Patrick Leahy: “I am going to vote for this Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report because it contains important disaster relief…”

“I am going to vote for this Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report because it contains important disaster relief funds for Vermont, which was hard hit by ice storms this winter. Vermont's maple syrup makers suffered devastating losses and these funds will help them recover. But were it not for that I would vote against this Conference Report, and I want to take a moment to explain why and to express my regret and frustration about what has occurred here. As senators will recall, the Senate passed by a vote of 84-16 funding for the International Monetary Fund as part of this Supplemental. That funding was strongly supported by Senator Stevens, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. It had overwhelming bipartisan support. It reflected obvious alarm about the economic crisis in Asia, and the fact that a third of all American jobs are tied to exports and a third of those exports go to Asian markets. Secretary Rubin made a strong case that the IMF funding is urgently needed to stem further weakening of the Asian economies.”