House Tries to Restrict Aid for Palestinians

By Shirl McArthur

As part of the $81 billion supplemental spending bill, H.R. 1268, to help pay for the administration’s adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, the House on March 15 approved $200 million in additional aid for FY 2005 “for programs, activities, and efforts to support Palestinians.” In spite of the wishes of most major American Jewish organizations and the administration of President George W. Bush, however, the bill includes a provision denying the president authority to waive the previously passed prohibition against direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

But it could have been worse. Several representatives—led by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and including Democratic Jewish Reps. Shelley Berkley (NV), Tom Lantos (CA), Nita Lowey (NY), and Anthony Weiner (NY)—were insisting on stringent conditions that would have torpedoed the administration’s efforts to support PA President Mahmoud Abbas. As ranking Democrat on the International Relations Middle East subcommittee Gary Ackerman (NY) pointed out, “If you want to ensure that there will not be a peace process, then you attach enough strings that you strangle the process.”

According to Ackerman, who is Jewish, a strong supporter of Israel, and also a strong supporter of the aid package for the Palestinians, DeLay, who is not Jewish, “became more Jewish than the chief rabbi—if you can twist the phrase that way—and he was not going to let it go through.” DeLay, who has close ties to Christian conservatives, also has close ties to the Zionist Organization of America—the only major Jewish organization opposing the aid package—as well as close, and controversial, relations with Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an Orthodox Jew who is an extremist supporter of Israel.

After negotiations reportedly involving AIPAC, which supported the aid package, the compromise result was an amendment offered in the Appropriations Committee mark-up session by foreign aid subcommittee chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) calling for a second audit of Palestinian accounting procedures and expenditures by “an internationally recognized accounting firm” (a previous section of the bill already mandates an audit by the U.S. Comptroller General); a new report from the president covering a wide range of Palestinian actions and reforms, none of which has anything to do with the aid money being appropriated; and removing the presidential waiver authority.

“If you want to ensure that there will not be a peace process, then you attach enough strings that you strangle the process.”

Then, during debate of the bill on the House floor, Kolbe strongly, and successfully, resisted efforts by Weiner to alter the bill—first with an amendment prohibiting aid for Saudi Arabia and then with an amendment prohibiting aid for the PA or the West Bank and Gaza. The Saudi Arabia amendment was defeated by a roll-call vote of 196-231, and the Palestine amendment was defeated by a voice vote.

The version of the bill reported out by the Senate Appropriations Committee does not include the language denying the president authority to waive the restriction on direct aid to the PA, but it does include the requirement for the second audit and the new report covering a laundry list of Palestinian actions, as in the House version. It also earmarks $50 million of the $200 million for crossing points between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza, which is consistent with the administration’s stated intent, but can only be seen as a direct slap at Abbas. The committee also agreed to an amendment offered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) adding $10 million for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for direct and guaranteed loans.

The full Senate had not voted on the bill as this issue went to press. However, none of the amendments offered on the Senate floor affected the Palestinian aid provisions. After Senate passage, the differences between the House and Senate versions will be reconciled in a conference committee, which is expected to happen by May 1.

Congress Passes Resolutions Condemning Syria; Another Introduced

The two resolutions introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) condemning Syria, H.Con.Res. 18 and 32, described in the previous issue of the Washington Report, were both passed by the full House under “suspension of the rules” on March 17. When passed H.Con.Res. 18 had seven new co-sponsors, for a total of 37, including Ros-Lehtinen. H.Con.Res. 32 had 22 new co-sponsors, for a total of 34, including Ros-Lehtinen. Six members are new co-sponsors of both resolutions: Reps. Ackerman, Wally Herger (R-CA), Thad McCotter (R-MI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Allyson Schwartz (D-PA). Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) is the other new co-sponsor of H.Con.Res. 18.

The other 16 new co-sponsors of H.Con.Res. 32 are Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), John Boozman (R-AR), Dan Burton, Ed Case (D-HI), Ben Chandler (D-KY), Jo Ann Davis (R-VA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Katherine Harris (R-FL), Peter King (R-NY), Lantos, Connie Mack (R-FL), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Candice Miller (R-MI), Mike Pence (R-IN), Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Albert Wynn (D-MD).

Over in the Senate, on March 9 Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), joined by Sens. George Allen (R-VA), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Richard Burr (R-NC), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jim DeMint (R-SC), introduced S. Res. 77 “condemning all acts of terrorism in Lebanon and calling for the removal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and supporting the people of Lebanon in their quest for a truly democratic form of government.” The resolution was immediately brought before the full Senate and passed by voice vote.

