Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR DEFENSE, THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR, AND TSUNAMI RELIEF, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 15, 2005)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word and enter into a brief colloquy with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe).

Mr. Chairman, I believe it is important that all groups and organizations that want to assist in the recovery are allowed to participate. The United States Agency for International Development issued a regulation on October 19, 2004, that ensures religious organizations are allowed to compete on an equal footing with other nongovernmental organizations for USAID funding, in the case of this bill, funding to help tsunami victims.

Can the chairman clarify whether the appropriations under this bill fall under such regulation?

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman raising this point, and I want to make it very clear that religious organizations may compete on an equal footing for USAID funding in this bill, as they may for USAID funding in other bills. So the answer to the gentleman's question is yes.

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman. I appreciate his response, and I am very pleased to know that faith-based groups will have the same opportunity to compete for these important dollars with other nongovernmental entities so that together this funding can be used to alleviate the suffering of the tsunami victims. I thank the gentleman.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov