Senate Vote on FY1999 Foreign Aid Bill

The Senate passed the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for FY1999 on September 2 by a vote of 90 to 3. The bill, which earmarks $1.08 billion in Economic Support Funds (ESF), and $1.86 billion in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) to Israel marks the Senate's adoption of Israel’s proposed ten-year plan to eliminate its dependence on U.S. economic assistance. The bill also provides a $70 million earmark for refugee assistance in Israel.

The bill reduces Egypt's ESF by $40 million, earmarking $775 million for ESF and $1.3 billion for FMF.

The legislation extends the prohibition on direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority and prohibits aid to Russia, unless the President determines that it has ceased all cooperation with Iran on the construction of its nuclear reactor or missile capability.

The measure also includes amendments:

• Opposing any further changes in U.S. policy towards Iran until Iran discontinues its support for terrorism and its opposition to the peace process;

• Urging the UN to maintain its inspection regime in Iraq;

• Expressing the sense of the Senate that the U.S. must actively promote Israel's membership in the UN's Western European and Others Group (WEOG), and requiring a semi-annual report on the response of the Western Europeans to the U.S. request; and

• Prohibiting any funding to the Palestinian Broadcast Corporation because it has engaged in anti-Israel programming.

Yes-90