Category: Fall 2003 Newswire
Johnson Maintains Support of Pharmaceutical Companies
WASHINGTON – Pharmaceutical companies and health-care professionals are two of U.S. Rep. Nancy L. Johnson’s most devoted financial supporters, and she often champions their causes in Congress. Nevertheless, Johnson (R-5) has broken ranks with the two groups by supporting a bill that would permit pharmacies to import drugs from abroad.
To the dismay of two of her three largest campaign contributors, Johnson voted in July in favor of the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, which passed the House 243-186. Johnson was one of only 87 Republicans to vote for the bill, which would allow pharmacies, consumers and wholesalers to import FDA-approved drugs from U.S.-approved plants in 25 industrialized nations.
If it becomes law, the bill could cost American pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars by making available to consumers less expensive prescription drugs. The proposal is part of a negotiation by House and Senate conferees working on a Medicare reform bill. The White House has said it opposes importing drugs.
Though she bucked major contributors, Johnson might have improved her standing among many constituents, particularly senior citizens, who have pressured Congress to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. Connecticut’s senior population is slightly higher than that of the nation as a whole, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Brenda Kelley, director of Connecticut’s branch of the AARP, said the powerful seniors’ lobby supports the importation of drugs as a way to reduce the cost of medication.
Johnson’s press secretary, Brian Schubert, said she voted for the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act “so that Americans have better access to prescription drugs.”
Johnson, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee’s Health Subcommittee, has supported pharmaceutical companies on another sensitive issue: the creation of a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.
As a result, the companies have maintained their support for Johnson. “We respectfully disagree” on the issue of drug imports, said Jeff Trewhitt, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). “But she has mapped out many constructive positions in the Medicare prescription drug bill.”
Some doctors and other health-care professionals oppose importing drugs because they say it poses a risk to consumers.
Dr. Donald J. Palmisano, president of the American Medical Association, said the AMA “remains concerned for patients struggling to pay for medications and supports a prescription drug benefit in Medicare. However, re-importation is not the answer.
“A frightening and unintended result of this legislation could easily be expired, sub-potent, contaminated or counterfeit reimported drugs,” Palmisano said. “The ramifications of patients’ taking these medications could be dire, including dangerous drug interactions and other serious health consequences.”
Their disagreement is unlikely to cost Johnson the support of her large campaign contributors.
During the first half of this year, Johnson’s three largest donors were health professionals, who gave her $95,399; insurers, which contributed $67,500; and pharmaceutical and health products companies, which gave her $60,250, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, an independent group that monitors campaign contributions. Candidates filed new financial reports with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday, but breakdowns of contributors were not immediately available.
Chris Loder, spokesman for the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., said that while the industry opposes the importation of drugs, it supports Johnson on other issues. “We look at her entire record,” Loder said.
“The vote by the House reflects frustration that seniors can’t afford the medicine that they need,” Loder added. “We share this frustration.”
Doug Mendelson, president of Health Strategies Consultancy, a Washington-based consulting firm, said he is concerned that importing drugs could lead to lower-quality medications and fraud.
“I personally think that it’s wrong,” Mendelson said of the bill.
In 1987, Congress passed the Prescription Drug Marketing Act, which allowed medications to be imported only in limited circumstances.
The new bill, sponsored by Reps. Gil Gutknecht, R.-Minn., Rahm Emanuel, D.-Ill., and Jo Ann Emerson, R.-Mo., would apply to drugs manufactured in the European Union and 10 other countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
Sununu to Back Patriot Act Reforms
WASHINGTON - Sen. John Sununu will announce his support Wednesday for two bills that would restrict some of the controversial search and seizure powers granted by the Patriot Act of 2001.
The bills would, among other things, limit so-called John Doe wiretaps by forcing federal investigators to specify in a warrant either the person or place to be monitored.
The bills also would impose an expiration date on provisions in the Patriot Act that allow law enforcement agents to execute search warrants without notifying property owners until a "reasonable period" of time later - so-called sneak and peak warrants. Those powers - in addition to several others that civil libertarians have protested since the bill sped through Congress shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks - would expire at the end of 2005, giving Congress an opportunity to reevaluate their effectiveness.
