizations. 
     The Committee intends that these funds will not be used to 
     offset or substitute INL funding that would otherwise go to 
     Laos.
       The Committee is concerned by the actions of the regime in 
     Laos, which continues to be responsible for serious human 
     rights abuses. The Committee is also concerned by the recent 
     detention and trial of an American citizen and two foreign 
     journalists in Laos. While the Committee is pleased that 
     these individuals have recently been released, it is deeply 
     troubled that the fate of four Laotian citizens accompanying 
     the journalists is still unknown.

  Mr. McCONNELL. As I know my friend from Vermont is particularly 
interested in this issue, it would be both accurate and fair to say 
that it is our collective intention that this language be implemented.
  Mr. LEAHY. I am pleased we are in agreement. As I know of your strong 
interest in the region, I hope we can continue to work together to 
support United States funded programs through Southeast Asia.
   Mr. McCONNELL. I look forward to our continued cooperation, and urge 
the State Department and USAID to meet with our respective staffs to 
discuss countries of particular concern, including Laos, Vietnam, 
Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma.
  Mr. LEAHY. On the issue of Burmese refugees along the Thailand-Burma 
border, is it the chairman's expectation that funds from the ERMA 
account should be used to provide funding for these refugees?
  Mr. McCONNELL. Yes, it is. The situation on the Burma-Thailand border 
is disturbing, and if sufficient funds cannot be found from the MRA 
budget then the administration should consider using ERMA funds to 
ameliorate this situation.
  Mr. LEAHY. I thank the Chairman.

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