Patrick Leahy: “No. In fact, we have a procedure when we pass the bill; a certain amount is provided upfront. That is not going to be…”

“No. In fact, we have a procedure when we pass the bill; a certain amount is provided upfront. That is not going to be there because we can't do it under a continuing resolution. It would be misleading to suggest otherwise. We have billions of dollars for our friends in the Middle East, held up, as the Senator said. We have military assistance for our European allies. We asked them to stand behind us. We have antiterrorism assistance in this bill. Imagine that. This bill has $38 million in antiterrorism assistance. I wonder how many Senators who would vote against sending this bill forward are willing to go back home and explain, well, even though the Democrats went a lot faster in judicial nominations than we did, we held up antiterrorism assistance. I would hate to have to make that argument back home, but they are going to have to. We have assistance for refugees in Africa--the poorest of the poor. Are we going to hold up that money? We have victims of drought and earthquakes in Central America. Are we going to hold up that money? We have funding to combat HIV/AIDS, the worst public health crisis in half a millennium. Are we going to hold up that money? How about assistance for combating poverty around the world, which breeds the hopelessness and resentment that provides the fertile breeding grounds for terrorists? President Bush spoke about that. The Secretary of State has made the same point. Do we want to hold up that money?”