2 Thanks to the decisions of this subcommittee, the people of the former Yugoslavia have taken some first steps toward rebuilding their war-torn society. When I travelled to Bosnia last year, I saw some of the thousands of refugees who would never have survived if not for the health, food, and housing programs funded through this bill. I asked an elderly Muslim woman who had been forced from her home if she was angry at the United States for not doing more to stop the Serbs. She answered that she was not angry at America because America was providing the food and shelter that were keeping her alive. But, there is still a long way to go and if this year's bill adequately funds the types of programs that keep the women and children of Bosnia alive, it will be a bill we can all be proud of. I want to commend you, Mr. Chairman, for the emphasis you placed on children's programs in last year's bill. It was a pleasure to work with you and your staff to ensure proper funding for child survival, basic education and UNICEF. The American people agree that helping children should be our highest foreign aid priority. In fact, 91 percent of Americans believe we should maintain or increase spending on child survival activities.1 1 Study by the Program on International Policy Attitudes, 1995 3 I am not usually in favor of earmarking specific programs, but I think the creation of the Children and Diseases account was a very good idea. As you know, I felt that the new account should include funding for basic education programs. Helping children learn to read and write is a building block of development. Every year of schooling beyond third or fourth grade in a developing country is an investment that pays off in: 20 percent higher wages, a 10 percent lower birth rate, and a 10 percent increase in child survival. Most importantly, in war-torn or poverty-stricken countries, basic education gives children hope. I urge you to include basic education in the Children and Diseases account this year. I also urge you to adequately fund the United Nations Children's Fund. I am disappointed and a bit bewildered by the $10 million cut in the Clinton Administration's budget request for UNICEF. From what I can gather from talking with several key people in the Administration, the decision to cut funding to UNICEF was an arbitrary one. I have yet to hear the Administration express any criticism of UNICEF; instead, I hear about the needs of other United Nations programs. 2 Report by the Academy for Educational Development, 1995 4 It is my understanding that UNICEF was cut, not because of any problems with its programs, but to more fully fund other U.N. agencies. I hope that this committee will not endorse this bureaucratic reasoning which would fund certain U.N. agencies at the expense of children's programs. I have enclosed a copy of the Administration's 1997 budget request for UNICEF and other International Organizations and Programs for the record. If you take a close look at the requests, you will notice that the majority of programs would maintain current funding levels or receive modest increases. However, UNICEF would receive the largest cut in funding down $10 million from $100 - million last year. Funding for the World Food Programme would also be cut. I hope that this subcommittee will not agree to those requests, and instead will fund these two essential and respected programs at last year's levels. I also want to express my support for full funding of disaster assistance programs. I am impressed by the skilled leadership of Nan Borton, the Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID. If you have not already had the opportunity, I would recommend that each member of this subcommittee meet with her. 5 Ms. Borton has a good game plan for the United States to follow in responding to natural and man-made disasters. Last year in Bosnia, and the year before in Rwanda, I witnessed emergency food distribution, medical initiatives, and other OFDA programs being implemented. I saw the tangible results -- lives being saved -- and I hope that this subcommittee will fully fund these vital OFDA programs. - Lastly, Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my concern about IMET funding for Indonesia. Last December marked the 20th anniversary of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. Since then, some 200,000 people have been killed out of a total East Timor population of less than 700,000. Harsh oppression continues in East Timor and the Indonesian government refuses to address international concerns. Just last month, it banned the Asian edition of Reader's Digest because it contained an article critical of Indonesia's human rights record. I do not believe we should grant Expanded IMET funding to Indonesia while human rights violations continue in East Timor. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to call your attention to a recent survey of 16,000 American households conducted by A.C. Nielson. 6 The study showed that 95 percent of Americans rate the importance of hunger and poverty on par with health care, balancing the budget and employment issues. The American people have issued us a challenge - to give the poor and hungry of the world the attention they deserve. As you consider this funding bill, I urge you to step up to the plate and meet that challenge. |