The House of Representatives today adopted an amendment to the Foreign Aid bill, conforming to a previously-adopted Senate version. requiring both the President and Secretary of State to report to Congress annually on measures taken to eliminate discriminatory practices by Arab states against American Jewish citizens. The amendment had been introduced by Rep. Leonard Farbstein, New York Democrat.
Mr. Farbstein’s amendment was supported by the leadership of both parties, and a number of Congressmen arose to voice their support. However, Rep. James Roosevelt, of California, and Rep. Seymour Halpern, of New York, the first a Democrat and the other a Republican, felt that the provision should have been stronger, containing mandatory language, but that they would give the Administration one more chance to implement the anti-bias clauses.
Rep. Halpern pointed out that such provision had been enacted in foreign aid bills since 1957 on a number of occasions, but that State Department officials have ignored the will of Congress, and Americans continued to be victimized by Arab discrimination.
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