*EPF310 07/11/01
Text: House Appropriations Committee Approves Foreign Aid Bill
(Full panel adds additional earthquake funds) (1430)
The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee has approved a $15,200 million foreign aid bill for the fiscal year starting October 1 that would pay for such priorities as anti-drug efforts in South America, HIV/AIDS programs, assistance to Middle East allies and earthquake reconstruction in El Salvador.
The bill, approved July 10, was very near in size to the Bush administration request although spending on individual categories was changed.
To become law a final foreign aid bill must be passed by both the House and Senate and signed by the president.
The committee added $100 million for disaster assistance for El Salvador, aid that would help with reconstruction in the wake of major earthquakes earlier this year.
The bill includes $474 million to combat HIV/AIDS; this amount includes $100 million for a global AIDS trust fund.
The bill would provide $676 million for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative, despite efforts by Democrats on the committee to cut back the amount. The bill would provide an additional $217 million for international narcotics control.
The biggest aid recipients, as has been the case for over two decades, would be Israel and Egypt. The committee fully funded the Bush administration request of $2,040 million in military aid for Israel and $720 million in economic aid. The committee designated $1,300 million in military assistance for Egypt and $655 million in economic aid.
The committee approved $805 million for lending obligations by the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of the United States, $118 million above the president's request.
The full House is scheduled to consider the foreign aid bill on July 17.
Following are terms and abbreviations used in the text:
-- FY: U.S. government fiscal year. FY 2002 begins on October 1, 2001.
-- billion equals 1,000 million.
Following is the text of the House Appropriations Committee press release on the foreign aid bill:
(begin text)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 10, 2001
FUNDING TAXPAYERS' OVERSEAS INVESTMENTS
Full Committee Approves FY02 Foreign Operations Chairman's Mark
FY02 Bill: $15.2 billion
FY02 President's Request: $15.2 billion
FY01 Enacted: $14.9 billion
"Our foreign operations budget is vital; it funds our first line of national defense -- our diplomatic efforts," said Representative Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), Chair, Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs. "We have developed this bill in a bipartisan fashion that stays within our allocation of $15.2 billion and I thank my colleagues for their cooperation in putting together this bill.
"We continue to make significant provisions for international disaster assistance and we have taken great care to ensure that important initiatives have received financial support. For example, the significant increase in funding for HIV/AIDS activities demonstrates the U.S.'s commitment to addressing this serious, international issue," continued Rep. Kolbe. "Furthermore, we have also taken into account the needed assistance that U.S. companies require to promote their exports and trade initiatives overseas, while preserving U.S. jobs, by maintaining current loan program levels to the vital service that the Export-Import Bank provides."
Major Amendments Adopted in Full Committee:
(Kolbe): Provides $100 million from within available funds in the bill for disaster assistance for El Salvador.
Major Priorities and Initiatives:
-- Provides $434 million for HIV/AIDS within the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund and $40 million in other accounts. Fully funds the Presidential initiative to provide $100 million for a global HIV/AIDS trust fund from within Child Survival funds.
-- Increases the restructured Child Survival and Health Programs Fund $169 million over last year's level and $396 million over the President's request. Total FY02 funding is $1.4 billion, which includes $120 million for UNICEF -- $10 million more than last year's level.
-- The Export-Import Bank is $107 million below FY01 and $118 million above the President's request, bringing FY02 funding to $805 million. This funding restores the program to current levels.
-- Provides $1.1 billion in Development Assistance through AID [U.S. Agency for International Development].
-- Provides $358 million in reproductive health assistance in the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund, the same as the President's request and the same as last year's level. Total funding in the bill for reproductive health assistance is $425 million, the same as last year's level.
-- The bill includes language that requires the President to determine whether the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is complying with its commitments to renounce the use of terrorism and by taking the necessary disciplinary action against any PLO personnel that are determined to be involved in acts of terror or violence.
-- If the President cannot determine that the PLO is in substantial compliance with its commitments, he must impose one or more of the following sanctions for a time period of at least six months (sanctions can be waived if the President determines it is in the U.S.'s national security interests).
-- Closure of the Palestinian information office in Washington;
-- Designation of PLO, or one or more of its constituent groups, as a terrorist organization; or
-- The limitation of assistance provided under the West Bank and Gaza program to humanitarian assistance.
-- Provides $200 million for international disaster assistance, the same as the President's request.
-- Peacekeeping operations are funded at $135 million, the same as the President's request.
-- International Narcotics Control is funded at $217 million, the same as the President's request.
-- The Andean Counterdrug Initiative is funded at $676 million, $55 million below the request.
-- Fully funds the President's $2.04 billion request for Foreign Military Financing for Israel. Also fully funds the President's $720 million request for economic assistance to Israel, $120 million below FY01.
-- Fully funds the President's $1.3 billion request for Foreign Military Financing for Egypt, the same as FY01. Also fully funds the President's $655 million request for economic assistance to Egypt, $40 million below FY01.
-- Fully funds the President's $75 million request for Foreign Military Financing for Jordan, the same as FY01. Also fully funds the President's request for $150 million for economic assistance to Jordan, the same as FY01.
-- Assistance for the Independent States of the former Soviet Union is funded at $768 million, $42 million below last year's level and $40 million below the President's request.
-- The International Fund for Ireland is level funded at $25 million, $5.4 million above the President.
-- Provides $224 million for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief, the same as the President's request. Funding conditions include a 24-month moratorium on new market loans to countries benefiting from HIPC debt relief.
-- Increases the Agency for International Development (AID) $126 million over FY01 and $177 million over the President's request, bringing FY02 funding to $3.36 billion.
-- Increases Peace Corps $10 million over FY01, bringing FY02 funding to $275 million, the same as the President's request.
-- Fully funds President's $40 million request for demining activities.
-- Provides $600 million for Southeast Europe and the Balkans, $5 million below the President's request and $76 million below FY01.
Other Items of Interest:
-- Limits funding for the Korean Peninsula Economic Development Organization (KEDO) to the President's requested level of $95 million. Prohibits funds if North Korea breaks its agreement on freezing nuclear development.
-- The contribution to the International Development Association is funded at $803 million, the same as the President's request and $28 million below FY01.
-- Reduces the Global Environment Facility (GEF) $25 million below the President's request and $25 million below last year, bringing FY02 funding to $83 million.
-- The total World Bank Group is funded $896 million, $3 million above last year and $25 million below the President's request.
-- The Trade and Development Agency is funded at $50 million, the same as the President's request and $6 million more than FY02.
-- Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is funded at $37 million, the President's request and $30 million less than FY01.
-- Assistance for the Independent States of the former Soviet Union is funded at $768 million, $40 million below the President and $42 million below FY01.
-- Funds International Military Education Training (IMET) at $65 million, the same as the President's request and $7 million above last year.
-- Prohibits foreign aid to any government, which the Secretary of State determines is aiding the rebels in Sierra Leone by providing military support or by assisting in illicit diamond trade, the same language as last year.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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