WASHINGTON, DC - “Good morning. I want to first take this opportunity to thank the Chairman for his hard work this year, and throughout his tenure, in creating a bipartisan environment for examining our foreign policy priorities and addressing the funding needs of our foreign assistance programs. The Chairman has shown tremendous leadership in steering this subcommittee and setting an example of bipartisan cooperation and collaboration that is rare in Congress today. So before we proceed with today’s mark-up, which is the Chairman’s last subcommittee markup, let me take a moment to recognize Chairman Kolbe for his outstanding work on this subcommittee, his leadership, and his commitment to promoting stability and alleviating poverty around the world. The Chairman leaves behind an impressive legacy, overseeing the largest increases in the foreign aid budget post-Cold War. Under his stewardship, funding in the bill to combat HIV/AIDS has increased from $485 million in FY02 to $3.43 billion in the mark before us today, and basic education has increased from just $100 million to $550 million. I know he is particularly proud of his work on trade promotion and trade capacity building as well as on shaping and promoting the Millennium Challenge Account.
“All of these are important and worthy legacies. But to me, what has been the hallmark of the Chairman’s tenure is his commitment to building bipartisan support for our nation’s foreign policy and foreign assistance programs while at the same time preserving the vital role of Congress in oversight over appropriations. He has run this subcommittee fairly, efficiently and effectively. And, of course, he has kept us on time and on track.
“Mr. Chairman, one of my indelible memories of you on this subcommittee is of your strict enforcement of the 5 minute rule -- watching the hour glass, occasionally tapping it, encouraging the sands of time to flow a little faster. Those of us who have, on rare occasions, been late to hearings or joint meetings know well your commitment to punctuality. It is therefore my pleasure, on behalf of the Subcommittee and staff, to present you with this hourglass as a memento of your tenure and a token of our deep esteem.
“Now, if you will allow me a few minutes to make some brief remarks on the bill before us.
“Mr. Chairman, I know this bill presented particular challenges but, with a couple of exceptions, the provisions included in the bill before us today represent the product of bipartisan negotiation and cooperation. I will be supporting the bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same as it moves through the legislative process.
“The Subcommittee’s 302(b) allocation is a full $2.4 billion below the request level, and into this reduced allocation we have had to fit increases in Presidential priorities such as the Millennium Challenge Account and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief as well as increased funding for Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I generally agree with my chairman on the spending levels recommended within the reduced allocation. We worked closely together to ensure that, in the face of devastating cuts, we at least level-funded child survival and health and development assistance priorities. We provide the President’s request for HIV/AIDS, increasing the overall amount in this bill for HIV/AIDS and TB by $751 million over the FY06 enacted levels and more than doubling the President’s request for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to the FY06 enacted level of $444.5 million. Although I wish we could have done more for the Global Fund, I believe we are doing the best we can with the resources we have.
“The bill maintains level funding for basic education in the Development Assistance account at last year’s level of $365 million, and I am pleased that we have been able to increase non-DA funds for basic education for a bill total of $550 million. We also continue the U.S. reconstruction program in Afghanistan, fully fund the requested levels for Liberia, Haiti, and Sudan, and fully fund our strategic commitments in the Middle East. I am pleased that we have also restored deep cuts the President requested in family planning and reproductive health programs. The bill substantially increases family planning funding in the Child Survival and Health account from the President’s request, fully restores bill-wide bilateral funding to $432 million, the FY06 House-passed level, and earmarks an additional $22.25 million in International Organizations and Programs funds, and $34 million bill-wide, for the United Nations Population Fund.
“I am also pleased that we were able to restore funding for several key UN agencies, including UNICEF, UNDP, UNIFEM and the UNIFEM Trust Fund.
“I want to commend the Chairman for his willingness to take a critical look at the Andean Counternarcotics Initiative, and specifically how the continuation of a special program aimed primary at eradication of coca is consistent with the myriad U.S. foreign policy goals in the Andean region. I believe that our overemphasis on the drug war has caused us to neglect many other critical objectives throughout Latin America, and I hope the changes made by the Chairman in the allocation of these funds in this bill are the first steps toward a wholesale reevaluation of our foreign aid program in the region.
“I want to point out a few specific concerns I have with the bill at this time. Our shamefully low allocation required us to make cuts from the request in several key areas, including Migration and Refugee Assistance, peacekeeping, programs for Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, key Economic Support Fund programs, and Congo debt relief. It is my hope that we will be able to restore these cuts, and even provide increases where warranted, in conference, and that funding for many of these priorities will survive conference negotiations on the FY06 Supplemental. I am also hopeful that we can restore full funding for the U.S. commitment to the Global Environmental Facility – the President’s requested level, granted in this bill, is a little more than half of what is actually needed.
“I am disappointed that this bill places no conditionality whatsoever on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia and Guatemala. Despite constructive language on Indonesia included in the FY06 bill, this bill fails to send the message that the U.S. expects Indonesia to continue on the path of achieving true civilian control over the military and accountability for human rights abuses.
“In the interest of time, I will save any other comments I have on the bill until Full Committee markup. I would like to thank the Chairman once again for being such a good partner in this process. I believe we have put together a reasonable bill within the context of our difficult allocation, and I appreciate your help, and the hard work of the staff, in getting this bill to markup this morning.”
