A House Foreign Affairs Committee approved bill would trim an estimated $6 billion from an Administration foreign aid budget request by blocking payments to countries that don’t meet certain standards aimed at reducing corruption and guaranteeing against funds being transferred to terrorist organizations. Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority are expected to be especially hard hit by these standards.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the bill as “an impediment to the goals and objectives of the Administration’s foreign policy. It is the President who is tasked with the responsibilities of conducting the nation’s relations with other countries. It is Congress’ task to make sure that adequate resources are available.”
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla), the chairwoman of the House committee, expressed her disappointment with Clinton’s position. “All we were asking is that the Administration go on record certifying that recipients meet the standards before any of our tax dollars are given to these foreign governments,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “Secretary Clinton’s opposition to making such a certification seems to be saying that the option to fund corrupt governments or to indirectly finance terrorist groups is a vital part of the Administration’s foreign policy. I don’t think the president has a mandate for such an option.”
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