Mr. ATKINS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment, and I don't know whether it is at the desk or not. I don't believe the staff who did the work on this are here right now. Chairman FASCELL. This is an amendment to H.R. 5389? Mr. ATKINS. It is an amendment to that bill, yes. Mr. LEACH. Mr. Chairman, I don't know of an amendment. Chairman FASCELL. We will stand in informal recess while we find the lost amendment. [Recess.] Chairman FASCILL. We will go back into session, reporter. The Chief of Staff will report the amendment. Mr. BRADY. Amendment offered by Mr. Atkins, page 4, line 4, before the period, insert the following: “, and urges the" Chairman FASCELL. Without objection, further reading of the amendment will be dispensed with, printed in the record in full, and open for amendment. Mr. Atkins. [The amendment follows:] WCM043A02 [September 26, 1988] AMENDMENT OFFERED BY Congressman Chester G. Atkins TO THE DRAFT BILL ON DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR BANGLADESH (``SOLARZ043 ́ ́; dated September 26, 1988) Page 4, line 4, before the period, insert the following: 1, and urges the President to take the lead in promoting international efforts to develop a regional solution designed 2 3 to prevent a recurrence of such natural disasters 5 6 7 Page 7, line 7, strike out ``and' line 9, strike out the period and insert in lieu thereof line 9, insert the following: ; and''; and after (5) shall describe the efforts made, and the efforts proposed to be made, by the President to promote a regional approach to achieving the objectives set forth in subsection (a). Mr. ATKINS. Mr. Chairman, this amendment simply adds an additional provision which requires the President to work on a regional basis to deal with the problems in Bangladesh. Specifically important, and I believe that AID was concerned with this, that the countries involved in the watershed area and the Ganges River, that management of that watershed is critical in order to deal long-term with problems of flooding there. Mr. GILMAN. Would the gentleman yield? Mr. ATKINS. No, this did not come from AID. I believe the people who were working on it had discussed it with AID, however. Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentleman. Chairman FASCELL. As the Chair understands the first part of this amendment on page 4, line 4, simply adds to the congressional declaration of the willingness to work with the international community an additional declaration urging the President to take the lead in promoting a regional solution. As I read this amendment, it simply adds a desire to seek regional support as well as international support. Does anybody have a different reading of that portion of the amendment? Then, on page 7, line 7, the amendment deals with the report required by subsection (a), and inserts a new clause (5) which contains an additional requirement that the report describe the efforts made and the efforts proposed to be made by the President to promote a regional approach to achieving the objective set forth in subsection (a). So, the way I read both amendments-oh, there is the chairman of the subcommittee. I yield to you, since it is your bill. Mr. SOLARZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. These amendments which have been offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts, were suggested by Mr. Hall of Ohio, who has just returned from a trip to Bangladesh. I think it is entirely consistent with the thrust of the legislation. Essentially, what they do is to emphasize the extent to which any long-term solution to the problem of periodic flooding in Bangladesh will require a regional solution inasmuch as the waters which ultimately end up flooding the country originate in Nepal and in India. It will require reforestation, it will require dams, it will require other measures, not just on the part of Bangladesh, but on the part of these other countries as well. And as I understand this amendment, it simply urges the President to take the lead in promoting these regional solutions, and then in the report, requires him to let us know what steps have actually been taken along these lines. I think it is a constructive amendment, and I would urge its adoption. I yield to my friend from Iowa. Mr. LEACH. Mr. Chairman, the minority has looked at this amendment and would like to offer a slight modification of it, if it meets with your approval. It seems awkward to talk about the President taking the lead in promoting international efforts to develop a regional solution. Could we just say, "urges the President to promote a regional solution"? Mr. SOLARZ. Fine. Mr. LEACH. That way, you get around some of the nicety of logic involved in presumption of international diplomacy. Mr. SOLARZ. In the interest of the broadest possible support for this legislation, I would be perfectly prepared to endorse the suggestion made by my good friend. Mr. LEACH. I appreciate it. Mr. ATKINS. In the interest of promoting linguistic niceties, I would be happy to support the amendment. Chairman FASCELL. Without objection, the changes will be made in the amendment. Is there further discussion? Mr. Lagomarsino? Mr. LAGOMARSINO. A small point, I think, on page 6, line 13, unless there is such a word as "equipable", I think we want to change it to equitable. Mr. SOLARZ. I think the gentleman is right, Mr. Chairman. Let the record note, Mr. Chairman, that while the two Presidential candidates are going around the country criticizing each other, on the Foreign Affairs Committee an era of good feeling presides and pervades. Chairman FASCELL. There is such a word, isn't there? They are two different words. The change in meaning might be important. We just sent for Webster's. I think it is important to satisfy the urgings of members. These are good lessons to learn and we might as well all learn it. That is, assuming the Chief of Staff can read the dictionary. Mr. BRADY. That is assuming the dictionary has it. Chairman FASCELL. It is times like this that try the souls of men and women. Mr. BRADY. Marked by a variation or change, uniform. Noticeable, unpleasant, extreme. Chairman FASCELL. Without objection, the typo will be corrected to read e-q-u-i-t-a-b-l-e, equitable. Is there further discussion, grammatical or otherwise, on this resolution? Mr. Leach, do you have anything further on this? Is there further discussion? The question then is on agreeing to the amendment. All those in favor of agreeing to the amendment as corrected will signify by saying aye. All those opposed, no. The ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. The question is on agreeing to the bill, as amended. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. All those opposed, no. The bill, as amended, is agreed to, and that completes our business. Thank you. The committee stands adjourned subject to the call of the Chair. [Whereupon, at 9:55 a.m., the committee adjourned subject to the call of the Chair.] CONSIDERATION OF MISCELLANEOUS BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS H.R. 5420, House Concurrent Resolution 303, House Resolution 505, House Concurrent Resolution 383, H.R. 2632, H.R. 5551, House Concurrent Resolution 381, and House Resolution 570 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1988 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The committee met in open markup session, at 9:38 a.m., in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Dante B. Fascell (chairman) presiding. Chairman FASCELL. The committee will come to order, please. We have a busy morning ahead of us, and before we start, let me say I hope this is the last meeting of the full committee this session and I would hope to keep it that way, unless there is a dire, urgent, extreme emergency supplemental or something. Let me also say that I appreciate all the hard work and commitment of both the members and the staffs on both sides for a remarkable year of accomplishment and a remarkable session. We have acquitted ourselves, in my judgment, very well. We almost cleared our agenda, but everytime I thought the agenda was cleared, my creative colleagues came up with five or six new ideas. But I think, generally speaking, we have moved through a very busy agenda extremely well. We still have some things to do that are in the discussion stage or in conference or on the Floor. We have five bills up today before the committee. I am not sure that we can get any of these bills that we have before us up on the floor. But if the Republicans agree, and I understand that they have, to additional suspension days, we will have suspensions on the floor Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. So there is a slim possibility that we can clean the docket on the House side. However, I can't speak for the other body. I have never understood them and never will understand them. Mr. Broomfield. Mr. BROOMFIELD. I am wondering how many more bills we have left in the committee, if we can't take action on the rest of them, too? (359) |