Political Quotes

“first of all, I hope this bill passes because I doubt that there are any two Members of this body that are any more well liked and respected than the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi] and the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Callahan]. But I would like to enter into a colloquy with the chairman if I could. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi] and the members of the subcommittee for the attention and the funding that you have given to demining activities in this bill. I know that you and the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi] are well aware of the challenge that land mines pose to humanitarian development, refugee resettlement and rehabilitation throughout the developing world. Many of these efforts cannot even begin or must be suspended or terminated until the land mines are marked or removed. These areas, mine awareness, education and demining activities, must go hand in hand with humanitarian relief and development programs. A number of our private voluntary organizations, nongovernmental organizations are trying to initiate and implement these sorts of antiland mine programs. However, we have learned that these demining funds have not been made available to them.”