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FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001 -- (House of Representatives - July 12, 2000)

   Seven years ago, the World Health Organization declared Tuberculosis to be a global emergency.

   TB is an emergency in Africa--in Asia--i n Latin America--in the Caribbean. TB could soon be an emergency in the United States.

   No area has been more harmed by the epidemic than Asia. In the past ten years there have been over 35 million cases in South and South-East Asia.

   In East Asia and the Pacific there have been over 21 million cases.

   In India, over 1.8 million new cases are diagnosed each year. In China, 1.4 million. In Bangladesh, half a million.

   While the majority of Tuberculosis cases are found overseas, this is disease that could be passed on to you ..... or to anyone in your family.

   TB is highly contagious and spreads just like the common cold--through hand-shaking, coughing, or contact.

   With the increase in international travel we are seeing more and more cases of TB right here in North America--and those cases will continue to increase unless we act now.

   Our amendment increases funding for TB control by $40 million. Much, much more is needed but to comply with budget rules we are only proposing a $40 million boost.

   Our amendment is offset by reducing funding to the Asian Development Bank by an equal amount.

   The Asian Development Bank has not been effective. Its lending for health has averaged just 1.5% of total lending annually from 1978-1998.

   This level of lending for health is much lower than any other multilateral development bank despite the fact that the majority of deaths globally from TB and many childhood infectious diseases occur in Asia.

   While the amount of its lending for the health sector has increased since 1978, the proportion of total lending devoted to health has stayed the same at about 1.5%.

   This low number cannot be accounted for simply because the Bank does not make low-interest loans to India or China while, for instance, the World Bank has.

   Even excluding China and India, World Bank lending for health in Asia and the Pacific in 1996 was 7.3% of lending, more than 4 times the Asian Development Bank's lending.

   The $40 million we are taking away from the Asian Development Bank is better spent combating the adverse economic impacts of TB.

   TB has had a devastating social and economic impact on Asia and other regions.

   Because patients lose an average of 3 to 4 working months a year, they lose 20 to 30 percent of the family's income.

   Seventy five percent of TB infections and deaths are people between the ages of 15 and 54--most of them workers.

   In India, the annual cost to that nation's economy is $3 billion. About 70% of households went into debt because of health care bills related to TB.

   This is not surprising when you consider that, in India, the cost to patients for treatment is about $125 U.S. dollars, more than half the annual income of a daily wage laborer.

   By using this $40 million to combat TB we will keep hundreds of thousands of folks working and that has a direct impact on Asia's economy--an impact that cannot be matched by the Asian Development Bank.

   We need to battle TB abroad because it is appearing on our borders.

   That's a sound investment--and one we should all support.

   Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

   Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, and I do not intend to object, but I do want to commend the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN) for his tireless leadership on this issue. The challenge of tuberculosis is a great one throughout the world, not unrelated to AIDS. Many people wi th HIV die of tuberculosis.

   But I do want to commend the chairman because he has responded at least two times that I am aware of to the appeal for increases last year and in the committee accepted my amendment for the increase to the point that we are now.

   The gentleman is a man of his word. If he says that he is going to help in conference, then the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. BROWN) has already graciously agreed to withdraw.

   So I look forward to working with the gentleman from Alabama on that. I commend the gentleman for his leadership and acknowledge the strong bipartisan support and commend all of the cosponsors on this legislation. It is very important to all of us.

   Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

   The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. BROWN) is withdrawn.

   There was no objection.

   AMENDMENT OFFERED BY MR. SHERMAN

   Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

   The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

   The text of the amendment is as follows:

   Amendment offered by Mr. SHERMAN:

   Page 6, line 25, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $10,000,000)''.

   Page 7, line 21, after the dollar amount for HIV/AIDS insert ``(incre ased by $10,000,000)''.

   Page 38, line 23, after the dollar amount insert ``(decreased by $10,000,000)''.

   The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the order of the House of earlier today, the gentleman from California (Mr. SHERMAN) and a Member opposed each will be recognized for 5 minutes.

   The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. SHERMAN).

   Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 1/2 minutes.

   Mr. Chairman, I am presenting this amendment on behalf of myself and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. SMITH). This entire bill is woefully underfunded. We should be adding several billions to this bill, perhaps many billions to this bill. But within the scope of the bill as presented, all we can do is move money from one part of the bill to another. That is an important task, because there are parts of this bill that are more in need of funding than others.

   As explained by the speeches for the last hour, the most important part of this bill is the funding for AIDS. With some 34 m illion people in Africa, with over 10 m illion people in South Asia and Southeast Asia stricken with HIV, we need to do more, not just the $202 million provided in the bill, not just the $242 million which will be available if the Pelosi-Lee amendment is passed, but we need to do all we can.

   This amendment will increase the amount for AIDS by an additiona l $10 million. That is still not even $10 for every infected person in the continent of Africa, let alone less than $5 for each infected person on the face of the earth.

   The question is not why is it important to provide more funds to combat AIDS, but where do w e get those funds?

