Duncan Faircloth: “what this amendment is about is very simple. As I have said many times, if we can provide $18 billion for the IMF…”

“what this amendment is about is very simple. As I have said many times, if we can provide $18 billion for the IMF without any budget impact at all, I think we can certainly waive the Budget Act, if it comes to that, to provide $5 billion for school construction. I don't think it violates the Budget Act. The ESF at Treasury loans out money. This is what it does. This is what the new fund will do. The only difference is that this money, I propose, will be loaned to the school systems throughout this Nation to rebuild the schools rather than to overseas ventures. The reason I offer this amendment is this appropriations bill went from a $2 billion emergency bill yesterday to an $18 billion international bailout today. I am concerned about the priorities of some of my colleagues in this body. We are spending money in a supplemental for operations in Bosnia--a supplemental. Is there anyone who seriously thought that the President was going to remove the troops in June of 1998, as we committed he would? Why did we ever think he would keep that promise? We have no plans to leave Bosnia. There is no plan to leave Bosnia. We could well be there on into infinity. As long as we put up money, we will be there. Second, we are spending money for operations in the Persian Gulf, $1 billion already, to back up a U.N. resolution. Yet, the administration says that we haven't paid our dues to the United Nations.”