Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the Senate has been asked to take up and pass by unanimous consent House legislation on U.S. international programming to Ukraine and neighboring regions. This House bill directs the Broadcasting Board of Governors to increase programming in the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Ukrainian, Balkan, Russian, and Tatar language services, and authorizes up to an additional $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2014 for this purpose. We all support Ukraine's democracy and territorial integrity, and want to provide credible news and information to people in Ukraine whose access to uncensored information has been blocked by the Russian Government. I intend to ensure that current programming for Ukraine, Russia, and neighboring regions is not reduced in fiscal year 2014. But I want to remind Senators, as well as Members of the House of Representatives, that the Congress already enacted the fiscal year 2014 funding level for U.S. international broadcasting to Ukraine and other regions of the world. The House bill we are adopting today does not appropriate additional funds. Nor does it provide offsets for the cost of additional broadcasting to Ukraine, Russia or the other regions specified. As drafted it is an unfunded mandate, which as a practical matter has no effect unless we are to reduce broadcasting to other critical countries or regions, such as Burma and Tibet, which I doubt Senators of either party would support.…”