Jim Kolbe

Mr. KOLBE

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time in general debate.

Mr. KOLBE. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank her for her interest and her involvement in this issue. I am also concerned, as is the ranking member, when Ethiopia is cited for human rights violations. And I can assure the gentlewoman from Texas that we will continue to monitor the situation in that country.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Budget.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger), a very distinguished senior member of the Committee on International Relations, and probably the leading expert in the House of Representatives on Central America and on Latin America. His devotion to that region is tremendous.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment that is offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald). I think she very well explained the importance of this program, and I think her amendment does represent good public policy. Mr. Chairman, I accept the amendment.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), who has been an outstanding person working on drug interdiction issues and the task force on that. (Mr. SOUDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to present to the Members H.R. 2506, the fiscal year 2002 appropriations bill for Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs. The privilege of managing this bill, one that provides the wherewithal for an effective and humane foreign policy, means a great deal to me personally. I especially appreciate the trust that the Speaker and the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) have placed in me, and I thank my subcommittee colleagues in particular for their advice and support. When I became chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, I set out three priorities for myself: first, reversing the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; second, encouraging economic growth through open trade and transparent laws; and, third, improving the accountability of the agencies funded through this bill. Making progress on the first two priorities, to at least some degree, is contingent on effective management of the Agency for International Development. Our recommended bill is the product of bipartisan compromise. It funds the President's priorities, though there are a few critical differences. Above all, the bill promotes interests abroad, while improving the prospects for a better life for millions of poor people from Latin America to Asia. H.R. 2506 appropriates $15.2 billion in new discretionary budget authority, approximately $1 million less than the President's request, but $304 million more than last year. A major reason for the increase over last year is that $676 million is in the bill in new funding for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative. Members will remember that the initial Plan Colombia adopted by Congress last year was funded by a supplemental appropriation bill, which put the spending outside the boundaries of the subcommittee's fiscal year 2001 allocation. Now, unlike the original Plan Colombia, approximately half of the Andean Initiative funds long-term economic development and good governance projects. The committee recommendation fully funds the military and economic aid request for Israel, for Egypt, and for Jordan. Overall, $5.14 billion is provided for the Middle East, and I will return to that region momentarily. For export and investment assistance programs, the committee is recommending $604 million, which is $137 million below the 2001 level, but $118 million above the administration request. The committee accepts a portion of the proposed cut from the current appropriations for the Export-Import Bank, but provides sufficient funds to maintain current program levels. For international HIV-AIDS programs, the committee is recommending a total of $474 million. That compares with $315 million in fiscal year 2001. The committee fully funds the President's request of $100 million for an international health trust fund, 80 percent of which would be allocated for AIDS. The supplemental appropriation bill which we will consider tomorrow also includes an additional $100 million from current year funds for the international trust fund. In addition, no less than $414 million is available for bilateral HIV and AIDS programs. This amount exceeds the President's request by $45 million and the level authorized in law by $114 million. Some of the increase is for new programs in vulnerable countries such as Burma, where little donor assistance is available to restrict the spread of AIDS. I am aware that Members will offer amendments to increase funding even further for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Both of these are worthy causes. But I would advise them that the committee has been increasing HIV funding above the request for many years under the gentle prodding from the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the former ranking member of the subcommittee. Yet our Members are aware that we also need to balance the current enthusiasms with longer-term economic growth and governance programs, because, Mr. Chairman, I would point out that economic growth is the only prescription that enables countries to revive health systems and to generate employment, which can improve the standards of living for their people. In reaching our bipartisan recommendation, the committee also recognized the continuing importance of basic education, reproductive health, security assistance, export financing. We ask that the Members of the House keep these multiple objectives in mind today and in the next few days as we proceed with this bill. Overall, for assistance programs managed solely by the Agency for International Development, the committee recommends a total of $3.63 billion, of which $1.93 billion is for child survival and health programs. This is $126 million over the 2001 level and $177 million over the administration request. These totals include $120 million for a grant to UNICEF. It does not include funding for the proposed Global Development Alliance, but we look forward to considering the proposal further as its shape becomes more definitive. For international financial institutions, the recommendation is $1.17 billion. That is $23 million over the 2001 level, but $40 million below the request. The bill also completes funding for the Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative with a final $224 million, and provides an additional $25 million from prior year balances for Tropical Forest Debt Relief. On Tuesday, President Bush called on the World Bank to dramatically increase the share of its funding for health and education in the poorest countries on this globe, but to do so using their grant authority rather than loans. Over the last few years, this committee has urged different administrations to adopt this policy, so I am pleased that it has been embraced by President Bush. I know many Members have a special interest in the Middle East, so I will describe the committee recommendation for that region in a bit more detail. The bill before the House continues the policy that was begun 3 years ago that reduces Israeli and Egyptian economic assistance over a 10- year period. Israel's economic support is reduced by $120 million, but military assistance is increased by $60 million. Israel's funding through the Economic Support Fund is $720 million, which will be made available within 30 days of enactment or by October 31, 2001, whichever date is later. Military assistance totals $2.04 billion, and that is also made available on an expedited basis. We have also included a couple of new initiatives this year dealing with the Middle East. Language in the bill specifies that the PLO and the Palestinian Authority must abide by the cease-fire recently brokered by CIA Director George Tenet. If they are not in substantial compliance, the Secretary of State must impose at least one of three sanctions: closure of the Palestinian information office in Washington; second, the designation of the PLO or one or more of its constituent groups as a terrorist organization; or, third, cutting off all but humanitarian aid to the West bank and Gaza. The President is allowed to waive these restrictions if he determines it is in the national security interests of the United States. Many of my colleagues would like to go further in sanctioning the Palestinians, and others felt that any language might upset the status of negotiations in the Middle East. But I believe this provision strikes a middle ground and sends the right message to the Palestinians and their leaders, and that is comply with your commitments regarding renunciation of terror and violence, and then no sanctions will be imposed. We are not going back to the beginning of the current violence, but we are saying you must adhere to your commitments that are now made under the Tenet cease-fire as we go forward. We are also sending a message in our bill to the International Committee on the Red Cross. This otherwise noble institution has failed to admit the Magen David Adom Society of Israel to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It is pretty clear that the society's use of the Star of David has triggered the usual opposition from the usual suspects. The American Red Cross has courageously fought to get the society admitted to the Red Cross movement. They have withheld their dues to the Geneva headquarters of the International Red Cross for the past 2 years. I am proposing that the United States Government do the same until the society is able to fully participate in the activities of the International Red Cross. If the IRC can include national societies from terrorist states like Iraq and North Korea in its movement, then surely Israel is entitled to membership. Within the Economic Support Fund, the President's request would increase funding for Latin America by $50 million, from $120 million to $170 million. There is additional support in the Child Survival and Health Fund for efforts to restrict the spread of AIDS in the Caribbean region. The bill also includes an additional $100 million to assist El Salvador in its recovery from two devastating earthquakes earlier this year. I am pleased that the President's request follows through on his pledge to focus additional resources in the Western Hemisphere. This is one reason I strongly oppose amendments that would cut funding from the Economic Support Fund. We cannot afford to cut funding for Latin America or other sensitive regions such as Lebanon. For the International Fund for Ireland, we are recommending $25 million, the same as last year, but $5 million above the President's request. This program is designed to support the peace process in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland. Our funding for economic assistance to Central and Eastern Europe totals $600 million, and that corresponds to the amount appropriated last year, excluding emergency funding. Funding for Bosnia would decline from $80 million to $65 million. Funding for Kosovo is reduced from $150 million to $120 million. Our bill anticipates a continuation of the $5 million allocation for the Baltic states to continue our very modest but important assistance programs in those countries. We also strongly support, I might add, funding through the Foreign Military Financing Program for those same Baltic states. The President requested $21 million for these three countries, and the committee has endorsed this request. Again, I strongly oppose amendments that would cut funding for our new democratic friends in the Baltic states, Poland and Hungary. For the states in the former Soviet Union, funding would decline only slightly, from $810 million to $767 million. The committee continues its support to find a peaceful settlement in the Southern Caucasus region, by providing $82.5 million for both Armenia and for Georgia. For Armenia this recommendation is $12.5 million above the President's request. While the committee does not set aside a specific amount for Azerbaijan, the bill would retain exemptions in current law from a statutory restriction on assistance to its government. The committee supports the struggle for a better life by the people of the Ukraine. Under this bill, Ukraine will continue to receive $125 million, one of our largest aid programs anywhere. Depending on subsequent events in the Ukraine, the committee is willing to consider additional funding for Ukraine at later stages in the appropriations process. Assistance for South and Southeast Asia is a relatively small part of our bill, but its importance is far more substantial. Ongoing economic growth and health programs in India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Indonesia provide the framework for subsequent investment by the private sector and