H 5742 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 8, 1995

CONCERN OVER LIMITATIONS ON

OFFERING AMENDMENTS ON

FOREIGN AID BILL

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. JACKSON-LEE]

is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker,

there comes a time when we expect

that legislation that is passed will be

offered and passed in a bipartisan manner in the light of the seriousness and

importance of the issue it confronts.

Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the

passage of H.R. 1561, the foreign aid

bill, some 60 amendments were not allowed to be discussed. I rise to express

my concern over that, as well as the

passage of this particular legislation.

b 1700

For the amendment that I felt was

most important, among many others

that was eliminated, was the increased

funding from $2 million to $2,500,000 in

fiscal years 1996 and 1997 for the microand small enterprise development credit program.

This program, which is administered

by the Agency for International Development, has been a successful program

emphasizing direct assistance to businesses owned by the poor in developing

nations. Most of the businesses employ

less than 10 individuals but help develop a strong entrepreneurial tradition in many countries.

The microenterprises are very small,

informally organized, nonagricultural

businesses that employ a third of the

labor force in lower income countries.

As I heard one of my Republican colleagues say, it teaches these entities

and individuals to fish and not merely

to be given fish.

The micro- and small enterprise development program, in conjunction

with the private financial institutions,

help provide full access to formal financial markets to small businesses

that would not otherwise have such access.

These small businesses participating

in the MSED are run by and employed

by the poor. This would help keep a

stabilized atmosphere in developing nations and that is a sure way to ensure

political and economic peace.

If we are in fact to be a world power,

it is important for us to stand on behalf of economic development in Third

World and developing nations helping

themselves. Again, we were not able

today to rise to the support of the African Development Foundation, by adding to its budget $1,500,000 to increase

it from the $5 million. This is a modest

increase and it reflects the concern of

Americans that we must be budget

wise.

However, this particular foundation,

established in 1980, is a forward-thinking organization that delivers funds directly to self-help organizations in economically undeveloped countries in Africa.

Since no funds are channeled through

any foreign government, the ADF

avoids any bureaucratic patterns in

dispensing funds. This organization

also has been instrumental in expanding ties and developing goodwill among

the citizens of the United States and

the citizens of many African countries.

In the year 1995, ADF received $18

million. This year’s budget proposes $7

million, leaving ADF with only $10 million. However, as we proceed in the

years to come, the funding will go to $5

million, which would be a 50-percent

reduction from fiscal year 1996.

At this rate, Mr. Speaker, ADF,

which has been very helpful, will simply go out of business.

My amendment that was to be proposed was part of an effort to ensure

that these countries are able to stand

on their own two feet. It helped agricultural cooperative youth groups and

self-help organizations. These groups

have been effective stewards of these

grants which range from $25,000 to

$250,000.

Moreover, the ADF conducts annual

audits on how these community organizations utilize these funds and ADF

has been pleased with the performance

of the grantees. Many of my corporate

constituents who do business in Africa

and other Third World nations have indicated how important it is to maintain a stable climate, how important it

is to have a responsible community in

these countries so that we in America

can do business and create jobs.

My amendment would have helped

the African Development Foundation

and helped millions of Africans and

Americans and support adequate development assistance which would ultimately improve foreign relations and

commercial trade between Africa and

the United States.

I simply ask, as we move this legislation toward the U.S. Senate, that we

enact responsible foreign policy. Yes,

be efficient and effective with our dollars. We do not give away dollars recklessly and for no reason, but we do try

to help those nations who are trying to

help themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the U.S. Senate devise a foreign aid bill that works

for Americans and works for its allies.

KIM

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

). Under a previous order of the

fHouse, the gentleman from Florida

[Mr. GOSS] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. GOSS addressed the House. His

remarks will appear hereafter in the

Extensions of Remarks.]

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

ftleman from Texas [Mr. GENE GREEN]

is recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas addressed the House. His remarks will appear hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.]

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

f

tleman from Kansas [Mr. TIAHRT] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. TIAHRT addressed the House.

His remarks will appear hereafter in

the Extensions of Remarks.]

previous order of the House, the genThe SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

ftleman from Illinois [Mr. POSHARD] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

[Mr. POSHARD addressed the House.

His remarks will appear hereafter in

the Extensions of Remarks.]

Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask

VACATION OF SPECIAL ORDER

funanimous consent to vacate my special order of today for 5 minutes.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there

objection to the request of the gentleman from California?

There was no objection.

fOPIC

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a

previous order of the House, the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. SANDERS] is

recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, at a

time when this country has a $4.5 trillion national debt, and at a time when

there are Members here who are talking about cutting back on Medicare

and Medicaid and veterans programs,

student loans, school lunch programs,

and other programs of tremendous need

for the vast majority of our people, it

seems to me that we can no longer tolerate spending billions and billions of

taxpayers’ dollars on corporate welfare. That is money that goes to the

largest corporations in America and to

the wealthiest people.

I want to say a few words today

about one particular program which I

think is a very good example of corporate welfare. That is OPIC, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

What OPIC does is receive about $5 million a year of taxpayers’ money. And

what they do with that money is something that is very interesting. What

they do is help some of the largest corporations in America invest abroad.

They provide insurance for those companies who are investing in politically

unstable countries such as Russia,

Eastern Europe, former Communist

bloc and certain Latin American countries. What they are saying is, if there

is political unrest in those countries, if

your assets are nationalized, we will

provide insurance to cover your loss.

Also, OPIC provides generous financing to the large multinationals who

wish to invest abroad.

Now, it seems to me that, if the largest corporations in America wish to invest in Russia, wish to invest in Croatia, wish to invest in Peru or Latin

America, they have every right in the

world to do so. But it also seems to me

to be absolutely wrong to say to the

middle class of America, people who

are working longer hours for lower