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Africa Policy E-Journalgiven the difficulty in maintaining up-to-date links in old files. However, we hope they may still provide leads for your research. Africa: B-2s vs. Africa Aid Date Distributed (ymd): 950715 Washington Office on Africa Update July 14, 1995 The House of Representatives has reduced appropriations for the Development Fund for Africa (DFA) for Fiscal Year 1996 from the $802 million proposed by the administration to $529.5 million, a cut of $272.5 million. House actions also cut the proposed $17.4 million for the African Development Foundation (ADF) to $10 million. While these figures are still subject to Senate action, and to subsequent compromises, different proposals in the Senate range from almost equally drastic to worse. Meanwhile in a June authorization vote on the defense budget, the House approved $550 million for initial funding for production of two additional B-2 bombers not requested by the Pentagon, more than the combined DFA and ADF appropriations. Each additional B-2 bomber produced will cost an estimated $1.5 billion. The vote, accompanied by intense lobbying by military contractors and former Defense officials, pitted strict budget cutters and opponents of high military spending against not only the usual Defense Department boosters in Congress but also some members heavily influenced by considerations of potential job losses in their districts. Yet the proposed funding for the B-2 program could cover continued support for human needs at home as well as for sustainable development programs in Africa. The following alert, prepared by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) for a coalition opposing the B-2 funding, is therefore relevant for supporters of Africa as well. House consideration of the appropriations bill is likely to come up before the end of the month, and perhaps as early as the week of July 17. For additional information, please be in touch with FCNL. PHONE CALLS NEEDED ON B-2 BOMBER Representatives John Kasich (R-OH) and Ron Dellums (D-CA) will be offering an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill to block funding for additional B-2 bombers. A previous vote was close, and there are many members whose positions might be changed. Phone calls are needed immediately. BACKGROUND (Prepared by the Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 2nd St., NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: (202) 547-6000; Fax: (202) 547-6019; Email: fcnl@igc.org. Contact: Sarah Warren) Representatives Kasich and Dellums offered a similar amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. In a frustrating vote, the amendment was defeated by the very narrow margin of 203 to 219. A number of representatives who normally support arms control efforts voted AGAINST the amendment and FOR the B-2. The [Kasich-Dellums] amendment would have removed a provision from the authorization bill that gets rid of the current cap on B-2 production (a 20-plane, $44 billion limit). The provision also authorizes $533 million to be spent on parts and production costs for 2 more planes. The cost of these planes was based on the assumption that 20 more B-2s would be built. So by voting to retain this provision, the committee was implicitly approving 20 more planes, at an eventual costs of over $31.5 billion. THE PENTAGON DID NOT REQUEST THESE PLANES. THEY ARE NOT AN AIR FORCE PRIORITY. This money could be spent on many other things, but pork barrel politics won out and Northrup's slick lobbying materials paid off. WE CAN STILL STOP THE B-2, though. Kasich and Dellums will try to block funds from being appropriated for the B-2. And in the Senate, Sen. Cohen (R-ME) introduced an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill in committee. The amendment passed, 13-8, so there is currently no money for the B-2 in the Senate's version of the authorization bill. Please call as many of the offices listed below as is possible. Ask to speak with the defense aide. Try to cover at least the following basic points: - YOUR ORGANIZATION [OR YOU] OPPOSES PRODUCTION OF THE B-2. - YOU WANT THE REPRESENTATIVE TO VOTE FOR THE KASICH-DELLUMS AMENDMENT AND AGAINST FUNDING OF THE B-2 BOMBER. - THE PENTAGON AND THE ADMINISTRATION DID NOT REQUEST THESE FUNDS. - TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON THE B-2 AT A TIME WHEN HUMAN NEEDS, DISARMAMENT, CONVERSION, ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER IMPORTANT PROGRAMS ARE BEING SLASHED IS INDEFENSIBLE. OFFICES TO CALL: (All of the following have voted against the B-2 at some point in the past, but voted for it in June.) Berman (D-CA) Tel: 225-4695 Fawell (R-IL) Tel: 225-3515 Ewing (R-IL) Tel: 225-2371 Visclosky (D-IN) Tel: 225-2461 Jefferson (D-LA) Tel: 225-6636 Schiff (R-NM) Tel: 225-6316 Ackerman (D-NY) Tel: 225-2601 Traficant (D-OH) Tel: 225-5261 Gekas (R-PA) Tel: 225-4315 Waters (D-CA) Tel: 225-2201 Meyers (R-KS) Tel: 225-2865 Manton (D-NY) Tel: 225-3965 (The following voted against the B-2 in 1992, but were absent for this year's vote.) Pelosi (D-CA) Tel: 225-4965 Yates (D-IL) Tel: 225-2111 Williams (D-MT) Tel: 225-3211 LaFalce (D-NY) Tel: 225-3231 Boucher (D-VA) Tel: 225-3861 Kleczka (D-WI) Tel: 225-4572
Documents previously distributed in the e-journal are
available on the Africa Action website: To be added to or dropped from the e-journal subscription list, write to e-journal@africaaction.org. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the source mentioned in the posting.
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Africa Policy E-Journal
