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Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say to the gentleman I really appreciate that, and I hope that President Aleman and his finance minister heard what the chairman said tonight; and that is, if they do not start doing what they have said they would do, that the chairman would take this into consideration next year when the appropriations process takes place.
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Mr. MCCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I echo that. I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama (Chairman CALLAHAN) for his words to encourage that right action by the government in Nicaragua. It has been long overdue. We really do need something to move here. There is something wrong. It should have happened long before now.
AMENDMENT OFFERED BY MS. JACKSON-LEE OF TEXAS
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amendment offered by Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas:
Page 7, line 10, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $10,000,000)''.
Page 7, line 25, add at the end before the period the following: ``: Provided further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, $25,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa''.
Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Alabama reserves a point of order.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I want to acknowledge the chairman and ranking member of the committee for their leadership and for their perseverance on an issue that has been with us for a long time but has risen to the level of immense devastation in sub-Saharan Africa, and as we have learned over the past months and years, moving to India and China as the next locations of this devastation of HIV/AIDS.
I also recognize that we are constrained by the limits of the appropriations process. I think it is disappointing that we are in this very large Nation relegated to allocating 1 percent of our budget to foreign aid, in particular when the American people would be willing to give more.
But I rise to offer this amendment to H.R. 2606, to increase funding by $25 million and direct this funding to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. With 33 million infected people in the world, 22.5 million in sub-Saharan Africa, it is clear that we must dedicate money directly to sub-Saharan Africa although we have identified and appropriated monies for global prevention and reduction programs.
Of the 5.8 million adults and children newly infected with HIV during 1998, 4 million live in sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is a growing disaster. UNAIDS has declared HIV/AIDS in Africa an epidemic out of control. Each and every day, Mr. Chairman, more than 16,000 additional people become HIV positive; and most live in sub-Saharan Africa where, in South Africa alone, 1,500 people become HIV positive each day.
Among children under 15, the proportion is 9 out of 10, and the amendment would speak to dealing with children's diseases. To date, 83 percent of all AIDS deaths have been in the region; and at least 95 percent of all AIDS orphans have been in Africa. It is estimated that, by the year 2010, AIDS will orphan more than 40 million children, with 95 percent in sub-Saharan Africa.
I have seen firsthand the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. My participation as part of the Presidential Mission solidified my position that our foreign policy with Africa must include the realization that Africa is struggling with the AIDS devastation and must provide additional AIDS prevention funding as well as funds to deal with the large numbers of children whose family members have died from this merciless killer. As we move into the 21st Century, we must realize that AIDS will have a tremendous impact on the continent of Africa, as well as the world.
I am gratified this House passed the African Growth and Opportunities Act. In that trade bill, there was acknowledgment of the impact of AIDS on the economy of Africa. The AIDS epidemic quickly transcends simply a health issue. It is quickly becoming a detriment to economic growth.
According to the Economist, a recent study in Namibia estimated that AIDS costs the country almost 8 percent of GNP in 1996. Another analysis predicts that Kenya's GNP will be 14.5 percent smaller in 2005 than it would have been without AIDS and the per capital income will be 10 percent lower. A report released by the World Bank begged the questions, will this pandemic destroy the developing Nation's hard-earned economic gains, or will governments get their act together in time? Clearly time is running out.
As I said as I began my statement in explanation of this amendment I wish to offer, I do appreciate the great strides that the Committee on Appropriations has made, particularly this subcommittee, and the leadership of the committee.
But there are no boundaries to the effects of this epidemic. A South African anti-crime institute has linked the growing number of children orphaned by AIDS to future increases in crime and civil unrest. Without appropriate intervention, many of the 2 million children projected to be orphaned by AIDS in South Africa will raise themselves on the streets, often turning to crime, drugs, commercial sex, and gangs for survival and, sadly, increasing their risk of AIDS.
While in Africa, I visited St. Anthony's compound in Zambia where many affected families were headed by grandparents who were caring for their grandchildren, orphaned by the disease.
