GovernmentExecutive.com

Sidestepping verbal bullets from both sides of the aisle about the administration's $5.6 billion request for foreign aid funding in the fiscal 2005 war supplemental, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told Senate appropriators Thursday the money is "absolutely crucial to our national security."

In her first appearance before the panel, Rice firmly stood her ground against a barrage of doubts by Republicans and Democrats about the latitude the Bush administration is demanding in spending this money, as well as the wisdom of bypassing the normal appropriations process in granting it. As an emergency supplemental funding request, the money effectively would be removed from the fiscal 2005 budget and added to the budget deficit.

Rice enumerated the major programs and projects for which the money would be used, including $950 million for follow-up disaster relief for tsunami-stricken countries in Asia, $2 billion to shore up the government in Afghanistan and fight poppy production there, another $1.4 billion for Iraq -- including $658 million to build a fortified U.S. embassy in Baghdad, $100 million for Pakistani border security, $200 million to stabilize the government of Jordan, $400 million to help cash-strapped U.S. allies in Iraq that are straining to continue helping out there, $242 million for humanitarian assistance in Darfur -- plus $100 million more to augment the Sudan peace agreement, $780 million for several United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping missions, $60 million to bolster the new government in Ukraine, and $200 million to promote economic development and boost the reform effort of Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas' government.

It was almost too much for some committee members to swallow. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., clapped a hand to his brow and exclaimed, "I, for one, don't know where all this money is going," and later called it "too big a slush fund to contemplate." Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., complained about the administration's request for such wide leeway to spend the money without close scrutiny by Congress. "Flexibility is one thing," he said. "A slush fund is another."

Rice arched her back against such declarations and stoutly defended the department's need for both the amount of money and the latitude in spending it. On the aid to U.S. allies in Iraq -- which drew a lot of skepticism from the panel -- she cited Poland and Jordan as two examples of economically pinched countries whose help is important in the war on terrorism.

"Unforeseen, unanticipated events arise that need an immediate response," she said.

As for the prickly issue of building the embassy fortress in Iraq, Rice said the 750 or so Americans who will work there need the protection it would afford to do their jobs. The $200 million for Palestine would be spent in part for highly visible infrastructure projects to assure the disaffected people there that the Abbas government was making progress in meeting their critical needs for economic help and stability, she said.

COMMENTS

• Rice, better than most, should know that international welfare is no better than domestic welfare. We have eliminated domestic welfare and now we should eliminate international welfare also! taxpayer Posted February 23, 2005 7:12 AM
• I am not at all surprised that the Bush administration is attempting to procure a "slush fund" that they will have total discretion to use. It is like most of the administrations actions, taken in the cover of night so there would be no negative press, no opposition, and no accountability. GovExec.com reader Posted February 18, 2005 9:12 AM
• $5.6 Billion to help people in other countries and our Social Security is going down the drain. Why don't we just give all our money to other countries and we can all starve in The Land Of The Free. These ungrateful people don't give a darn about us so why do we give them so much? They rob us blind with sky high oil prices, why is this money not going to help rebuild and aid those countries? Seems to me that the Middle East has enough of our money to help themselves. LET'S GET TO HELPING OURSELVES. GovExec.com reader Posted February 18, 2005 7:47 AM