While the above resolutions are non-binding, a more forceful and serious bill, H.R. 1141, the “Lebanon and Syria Liberation Act,” was introduced March 8 by Reps. Ros-Lehtinen and Eliot Engel (D-NY), joined by Reps. Berkley, Boozman, Steve Chabot (R-OH), Jo Ann Davis, and Mack. The bill would codify existing sanctions against Syria, impose U.S. sanctions on other countries or companies that provide “destabilizing” weapons to Syria, require a State Department report to Congress on Syrian activities, and provide for American aid to pro-democracy and human rights groups in Syria and Lebanon. (In introducing the bill, Engel, who along with Ros-Lehtinen was a driving force behind the 2003 passage of the Syria Accountability Act, pointed out that the bill’s ever-so-cute acronym can be “LA SYRIA LA.”)

Europe Advised to Add Hezbollah to Its Terrorist List

Since the U.S. Congress does such a superb job of legislating for the United States, it is appropriate for it to tell the European Union (EU) what to do—or so apparently believe the U.S. House of Representatives and five senators. Nearly identical resolutions were introduced in the House and the Senate condemning Hezbollah’s “continuous terrorist attacks” and urging the EU to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list. In the House, H.Res. 101 was introduced Feb. 15 by Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ) and passed March 14 by the full House on a roll-call vote of 380-3, with five voting “present.” When passed, the resolution had 75 co-sponsors. Those voting against were Reps. Ron Paul (R-TX), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Diane Watson (D-CA). Those voting “present” were Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Pete Stark (D-CA) and Maxine Waters (D-CA). The Senate version, S.Res. 82, was introduced March 15 by Allen, with Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Bill Frist (R-TN), Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) as co-sponsors.

“Iran Freedom” Bills Gaining Support

H.R. 282, the “Iran Freedom and Support” bill, introduced by Ros-Lehtinen in January, continues to gain co-sponsors. The bill says that U.S. sanctions, controls and regulations relating to weapons of mass destruction with respect to Iran shall remain in effect until the president certifies that Iran has permanently and verifiably dismantled its weapons of mass destruction programs; amends and expands the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 to eliminate provisions respecting Libya, expand the sanctions and reporting provisions, and eliminate the sunset provision; and authorizes the president to provide assistance to support democracy in Iran.

The bill’s 48 new co-sponsors are Reps. Rodney Alexander (R-LA), Richard Baker (R-LA), Melissa Bean (D-IL), Henry Bonilla (R-TX), Mary Bono (R-CA), Boozman, Ginny Brown-Waite, G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Dennis Cardoza, John Carter (R-TX), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Tom Cole (R-OK), Jim Costa (D-CA), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Danny Davis (D-IL), Chet Edwards (D-TX), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Gene Green (D-TX), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Herger, Darrell Issa (R-CA), Bobby Jindal (R-LA), John Kline (R-MN), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Randy Kuhl (R-NY), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Mack, Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), McHenry, John McHugh (R-NY), Michael McNulty, Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Candice Miller, Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Richard Pombo (R-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Schwartz, David Scott (D-GA), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Pete Sessions (R-TX), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Henry Waxman (D-CA).

An identical bill, S. 333, was introduced in the Senate Feb. 9 by Santorum. Co-sponsors are Sens. Bayh, Norm Coleman (R-MN), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Ensign (R-NV), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and John McCain (R-AZ).

And Finally…

On Feb. 2 Rep. Thomas Reynolds (R-NY) introduced H.R. 588, this year’s version of the perennial “Jerusalem the Capital of Israel” bill. It would require any U.S. diplomatic facility in Jerusalem to be under the supervision of the ambassador to Israel, Jerusalem to be identified as the capital of Israel in official U.S. documents listing countries and their capitals, and the place of birth be recorded as Israel, upon request of persons born in Jerusalem.

On March 20 Lantos introduced what could be an important and positive bill, H.R. 1453, the “U.S.-Libya Relations Act of 2005,” to “strengthen U.S. relations with Libya, to facilitate the integration of Libya into the international community, and to encourage positive change in Libyan society.” It would, among other things, repeal the provisions relating to Libya in the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, establish educational and cultural exchange programs, and provide for trade and investment assistance to Libya.

Shirl McArthur, a retired U.S. foreign service officer, is a consultant based in the Washington, DC area.