Date: 2005-11-04
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. House Resolution 532 is a traditional -standard rule for consideration of the conference report for the fiscal year 2006 Foreign Operations. Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration.Mr. Speaker. the legislation before us today appropriates almost $21 billion. It is an increase of about actually over $1 billion for operations across the globe. The bill is fiscally sound. It has grown at a small. very small rate. while at the same time I think it is responsiveto the needs. not only the national security interests or the foreign policy interests of the United States. but also it is responsive to the needs of millions plagued by diseaseand famine and disaster throughout the world. H.R. 3057. for example. Mr. Speaker. bolsters the. Presidents Millennium Challenge Corporation to nearly $1.8 billion. It is about a quarter ofa billion more than last year. This.is an expansion of assistance meant to help bring. really economic security and the rule of law to some of the worlds poorest countries by insisting on American aid going to countries wherethere is transparency for the aid that we.-send. not corruption. 0] 0915 It is an important initiative. The -Millennium -Challenge provides assistance through.a competitive selection process to developing nations that are genuinely in the path of political andeconomic reforms in three areas: ruling justly. -in other words. treating their people decently. investing in people. and fostering economic freedom. Economic development genuinely succeeds when it is linked to free market economic and democratic principles and policies and where governments are committed to implementing reform measures when they are needed to achieve such goals. Two years ago in the State -of the Union address. President Bush announced the. Presidents .emergency plan for AIDS relief. It is the largest international health initiative in history initiated by a single government to address one disease. This legislation shows Congresss continued support to the fight against HIV/AIDS. It includes $2.8 billion. an increase of over $600 million over last year to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. as well as tuberculosis and malaria. The resolve of this Congress to help all those across the globe to fight this. disease is strong and serious. as is the commitment of the President of the United States. In addition to.funding. the Federal Government enlists the expertise of agencies. including the Food and Drug Administration. which assures that the medicines we send to the areas most affected by this horrible pandemic are safe and effective to help those with HIV/AIDS. In other foreign assistance. H.R. 3057 funds the Andean Cou.terdrug Initiative at the Presidents request. $735 million. $9 million more than in 2005. Economic growth in the- area since the start of Plan Colombia. for example. is proof that the assistance that we have provided Colombia has made a difference in that country. I visited Colombia in April of last year. It was a great honor for me to do so. I have tens of thousands of distinguished constituents. very hardworking. honorable people from Colombia. It was a pleasure to visit that country and to witness. Mr. Speaker. the extraordinary progress that the Colombian Government and the Colombian people have made against the narcoterrorists. They constantly reiterate. they did so during my visit and they have done so since and I know they have done so to countless colleagues in this House. they reiterate their gratitude to this Congress for the important assistance that the American people. the taxpayers of this country. through theirCongress have provided them and continue. to do so in their fight against narcoterrorism. .Now..-we. must riot take -progress in the Andean region: for granted. If the United States turns its back on the region. a .scenario may very well ensue that would require greater. U.S. investment at a time whenvwe *have significant responsibilities worldwide. The -underlying legislation provides also $2.5 billion for military and economic assistance to Israel. We have to continue to ensure that our friends and allies remain secure. and. of course. we have no better friend. no better ally than Israel. We are committed to doing everything we can to see. that Israel is safe and secure within its borders as it continues to move in this very difficult era. toward the achievement of a lasting peace with all of its neighbors. The conference report funds the Presidentsrequest to fund the foreign military financing for Egypt at $1.3 billion. It provides almost half a billion dollars for economic assistaince to Egypt.. including assistance set to help with political reform programs and education assistance. Of course. that is a very. very important initiative that this country has been involved in for decades now. I would like to thank Chairman LEWIS. -who -has worked very hard again. and Chairman KOLBE for their extraordinary leadership in moving this bill forward for our consideration today. I .obviously support the conference report. I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation. the conference report. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.