"In the days and months following Sept. 11, 2001, Congress took important and necessary steps to provide law enforcement agencies with the necessary tools to fight terrorism at home and abroad," Sununu said in a statement issued Tuesday. Then a member of the House, Sununu supported the Patriot Act when it passed..
"While this bill was designed to help protect our nation from future acts of terrorism, we must always work to balance our desire for security with the rights of individuals to due process," Sununu said.
The bills, both of which Sununu has co-sponsored, also would roll back the government's authority to force companies to turn over business records and would require the government to prove it has reason to believe there is a terrorist connection.
Other powers granted by the Patriot Act that the new bills would cause to expire include the right of judges to issue warrants for properties outside their jurisdictions, the expanded ability of law enforcement to get information from Internet providers, the removal of some privacy protections from educational records and a broad definition of "domestic terrorism" that some say could be interpreted as including civil disobedience.
Both bills enjoy bipartisan support. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Conservative Union back the proposals.
White House officials could not be immediately reached for comment late yesterday, but the administration has historically defended the Patriot Act against those who have tried to weaken it.
Attorney General John Ashcroft last month embarked on a speaking tour of the country to defend the Patriot Act.
Snowe Against Discrimination by Health Insurers
WASHINGTON - Bonnie Lee Tucker of Hampden, Maine, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989 and again in 1990. Her mother was a breast cancer victim. So have nine other close relatives.
A genetic test could show whether Tucker's daughter has a high risk of contracting breast cancer. But Tucker, now 53, doesn't want the 25-year-old to take it for fear she might face job and insurance discrimination.
The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that is intended to relieve such fear. The measure would prevent health insurers from denying coverage or raising premiums on the basis of genetic information and would make it illegal for employers to use such data when hiring or firing. Violators could be fined up to $300,000.
Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe is the principal sponsor of the bill, the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act of 2003, which the Senate passed, 95-0.
Snowe said her bill "provides the protection people need in order to seek out their individual genetic information in the hopes of treating and maybe even preventing the onset of disease."
She said in a statement that "it simply isn't right that the very information which may lead to a healthier life and the prevention of a disease may also lead to the denial of health insurance or higher rates. Americans shouldn't have to make a choice between taking charge of their own care or keeping their insurance."
Snowe said she introduced the bill after Tucker wrote to her in 1997.
"I am happy the bill proceeded with bipartisan support," Tucker said. "Hopefully, employers don't have the opportunity to go through your medical files anymore."
Early detection through genetic testing is one key to surviving breast cancer, Tucker said. Her daughter, Laura, has not taken such a test yet, Tucker said, because she is afraid she might be the subject of discrimination.
"I hope that with this bill my daughter can be free of worries to be tested, so that she can go on with her life.áThese companies are not going to save money on my daughter," she added.
For some women, the risk of breast cancer rises if they have a hereditary defect in one of two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, whose presence can be detected through genetic testing.
Tucker wrote Snowe "about her fear of having the BRCA test because she worried it would ruin her daughter's ability to obtain insurance in the future," Snowe said. "And Bonnie Lee isn't the only one who has this fear."
Bangor Student at Leadership Conference in Washington
WASHINGTON - It was an unusual sight at the Capitol Thursday when about 400 high school students gathered on the floor of the House to question a member of Congress on the war in Iraq, the federal budget and the USA Patriot Act.
The morning session with Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., before the House convened for the day was one of many events of the National Youth Leadership Conference this week. And Bangor resident Lindsey Snyder was there.
A senior at Bangor High School, Snyder, 17, participated in workshops, listened to several speakers talk about leadership and did some extensive sightseeing. It was her first trip to Washington.
She said she had expected Washington to be much smaller after looking at the map, "but once you get around the Capitol it can be pretty intimidating."
Snyder, was selected on the basis of leadership potential and scholastic merit to spend six days with other student scholars from around the country.
"I am interested in the way government works and how things are run," she said. "I like to know what is going on in the world.," Despite her interest in politics, she does not see herself as pursuing a political career.
"I want to go into elementary education, and I am looking [to teach] younger grades: that is definitely about leadership," Snyder said.
Snyder is seeking a college where she can combine her passion for swimming with a liberal arts education before getting a master's degree in education.
