Rep. Fox offers Ukraine amendment to State Dept. bill (07/06/97)

Rep. Fox offers Ukraine amendment to State Dept. bill

Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - Rep. Jon Fox (R-Pa.), a member of the International Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, offered an amendment to the committee's State Department Authorization Bill. The bill authorizes programs such as diplomatic missions, salaries, etc., for the State Department and provides a recommendation for the House Appropriations Committee for consideration in their levels of funding.

In his amendment, Rep. Fox commends Ukraine for: dismantling its nuclear weapons stockpile following the break-up of the former Soviet Union; not participating in the construction of nuclear reactors in Iran; engaging in a constructive dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and datering Russian efforts in the Commonwealth of Independent States to re-integrate the non-Russian states into a new political entity.

The amendment does, however, indicate the mood of Congress regarding problems with American investors who have been subjected to extortion or other criminal activity. A request to provide support from U.S. government agencies in the implementation of anti-corruption measures and initiatives was included in the amendment.

In the amendment, Rep. Fox calls upon the president to "ensure that Ukraine receives assistance for Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999 for political and economic reforms at a level equal to that allocated to Ukraine for Fiscal Year 1997." When brought to the House floor for a vote, it initially passed by a voice vote, yet was reintroduced later for an actual recorded vote, as requested by Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.).

The vote was overwhelmingly positive for Ukraine as 415 members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the amendment, while 12 were opposed and eight abstained from voting. Ironically, Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, who has raised the contentious issue of banning assistance to Ukraine, voted favorably for the amendment.

Other members of Congress also rose in support of the Fox Amendment by expressing their remarks on the floor of the House. Reps. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) both acknowledged Ukraine's positive contributions to peace and stability in Europe through peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia and positive attitude towards NATO expansion. Furthermore, Rep. Smith mentioned that the "G-7 has pledged a tremendous amount of aid to shut down the reactor [Chornobyl nuclear power station] ... and very little of that money has been produced over the last couple of years."

Both representatives also mentioned their concerns with regard to corruption in Ukraine. Rep. Levin stated: "The answer to these concerns [corruption and investment problems] is not to sever relations and threaten to cut off aid as some have proposed. Such proposals run counter to our national and strategic interests in this region."

In response to many of the negative attacks on Ukraine within Congress, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter that calls for support of President Bill Clinton's request for U.S. foreign assistance to Ukraine in the FY 1998 Appropriations Bill. The letter, addressed to Chairman Callahan of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, states the significant challenges that Ukraine must endure on its road to democracy and a free-market economy, and notes that abandoning Ukraine at this critical juncture would pose more serious obstacles for U.S. national interests.

Clearly focusing on the implications of U.S.-Ukraine bilateral relations, the "Dear Colleague" letter noted that "any reduction in U.S. aid to Ukraine at this time would jeopardize all the improvements that have been made recently and potentially destabilize the fragile democratic and economic norms that Ukraine has been establishing."

Nearly two dozen representatives signed the letter in support of continued assistance to Ukraine. The letter was delivered to Chairman Callahan prior to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee's markup for the appropriations bill on June 25.

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