for the entirety of the continent of Africa, and I recognize that we 

 are talking about American taxpayers' money and perhaps the 

 criticaHty is not viewed in the same sense, but let me give one rea- 

 son why Africa, the continent, should be of critical concern, as you 

 have expressed. 



Among the things when you underscore economic development 

 would have to be pharmaceutical research and Africa is still the re- 

 pository of some of the world's rain forests where many of the 

 drugs that save the world, or may be able to save the world, can 

 be found. If for no other reason, we should be intimately and di- 

 rectly involved and I call on us to do everything that we can to pro- 

 vide the necessary financial assistance to complete the work that 

 USAID is doing and in working in further protection and avoidance 

 of continuing degradation in the Africa continent's environment. 



Thank you. Madam Chairman. 



Ms. Ros-Lehtenen. Thank you so much, Congressman Hastings. 



Congressman Salmon. 



Mr. Salmon. Madam Chairman, I think you and Congressman 

 Hastings have summarized everything very well 



Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you. 



Mr. Salmon [continuing], and I would associate my remarks 

 with both of yours. I would, however, dispute on the sheet that we 

 got today delineating today's meeting, it said, "The Final Frontier." 

 And I would tell you that Captain Kirk would take umbrage with 

 that. 



Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you. Point well noted. Thank you so 

 much. 



Congressman Johnston. 



Mr. Johnston. I have no comment. 



Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you. 



Our first panelist for today's hearing is Mr. Gary Bombardier 

 who serves as deputy assistant administrator for Africa at the U.S. 

 Agency for International Development. I am sure Mr. Bombardier 

 feels right at home appearing before us today, as he is a veteran 

 of Capitol Hill. Prior to assuming his current position, he served 

 as an associate staff member for Representative Matt McHugh on 

 the House Appropriations Committee. Previously, he was a profes- 

 sional staff member on the Committee to Study the Senate Com- 

 mittee System; assistant professor at the University of Maryland; 

 professional staff member on the House Government Operations 

 Committee; and as research associate at the Brookings Institution. 



He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in political science from Harvard 

 University and a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts. He 

 has received numerous accolades for both his academic and profes- 

 sional accomplishments, and we welcome him to our subcommittee 

 today. 



Thank you, Gary. 



STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE GARY BOMBARDIER, DEP- 

 UTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, AGENCY FOR INTER- 

 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 



Mr. Bombardier. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. 



