[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 758 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 758

   Welcoming the members and staff of the parliaments of East Timor, 
 Georgia, Indonesia, and Macedonia to the House of Representatives as 
    the first partner parliaments of the House Democracy Assistance 
                              Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 4, 2006

 Mr. Dreier (for himself, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. Kolbe, Mr. 
Gillmor, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Cole 
of Oklahoma, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Reyes, Mrs. 
Capps, Mr. Holt, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Davis of Alabama, and Ms. Schwartz of 
Pennsylvania) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Welcoming the members and staff of the parliaments of East Timor, 
 Georgia, Indonesia, and Macedonia to the House of Representatives as 
    the first partner parliaments of the House Democracy Assistance 
                              Commission.

Whereas since its founding, the United States has championed democracy around 
        the world;
Whereas central to the success of any democracy is a strong, independent 
        legislature which can act as a check on the executive branch;
Whereas in his second inaugural address on January 20, 2005, President George W. 
        Bush declared: ``The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion 
        of freedom in all the world. . . . So it is the policy of the United 
        States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and 
        institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of 
        ending tyranny in our world.'';
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission was established by the House 
        of Representatives on March 14, 2005, to offer assistance and support to 
        parliaments of new democracies as they strengthen accountability, 
        transparency, legislative independence, and government oversight;
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission enables Members and staff of 
        the House of Representatives to personally undertake what President Bush 
        called ``the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments'' as 
        they work directly with their counterparts in new democracies around the 
        world to help those parliaments play an independent and substantive role 
        in the legislative process and government oversight;
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission has established partnerships 
        between the House of Representatives and the parliaments of Afghanistan, 
        East Timor, Georgia, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, and Macedonia;
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission will bring members and staff 
        of the parliaments of East Timor, Georgia, Indonesia, and Macedonia to 
        the United States from April 17 to 28, 2006, to observe first-hand the 
        work of the Members, officers, and staff of the House of Representatives 
        and congressional support agencies;
Whereas a similar program will be conducted later this year for members and 
        staff of the parliaments of Afghanistan, Kenya, Lebanon, and perhaps 
        other countries;
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission sent a congressional 
        delegation to Indonesia and East Timor in February 2006 to work with 
        members and staff of the parliaments of those countries and plans to 
        send delegations to other partner countries; and
Whereas the House Democracy Assistance Commission will enter into similar 
        partnerships with the parliaments of other new democracies around the 
        world, including democracies in the Western Hemisphere: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) restates its commitment to help strengthen democracy 
        around the world through the work of the House Democracy 
        Assistance Commission;
            (2) welcomes the members and staff of the parliaments of 
        East Timor, Georgia, Indonesia, and Macedonia to the United 
        States and the House of Representatives;
            (3) endorses a continuing partnership between the House of 
        Representatives and the parliaments of East Timor, Georgia, 
        Indonesia, and Macedonia;
            (4) supports future exchanges between the House of 
        Representatives and the parliaments of Afghanistan, Kenya, 
        Lebanon, as well as similar partnerships with other new 
        democracies around the world.
                                 <all>