John W. Olver: “In very tight times, this budget is as good as it can be under the budgetary constraints that are involved, and I think…”

“In very tight times, this budget is as good as it can be under the budgetary constraints that are involved, and I think the chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], and the members of the subcommittee really should be very proud of the bill that has been put out and of the close working relationship under which the bill was created. This legislation represents less than 1 percent of the whole budget, and there are many areas in which I would be quite happy to support additional funds, but we just do not have additional funds available at this time. The bill is $400 million below the President's request. It is $700 million below last year's bill, which is 5 percent below last year's bill. The bill, at the same time, manages to provide critical support for assistance in a number of places around this globe where very dramatic changes have occurred, Israel and the Palestinians and the effort going on there, South Africa, Central America, the former Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. It also manages to provide basic humanitarian assistance and promote sustainable development which will help us to reduce conflict and increase markets for U.S. products.”