The AIDS epidemic has been labeled by some in the medical community as a disease equal to the plagues of earlier times. This is most disconcerting, but it is not hopeless. We have the power to fix this.
Uganda is out front in developing policies to combat the AIDS epidemic. They have enacted various education and AIDS programs. The U.S. invested the $40 million in HIV prevention in Uganda, and HIV rates among pregnant women dropped from 30 percent in 1991 to 15 percent in 1995 to 8 percent in 1998.
I would ask my colleagues, although a point of order has been reserved, to consider the need that we have. If we cannot move forward on this amendment, I would certainly hope that we might have the opportunity to look at this question as we move in the appropriations process in future years, and I will work with my colleagues to solve and to bring to an end this terrible devastation.
The CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN) continue to reserve his point of order?
Mr. CALLAHAN. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
(Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment but, again, the proposed use of funds by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON-LEE) is entirely salutary and commendable.
I spoke a few minutes ago against the Brown-Morella amendment because it was taking money out of the IMET program, the same IMET program that provides training to the military officers and men of the reserves that the gentlewoman from Texas mentioned and to South Africa where they are trying to encourage promotion of black officers in the South African military.
I just want my colleagues to know that the IMET fund is a not a slush fund that can be drawn down or slashed from for every good purpose. I will energetically do what I can to keep the conference from reducing the IMET funds because it is so valuable.
I stipulate all my arguments that I gave on the Morella-Brown amendment to also apply as here on the amendment by the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas.
Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
Mr. Chairman, I am hopeful that the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. JACKSON-LEE) will withdraw her amendment before I insist on a point of order.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. CALLAHAN. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, as I noted in my remarks, I am appreciative of the work that has been done by this committee.
I feel compelled and committed to raise this issue as often as we can. I would hope that this amendment could have been made in order.
I will now withdraw the amendment and hope and look forward to working with my colleagues, one, to increase the amount of foreign aid that we give; and then, two, to be able, then, to add more dollars to what I consider one of
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The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the amendment is withdrawn.
There was no objection.
The Clerk will read.
The Clerk read as follows:
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of sections 103 through 106, and chapter 10 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, title V of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-533) and the provisions of section 401 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1969, $1,201,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001: Provided, That of the amount appropriated under this heading, up to $5,000,000 may be made available for and apportioned directly to the Inter-American Foundation: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated under this heading, up to $14,400,000 may be made available for the African Development Foundation and shall be apportioned directly to that agency: Provided further, That none of the funds made available in this Act nor any unobligated balances from prior appropriations may be made available to any organization or program which, as determined by the President of the United States, supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization: Provided further, That none of the funds made available under this heading may be used to pay for the performance of abortion as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions; and that in order to reduce reliance on abortion in developing nations, funds shall be available only to voluntary family planning projects which offer, either directly or through referral to, or information about access to, a broad range of family planning methods and services, and that any such voluntary family planning project shall meet the following requirements: (1) service providers or referral agents in the project shall not implement or be subject to quotas, or other numerical targets, of total number of births, number of family planning acceptors, or acceptors of a particular method of family planning (this provision shall not be construed to include the use of quantitative estimates or indicators for budgeting and planning purposes), (2) the project shall not include payment of incentives, bribes, gratuities, or financial reward to (A) an individual in exchange for becoming a family planning acceptor, or (B) program personnel for achieving a numerical target or quota of total number of births, number of family planning acceptors, or acceptors of a particular method of family planning, (3) the project shall not deny any right or benefit, including the right of access to participate in any program of general welfare or the right of access to health care, as a consequence of any individual's decision not to accept family planning services, (4) the project shall provide family planning acceptors comprehensible information on the health benefits and risks of the method chosen, including those conditions that might render the use of the method inadvisable and those adverse side effects known to be consequent to the use of the method, (5) the project shall ensure that experimental contraceptive drugs and devices and medical procedures are provided only in the context of a scientific study in which participants are advised of potential risks and benefits; and, not less than 60 days after the date on which the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development determines that there has been a violation of the requirements contained in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (5) of this proviso, or a pattern or practice of violations of the requirements contained in