Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy,
Chairman, Appropriations Subcommittee On State And Foreign Operations,
On H.J. Res 20,
The Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution For FY 2007
February 8, 2007

Mr. President, two weeks ago the Senate and House Appropriations Committees finished drafting H.J.Res.20, the joint spending resolution which provides funding for federal programs through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2007. 

The House passed the joint resolution on January 31 by a vote of 286-140.  The current continuing resolution expires on February 15.  It is now the Senate’s turn to act. 

Total funding in the joint resolution is within the ceiling imposed by President Bush and the Republican Congress last year for Fiscal Year 2007.  However, H.J.Res.20 makes some adjustments from the Fiscal Year 2006 funding levels in the continuing resolution approved by the Republican Congress. 

During the past month, we worked together on a bipartisan basis to make these adjustments in order to prevent severe hardship to the most vulnerable people or layoffs of federal employees. 

As Chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, I am gratified that programs of particular concern within the jurisdiction of this Subcommittee will receive additional funding under H.J.Res.20 to ensure that urgent humanitarian needs are met.  I want to especially thank Chairman Byrd and Ranking Member Cochran for their help in making this possible.  I also want to thank the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Senator Gregg, and his able staff, for their support and cooperation during this process.

These adjustments include additional funding to combat HIV/AIDS.  Under the continuing resolution enacted last year by the Republican Congress, funding within State and Foreign Operations to combat HIV/AIDS totaled $2.57 billion, including $445 million for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 

Under H.J.Res.20, those amounts would increase to $3.84 billion and $625 million, respectively.  I want to thank Senator Durbin, Senator Brownback, and others who strongly supported this additional funding.

Currently, only 20 percent of the people needing AIDS drugs in poor countries are getting them, and only 10 percent of the people at risk of infection are receiving services to help them protect themselves.

Continued funding at the Fiscal Year 2006 level would have prevented us from providing life-saving antiretroviral drugs to an estimated 350,000 HIV-infected people.  According to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, 110,000 to 175,000 people would die of HIV-related causes if the Fiscal Year 2006 funding levels had not been increased in the joint resolution.

Funding to combat malaria would have been frozen at the Fiscal Year 2006 level of $105 million under the continuing resolution drafted by the Republican majority last year. 

Malaria is both preventable and treatable, yet it kills more than one million people per year – mostly African children.  Expansion of programs to combat malaria would be stalled and the eight additional countries targeted for the next round of malaria prevention and treatment would be placed on hold. 

The additional funding in H.J.Res.20 will enable us to meet our commitment to cut malaria-related deaths by 50 percent in 15 of the hardest-hit countries in Africa.  These funds will go to support the purchase of lifesaving drugs, the distribution of insecticide treated bed nets, and treatment of pregnant women at risk for malaria. 

Under H.J.Res.20, funding for international peacekeeping operations will receive an additional $113 million above the amount in the continuing resolution enacted last year.  This will ensure that our assessed dues to the United Nations are paid in Fiscal Year 2007 and we do not fall further behind in our support for troops in 13 countries including Lebanon, Sudan, Haiti and the Congo.  

The joint resolution also includes $50 million to support the African Union troops in Darfur and Southern Sudan.  These funds, which were omitted by the Republican Congress in the continuing resolution enacted last year, are needed for the 7,000 troops at 34 camps throughout Sudan and to support a transition to a hybrid AU-UN force. 

The joint resolution increases assistance for refugees by $75 million over the amount enacted last year.  These funds are needed because current resources would have been exhausted well before the end of Fiscal Year 2007, resulting in great hardship to the world’s most vulnerable people. 

This includes $20 million to support Iraqi refugees, an amount which unfortunately will only begin to address the catastrophe that is unfolding.  Additional aid will be needed for Iraqi refugees in the Fiscal year 2007 Supplemental. 

Mr. President, the clock is ticking and the urgency with which the Senate must act to pass the joint funding resolution can be measured in human lives.  As the members of the Senate and the American people can readily see, this legislation involves issues of life and death. 

If we continue to delay we will deny critical life-saving treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS, and prevent relief aid and protection for desperate people in Darfur and those fleeing Iraq.   

These additional funds were designated by the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to support the priorities of both Democratic and Republican Senators, without exceeding the total funding ceiling set by the President. 

I urge the Senate to pass H.J.Res.20 without further delay. 

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