After meeting with staff members of Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Snyder was heading for another sightseeing tour of the Washington memorials before heading to a group gathering. "A very busy, but fun schedule," she said.
One of the workshops was about deciding what' s important in life. For Snyder, it was "swimming, school work, family and friends."
The leadership development program was also an opportunity to get to know likeminded students from other states. "There was this misconception that everyone would be uptight and not wanting to express their opinion, but in truth, everyone is really relaxed," she said.
Snyder said her time in the capital gave her "a better idea of what politicians are doing." She said it was hard to generalize "because they are all different."
Connecticut Voters Are Still Concerned About The Economy
WASHINGTON - Connecticut may be the nation's wealthiest state, but its residents seem to share something with the rest of the country: a concern about the state of the national economy.
"Connecticut really mirrors the nation," said Ken Dautrich, a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. As for other issues, such as terrorism, the quality of education and the environment, he said, "all of this pales in comparison to the economy."
If the Nutmeg State truly mirrors the nation, then the economy is the major issue there. A recent national poll by Quinnipiac University reported that 34 percent of 1,228 registered voters considered the economy "the most important problem facing the country today." That was more than double the percentage of respondents who picked any other issue in the poll, conducted Sept. 11-15.
Not surprisingly, the issue has a political edge.
To Leslie O'Brien, the executive director of Connecticut's Democratic Party, concern about the economy transcends partisan politics. "People are generally concerned about their wallets," she said. "The average Connecticut citizen is not seeing [President] Bush's tax cuts."
Despite the wealth of Fairfield County, "a majority of Connecticut is middle class" and has been suffering from state spending cuts, the highest unemployment rate in years and inflated prices for prescription drugs, O'Brien said.
John Healey, the political director for Connecticut Republicans, disagreed. "The fact is that these [spending] cuts were across the board," he said. "The Democrats forget that the people of Fairfield County carry 90 percent of the tax burden. There's no doubt that they are the economic engine of this state."
He's also optimistic about the state of the national economy. "I think we're seeing the beginnings of a turning economy," he said. "We're feeling the impact of the [Bush] tax cuts."
UConn's Dautrich said the state's economic problems over the past two years have resulted in more jobs lost than gained, something, he added, that Connecticut shared with most other states.
Arnauld Schwartz, a longtime New Britain resident, doesn't agree with the 1992 Clinton campaign adage that "it's the economy, stupid." His most pressing concern is Connecticut's vulnerability to terrorism, noting that the state is home to three nuclear plants and a submarine base. "I put that concern over the economy," he said.
To Schwartz, local issues are the most important ones. "I'm really concerned," he said, "about what could happen here in New Britain at my house."
But Dautrich said not many Connecticut residents agree with Schwartz. Pointing to the recall this week of California Gov. Gray Davis, Dautrich suggested that Bush may be the biggest victim of a poor economy because he is the incumbent.
But Dautrich added that none of the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination has a particular edge on handling the economy. When asked whom Connecticut voters favor on economic issues, he said, "I don't think that people know enough about the candidates."
Gregg Abduction Raises Security Questions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Charles Bass was serving his first year in the House in 1995 when burglars smashed through the door of his downtown Washington apartment.
Though his wife and children were visiting from New Hampshire, no one was home when thieves splintered the door, stormed in and ransacked the apartment. "But, "it must have made a horrific sound," Bass said.
In the wake of the abduction Tuesday of Kathleen Gregg from the suburban Washington home she shares with her husband, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, experts disagreed Wednesday about the level of danger facing national politicians and their families.
Two men broke into the Greggs' home, forced Mrs. Gregg at knifepoint into her car and ordered her to withdraw money from her bank. They then released her unharmed. Police in her Virginia community said there was no evidence the kidnappers knew she was a senator's wife.
"It's not terribly important since I live here alone and I keep a low profile," said Bass, who is in his fifth term in Congress and whose family remains home in Peterborough, N.H.
"I don't use my car, I use the subway," he said, and "I don't look like I'm carrying gold coins in my pocket."
Though Bass said he's heard of Congress members getting mugged occasionally, he said he's never heard of criminals specifically targeting politicians or their families. Bass said neither he nor other Congress members that he's aware of take any additional security measures beyond those provided by the Capitol Police.
