Amendment Offered by Mr. Gejdenson to the Amendment Offered by MR. ROHRABACHER On line 11, after “(NATO)” insert “Russian Federation, Ukraine,”. H.R. Bereuter Amendment to The Defense and Security Assistance Act of 2000 DIPLOMATIC TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2001 in the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 (H.R. 3427, as enacted into law by section 1000(a)(7) of Public Law 106-113, and as contained in appendix G to such Public Law) may be obligated or expended for the purpose of changing the existing structure or function of the Diplomatic Telecommunications Service or the Diplomatic Telecommunications Service Program Office as it existed on January 1, 2000, or for transferring or otherwise providing equipment or facilities of the Service or the Program Office to any other agency. 1 106TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 3673 To provide certain bencfits to Panama if Panama agrees to permit the United States to maintain a presence there sufficient to carry out counternarcotics and related missions. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. GILMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To provide certain benefits to Panama if Panama agrees to permit the United States to maintain a presence there sufficient to carry out counternarcotics and related missions. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 4 This Act may be cited as the "United States-Panama 5 Partnership Act of 2000". 6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 7 Congress makes the following findings: 2 (1) Since Panama gained its independence in 1903, the United States and Panama have main tained extremely close relations, resting primarily on the shared interest of both countries in the smooth operation and defense of the Panama Canal. (2) In order to defend the Panama Canal, the United States maintained a military presence in Panama for over 90 years. (3) In recent decades, the mission of United States military forces stationed in Panama evolved to include significant responsibilities for the conduct of counter narcotics operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, and for the provision of logistical support to such operations by other countries and other agencies of the United States Government. (4) In accordance with the Panama Canal Trea ty of 1977, the United States withdrew all United States military personnel from Panama by December 31, 1999, and turned over all United States military facilities to the Government of Panama. (5) Under the terms of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal of 1977, the United States retains responsibilities for the defense of the Panama Canal. 3 (6) A 1977 protocol to the Treaty Concerning the Permanent. Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal provides that "Nothing in the treaty shall preclude the Republic of Panama and the United States from making agreements or ar rangements for the stationing of any United States military forces or the maintenance of defense sites after [December 31, 1999] in Panama that Panama and the United States may deem necessary or appropriate". (7) Public opinion surveys in Panama in recent years consistently have shown that approximately 70 percent of the population of Panama support a United States presence in Panama. (8) On September 6, 1995, during an official visit of Panama's President Ernesto Perez Balladares to the United States, it was announced that Presidents Clinton and Perez Balladares had agreed to begin informal consultations on the possible extension beyond December 31, 1999, of a United States presence in Panama. (9) Early discussions pursuant to the announcement of September 6, 1995, were very encouraging, but the discussions foundered after the United States refused to consider providing any form of |