DECEMBER 2000, Pages 17-18

Congress Watch

House of Representatives Condemns and Threatens Palestinians

By Shirl McArthur

On Oct. 25 the House passed a non-binding resolution, largely symbolic because it has not been passed by the Senate, expressing its solidarity with Israel, condemning the Palestinian leadership for encouraging the violence and doing little to stop it, and urging the administration to use its veto power to prevent the U.N. Security Council from passing “unbalanced” resolutions concerning the violence in the Palestinian territories. Representatives Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) and Tom Lantos (D-CA) were the primary pushers of the resolution, but they were joined by several of Israel’s other supporters to pass the resolution by a roll-call vote of 365-30, with 11 voting “present” (abstaining).

Representatives John Dingell (D-MI), Jim Moran (D-VA), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) spoke out forcefully on the floor of the House against the bill. Rahall said that, rather than a resolution “that is rife with bias and prejudice against the Palestinian people,” the House should be “urging both parties instead to return to the negotiating table and help them find their way back on a path toward peace.” He pointed out that “this resolution only helps the extremes on both sides, those who never wanted the peace process to succeed in the first place.” Rohrabacher stated, “America should be an even-handed peacemaker. Our goal should be a secure Israel living at peace with its neighbors; but…justice for the Palestinian people has to be part of the formula.”

The 41 representatives who were smart enough to see that such a resolution in no way serves America’s national interest, and brave enough to withstand the wrath of the Israel lobby, were, voting no: Reps. David Bonior (D-MI), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Bill Clay (D-MO), Eva Clayton (D-NC), Tom Coburn (R-OK), John Conyers (D-MI), Dingell, Chet Edwards (D-TX), Harold Ford (D-TN), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Bill Goodling (R-PA), Earl Hilliard (D-AL), John Hostettler (R-IN), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Matthew Martinez (D-CA), Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Jack Metcalf (R-WA), Jim Moran, Ron Paul (R-TX), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rahall, Rohrabacher, Mark Sanford (R-SC), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Pete Stark (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), and Maxine Waters (D-CA).

Abstaining were Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Ray LaHood (R-IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Lynn Rivers (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tom Sawyer (D-OH), Vic Snyder (D-AR), John Sununu (R-NH), Karen Thurman (D-FL), and Melvin Watt (D-NC).

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 96 legislators signed an Oct. 12 letter to President William Clinton urging that he “express solidarity with Israel at this critical moment…condemn the Palestinian campaign of violence…and stand with Israel in international arenas.” The letter concludes: “This is a very dangerous hour in the Middle East. America’s open and abiding commitment to the security of Israel is the surest way to see our way safely through it.” The four not signing the letter were Sens. Spencer Abraham (R-MI), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Judd Gregg (R-NH).

Of the several bills introduced in the House and the Senate by Israel’s sycophants threatening to cut off aid to a unilaterally declared Palestinian state, one, introduced by Gilman, was passed by the House on Sept. 26 by a roll-call vote of 385-27, with four voting “present.” Like the resolution described above condemning the Palestinians, this bill was only symbolic because it has not been passed by the Senate. The 31 who either voted against the bill or abstained were, voting no: Reps. Bonior, Julia Carson (D-IN), Clay, Clayton, Conyers, Pat Danner (D-MO), Dingell, Hilliard, Jesse Jackson Jr., Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Lee, Jim McDermott (D-WA), McKinney, George Miller (D-CA), Moran, John Murtha (D-PA), David Obey (D-WI), Payne, Rahall, Martin Sabo (D-MN), Serrano, Stark, Sununu, Jim Traficant (D-OH), Waters, and Watt. Abstaining were Reps. Michael Capuano (D-MA), DeFazio, Kucinich, and Rivers.

Secret Evidence Repeal Act Falls Short

The Secret Evidence Repeal Bill, introduced in June 1999 by Reps. Bob Barr (R-GA), Bonior, Tom Campbell (R-CA), and Conyers, was finally reported out of the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 17 and placed on the calendar for vote by the full House. Unfortunately, that vote has not taken place as we go to press, and it is unlikely that it will before the House adjourns—meaning the bill is dead for the 106th Congress. Furthermore, the companion bill in the Senate, introduced by Abraham, was never acted on. However, the fact that the House bill ultimately had 129 co-sponsors, and that the new occupant of the White House has indicated his support for this or a similar bill, indicates that the chances are good for the passage of a bill repealing the use of secret evidence in immigration hearings during the 107th Congress.