multilateral development banks. As we did last year, AID is encouraged to use the Economic Support Fund to renew a basic education program in Pakistan. It is a modest but important start toward renewing our economic assistance program in this country. We also provide funding for several smaller programs that do not get enough attention, including $38 million for anti-terrorism assistance and $40 million for humanitarian demining programs around the world. Both of these programs help save lives. The Peace Corps is another example, another program that has made an enormous difference in this globe that we all share. We recognize its value and importance, and we support the full request of funding of $275 million. Mr. Chairman, before I conclude, I want to pay special tribute to my ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), for her cooperation in bringing this bill to the floor and developing the recommendations that we have. I cannot say it strongly enough that she has been a true delight to work with. We have, I think, a very positive relationship; and I think both of us feel that way. But I do not want my expressions of personal regard in this for the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) to somehow leave the impression among her colleagues on her side of the aisle that she is not doing everything humanely possible to make sure we reduce roles in the 108th Congress. Nonetheless, I hope that is not the case. Mr. Chairman, I would not want to end my comments without also paying special tribute to the staff members who have helped to make this possible. Our subcommittee staff is led by the able Mr. Charlie Flickner, whose number of years here has given him a special insight into this legislation. He is joined by our professional assistants, John Shank and Alice Grant, and our subcommittee clerk, Laurie Mays. My own personal staff person, Sean Mulvaney, who has worked hard on this bill, has helped to make it possible that we are here tonight. On the other side, of course, we have Mark Murray and the gentlewoman's from New York (Ms. Lowey) personal staff person, Beth Tritter, who I think have contributed tremendously to this legislation; and I thank them personally for their contributions to this legislation. Mr. Chairman, I am proud of this bill. By the time I think the Committee of the Whole completes its consideration, I am optimistic that an overwhelming majority of the House will endorse the committee's recommendations. Mr. Chairman, I include the following tables for the Record. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY01.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY01.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY01.003 Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her kind remarks. It is my great privilege to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg), a very able member of this subcommittee and a very knowledgeable member and one who takes the work very seriously.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding to me. I appreciate very much the comment he has made here this evening and his interest in this program and bringing this to our attention. As the gentleman said, this is a very small amount of money in the grand scheme of things. It would accomplish the goal of creating more consistency across-the-board with regard to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. I would say to the gentleman that it is certainly my intention to work with him to accommodate his request as the foreign operations appropriations bill moves forward. As we go to conference, I do suspect that there may be more funds that are available to us that will be added to the International Organization and Programs Account, so we hope this would be possible to do that. I thank the gentleman again for bringing this to our attention.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the amendment.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against this amendment.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, before we rise, let me just make a comment to the body, that we will rise now and we will resume deliberations on this bill on Tuesday, working under the unanimous consent agreement that we have. We have a number of amendments, many of them that will require extensive debate, and I would put all Members on notice that we expect to start as early as possible, we do not have the schedule for next week yet, but as early as possible on Tuesday, and that we would expect to go as long as possible on Tuesday in order to finish this bill. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time, while continuing to reserve my point of order.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KOLBE. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I would just note for the gentlewoman from Texas that, of course, the report is done. But if the gentlewoman is talking about in the conference report itself, I could not make a commitment at this time that we could do anything specifically. But certainly the problem that the gentlewoman has brought to our attention is one that clearly needs to be dealt with by the appropriate committees, and I would be happy to work with the gentlewoman in any way possible to make sure that is done. I cannot make a specific commitment about what we can do in the conference committee on this matter.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, let me just say briefly to the gentlewoman from Texas that I was in India 6 weeks ago, and I had an opportunity to meet with a number of government officials, including those that have been responsible for responding to the terrible disaster in Gujarat. We heard from them an expression of support for the efforts that have been made by the United States, both by the government and by the NGOs, to respond; but explicitly we were told that India as a very large country had sufficient resources to deal with this problem and they were not specifically asking us for additional funds, at least not at that time. I would also note that we have never, never earmarked money in the disaster relief account for specific disasters. It is there, as it suggests, for disasters. If you start earmarking for specific disasters, you have lost the point of what that account is for. However, I am quite certain that the USAID would be prepared to entertain any request from the Indian government that might come for some funds from that account.

