[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1027-E1028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PALESTINIAN ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 22, 2006

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with mixed feelings that I rise in 
support of this legislation. I support this bill because it is vital 
that the House stand in opposition to governments that pursue their 
objectives by spreading terror. Supporting such a government is 
fundamentally at odds with the values that make our nation great. At 
the same time, we must find ways to maintain humanitarian assistance 
and avoid a spiral into human suffering in the Palestinian territories.
  This legislation attempts to navigate that narrow course between 
providing assistance to the Palestinian people and rejecting the hatred 
that embodies Hamas. It is not an easy balancing act, but this bill 
does a good enough job to merit passage today.
  The United States is the single largest financial supporter of the 
Palestinian people. We provide $245 million per year in humanitarian 
assistance to the Palestinians. And let me be clear: That support for 
the Palestinian people can and should continue. But we can do that--and 
should do that--without supporting the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. 
This legislation does create an important exception that allows funds 
to go to the PA if they are dedicated to promoting democracy and human 
rights efforts. It also affords the president some flexibility to 
continue the flow of this assistance should he judge it to be in our 
national security interest. While I have real reservations about 
entrusting the current president with this authority, I nonetheless 
appreciate the importance of this provision.
  At the same time, I have several concerns about H.R. 4681, and 
believe that some modifications are needed before this legislation can 
become law. First, I am concerned that the bill does not account for 
future changes in the policies of the Palestinian Authority--whether it 
is Hamas or Fatah or someone else. For instance, should Hamas decide to 
become a responsible partner in the Middle East peace process--an 
unlikely prospect to be sure--or should a new government take its 
place, there is nothing in this legislation that would allow us to 
restart aid or lift the restrictions placed on them by this bill. With 
that in mind, I believe this bill should have included a sunset 
provision allowing Congress and the White House the chance to review in 
a year or two the impact that this legislation has on the PA and on the 
Palestinian people.
  While I do not foresee Hamas renouncing terror, recognizing Israel's 
right to exist, or accepting the Road Map as the basis for future 
progress in the Middle East, I do believe that Fatah and other parties 
may yet have the chance to govern the Palestinian Authority. Almost 15 
years after the Oslo accords were signed, accepting these basic 
principles should not require extraordinary policy shifts. Indeed, 
support for these measures should be a basic view of any political 
party seeking to run the Palestinian Authority.
  The legislation before us today also could be strengthened by 
reducing some of the onerous reporting requirements that well-known 
non-governmental organizations will face if they are to continue to 
provide direct humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people. I 
fear that we are unduly burdening organizations like Catholic Relief 
Services, whose record of providing social services to individuals in 
need without regard to politics or ideology is exemplary.
  This bill also has some provisions that are either redundant or run 
counter to the goals of the bill. For example, there is no need to 
prohibit PA government leaders from receiving U.S. visas, since Hamas 
members already are unable to receive a visa. Further, limiting the 
ability of non-Hamas government officials to travel to the United 
States could actually hamper the ability of our government to meet, 
advise or otherwise support non-Hamas members of the PA.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, it is my very strong hope that as this bill 
moves through the legislative process, the provisions that allow the 
Secretary of State to withhold our UN dues in certain cases will be 
dropped. This section is neither warranted nor wise.
  And so there is room for improvement in this legislation. But the 
intent of this legislation

[[Page E1028]]

is sound. And by passing this legislation today, the House can clearly 
reject Hamas and the terror that has ravaged the Middle East for too 
long.
  For more than a half-century, a cornerstone of our nation's stand in 
support of Israel, our closest friend in the Middle East. And it is 
that I will support this bill. It could be a better bill, and as it 
moves to a possible conference with the Senate, I hope it will be, so 
that Congress can speak with one voice on this issue.

                          ____________________