WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House Appropriations Committee considered the FY06 Foreign Operations Appropriations legislation.  Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY18), the Ranking Member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, gave the following opening statement:

“Good morning.  I want to first take the opportunity to thank the Chairman for his hard work in putting together this bill.  I think the good working relationship we share is evident in the product we present to the Committee today.  

“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 President’s FY06 request, when compared with the Subcommittee’s 302(b) allocation, presented us with an array of difficult choices.  Our allocation is a full $2.55 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. 

“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 provided an increase over the President’s request for HIV/AIDS, doubling his request for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.  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.  We provided $465 million for basic education.  We continued the U.S. reconstruction program in Afghanistan, and we fully funded our commitments in the Middle East, a powerful statement at such a critical time in the peace process.  

“The message we have sent is clear: Congress will not increase funding for MCC and PEPFAR on the backs of our core development accounts.  I was pleased to read in today’s paper that the President is planning to announce a new aid package for Africa at the upcoming G8 Summit, and that Mrs. Bush will be visiting Africa soon as well.  I sincerely hope that, unlike the package he recently announced, this is new money, rather than a reshuffling of funds from one priority to another.  The United States and other donor nations should see the G8 summit as a chance to make a dramatic difference in the lives of the least fortunate among us. 

“I am pleased that we were also able to restore deep cuts the President requested in reproductive health programs.  This bill restores bilateral funding to $432 million, the FY05 House-passed level, and earmarks an additional $25 million in International Organizations and Programs funds for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA.)  The bill further specifies that any funds for UNFPA that cannot be spent should be transferred to USAID specifically for bilateral family planning programs – a provision we carried in the FY05 bill as well.  

“As I said, I am also pleased that this bill provides a total of $465 million for basic education, $65 million more than the FY05 level.  Once again, we provide $15 million for a pilot program to eliminate school fees and, for the first time, require a GAO study on our education programs to ensure we maximize the effectiveness of our aid dollars.

“This bill fully funds Israel’s annual economic and military aid package, including early disbursal of these funds within 30 days of the bill’s passage.  It also includes language carried in previous years placing conditions on U.S. support for any future Palestinian state.  This year, the bill includes an additional provision requiring a GAO audit of the FY06 West Bank and Gaza program, as well as a project-by-project plan from the State Department on how these funds are being spent.  I agree with the Chairman that these provisions are critical to ensuring that we monitor the results we achieve as well as the money we disburse.  

“I am proud that the bill and report carry a number of provisions aimed at increasing the U.S. commitment to fighting gender-based violence around the world, including in areas with high HIV infection rates and in areas undergoing conflict and civil strife.  I thank the Chairman for including a provision in the bill requiring that police, judicial, and military training programs funded in the bill develop training curricula on how to prevent and deal with victims of gender-based violence.  And I am pleased that we were able to increase funding for UNIFEM and the UNIFEM Trust Fund to a total of $5 million. 

“I want to point out a few specific concerns I have with the bill at this time.  The first is that the bill provides no funding whatsoever to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).  The GEF is the largest single funder of projects to improve the global environment, and every dollar invested by the U.S. in the GEF leverages $14 from other sources.  

“I understand why the Chairman has proposed this cut – the GEF has dragged its feet in implementing a performance-based allocation system.  And while I agree with the Chairman’s desire to send a message that we are serious about reform, I believe cutting funding completely is the wrong way to accomplish this.  I hope we will have the opportunity to restore funding to the GEF as this bill moves to the floor. 

“I am also concerned that this bill places no conditionality whatsoever on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia and Guatemala.  For the first time since Indonesian military-backed militias laid waste to East Timor in the wake of its August, 1999 independence referendum, we will provide FMF to Indonesia free of any conditions.  And, despite the Guatemalan government’s non-compliance with military reforms stipulated in the Peace Accords, we have removed IMET restrictions on that country as well.  

“I regret that we were not able to fully fund the President’s requests for refugees and peacekeeping.  The reduced allocation simply made it impossible.  However, I would like to point out that additional funding was provided in both of these accounts in the FY05 Supplemental concluded last month.

“Let me also say that I take seriously the role this Committee plays in exercising oversight over the reconstruction effort in Iraq.  Reports of wasted money and poor accounting for taxpayer funds should alarm us.  Congress, and particularly this Committee, has a responsibility to ensure that these funds are used properly and efficiently, and the Chairman and I will continue to make this a priority.

“I want to thank the Chairman once again for being such a good partner in this process.  With the exception of GEF funding, I believe we have put together a reasonable bill within the context of our difficult allocation.  I appreciate your help, and the hard work of the staff – Nisha, Betsy, Alice, Rodney, Rob, Lori, Sean, and Beth – in getting this bill to markup this morning. 

“Thank you.”