Foreign Aid / Wye Package

Last week, the House of Representatives and Senate passed foreign operations appropriations bills by votes of 214-211 and 51-49 respectively. This vote was atypical because many who voted against the measures, including all Democratic Jewish House members, did so not as an expression of anti-foreign aid sentiment. Rather they wished to register displeasure with the generally low amount of aid -- $2 billion less than requested by the Administration -- and the absence of Wye funding. Of the $1.9 billion the United States pledged in the wake of the Wye River Agreement, only $100 million has been provided to Jordan. The President had requested $500 million to be appropriated for FY 2000 to facilitate the work Israel and the Palestinians have already begun in the implementation of the agreement.

On the positive side, the bills did include the Administration's request for $960 million in economic aid and $1.9 billion in military aid for Israel. A net reduction in the aid to Israel is reflected in the bill in alignment with the voluntary agreement between Israel and the United States. Economic aid to Israel will be phased out over a ten-year period while military aid will be increased somewhat, resulting in a net reduction in aid to Israel each year. In addition, the "Mexico City" language, prohibiting aid to international planning groups that perform abortions, was not included in the bills.

The President is expected to veto the bill due to the lack of funds for the Wye River Agreement, debt relief for the world's poorest countries, and the State Department program designed to find work for former nuclear scientists in Russia. It is unclear how Congressional leaders will respond. Republican leaders wants to hold off any additional appropriations spending because it would undermine their budget strategy.

JCPA Position:

JCPA member agencies are urged to contact their Senators and Representatives to express support for full funding of the Administration's Wye River commitment now and for a more generous overall foreign assistance budget.

Talking Points:

Israel and its peace partners are in great need of assistance now. It is important that the United States honor its Wye River commitment as Israel begins to withdraw from additional territories as stipulated in the agreement. Army bases are being relocated; troops have been redeployed from nine percent of the West Bank and are scheduled to withdraw from another three percent in the coming month. Israel has released 600 Palestinian prisoners and has followed through in negotiating a safe passage connecting Gaza and the West Bank.

It is crucial that Congress send the right message to Israel and her peace partners and not delay the Wye funding. Investing in peace is less expensive, both in economic and human terms, than fighting wars. The total cost of the Gulf War was $61 billion, in comparison, 20 years of peace between Israel and Egypt has cost the same as just a few days in the Gulf in 1991. Peace is a better investment than war.

The overall foreign aid package, which represents less than 1% of the total federal budget, should be enhanced to reflect the responsibility of the United States as the world's sole remaining superpower. We agree with President Clinton that, "This level of funding would be inadequate to maintain America's leadership around the world, and would therefore pose a clear and present danger to America's interests."

Please feel free to contact the JCPA if you have any questions.