On the recordApril 22, 1999
We are dealing with a true emergency in Central America. Immediately upon recognizing the result of Hurricane Mitch, American armed forces were sent to Central America, and they did a tremendous humanitarian job. They saved lives. They pulled people out of swollen rivers. They helped get people out of the mud. They helped people get water that they could drink, and they improved sanitary conditions. The United States military did an outstanding job in Hurricane Mitch, but there is more to be done. As one of their good neighbors who spent billions of dollars in the late 1970's and early 1980's to stop communism from taking over that part of the world, which was a successful effort, by the way, I might say, we now have an obligation to help our friends and neighbors when they are in a real time of need.
Source
govinfo.gov
