Christopher Shays: “by the end of next year, we will have spent $20 billion, $20 billion in the Balkans. The amendment that the gentleman…”

“by the end of next year, we will have spent $20 billion, $20 billion in the Balkans. The amendment that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kasich) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Condit) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and I are introducing is really the amendment of the chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Mr. Warner. And basically it says that our allies need to pay 33 percent of the construction costs they committed and 75 percent of the humanitarian assistance, the Kosovo Consolidated Budget and the international police budget. And if they do not, then we will withdraw our troops. We are saying they should live up to their commitments. Now, why would we care if they pay their commitment? One reason is we ask the Japanese to pay 75 percent of the nonsalary costs of our troops in the Japan theater, and they give us $3.6 billion. We ask the Europeans to pay for the 100,000 troops stationed on that continent, and they give us $66 million. This is a joke, and it has got to end. So at the very least, when our allies make a commitment, they should live up to it. They should pay their bills. And if they are not willing to, let them stop taking us for a ride.”