| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
House, Senate Conference on Aid Postponed; Vote Coming Soon after Congress Returns
October 4, 1995
Last week, confronted with a very short timeframe before the start of the new fiscal year and numerous serious differences between the House and Senate versions of the FY96 foreign operations appropriations bill, the chairmen of the two foreign operations committees decided to postpone the conference action on the bill until at least Tuesday, October 10, when Congress returns from its Columbus Day recess.
While Congress deliberates over the final version of the bill, foreign operations has been included in the overarching "continuing resolution" that was approved last week to continue federal funding for programs (albeit at reduced spending levels) for up to 44 days (mid-November). This applies to all programs funded through the foreign operations bill -- including all AID-funded humanitarian, development and other foreign economic assistance programs, migration and refugee assistance programs, and funding channeled through the multilateral development banks, the bilateral export promotion agencies, and the voluntary contributions to the United Nations and other international development agencies.
The major impasse between House and Senate foreign operations conferees is over the total funding level in the two bills. The House approved $11.9 billion, and the Senate approved $12.34 billion -- with the bulk of the higher Senate spending level going toward restoring deep cuts that the House had made in bilateral development assistance, the Development Fund for Africa (DFA), and the World Bank's poverty lending arm, the International Development Association (IDA).
House and Senate appropriators have agreed to allow the foreign operations subcommittees to allocate up to just under $12.3 billion in their compromise bill -- or about $300 million more than the House allocated. House subcommittee chairman Sonny Callahan (R-AL), however, reportedly remains determined NOT to allow the final level to exceed $12 billion. There are also indications that Senate subcommittee Chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may concede to Mr. Callahan on the lower funding level, provided that his own priorities -- namely funding for several countries in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and the export promotion agencies -- are protected at the Senate-approved levels. If the lower funding level prevails, the additional cuts are likely to come out of bilateral development assistance, DFA and IDA -- hurting the poorest of the poor disproportionately.
With many Members of Congress back in their home districts for much of this week, and the vote expected soon after their return, even if delayed beyond Tuesday, October 10, this is the last opportunity to influence next year's funding levels for bilateral and multilateral development assistance programs. Whether or not you have already made your views known to Congress during the legislative process, the conferees need to hear from you NOW. Calls or visits in their home district offices, from constituents in those areas, would be particularly effective.
URGENT ACTION: Contact foreign operations conferees before October 10 with the following urgent messages:
--Adopt at least the Senate funding levels for the bilateral and multilateral development assistance accounts. In particular, maintain the Development Fund for Africa ($672 million) and the African Development Foundation ($14 million) as separate accounts funded at the Senate levels, and maintain funding for the concessionary loan component of the World Bank, International Development Association ($775 million).
--Dropping below the Senate-passed levels is unfair and shortsighted. Bilateral and multilateral development funds for the poorest populations are already taking the burden of the cuts in these bills. Even at the Senate levels, bilateral development assistance is being cut by at least 15 percent, support for UN agencies by more than 30 percent, and IDA over 40 percent from current levels.
--Foreign aid is already taking devastating cuts. Even at the higher Senate funding level, the overall foreign operations bill is being cut by at least 10 percent. On top of cuts from previous years, foreign operations has taken far more than its fair share of the budget reductions.
--We need a balanced approach to development. Adequate support is needed for a wide range of bilateral and multilateral development investments -- child survival, basic health, family planning, microenterprise, environment, education, agriculture and democratic development -- to ensure that we have an integrated, strategic program to address the various challenges and threats around the globe.
Appropriations Committees, with State and District Office Contacts
Chair of House Foreign Operations Subcommittee
Taylor Ellis, District Admin. Office of the Hon. Sonny Callahan 2970 Cottage Hill Road, Suite 126 Mobile, AL 36606-4749 Phone: (334) 690-2811; Fax: (334) 473-4750
Other Members of House Subcommittee
Mr. Michael Yaki, District Rep. Office of the Hon. Nancy Pelosi Room 145378, Federal Building 450 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-3460 Phone: (415) 556-4862; Fax: (415) 861-1670
