September 12, 2002 - State Department Press Release: House Panel Approves $16,500 Million Foreign Operations Bill - Peace Corps gets what it asked for to meet expansion goals
House Panel Approves $16,500 Million Foreign Operations Bill - Peace Corps gets what it asked for to meet expansion goals
Read and comment on this Press Release from the State Department that the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee September 12 approved a $16,500 million bill to fund foreign aid and export financing in fiscal year 2003 (FY03), which begins October 1.
The bill would increase funding for the Peace Corps by $42 million to $317 million which is what the agency was asking for to meet their expansion plans to double the size of the Peace Corps by 2007.
The measure next goes to the full House for consideration. The Senate also is considering a foreign operations bill. Differences between the House and Senate bills would have to be reconciled before a final bill is sent to the president for signature.
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House Panel Approves $16,500 Million Foreign Operations Bill
Measure adds $79 million for HIV/AIDS to administration's request
By Kathryn McConnell Washington File Staff Writer Washington — The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee September 12 approved a $16,500 million bill to fund foreign aid and export financing in fiscal year 2003 (FY03), which begins October 1.
The bill exceeds the Bush administration's request by $79 million with the additional funding targeted to fighting HIV/AIDS.
The measure would allocate a total of $4,100 million for development and humanitarian assistance, of which $1,710 million would be for child survival and health programs, $1,400 million for longer-term development assistance, $296 million for disasters worldwide and $40 million for transition initiatives. The $4,100 million is $345 million above the administration's request and $500 million above the current year level.
The bill emphasizes economic growth in foreign countries and would direct the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department and the Trade and Development Agency (TDA) to obligate not less than $452 million on trade capacity building.
The bill does not include an amount for the administration's Millennium Challenge Account announced by President Bush in March because the administration has not yet submitted a budget request to the committee. Bush said the account, which he proposed would be $5,000 million more in aid money annually, would be devoted to projects in nations that govern justly, invest in their people and encourage economic freedom.
The measure next goes to the full House for consideration. The Senate also is considering a foreign operations bill. Differences between the House and Senate bills would have to be reconciled before a final bill is sent to the president for signature.
The bill is "a landmark as we move into a new phase of international responsibilities," said Representative Jim Kolbe, the Arizona Republican who chairs the Appropriations foreign operations subcommittee.
Calling the bill "a reasonable bipartisan compromise," New York Representative Nita Lowey, the subcommittee's senior Democrat, said that U.S. foreign assistance is "still under-funded" and that she will continue to "push for increases."
The committee agreed to a Kolbe-Lowey amendment to add $65 million to the bill's $147 million account for rebuilding Afghanistan.
After strong debate, the committee passed another Kolbe-Lowey amendment to permit money to help build a Palestinian state but make future assistance dependent on Palestine adopting democratic institutions. David Obey, Democrat from Wisconsin, objected to a part of the amendment that includes a waiver of the democracy restriction if the president decides U.S. national security is at stake.
Some committee members indicated they would offer further amendments when the bill goes to the House floor. California Democrat Nancy Pelosi, for instance, said she would propose even more funding to fight HIV/AIDS.
The bill would provide $125 million for peacekeeping operations, including $17 million more than the administration's request for additional peacekeeping efforts in Africa.
It would provide $296 million for international disaster assistance, $60 million above the administration's request and the FY02 level.
The bill includes $2,100 million for military assistance and $600 million for economic assistance to Israel. It would add $200 million for antiterrorism assistance for Israel and $50 million in humanitarian assistance for the West Bank and Gaza.
The measure would provide $1,300 million in military assistance and $615 million in economic assistance to Egypt. Representative Steny Hoyer, Democrat from Maryland, objected to continued heavy assistance to Egypt, whose government, he said, publishes anti-Semitic and anti-Christian images in its media.
The bill would also give $198 million in military and $250 million in economic assistance to Jordan.
The bill would cut by $29 million from the FY02 level to $755 million money for assistance to former Soviet republics; it would cut by $101 million to $520 million assistance to Southeast Europe and the Balkans.
It would increase funding for the Peace Corps by $42 million to $317 million.
The measure would also increase funding for the World Bank by $128 million to $1,000 million.
The Global Environment Facility would be funded at $148 million, $47 more than the fY02 level.
The bill would provide $197 million for international narcotics control and $731 million for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative, $106 million more than the FY02 amount.
It would provide $597 million for the Export Import Bank, the same as the administration's request, $64 million for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and $50 million for the Trade and Development Agency.
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