Andrea Joy Campbell: “today I intend to support the Manager's amendments package to the Fiscal Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for…”

“today I intend to support the Manager's amendments package to the Fiscal Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2000, which includes a modified version of a bill I introduced on June 10th, S.1212, the Kosovo Reconstruction Investment Act of 1999. I am pleased to have Senators Rick Santorum and Robert Byrd join me as original cosponsors of this amendment. I also want to thank the Chairman of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Senator McConnell, and the Subcommittee's Ranking Member, Senator Leahy, for their assistance and support of this amendment. While this amendment's language is a compromise, and is not as strong as S. 1212 which I introduced earlier this month, it is an important first step in the right direction. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the coming months to help promote American taxpayers, workers and key industries as the U.S. begins to spend billions of dollars to rebuild Kosovo and, as expected in the future, the rest of Yugoslavia. This amendment will help American workers and companies get the first best shot at those Kosovo reconstruction opportunities that are being paid for with U.S. foreign aid funds. As a result, a large portion of the American taxpayer's dollars destined for the Kosovo reconstruction effort will be invested in the purchase of American made goods and services whenever possible. This legislation will benefit both the people of Kosovo and American workers.”