Barbara Boxer: “2 weeks ago Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain of the U.S. Agency for International Development testified before the Senate…”

“2 weeks ago Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain of the U.S. Agency for International Development testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that there is as little as a 1-month supply of food available to Iraqi citizens. I am told that the administration has had informal discussions with the Appropriations Committee on how they plan to spend the $2.4 billion in the supplemental for the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. After hearing about these consultations with the administration, I am very concerned to learn that there is virtually no new money in this bill for food aid. Rather, the money that is being requested will be used primarily to reimburse funds that were already borrowed from other fiscal year 2003 foreign operation accounts to pay for food aid or to pay for logistics and distribution. The good news is that the Senate may be working to increase the amount of food aid in this bill and the House version of the supplemental appropriates funds for food aid. With this food aid, we have a chance to help not only the Iraqi people, but also America's farmers.”