Clinton signs foreign aid bill, $300 million to be available for Ukraine (10/10/93)

Clinton signs foreign aid bill

$300 million to be available for Ukraine

WASHINGTON (UNAW) - President Bill Clinton signed H.R. 2295, the foreign assistance appropriations act into law as Public Law 103-87, on September 30. Containing almost $13 billion for bilateral and multilateral foreign assistance, the act appropriates $2.5 billion of assistance for the new independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union. Of this amount, the act mandates that "not less than $300 million should be made available for Ukraine."

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), ranking minority member of the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, was the author of the provision on Ukraine during subcommittee consideration of the measure.

In his opening remarks to the Senate on the bill, Sen. McConnell stated:

"In addition to the broad categories of aid for the NIS, the chairman [Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)] has agreed to my request that $300 million of the $2.5 billion be directed for use in Ukraine. I am convinced that Ukraine will play a central role in assuring the region's transition to democracy and free markets.

"Until May, U.S.-Ukraine relations were somewhat strained by the single-minded focus on nuclear issues. This is a crucial priority and everyone, including the leadership in Ukraine, agrees that Ukraine should ratify and fulfill all obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and START I. However, it should not be the only issue addressed in the bilateral and multilateral agenda.

"With 52 million educated people, ports, a strong agricultural and industrial base, Ukraine is well positioned to play a major role as a global economic and political power. But promising prospects are complicated by serious problems. Chornobyl's radiation has contaminated water, land and the health of a whole generation. Troops returning from the Baltics need housing. Privatization, currency stabilization, defense conversion and nuclear dismantling - the list of urgent needs is endless. I believe it is in our interests, the interests of long-term regional stability, to help."

During consideration of the bill, Sen. McConnell offered from himself and Sens. Leahy, Bob Dole (R-Kan.), Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) and Ted Stevens (R-Ala.) an amendment to prohibit assistance to the new independent states if there is a violation of territorial integrity of any other new independent state, or an attempt to enhance their military capability, and that one-third of the assistance shall be provided to countries other than Russia.

In his remarks about the amendment, Sen. McConnell stated that "for several months there have been reports of Russian officers and soldiers becoming involved in local border and ethnic disputes. Reports have ranged from the Russian military supporting separatist elements in Georgia, to their involvement in combat in Moldova and Tajikistan." He then quoted from a letter he had received from Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze who wrote that Georgia's future is in danger because Russian troops are "engineering a disaster."

The Kentucky senator concluded: "what we are saying by this amendment is our assistance to Russia is conditioned upon the respect for the territorial integrity of the newly independent states." The Senate approved the amendment.

Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) proposed an amendment to stabilize engineering and scientific institutes in Ukraine and Russia as they strive to convert defense industries to civilian applications. Called the Ukraine/Russia Stabilization Partnerships, the program will provide not less that $50 million to the secretary of energy for a program of cooperation between scientific and engineering institutes in the new independent states and national laboratories in the United States. The amendment was approved by the Senate.

On September 23, the Senate approved the bill with the provision for aid to Ukraine by a vote of 88 to 10. The act then was referred to a House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve the differences between the House and Senate passed bills.

The Conference Committee met on September 27 and the earmark of $300 million for Ukraine immediately became the major issue. Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Foreign Operations Subcommittee, opposed any earmarks in the bill. Sen. McConnell responded by pointing out that the House had 83 earmarks last year, while the Senate bill currently contains only 10 earmarks.

The Kentucky senator pointed out that it was clear the Clinton administration wants to avoid any commitment to Ukraine, and he referred a letter opposing the amendment on Ukraine signed by Wendy Sherman, legislative liaison for the State Department.

During the debate, Sen. Leahy stated that while he was in Poland, he heard "over and over again that the U.S. has to be willing to work with Ukraine" because of Ukraine's importance. He then voiced his support for the McConnell amendment.

Rep. Obey, while continuing to oppose the provision, did state that "Ukraine should not be undervalued" and that "we would be fools if we only concentrated on Moscow." While at first he argued against the earmark on principle, he later became critical of Ukraine's slowness in privatization and failure to ratify nuclear arms treaties. Sen. McConnell said he understood that nuclear weapons are Ukraine's only bargaining chip.

Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.), ranking minority member of the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, stated that he understood Rep. Obey's concerns but said that "we need some support for Ukraine's independence" and proposed the compromise of changing the word "shall" to "should" (which subsequently was done).

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), coming out strongly in support of the McConnell amendment, stated: "It is a good strategy to support this earmark because we need another player in the region besides Russia...if it (the amendment) does not pass, it will show a lack of resolve on our part (Congress)."

Rep. Obey then argued that the amendment "would be an insult to Yeltsin," at which point Sen. McConnell simply stated: "You just made the case for Ukraine...The U.S. is always looking to Russia first." Rep. Obey continued to oppose any dollar amount but agreed to "strong report language."

Sen. McConnell persisted in upholding the Senate position and suggested that the amendment be taken back to the House in disagreement which would have forced a House vote on the amendment. Fearful of a loss on the House floor or, at best, a legislative victory that could have adverse policy consequences, the House conferees agreed to the amendment.

On September 29, the House, by a vote of 321 to 108, approved the Conference Report, accepting the McConnell amendment. The following day, the Senate also approved the report by a vote 88 to 11. Later that same day, the president signed the measure into law.

Bill's ramifications

Eugene Iwanciw, director of the UNA Washington Office, stated that "the passage of this legislation, with the provision for assistance for Ukraine, is significant in two respects. First, there is the provision of not less than $300 million of U.S. assistance to Ukraine, which is not an insignificant amount. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Ukraine is treated separately from Russia and the other newly independent states. It is an acknowledgment that Ukraine is an important nation in its own right. Perhaps the United States will stop looking at Ukraine through the eyes of Moscow and a new relationship between the United States and Ukraine will be created."

Mr. Iwanciw went on to say: "There is no doubt that the hero in this effort is Sen. Mitch McConnell, who not only took the initiative in providing specific assistance for Ukraine but who refused to budge from that position despite strong pressure from the Clinton administration and Rep. Obey. In the end, the senator simply stared down Rep. Obey, who was the first to blink. Also deserving of the gratitude of the Ukrainian American community for his strong support for the McConnell amendment is Sen. Frank Lautenberg. His participation in the debate during the House-Senate conference made it clear that the Senate support for aid to Ukraine was a bipartisan one."

| Home Page |