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“ORDER FOR RECESS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S14105-S14106 on Sept. 21, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ORDER FOR RECESS
Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask that the Senate stand in recess under the previous order following the remarks of Senator Pell.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
[[Page S 14106]]
Mr. PELL addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. PELL. Mr. President, the Senate has now adopted legislation making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related programs--the so-called foreign ops appropriations bill.
This is the first major foreign-affairs-related legislation to pass the Senate this year. We have not yet passed authorizations for the State Department and other foreign affairs agencies, or for the foreign aid program. We also have yet to pass an appropriation for the State Department--which is usually done along with the Commerce and Justice Departments.
The reason why we have not yet passed these measures--and why we were able to pass the foreign ops bill--gets to the very heart of bipartisanship. The authorization bills and the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill represent, in my mind, partisan efforts to mandate drastic and poorly conceived cuts and reductions in foreign policy programs and agencies. In their present form, the bills are so controversial that it has proven difficult even to bring them up for consideration.
I am pleased to note though--with a few notable exceptions--the foreign ops bill has been crafted with a fair amount of bipartisanship, and by comparison to the other bills, represents a sound basis for discussing our foreign assistance and other programs.
I do not wish to suggest that I support every provision of this bill. I do not. I have deep concerns about the unnecessarily low spending levels and about some of the language dealing with the former Yugoslavia, North Korea, and Russia--countries and issues of critical importance to the U.S. foreign policy agenda. While most of the multilateral lending institutions have fared reasonably well in this bill, I also regret that there is such a low level for the International Development Association, which lends to the poorest of the poor. I hope that where possible compromise language can be worked out on all of these matters in conference.
I also want to note that the Appropriations Committee, in its report accompanying the foreign ops bill, expressed strong support for the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program, known as ASHA, a small but effective program of which I have been a longtime advocate. Among other things, this program has provided U.S. support to the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, and other important institutions that have advanced U.S. foreign policy goals abroad.
Mr. President, I again want to emphasize and commend the bipartisan approach that has been apparent on this bill. I hope that spirit can be preserved as we move down the road.
I yield the floor.
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