paragraph (4) of this proviso, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, a report containing a description of such violation and the corrective action taken by the Agency: Provided further, That in awarding grants for natural family planning under section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 no applicant shall be discriminated against because of such applicant's religious or conscientious commitment to offer only natural family planning; and, additionally, all such applicants shall comply with the requirements of the previous proviso: Provided further, That for purposes of this or any other Act authorizing or appropriating funds for foreign operations, export financing, and related programs, the term ``motivate'', as it relates to family planning assistance, shall not be construed to prohibit the provision, consistent with local law, of information or counseling about all pregnancy options: Provided further, That nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to alter any existing statutory prohibitions against abortion under section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961: Provided further, That, notwithstanding section 109 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, of the funds appropriated under this heading in this Act, and of the unobligated balances of funds previously appropriated under this heading, $2,500,000 may be transferred to ``International Organizations and Programs'' for a contribution to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated under this heading may be made available for any activity which is in contravention to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES): Provided further, That, of the funds made available by this Act for the ``Microenterprise Initiative'' (including any local currencies made available for the purposes of the Initiative), not less than 50 percent of the funds used for microcredit should be made available for support of programs providing loans of less than $300 to very poor people, particularly women, or for institutional support of organizations primarily engaged in making such loans.
PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS
None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act for development assistance may be made available to any United States private and voluntary organization, except any cooperative development organization, which obtains less than 20 percent of its total annual funding for international activities from sources other than the United States Government: Provided, That the Administrator of the Agency for International Development may, on a case-by-case basis, waive the restriction contained in this paragraph, after taking into account the effectiveness of the overseas development activities of the organization, its level of volunteer support, its financial viability and stability, and the degree of its dependence for its financial support on the agency.
Funds appropriated or otherwise made available under title II of this Act should be made available to private and voluntary organizations at a level which is at least equivalent to the level provided in fiscal year 1995.
INTERNATIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
For necessary expenses for international disaster relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction assistance pursuant to section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, $200,880,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not more than $35,000,000 shall be made available for activities carried out by the Office of Transition Initiatives, except that this amount may be exceeded subject to the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.
MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ACCOUNT
For the cost of direct loans and loan guarantees, $1,500,000, as authorized by section 108 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended: Provided, That such costs shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That guarantees of loans made under this heading in support of microenterprise activities may guarantee up to 70 percent of the principal amount of any such loans notwithstanding section 108 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. In addition, for administrative expenses to carry out programs under this heading, $500,000, all of which may be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for Operating Expenses of the Agency for International Development: Provided further, That funds made available under this heading shall remain available until September 30, 2001.
URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL CREDIT PROGRAM ACCOUNT
For administrative expenses to carry out guaranteed loan programs, $5,000,000, all of which may be transferred to and merged with the appropriation for Operating Expenses of the Agency for International Development.
PAYMENT TO THE FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY FUND
For payment to the ``Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund'', as authorized by the Foreign Service Act of 1980, $43,837,000.
OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 667, $479,950,000.
OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of section 667, $25,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001, which sum shall be available for the Office of the Inspector General of the Agency for International Development.
Other Bilateral Economic Assistance
ECONOMIC SUPPORT FUND
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of part II, $2,227,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2001: Provided, That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not to exceed $960,000,000 shall be available only for Israel, which sum shall be available on a grant basis as a cash transfer and shall be disbursed within thirty days of enactment of this Act or by October 31, 1999, whichever is later: Provided further, That not to exceed $735,000,000 shall be available only for Egypt, which sum shall be provided on a grant basis, and of which sum cash transfer assistance shall be provided with the understanding that Egypt will undertake significant economic reforms which are additional to those which were undertaken in previous fiscal years: Provided further, That in exercising the authority to provide cash transfer assistance for Israel, the President shall ensure that the level of such assistance does not
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