mr. chairman , i yield myself 3 minutes . 
mr. chairman , i really do not understand the need for this amendment that is offered by the gentleman from new york . 
surely as he knows , there are not any funds in this bill for saudi arabia in the foreign operations chapter . 
additionally , there are reporting requirements to ensure that the funds are spent exactly as the committee intends . 
we do not intend that any of the funds should go to saudi arabia . 
so the gentleman from new york is incorrect when he says this is similar to the legislation that was passed last year on the regular appropriation bill . 
there was some money in last year 's bill that went to saudi arabia . 
this bill does not have any money for saudi arabia , so it is completely unnecessary . 
it is a gratuitous kind of amendment . 
it i would also point out , as i just mentioned , that we included the prohibition in the 2005 regular appropriation bill . 
section 575 of public law 108-447 states : `` none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to that act shall be obligated or expended to finance any assistance to saudi arabia. '' the prohibition that is in that legislation extends to the fiscal year 2005 supplemental bills . 
supplemental legislation includes appropriations that are added on top of the regular appropriations . 
so the underlying prohibition also applies here . 
there are no funds in this bill that could be used for saudi arabia . 
this is simply repeating something that has already been added into the regular legislation . 
the gentleman from new york is simply wrong when he says that the president could come and reprogram funds for saudi arabia . 
the underlying prohibition would prohibit that . 
the administration can reprogram funds , but they can not reprogram them to spend them in saudi arabia . 
the gentleman is simply wrong about that . 
i am sure the gentleman is aware of these facts and i am sure he is aware , as he has pointed out , of how helpful saudi arabia has been very recently in helping to defuse the situation in lebanon , the very direct statements that were made to president assad about how his troops should depart from lebanon . 
if the gentleman wants to make his statement , fine , i would encourage him to do so ; but the appropriation bills include the substance of what is in his amendment ; and since there is no money in this bill for saudi arabia , this amendment is not only redundant , it is unnecessary , it is a slap in the face , it is just simply absolutely wrong for us to do this . 
i strongly urge the defeat of this amendment . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
