Peter Deutsch: “this amendment would put in the emergency supplemental that we passed earlier this year, House bill 1141, as an…”

“this amendment would put in the emergency supplemental that we passed earlier this year, House bill 1141, as an amendment onto this emergency supplemental bill, and specifically, the reason for that is there is a very true emergency going on right now that appropriately this House and the Senate both passed legislation to deal with. It is interesting, following the comments of my colleague, the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema) about hungry children, there are not only hungry children today in the Balkans, but there are literally tens of thousands of hungry children in Central America, much closer to our shores, much more directly impacting the United States. And, in fact, the hurricane that occurred in October was of incredible proportions. I had the opportunity to travel to Central America, to Nicaragua, with the President and had a chance actually to view firsthand some of the destruction, where literally entire villages were wiped out. I remind my colleagues, and, again, this House passed 1141, but I remind my colleagues of what is happening in Central America. Up until the hurricane, a lot of very good things were happening: Economies were growing, had been growing, through the dynamic progress of a capitalistic, democratic, emergent democratic society; there were vigorously contested elections and vigorous opportunities in terms of an economic future. Right now that is on hold, and it has been on hold effectively since October.”