The Capitol Police, who are charged with securing the grounds around the Capitol complex, have an entire division devoted solely to the protection of members of Congress and their families, said the department's spokeswoman, Officer Jessica Gissubel.
Gissubel said the department provides members with tips on how to make their families and their homes safer, how to be aware of their surroundings and what to do if they or their relatives are assaulted.
It's not clear whether Mrs. Gregg had received training on how to handle hostile situations. But law enforcement officers said she dealt with the situation well by luring the intruders, who threw her to the floor, to the bank.
"With the situation she was presented with, she handled herself absolutely superbly," said Officer Courtney Young, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County, Va., police department, which responded to Mrs. Gregg's call. "By her getting the two suspects out of her house and into a public place, she was able to run from them into the bank and to safety."
Given what happened to Mrs. Gregg, U.S. Congressman Jeb Bradley, R-NH, said Wednesday he spoke with his wife in New Hampshire to discuss whether to reconsider their decision not to take extra security precautions.
"Given the world that we live in with the threat of crime and terrorism, there is a threat to our security, our individual security," Bradley said. But because his family lives in his district, Bradley said they have never considered security an issue.
By contrast, Washington "is a city that works at night a great deal," said former Sen. Warren Rudman, a New Hampshire Republican. "All you can do is keep your eyes and wits about you."
But several security experts stressed that people working in the public eye can never be too careful
. "Any public official would be wise to have some sort of security or personal protection for their families," said Willie Borden, who was a police officer in Washington for 25 years and now runs B&B Security Consultants, a private protection agency here.
"After 9-11, everything is on the table," Borden said. "We used to take it for granted that nobody would take a child from school."
"The real key is awareness - being aware of your surroundings and always having an exit strategy," said Alfred McComber, executive director of the Security Intelligence Bureau, a security supply store in Falls Church, Va., a Washington suburb.
"Without a plan," he said, "it's basically like a deer stuck in the headlights. You're like, 'What do I do?' And by then it's too late."
Norwalk Students to Engage in Aquarium Research
WASHINGTON - Fifth-grade students from some Norwalk public schools have a new reason to look forward to science class.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has granted the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium $17,765 to help 75 students get real-life experience along with their science lessons, Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) announced Wednesday.
The grant, for the Norwalk Harbor Biodiversity Study, will allow students from five fifth-grade classes to spend a school year conducting field studies on Long Island Sound, going on boat excursions and participating in video labs and Internet research projects concerning the sound.
"I'm pleased the Maritime Aquarium will be able to offer this unique opportunity for science education to Norwalk students," Shays said in a statement. "This study provides local students with a hands-on experience that I hope will foster further excitement about science, as well as preservation of the precious resource of the Long Island Sound."
The students will take field trips to the sound and travel aboard the aquarium's research boat to explore what happens in the water.
The program will provide students with a special Internet site that will allow them to view what's going on in the sound from their classrooms. They then will be able to ask aquarium researchers questions through their computers.
"Live [on-line] chats will be scheduled at the teacher's convenience," said aquarium spokesman Tim Gagne. "One class can go on the cruise, while another watches on-line and can ask direct questions at the time."
The students will be able to observe harbor seals that come up on the rocks and to track weather data, Gagne said. "They can research how weather affects the seals' behavior, and then go out on the research vessel to see it live," he explained.
Aquarium researchers also will go to the students' classrooms to lead discussions and oversee experiments.
The Internet part of the program is expected to be up and running within the next few weeks; the cruises will begin in late November or early December.
"We expect the program to promote genuine enthusiasm about marine science, motivate students to do well in school and provide assistance to teachers seeking to improve their science teaching skills," the aquarium's education director, Jack Schneider, said in a statement.
An existing program allows bedridden children at Westchester Children's Hospital Center to tap into the aquarium through the Internet.
NH Sen’s Wife Safe After Knife-Point Abduction, Robbery
by Bethany Stone and Jordan Carleo-Evangelist
WASHINGTON - Kathleen Gregg, the wife of New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, was abducted at knifepoint Tuesday from her suburban Washington home and forced to withdraw money from a bank, authorities said. She was released unharmed after providing cash to her kidnappers.
