Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this is a very critical discussion that we are about to enter into involving the Andean Regional Initiative. When Plan Colombia was passed in the appropriations bill last year, Congress assured the public that we would not be getting into Colombia's 37-year-old civil war and there would be no mission creep. The goal of assistance to Colombia was to support counterdrug activities. Safeguards were put into Plan Colombia to prevent an escalation of U.S. involvement without congressional oversight, which included a 500-person U.S. military cap and a 300-person U.S. civilian contractor cap. Civilian contractors are those many ex-military people who work closely with the military although they are civilians. Now, while the appropriations bill before us maintains the 500-person cap on military, it lifts the 300-person civilian contractor cap for Colombia under the Andean Regional Initiative. The current language would permit unlimited increases of U.S. civilian contractors without notifying Congress.”