[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13870-13874]
[From the U.S. 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. 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.

                              {time}  1915

  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 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

[[Page 13871]]

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 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

[[Page 13872]]

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.

                              {time}  1930

  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 Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabagh. 
These measures include strengthening

[[Page 13873]]

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. 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

[[Page 13874]]

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 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.

                          ____________________