Posted on 01/06/2005 8:47:14 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON - The United States has to be prepared to support two phases of disaster relief in the area hit hard by the Dec. 26 tsunami, U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe said Wednesday.
The most expensive part, he said, will be the portion involving rebuilding.
The Arizona Republican, who is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Foreign Operations subcommittee, will be visiting the tsunami disaster area of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand within a week after going to Antarctica.
He is reviewing science projects while in Antarctica.
The congressman left Wednesday night.
The U.S. government is providing a great deal of assistance between the money from relief funds to the military involvement, he said.
The $350 million promised by the federal government does not include an estimated $100 million from the Department of Defense in supporting relief operations, along with the millions of dollars in private donations from U.S. citizens, the congressman said.
The United States and other nations are in phase one, "providing immediate relief such as shelter, water and medicines," he said.
The next phase will be reconstruction and more money will be needed. The amount for phase two will not be known for some time.
"There will be a pledging conference in which an increase in American support could happen," he said.
Action later this month will only address the first phase.
The congressman, as head of the special subcommittee, is expecting to soon receive a supplemental request from the Bush administration to help replenish the federal disaster coffers. That request can include additional funds for phase one of the relief program.
Congress is facing some critical budget decisions to include additional money to support operations in Iraq, so Kolbe forecast possible reductions in some programs.
As for critics saying the United States is not providing enough assistance, the congressman re-emphasized that is a false picture.
The nation's military is the only global force capable of providing quick reaction and support, as can be seen by the two aircraft carrier groups and other operations, Kolbe said.
"We have little modern precedent for a disaster of this scope," he said.
Kolbe said reports that some of the Indonesian military are skimming off emergency supplies have to be investigated.
When he returns to Washington, D.C., Kolbe said he will make a report to the new Appropriations Committee chairman, U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, R.-Calif., about what he saw.
The congressman also will provide ideas on how to ensure the U.S. government's money is being properly used.
Surely, the governments of the people involved can fund their own reconstruction.
One would think so.
KOFI'S 2 phase program; One for you, one for me.
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