June 9, 2006

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007.

The United States should plant seeds of peace, not seeds of war. Tragically, however, this legislation appropriates nearly $5 billion - or about 25% of total spending - for direct military assistance. H.R. 5522 also includes more than $2.5 billion for so-called “Economic Support Funds” that recipient countries often direct toward security budgets. This spending subsidizes armed conflict, encouraging violence rather than diplomacy around the world.

At the same time, the legislation includes several provisions I would have loved to support as a stand-alone bill. For example, it provides $450 million for humanitarian relief efforts in Sudan. Significant financing is included for much-needed disaster and famine assistance, temporary resettlement of refugees, development aid, and peacekeeping operations. I hope that this assistance will help ameliorate the consequences of the genocide in Darfur. Similarly, I support bipartisan efforts to combat global AIDS.

But in the end, the bad outweighs the good and I must vote against this bill, which encourages billions in counterproductive military assistance.