Ms. Gregg, 52, found two men in her home in the posh suburb of McLean, Va., when she arrived at about 9:30 a.m., according to police in Fairfax County, Va. The two men - one white, one black - demanded money and one drew a knife, police spokeswoman Shelley Broderick said.
One of the men used Ms. Gregg's car to drive her to a nearby branch of Wachovia bank, while his partner followed in another car, police said. The men forced Ms. Gregg to enter the bank and withdraw an undisclosed amount of money, then grabbed the cash and sped away in a silver Cheverolet Monte Carlo with Virginia license plates.
The suspects were last seen headed toward Washington.
It is not known if the abductors knew that Ms. Gregg is married to a U.S. senator.
"This morning Kathy Gregg was a victim of a violent robbery," Sen. Gregg's spokesman, Jeff Turcotte, said in a statement. "Her life was threatened, and it was a terrifying experience. Thanks to quick decisions made by Mrs. Gregg, she is doing fine and out of harm's way."
Gregg's office declined to comment further because of the police investigation, but neighbors in the quiet suburb were shocked by the assault.
"Nothing ever happens here," said a neighbor, who asked that her name not be used. "I'll be a little more careful, I think, make sure the locks are locked in my car."
She added that the assault on Ms. Gregg was especially disturbing because "she's pretty sharp, she'd be paying attention."
"It's a nice, safe neighborhood," said a longtime neighborhood resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "I wouldn't expect this to be something that's going to be happening a lot." He said the neighborhood is far from a main road and rarely sees any commotion.
But Fairfax police said they're looking into a possible connection between yesterday's assault and an abduction that took place in a 7-Eleven parking lot about a mile away little more than a week ago.
In that case, a 29-year-old woman and her two small children were kidnapped at gunpoint by an unidentified white male and forced to drive to a nearby bank and withdraw money. The kidnapper directed the woman to drop him off on the same block as Ms. Gregg's bank. The mother and children were not hurt.
"It's definitely on the top of our minds that they be related," said Officer Courtney Young, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department.
New Hampshire legislators expressed relief over Ms. Gregg's safe return.
"This was obviously a very traumatic event for Kathy," Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "My thoughts are with her and the entire Gregg family as they deal with the aftermath of this terrible ordeal. I am hopeful that the perpetrators of this crime will soon be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law."
"We're extremely, extremely happy that Mrs. Gregg is safe," said T.J. Crawford, spokesman for Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.).
Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) also issued a message of support for the Gregg family.
"This was an outrageous and horrific crime," he said. "It's an incredible relief to know that Kathy Gregg is safe, and we can only hope that her assailants will be caught quickly and brought to justice."
Gregg Abduction Not The First
WASHINGTON - Kathleen Gregg, the wife of New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, yesterday became the second woman in slightly more than a week abducted from the Greggs' posh, sleepy Washington suburb.
On Sept. 29, a 29-year-old woman and her two young children were snatched from a 7-Eleven parking lot about a mile from the Greggs' McLean, Va., home.
The kidnapper - a white male similar in description, though apparently not in age, to the one described in yesterday's assault - brandished a gun and forced the woman to drive to a nearby branch of Bank of America, according to Fairfax County, Va., police. He held one of the children hostage in the car while the mother and her other child went into the bank to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money.
The attacker then forced the woman to drive a short distance and let him out of the car. He ran off, leaving the woman and her children, ages three and five, unharmed.
Ms. Gregg was abducted by two men - one white, one black - armed with a knife, police said. One of the men used Ms. Gregg's car to drive her to a branch of Wachovia bank, while the other followed in a Silver Buick LeSabre. The kidnappers fled in the Buick.
The bank Ms. Gregg was taken to is located at 1300 Chain Bridge Road. The man who kidnapped the mother and children last week got out of their car on exactly the same block.
"It's definitely at the top of our minds that they might be related," said Officer Courtney Young, spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department. Fairfax police will re-interview witnesses to last week's abduction to determine whether there could be a connection, she said.
The Greggs' neighbors in one of Washington's tonier suburbs expressed shock at the recent spate of violent crime.
"Nothing ever happens here," said one neighbor, who asked that her name not be used. "I'll be a little more careful, I think, make sure the locks are locked in my car."