Mr. KOLBE

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during consideration of H.R. 2506 in the Committee of the Whole pursuant to House Resolution 199--. (1) no amendment to the bill may be offered on the legislative day of July 19, 2001, except pro forma amendments offered by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees for the purpose of debate; and amendments printed in the Congressional Record and numbered 4, 8, 17, 21, 22, 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 35 and 37; (2) each such amendment may be offered after the Clerk reads through page 1, line 6, and may amend portions of the bill not yet read (except that amendment numbered 25 must conform to the requirements of clause 2(f) of rule XXI); (3) no further amendment to the bill may be offered after the legislative day of July 19, 2001, except pro forma amendments offered by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees for the purpose of debate; and amendments printed in the portion of the Congressional Record of the legislative day of July 19, 2001, or any Record before that date, designated for the purpose specified in clause 8 of rule XVIII and not earlier disposed of.

Mr. KOLBE

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I do rise in opposition to the resolution that would revoke normal trade relations with China. I think very clearly doing this would be a destabilizing factor in our relationship. I am sure that is the intention of those who have this resolution today. I think it would steer China on a certain course towards isolationism and nationalism, and I would think that those who support this resolution certainly do not independent intend that to happen, because that certainly is not in the interests of either country. That would be counterproductive, certainly to our own economic and to our foreign policy interests. There is nothing new in the debate really this year from what we had last year when we passed permanent normal trade relations. Nothing has changed since then. The reasons we supported PNTR last year are equally as valid as they were a year ago, and I say that despite the recent storms that we have had in U.S.-China relations. The recent downing of our aircraft and the holding of the plane and the crew for an inordinate length of time does not change the reasons that we need to have normal trade relations with that country. We must remember that if China is going to become a member of the World Trade Organization, it has to make dramatic policy changes. As a result, its economy is going to become more and more open, more and more capitalistic, in the future. Free market forces are growing and they are getting stronger in China. Economic liberty is on the rise, and that is exactly the course we want to help China navigate. If the U.S. revokes normal trade relations, it would be devastating to China's economic progress and hurt American consumers and workers in the process. I heard here earlier about how this is about the almighty dollar; and I say no, it is not about that. This is about making sure that China continues on a path towards opening its political and its economic system; and, yes, it does help American workers in the process. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of the House to oppose this resolution and to defeat it.

Mr. KOLBE

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2506, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. KOLBE

Mr. KOLBE. Earlier today, I was absent during the vote on final passage of H.J. Res. 36, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on this vote, No. 232.

Mr. KOLBE

Mr. KOLBE. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).