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“UNACCEPTABLE AND OUTRAGEOUS CUTS TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S3548-S3549 on March 25, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
UNACCEPTABLE AND OUTRAGEOUS CUTS TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am very concerned about the drastic cuts the Republican budget makes to our foreign affairs budget. In his budget request, President Clinton asked for $21.3 billion in funding for foreign affairs. The budget before us cuts $3.2 billion from that request.
U.S. leadership around the world requires adequate resources both for embassy security and for international programs. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Ranking Member of the International Operations Subcommittee, I have heard many times that our embassies abroad are in dire need of security upgrades.
We should not forget the terrible tragedy that took place last year when over 100 people died in the embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was a stark reminder that the men and women who conduct our diplomacy abroad put their lives on the line to promote U.S. interests throughout the world. We have the obligation to ensure their safety in every way possible.
These cuts to the State Department budget are so deep that Secretary Albright called them ``outrageous and unacceptable.''
Let me outline some of the important programs that will have to be eliminated from the budget under the Republican budget. A $24 million anti-narcotics initiative and programs to fight money laundering and trafficking in women could not be realized. The new Expanded Threat Reduction Program to reduce the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union could not be implemented. And, the U.S. request of $500 million to support the Wye Implementation accord would not be achievable under the Senate Budget Resolution.
I cannot believe that my colleagues would chose to undermine our efforts to fight the international war on drugs, control the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and support the peace process in the Middle East, in Ireland and in Bosnia.
We live in a very dangerous world, and this budget puts us at greater risk. We must find the resources to fix this problem and properly fund the international affairs budget.
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