[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 102 (Friday, July 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6029-H6030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
 PROVIDING FUNDING AUTHORITY TO FACILITATE EVACUATION OF PERSONS FROM 
                                LEBANON

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate bill 
(S. 3741) to provide funding authority to facilitate the evacuation of 
persons from Lebanon, and for other purposes, be taken from the 
Speaker's table, amended in the form that I have placed at the desk, 
and hereby passed; that the amendment placed at the desk be considered 
as read; and that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                S. 3741

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FUNDING AUTHORITY.

       (a) Transfer Authority.--
       (1) Authority.--
       (A) In general.--Upon a determination by the Secretary of 
     State described in subparagraph (B), the Secretary may 
     transfer to the ``Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular 
     Service'' account from unobligated amounts in any account 
     under the ``Administration of Foreign Affairs'' heading such 
     sums as may be necessary--
       (i) to cover the costs of facilitating the evacuation under 
     section 4 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
     1956 (22 U.S.C. 2671) of persons from Lebanon on or after 
     July 16, 2006; and
       (ii) to replenish the ``Emergencies in the Diplomatic and 
     Consular Service'' account up to the level of funding that 
     existed in such account on July 15, 2006.
       (B) Determination.--A determination referred to in 
     subparagraph (A) is a determination that additional funding 
     for the ``Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular 
     Service'' account is necessary as a result of the 
     extraordinary costs of facilitating the evacuation under 
     section 4 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
     1956 (22 U.S.C. 2671) of persons from Lebanon on or after 
     July 16, 2006.
       (C) Treatment of funds.--Amounts transferred under 
     subparagraph (A) shall be merged with amounts in the 
     ``Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Service'' 
     account, and shall be available for the same purposes, and 
     subject to the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in 
     such account.
       (2) Notification requirement.--
       (A) In general.--Except as provided under subparagraph (B), 
     not later than 5 days before transferring funds under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall notify the 
     appropriate congressional committees of the proposed 
     transfer.
       (B) Exigent circumstances waiver.--The Secretary may waive 
     the requirement under subparagraph (A) if exigent 
     circumstances exist. In the event of such a waiver, the 
     Secretary shall provide notice of the transfer of funds to 
     the appropriate congressional committees as early as 
     practicable, but in no event later than 3 days after such 
     transfer, including an explanation of the circumstances 
     necessitating such waiver.
       (C) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
     paragraph, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 
     International Relations and the Committee on Appropriations 
     of the House of Representatives.
       (b) Use of Certain Funds.--Amounts appropriated or 
     otherwise made available by chapter 8 of title II of division 
     B of Public Law 109-148 under the heading ``emergencies in 
     the diplomatic and consular service'' and any other 
     unobligated amounts in the ``Emergencies in the Diplomatic 
     and Consular Service'' account may be made available to cover 
     the costs of facilitating the evacuation under section 4 of 
     the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 
     2671) of persons from Lebanon on or after July 16, 2006.

  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Wolf:
       Strike subsection (a) and insert the following new 
     subsection:
       (a) Increase in Available Funds for Emergency 
     Evacuations.--Notwithstanding the transfer restrictions under 
     section 402 of the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and 
     Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law 109-
     108), the second proviso under the headings ``DEPARTMENT OF 
     STATE AND RELATED AGENCY - DEPARTMENT OF STATE - 
     Administration of Foreign Affairs - diplomatic and consular 
     programs'' is amended by striking ``$4,000,000'' and 
     inserting ``$19,000,000''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I think 
especially in the closing days of the session, that Members ought to 
have an understanding of what is going on, even though this is martial 
law time.
  So I would ask if the gentleman would please explain to the House 
what this action would do.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, this amendment simply gives the permissive 
authority to the Secretary of State to access these and other 
previously appropriated funds to cover the evacuation of Lebanon.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, continuing under my reservation, could I ask 
the gentleman, has the administration given us any indication of where 
they are likely to take funds from in order to accomplish this?
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, they have been in discussion with the staff as 
to some ideas. But their priority was to get this legislation passed 
because there are going to be more evacuations taking place.
  So as of now I cannot tell you the exact places.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, continuing under my reservation, I would hope 
that the administration would let the Congress know as quickly as 
possible where it is planning to take funds from, so that if the 
Congress has any concerns, we might express those concerns before we 
are facing a fait accompli.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object,