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This bill, this amendment takes those funds from the allocation from the World Bank and more particularly from IDA. Now, IDA is a good program of the World Bank, but it is not as important as dealing with AIDS. Just as import ant, those of us who are concerned with promoting foreign aid in this country have to make sure that the foreign aid we appropriate is consistent with American values.

   Last month, the World Bank loaned $231 million to Iran, while ignoring the fact that Iran would jail 10 Jewish citizens just because of their religion, hence a desire, a need to transfer $10 million. Not only that, but I talked to the President of the World Bank today who was unable to assure me that the funds appropriated in this bill would not be lent to Sudan, Afghanistan. The funds provided to IDA in this bill can be lent to any corrupt government anywhere in the world. That is why it is better to spend the money through American agencies fighting AIDS.

 &nbs p; The CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN) claim the time in opposition to the amendment?

   Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

   The CHAIRMAN. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN).

   Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I think it is rather ironic, here we have the HIV program in need, and IDA is also in need. I know that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. PELOSI), the ranking member on our subcommittee, has been such a strong proponent of IDA. I am just wondering if she is going to object to this.

   

[Time: 23:50]

   In any event, I think with the same argument I have used on every amendment, there is nothing wrong with the destination the gentleman is seeking, I just think this attempt to restructure and to reallocate the monies that we have been working on for 6 months to try to fairly distribute under the limitation of the allocation given to us, in my opinion, is wrong. It could cause an avalanche of problems, and then we start going back and we start taking money from one program which is doing a great deal of good, to give it to another program to do a great deal of good.

   So while I know that the gentleman's intentions are noble and I respect that, I know that the needs of the HIV/AIDS problem is grea t, at the same time, at this point, I would urge my colleagues to object to the amendment, or vote ``no'' on the amendment, because of the restructuring argument that I presented earlier.

   Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

   Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to point out that the World Bank does do some good, but it also does substantial harm when it loans American money to Iran at this time and when it is possible that it would loan American money to Sudan or Afghanistan at this time.

   Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. SMITH).

   Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I think it needs to be pointed out that the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN) has put $834 million into the Child Survival and Disease program, and it is a significant increase, but the explosion of AIDS certainly makes it an issue that requires more attention.

   We know that there is very little being done in the area of shelters, of helping those people who have the disease to get a longer and a higher quality of life. Much of the focus has been on prevention, and surely much of the focus should be on prevention. But for those who have it, those who have the ``slims,'' as they call it in Africa, need to be hel ped through their terrible ordeal, and there is much more that we could be doing to help in that way.

   I commend my friend for offering the amendment. I am glad to be one of the cosponsors, but, again, I do think it should be underscored there is $834 million in here for child survival and diseases. This is a tweak, but it is an important tweak.

   Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

   The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from California (Mr. SHERMAN) has 1 1/2 minutes remaining.

   Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. HASTINGS).

   (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

   Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and perhaps I can respond quickly to the distinguished subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN).

   I am a proponent of the International Development Fund, IDA, and I am also a supporter of the measure that is being offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. SHERMAN). Ultimately, what it boils down to is that we have budgetary constraints that we have created in a time of prosperity. And in all fairness, if we had sufficient motivation, I believe that we would come up with the necessary funds.

   Thus, we are going to not only have in this appropriation measure, but in countless numbers of other amendments and other appropriations yet to be done and ones that have passed, offsets that are required that pit one program against another. No one can argue that I am not for IDA, and no one can argue that I am not against the spread of AIDS not only in Afr ica but throughout the world.

   Let me give some more statistics. HIV/AIDS infects more th an 10 million children worldwide. Africa is most affecte d by the disease, with 70 percent of the world's 34 million HIV infected people. In Botswana, for example, a third of all girls and 16 percent of all boys are infected with HIV. In South Africa, 25 percent of all girls and 11 percent of all boys are infected. Furthermore, they do not educate our children on how to protect themselves.

   We should support this measure and we should be prepared to support others with offsets.

   The CHAIRMAN. Time of the gentleman from California (Mr. SHERMAN) has expired. The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. CALLAHAN) has 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

   Mr. CALLAHAN. Has all time expired on the other side?

   The CHAIRMAN. That is correct.

   Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to rise once again in opposition to the amendment.

   Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

   The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. SHERMAN).

   The amendment was agreed to.

   The CHAIRMAN. Are there further amendments to this section of the bill?

   If not, the Clerk will read.

   The Clerk read as follows:

   DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

    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, $1,258,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2002: Provided, That of the amount appropriated under this heading, up to $10,000,000 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 $16,000,000 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

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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; and (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 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 appropriated under this heading that are made available for assistance programs for displaced and orphaned children and victims of war, not to exceed $25,000, in addition to funds otherwise available for such purposes, may be used to monitor and provide oversight of such programs: Provided further, That, of the funds appropriated by this Act for the Microenterprise Initiative (including any local currencies made available for the purposes of the Initiative), not less than one-half should be made available for programs providing loans in the following amounts (in 1995 United States dollars) to very poor people, particularly women, or for institutional support of organizations primarily engaged in making such loans: $1,000 or less in the Europe and Eurasia region (including North Africa), $400 or less in the Latin America region, and $300 or less in the rest of the world.


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