Mr. James Casso, Chief of Staff Office of the Hon. Esteban E. Torres 8819 Whittier Boulevard, Suite 101 Pico Rivera, CA 90660-2657 Phone: (310) 695-0702; Fax: (310) 692-2216
Mr. T. Michael Eggers, District Director Office of the Hon. Ron Packard 629 Camino de los Mares, Suite 204 San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone: (714) 496-2343; Fax: (714) 496-2988 Email: RPACKARD@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Ms. Corinne Gilbert, District Manager Office of the Hon. Jim Ross Lightfoot 501 W. Lowell Avenue Shenandoah, IA 51601-1213 Phone: (712) 246-1984 Fax: (712) 328-1434
Pat Fuller, Staff Asst. Office of the Hon. Sidney R. Yates 3920 Kluczynski Federal Building 230 S. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60604-1663 Phone: (312) 353-4596; Fax: (312) 328-2618
Ms. Ginny Hotaling, Chief of Staff Office of the Hon. John Edward Porter 102 Wilmot Road, Suite 200 Deerfield, IL 60015-3945 Phone: (708) 940-0202; Fax: (708) 940-7143
Mr. Rick Legendre, District Rep. Office of the Hon. Bob Livingston 111 Veterans Boulevard, Suite 700 Metairie, LA 70005-3080 Phone: (504) 589-2753; Fax: (504) 589-2607
Ms. Julie Pulgini-Fagan, District Asst. Office of the Hon. Joe Knollenberg 30833 N. Western Highway, Suite 214 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Phone: (810) 851-1366
Ms. Diana Dominguez-Weir, District Director Office of the Hon. Michael P. Forbes 1500 William Floyd Parkway, 3rd Fl. Shirley, NY 11967 Phone: (516) 345-9000; Fax: (516) 345-3891 Email: MPFORBES@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Mr. Peter F. Green, District Director Office of the Hon. Jim Bunn 738 Hawthorne Avenue, N.E. Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 588-9100; Fax: (503) 588-0963
Mr. Shaun Davis, District Director Office of the Hon. Charles Wilson 701 N. First Street, Room 201 Lufkin, TX 75901-3008 Phone: (409) 637-1770; Fax: (409) 632-8588 Email: CWILSON@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Ms. Judy McCary, Director of Constituent Svcs. Office of the Hon. Frank R. Wolf 13873 Park Center Road, Suite 130 Herndon, VA 22071 Phone: (703) 709-5800; Fax: (703) 709-5802
Mr. Jerry Madison, District Representative Office of the Hon. David Obey Federal Building, 317 First St. Wausau, WI 54401 Phone: (715) 842-5606
Chair of Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee:
Mr. Larry E. Cox, State Director Office of the Hon. Mitch McConnell 601 W. Broadway, Room 630 Louisville, KY 40202 Phone: (502) 582-6304; Fax: (502) 582-5326
Other Members of Subcommittee
Ms. Blair Agricola, District Rep. Office of the Hon. Richard C. Shelby Room 321, Federal Building 1800 Fifth Avenue, N. Birmingham, AL 35203 Phone: (250) 731-1384; Fax: (205) 731-1386
Javier L. Vasquez, Southeast Regional Director Office of the Hon. Connie Mack Suite 704, Sun Bank Building 777 Brickell Avenue Miami, FL 33131 Phone: (305) 530-7100; Fax: (305) 530-7104
Ms. Jennifer Goto Sabas, Chief of Staff Office of the Hon. Daniel K. Inouye Room 7325, Prince Kuhio Federal Building 300 Ala Moana Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96850 Phone: (808) 541-2542
Mr. Jack G. Hatch, State Administrator Office of the Hon. Tom Harkin Room 733, Federal Building 210 Walnut Street Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: (515) 284-4574; Fax: (515) 284-4937
Ms. Constance R. Beims, State Director Office of the Hon. Barbara A. Mikulski Suite 253, World Trade Center 401 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202-3041 Phone: (410) 962-4510; Fax: (410) 962-4760
Mr. Joel W. Maiola, State Director Office of the Hon. Judd Gregg 125 N. Main Street Concord, NH 03301 Phone: (603) 225-7115; Fax: (603) 224-0198
Ms. Christy Davis, State Director Office of the Hon. Frank R. Lautenberg Suite 1001 One Gateway Center Newark, NJ 07102 Phone: (201) 645-3030
Ms. Ede Schmidt, State Director Office of the Hon. Mark O. Hatfield Suite 1420, One World Trade Center 121 S.W. Salmon Portland, OR 97204 Phone: (503) 326-3386
Mr. James VanWright, Staff Asst. Office of the Hon. Arlen Specter Suite 9400, Federal Building 660 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Phone: (215) 597-7200
Mr. Steve Moss, State Director Office of the Hon. Phil Gramm InterFirst Plaza Building, # 201 102 N. College Street Tyler, TX 75702 Phone: (903) 593-0902
Mr. Charles Ross, VT Office Director Office of the Hon. Patrick J. Leahy Courthouse Plaza 199 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 Phone: (802) 863-2525 Email: SENATOR_LEAHY@LEAHY.SENATE.GOV
Ms. Jolinda LaClair, State Director Office of the Hon. James M. Jeffords 58 State Street Montpelier, VT 05601-0676 Phone: (802) 223-5273 Email: VERMONT@JEFFORDS.SENATE.GOV
Mr. Daniel S. Evans, State Director Office of the Hon. Patty Murray 2988 Jackson Federal Building 915 Second Avenue Seattle, WA 98174 Phone: (206) 553-5545; Fax: (206) 553-0891
Ms. Anne Barth, State Director Office of the Hon. Robert C. Byrd 1019 Federal Building 500 Quarrier St. Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: (304) 342-5855
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From woa@igc.apc.org Wed Oct 4 17:51 EDT 1995 Message-Id: <199510042141.OAA12640@igc3.igc.apc.org> From: "Washington Office on Africa" <woa@igc.apc.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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