Rep. John J. Rooney, New York Democrat, today made known that the House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, restored an anti-bias clause deleted by the State Department from the Foreign Aid Act for fiscal 1963 appropriations.
Rep. Rooney got the subcommittee, on which he is a member, to restore the anti-bias wording aimed at the Arab states. The subcommittee, headed by Rep. Otto E. Passman, Louisiana Democrat, reported out the bill today and revealed that drastic reductions had been made in funds requested by the Administration.
The clause inserted by the Subcommittee, and accepted by the full committee in the bill sent to the floor, said: “It is the sense of Congress that any attempt by foreign nations to create distinctions because of their race or religion among American citizens in the granting of personal or commercial access or any other rights otherwise available to U. S. citizens generally is repugnant to our principles; and in all negotiations between the United States and any foreign state arising as a result of funds appropriated under this title these principles shall be applied as the President may determine.”
Rep. Rooney said he insisted on this wording because he felt that if an Arab state discriminated against American citizens purely on the basis of religion the state should be denied U. S. assistance financed by American taxpayers. “
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