Speech #1020225369

I would remind my colleagues that this is a task we could Just as easily have accomplished some time ago. In fact. it was just 1 year ago this month that the President told a nationwide television audience he would withhold loan guarantee assistance to Israel until certain political conditions were met. The President made that statement in spite of the fact that more than 400.000 refugees had already flooded the land of Israeland half a million more were expected to arrive by 1996. What the President was saying. in effect. was that the same rules permitting loan guarantees to Iraq without conditions. the same rules permitting loan guarantees to Algeria without conditions. and the same rules permitting loan guarantees to El Salvador without conditions. somehow werent good enough for Israel. That logic was wrong a year ago and it is wrong today.