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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published by the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC) from 1995 to 2001 and by Africa Action from 2001 to 2003. APIC was merged into Africa Action in 2001. Please note that many outdated links in this archived document may not work.


Africa: Aid Urgent Action (Updated)
Any links to other sites in this file from 1995 are not clickable,
given the difficulty in maintaining up-to-date links in old files.
However, we hope they may still provide leads for your research.
Africa: Aid Urgent Action (Updated)
Date Distributed (ymd): 951004

Washington Office on Africa
URGENT ACTION

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

*******************************************************
This material is made available by the Washington
Office on Africa (WOA).  WOA is a not-for-profit
church, trade union and civil rights group supported
organization that works with Congress on Africa-related
legislation.

*******************************************************


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