[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 23672-23673]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 4811, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT 
        FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

  Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4811), making appropriations for foreign 
operations, export financing, and related programs for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes, with a Senate 
amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the 
conference asked by the Senate.

[[Page 23673]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alabama?
  There was no objection.


                Motion to Instruct Offered by Ms. Pelosi

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct conferees.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Ms. Pelosi moves that the managers on the part of the House 
     at the Conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses 
     on the bill H.R. 4811, making appropriations for Foreign 
     Operations, Export Financing, and related programs for the 
     year ending September 30, 2001 be instructed to insist on the 
     highest possible funding level for Debt Restructuring, and on 
     provisions authorizing a United States contribution to the 
     Highly Indebted Poor Countries Trust Fund without unnecessary 
     legislative restrictions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) 
will be recognized for 30 minutes and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. 
Callahan) will be recognized for 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I offer this motion to emphasize that it is imperative that the 
conference agreement on the fiscal year 2001 Foreign Operations bill 
provide both the highest possible funding level for debt restructuring, 
and for the authorization for a United States contribution to the 
Highly Indebted Poor Countries Trust Fund, HIPC, without unnecessary 
legislative restrictions.
  Just a few weeks ago, Mr. Speaker, this House had a passionate debate 
about debt relief and a historic vote in favor of funding this much-
needed relief. As a result, the House bill now contains full funding 
for the amount requested in fiscal year 2001 for a U.S. contribution to 
the HIPC Trust Fund. However, the bill is still short of the full 
pending request for debt restructuring by some $238 million. The Senate 
bill contains even less than the House bill.
  In addition, both the House and Senate appropriations bills contain 
unnecessary legislative restrictions on U.S. participation in the HIPC 
Trust Fund, such as a moratorium on new lending and other eligibility 
restrictions. Just yesterday, the chairman of the Senate Committee on 
Foreign Relations, Senator Helms, and the chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Banking, Senator Gramm, sent a letter to Secretary Summers 
outlining 17 specific conditions for debt relief that must be met prior 
to U.S. participation in the Trust Fund. The conditions outlined in 
their letter would require the IMF to completely revamp their lending 
procedures, and would also eliminate 36 of the 41 of the countries 
currently eligible for debt relief.
  The House sent a strong signal of support for debt relief earlier 
this year. If we are serious about providing real debt relief, it is 
essential that the conference agreement on the bill fully fund debt 
relief and authorize a U.S. contribution to the HIPC Trust Fund without 
unnecessary restrictions. My motion instructs conferees to insist on 
these items.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I think, Mr. Speaker, that the authorizing committee, the Committee 
on Banking and Financial Services, has some minor objections to a 
provision contained therein, but I do not have, and I think that we can 
certainly work with that committee to work out the differences and, 
therefore, I will accept the motion.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters), a leader on this issue from the authorizing 
committee.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this 
time, and again I rise to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Pelosi) for the wonderful work that she has done on this very important 
issue.
  It is extremely important for our conferees to be instructed to do 
everything that can be done to honor the full request of the President. 
This has been described as one of those issues that has brought us all 
together, and I am very pleased and proud that I have received many 
calls of compliments from other countries, and of course a lot of 
religious organizations under Jubilee 2000, as well as nongovernment 
organizations, commending us all for the debate that we had on this 
issue, commending us all for rising above petty differences and coming 
together around one of the most important issues of our time.
  Because of the work that we are doing, we are going to be able to get 
some of these countries out from under this debt that is drowning them, 
and I am very appreciative for the opportunity to support this motion 
to instruct our conferees.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, I just want to commend the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Waters) for her leadership. It was her amendment which increased 
the funding in the original bill when it was on the floor. I also want 
to thank the chairman of the committee for accepting this motion.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gutknecht). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered on the motion.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to instruct 
offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).
  The motion was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair appoints the 
following conferees: Messrs. Callahan, Porter, Wolf, Packard, 
Knollenberg, Kingston, Lewis of California, Wicker, Young of Florida, 
Ms. Pelosi, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. 
Sabo, and Mr. Obey.
  There was no objection.

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