On the recordJanuary 25, 1994
I rise to speak as one of the principal cosponsors of the amendment being offered to consolidate and update U.S. overseas broadcasting operations. Let me begin by offering my thanks and gratitude to the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator John Kerry, who was enormously helpful to me in understanding all the intricacies of the overseas broadcasting system and to get this matter through committee. Of course, also to the Senator from Delaware. I appreciate his kind words. It was my first good, tough year-long battle as a Senator. I enjoyed it, and I think we have come up with something that does actually meet the deficit reduction goals and also, at the same time, shows some consideration for the journalistic independence issue that he obviously identified many years ago as something that was very important for the people of Eastern Europe to achieve freedom. This consolidation has been a long time in the making and is the culmination of many discussions. I have been an active player in the debates since a year ago January when I introduced my first bill in the U.S. Senate, Senate bill 51. The Overseas Consolidation and Deficit Reduction Act was intended to reduce Federal expenditures for overseas broadcasting. The whole purpose in introducing it was to reduce the Federal deficit.
