Joel Hefley: “when the House resumes debate today on H.R. 1561, the American Overseas Interests Act, our colleagues on the other side…”

“when the House resumes debate today on H.R. 1561, the American Overseas Interests Act, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will remind us that President Clinton doesn't like this bill and has said he will veto it. Of course Bill Clinton doesn't like this bill. It kills three Federal agencies and cuts spending by $3 billion in the next 2 years. It is not his style to support such cuts. But it also focuses on vital American interests by supporting peace and stability in the Middle East. This bill is about getting nuclear weapons out of Russia and the other former Soviet States--and locking in the gains of the cold war by supporting nations that want to join NATO. It recognizes our enemies by cutting off aid to countries that supply weapons to terrorist states--that give aid to Cuba--or that consistently vote against us in the United Nations. So what if Bill Clinton is threatening to veto the American Overseas Interests Act? We should still support it. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting yes on final passage.”