Few Surprises in Foreign Aid Bill; Lebanon Aid Upped

Both houses of Congress finally approved on Oct. 25 the conference report reconciling the two versions of the FY 2001 foreign aid bill. The final version includes few surprises, with the most positive surprise being a more than doubling of aid earmarked for Lebanon, from last year’s $15 million to “not less than $35 million” in this year’s bill. While several members of Congress deserve some of the credit for this increase, a major part of the credit has to go to Senator Abraham, who has worked all year with Senate Appropriations subcommittee chairman Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to pin down more aid for Lebanon.

Another positive clause, the result of an amendment inserted by Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK), provides that military aid estimated to be spent for Egypt during FY 2001 should be placed in an interest-bearing account for Egypt within 30 days of the passage of the bill (thus partially offsetting the fact that all of the military aid to Israel is turned over to Israel within 30 days).

The aid totals for Middle East countries other than Lebanon are: Tunisia, $8.5 million in military aid; Jordan, $225 million, including $150 million in economic aid and $75 million in military aid; Egypt, $1.995 billion, including $695 million in economic aid and $1.3 billion in military aid; and Israel, $2.88 billion, including $840 million in economic aid, $1.98 billion in military aid and $60 million for “refugee assistance.” (Interestingly, the House bill as reported out of Rep. Sonny Callahan’s [R-AL] appropriations subcommittee did not include anything for Israel’s refugee assistance. Callahan is no doubt aware that much of Israel’s resettlement program for immigrants involves sending them off to populate the colonies in the West Bank and Gaza, meaning that U.S. aid helps finance Israel’s illegal settlements construction.)

In addition, the bill earmarks $25 million “for programs benefiting the Iraqi people.” The totals for Israel and Egypt reflect the agreement reached a couple of years ago whereby each year Israel’s economic aid would be reduced by $120 million, its military aid increased by $60 million, and Egypt’s economic aid reduced by $40 million.

The other provisions affecting the Middle East were essentially the same as in previous years, including the ones effectively renewing the presidential waiver provision of the Middle East Peace Facilitation Act (permitting the president to waive on national security grounds the prohibition on official contacts between U.S. and Palestinian officials and allowing the PLO to maintain offices in the U.S.); prohibiting direct or indirect funding to certain countries, including Iraq, Libya, Iran and Syria; and prohibiting assistance to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation. As in the past two years, the bill includes a cap on total aid to the Middle East, this year at $5.241 billion, $80 million less that last year—presumably reflecting the net decrease of $100 million in aid to Israel and Egypt and the $20 million increase in aid to Lebanon.

State Department Appropriations Bill Lacks Objectionable Jerusalem Provisions

Last year, the conference report reconciling the two versions of the appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State included provisions from the Senate bill that effectively would have amounted to U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Although both houses approved the conference report, the president vetoed it for reasons unrelated to the Middle East. Ultimately, the bill was folded along with other uncompleted bills into an “omnibus” appropriations bill, but without the objectionable Jerusalem provisions.

This year, the Senate version included the same three provisions regarding Jerusalem, but they were not retained in the conference report. Once again, although both the House and the Senate passed the conference report, Clinton threatened to veto it for reasons unrelated to the Middle East. As we go to press, the impasse between the president and the Congress continues. When it eventually is resolved, however, it is highly unlikely that the objectionable Jerusalem provisions will be reinstated.

Rahall’s Kuwait Refugees Relief Bill Passes

House Immigration subcommittee chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) unexpectedly withdrew his objections to the Senate amendment to Rahall’s bill to grant immigration waivers to 150 named refugees from the Gulf war, and the bill as amended passed the House on Oct. 24, clearing it for the president’s signature. The amendment inserted by the Senate Judiciary Committee deletes the provision denying preferential immigration status to the parents, brothers, and sisters of the named refugees.

Limited Sanctions Reform Included in Agriculture Appropriations

The popular press has trumpeted the fact that the Agriculture appropriations bill signed by Clinton includes a provision allowing the sale of food and medicines to Cuba. In fact, however, the provision applies to all countries against which the U.S. has imposed unilateral trade embargoes, including Iran, Libya, and Sudan. Furthermore, the much-publicized provision prohibiting U.S. banks from financing such sales applies only to Cuba.

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