Long-term U.S. assistance to Gujarat opposed

WASHINGTON, MARCH 24. The U.S. Budget Committee has shot down an amendment proposed by the Democrat, Mr. Jim McDermott, to provide $550 million long-term assistance to the quake victims in India and El Salvador.

Congressional sources today said the resolution, a non-binding but influential set of instructions to the appropriation committee, was rejected when all the 24 members of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives opposed it.

The 19-member Democratic Party supported it. Among the Republicans who opposed the measure were three members of the Congressional Caucus on India - Mr. Garry Miller of California, Mr. Pat Tommey of Pennsylvania and Mr. Mark Kirk of Illinois.

The amendment failed on strict party line vote with all the Republicans on the committee voting against it, Mr. McDermott, co-chairman, Congressional Caucus on India, said in a statement.

He said he was disappointed that the Republicans could not put aside partisanship to do something good. He, however, said that the failure in the budget committee did not mean he would stop fighting for the cause.

The assistance he had sought through the amendment was small compared to the federal budget or the tremendous surplus.

``In this time of prosperity the United States needs to send a signal to the people of India that we are willing to stand by them,'' he said.

- UNI

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Section  : International
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