[[Page H6030]]

though I may not object, just a few days ago, I filed H. Res. 945, the 
Lebanon Humanitarian Relief Act with a number of cosponsors. And I 
raise the question to the distinguished gentleman of whether or not 
what we are doing today will also include a cessation of targeting 
infrastructure of noncombatants, and whether or not it will also 
establish or give the Secretary of State the ability to, if you will, 
negotiate safe corridors for evacuees to be able to be evacuated.
  This is a crucial time in the history of our Nation, and as well in 
the issues dealing with the Mideast. And I am concerned that as we 
consider funding for the evacuation of innocent Lebanese citizens, as 
has been noted, several incidents have occurred where evacuees 
unfortunately suffered injury or death trying to escape, therefore we 
should instruct the Secretary of State to negotiate with the United 
Nations and the participants in this conflict safe corridors for the 
Lebanese evacuees and also a cessation of firing on noncombat 
structures such as airports, hospitals, schools and otherwise.
  I yield to the gentleman to know if there are any instructions in 
this UC with respect to any of those items.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, no, there are not. It would merely ensure that 
the State Department could use the existing funds to get American 
citizens out of harm's way and to pay the debts that they have 
obligated both for cruises, for ships and for other things whereby they 
are taking people to Cypress and other points of safety, so they can 
pay their bills.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to 
object, let me say that I applaud the gentleman. That is an important 
task, if you will. With that in mind, I will simply say, I hope that we 
will hear from the administration, and that this Congress will proceed 
in August to be able to provide direct humanitarian relief to Lebanon, 
and as well provide for the safe passage of those who are non-
combatants innocent civilians trying to escape and to protect those 
structures which are not involved in this conflict.
  With that, I would ask the leadership of this House to support H. 
Res. 945 and to bring it up immediately.

                              H. Res. 945

       Whereas, since the commencement of hostilities, over 350 
     Lebanese civilians, one third of whom are children according 
     to the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, and 17 
     Israeli civilians, have been killed;
       Whereas vital infrastructure, including hospitals, power 
     plants, bridges, roads, and food and milk factories in 
     Lebanon have been destroyed;
       Whereas over 600,000 people in Lebanon and hundreds of 
     thousands of people in Israel have been displaced;
       Whereas President George W. Bush has expressed great 
     concern over the welfare of the people of Lebanon;
       Whereas United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has 
     called for an immediate cease-fire;
       Whereas the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator has 
     warned of a humanitarian disaster in Lebanon;
       Whereas the Government of Lebanon has urgently appealed for 
     an immediate cessation to hostilities; and
       Whereas the international community has expressed support 
     for a humanitarian corridor to Lebanon to be opened 
     immediately to get desperately-needed humanitarian supplies 
     to the suffering people of Lebanon: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) calls for the cessation of the targeting by any side of 
     infrastructure vital to non-combatants, which also increases 
     the likelihood of the loss of innocent civilian life;
       (2) calls for a secure humanitarian corridor to be opened 
     immediately via the seaports and airports of Lebanon to 
     alleviate the unnecessary suffering of the people of Lebanon;
       (3) calls for an immediate cease-fire in line with the 
     urgent appeals of the Government of Lebanon and the United 
     Nations Secretary General; and
       (4) urges a comprehensive and just solution to the Arab-
     Israeli conflict to ensure that the peoples of the Middle 
     East can live in peace, freedom, and prosperity.

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation, 
hoping for debate on humanitarian aid directly to Lebanon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the amendment is agreed 
to.
  There was no objection.
  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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