Jim Kolbe: “I quite agree with her that we need the money for Darfur and we need the money to make sure that we can have a peace…”

“I quite agree with her that we need the money for Darfur and we need the money to make sure that we can have a peace settlement in that region, and that we can have forces there that can enforce that peace. But as she pointed out, the authority for that exists already in law. And while we can spend tonight beating up on the administration for not exercising it, they have the ability to do that, and I think they will exercise that at the appropriate time. No legislation, no action by this Congress is needed in order for them to do that. Mr. Chairman, I want to take my moment here to rise and thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for introducing this supplemental legislation and to rise in support of the international disaster assistance in the Caribbean. While the vast majority of the funds in the bill are intended to assist American citizens who have been affected by recent hurricanes and tropical storms, there is $100 million that is set aside here in order to help our neighbors in the islands of the Caribbean. Several of these nations were devastated by wind, rain and flooding due to these hurricanes, particularly in Haiti, Grenada, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.”