Senate Passes Emergency Supplemental Bill
Negative Amendment Offered on Colombia, Withdrawn

The year 2001 saw some small, but important, advances in US legislation toward Colombia. The House of Representatives had a lively and positive debate on issues such as human rights and fumigation, but ended up with a package very similar to Bush's request. The Senate, in addition to having a good debate, included several provisions on human rights and fumigation.

The House-Senate Conference Committee met in November and December to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the foreign aid bill. Both houses approved the final version on December 19 and 20. The final bill includes about $625 million for the "Andean Regional Initiative" aid program ($106 million less than the Bush Administration's request), of which about $300 million will go to Colombia. The money will only be released if the US administration certifies that the Colombian government has met key human rights conditions, including verifying that the Colombian military has suspended troops that violate human rights and has taken steps to sever all links to paramilitary groups. 40% of the money will be withheld and only released after a second round of certification, set to take place in June 2002. There are also provisions that would place conditions on fumigation. A US official was reported as saying they were 'fairly confident' the Colombian Government would respond positively to the conditions. Although the language in the final version of the bill is slightly weaker than the Senate version, it still sends a strong message that Congress supports alternative development programs, questions the effectiveness of fumigation, and worries about the human rights impact of military aid.

For details, see www.ciponline.org, thomas.loc.gov, or www.lawg.org