OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2006

Date: July 11, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Animals and Wildlife


FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPOPRIATIONS ACT, 2006 -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 11, 2005)

SPEECH OF HON. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS OF CONNECTICUT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2005

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3057) making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes:

* Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of international wildlife conservation efforts and the Global Environmental Facility, GEF.

* Protecting and preserving our environment is one of the most important duties I have as a Member of Congress. We simply won't have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways.

* I support maximizing the GEF's resources, leveraging the highest possible contributions from the other donor countries, and demonstrating U.S. leadership on international environmental issues.

* The GEF is the primary financing mechanism for important environmental work around the world, helping developing countries address the many environmental challenges associated with ending poverty and enhancing economic development. Since its establishment in 1991, the GEF has provided $5 billion in grants, leveraged $16 billion in co-financing for projects in 140 countries around the world, and has provided more than 4,000 grants directly to community groups and non-governmental organizations. The U.S. has provided close to $1 billion to the GEF over this same time frame.

* Because other countries' contributions are indexed to the United States' level of support, we have the ability to either gather great resources for the global environment or greatly limit the international response to issues such as tropical forest loss and the decline in coral reefs worldwide.

* Funding the GEF is a good investment. Choosing to make the highest commitment to the GEF will truly help define American leadership on environmental issues to the rest of the world.

http://thomas.loc.gov

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