She added that the assault on Ms. Gregg was especially disturbing because "she's pretty sharp, she'd be paying attention."
"It's a nice, safe neighborhood - the neighbors all know and like each other," said another neighbor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. The Greggs live far from the area's main road, so their neighborhood rarely sees any commotion, the neighbor said.
Vien Hua, the manager of the 7-Eleven involved in last week's attack, said nothing like it had happened before in his 10 years in McLean.
"This is a very good area," he said.
N.H., Maine Legislators Continue to Scrutinize Iraq Funding
WASHINGTON - As they continue to scrutinize and debate President Bush's $87 billion request for Iraq and Afghanistan, many New Hampshire and Maine lawmakers are prepared to support - and even co-sponsor - amendments that would make at least a portion of the money a loan.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has co-sponsored an amendment that would require Iraq to repay $10 billion of the more than $20 billion designated for reconstruction. More than $65 billion is earmarked for military operations.
Although critics of the amendment say Iraq would be unable to pay back the money, Collins said she would like to alleviate some of the United States' financial burden. She said Iraq has large oil reserves and a highly educated population, which would make it easier to amass the money necessary to repay its debts.
"Ultimately, it will be a wealthy country with the ability to repay the American taxpayer for the help we're giving now to build a working infrastructure," Collins said in an interview. "And I think it makes sense from a taxpayer's perspective to structure $10 billion of the assistance as a loan."
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said she supports making Iraq repay even more than $10 billion.
"It balances our need to support the developing self-sufficiency of the Iraqi state with the need to keep American taxpayers from bearing an overly large share of the costs," Snowe said in a statement.
Some of the $20 billion proposed by the Bush administration would pay for such things as museums and roads. Collins said she decided to offer her amendment because the money could be spent on similar things in the United States.
"Many of my constituents have e-mailed me or called to say that they support my efforts and they are concerned that so much money is going to be used for projects in Iraq, whether it's new schools or garbage trucks or sewer systems that are needed right here at home," Collins said.
The only lawmaker from New Hampshire or Maine who expressed opposition to the creation of loans was Sen. John Sununu, a Republican. He said a loan would send the wrong message to the Iraqi people, whom the United States is trying to help.
Sununu added that he expects the Senate to approve most of Bush's request by the end of the month. He noted that Congress has added extra money to support reserves traveling home from Iraq for vacations.
"We want [the troops] to know that we appreciate the work that they're doing," he added.
While the Senate is on recess this week, the House is looking to reduce the total through minor cutbacks. Some lawmakers have targeted such expenses as garbage trucks and the establishment of an Iraqi ZIP code system.
Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.), like many of his colleagues, said designating some portion of the money as a loan is necessary.
"There is increasing desire on the part of members of the House at leastáthat there should be some mechanism for repayment of the reconstruction dollars," he said.
Granite Staters are asking legitimate questions about the money for Iraq, Bradley said, and he is attempting to convey those concerns on the House floor. Support for U.S. troops remains high among his constituents.
"I think that, for the most part, people are fairly supportive and understand that it's important that we stay the course and that we succeed in Iraq in order to reduce the threat of terrorism and instability in that region of the world," Bradley said.
Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) said he supported a loan. Despite public concerns, Bass said he was optimistic the money the United States is spending on Iraq would contribute to a beneficial outcome.
"Having a stable Middle East and winning the war on terrorism is a legitimate sacrifice, if you will, to make over the short term for very significant long term gain," he said.
The area lawmakers had a mixed reaction to whether the international community would play a larger role, either with financial contributions or troops, in Iraq.
Bradley said it looked as though United Nations members will start providing additional expenses and personnel to aid in the Iraqi effort.
Bass said he expects other countries to aid the reconstruction effort further along in the process, though getting them to do so will be an "uphill battle." He said leaders of other countries know the United States will foot the bill, so they have little incentive to pitch in.
Collins agreed.
"I am pessimistic about the rest of the world stepping up to the challenge of providing the money to rebuild Iraq," she said. "I think we'll get some limited assistance, but not nearly the billions and billions that will be required to accomplish the task. That means the burden is going to fall most heavily on our country and that's one reason why I think it's important that part of the cost be born ultimately by the people who are going to benefit - the Iraqi citizens."
