[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H995-H1000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ESTABLISHING THE HOUSE DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE COMMISSION FOR THE 110TH
CONGRESS
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 24) establishing the House Democracy Assistance
Commission for the One Hundred Tenth Congress, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 24
Resolved,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
There is established in the House of Representatives a
commission to be known as the House Democracy Assistance
Commission (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the
``Commission'').
SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.
(a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be
composed of 20 Members of the House of Representatives, of
whom 11 shall represent the majority party and be appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 9 shall
represent the minority party and be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives.
(b) Terms of Members of the House of Representatives.--Each
member of the Commission shall be appointed for a term that
is concurrent with the Congress in which the appointment is
made. Such a member may be reappointed for one or more
subsequent terms in accordance with the preceding sentence.
(c) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall
be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
from among the members appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives under subsection (a).
SEC. 3. DUTIES.
(a) Activities.--The Commission shall work with the
legislatures of partner countries, as determined pursuant to
paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b), on a frequent and
regular basis in order to--
(1) enable Members, officers, and staff of the House of
Representatives and congressional support agencies to provide
expert advice and consultation to members and staff of the
legislatures of partner countries;
(2) enable members and staff of legislatures of partner
countries to study the operations of the House of
Representatives and its support agencies; and
(3) provide recommendations to the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development regarding
the provision of material assistance, such as modern
automation and office systems, information technology, and
library supplies, as the Commission determines to be needed
by a legislature of a partner country in order to improve the
efficiency and transparency of its work, and to oversee the
provision of such assistance.
(b) Selection of Partner Legislatures.--
(1) In general.--In order to carry out the activities
described in subsection (a), the Commission may conduct, as
needed, studies on the feasibility of programs of assistance
for legislatures of countries described in paragraph (2) for
the purpose of strengthening the legislative infrastructure
of such countries. Such studies shall assess--
(A) the independent and substantive role that each
legislature plays, or could reasonably be expected to play,
in the legislative process and government oversight;
(B) the potential benefit to each legislature of expert
advice from and consultation with Members and staff of the
House of Representatives in areas such as the development of
research services and legislative information systems,
legislative procedure, committee operations, budget process,
government oversight, and constituent services; and
(C) the need in each legislature for material assistance,
such as modern automation and office systems, information
technology, and research materials, in order to improve
efficiency and transparency.
(2) Countries described.--The countries referred to in
paragraph (1) are countries that have established, have re-
established, or are developing democratic legislatures which
would benefit from the assistance described in this
resolution.
(3) Additional partner legislatures.--From any countries
studied in accordance with paragraph (1), the Commission may
select one or more legislatures to receive assistance under
the provisions of this resolution, subject to a written
expression of interest from the highest ranking office within
the legislature of a selected country.
(c) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than December 31, 2007, and each
December 31 thereafter, the Commission shall prepare and
submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, appropriate
House committees, the Office of Interparliamentary Affairs of
the House of Representatives, and the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, an annual
report on the Commission's activities, including a review of
the activities of the Commission in the current year and a
proposal for the activities of the Commission in the upcoming
year, as described in subsection (a).
(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``appropriate
House committees'' means the following committees of the
House of Representatives:
(A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs.
(B) The Committee on Appropriations.
(C) The Committee on House Administration.
(D) The Committee on Rules.
SEC. 4. ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall carry out the duties
described in section 3
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using the staff and resources of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, including the use of consultants or temporary
employees, such as individuals with expertise in development
of democratic parliaments, legislative systems management,
legislative research, parliamentary procedure, related
legislative matters, and technology systems management, as
appropriate.
(b) Participation of Legislative Branch Employees.--At the
request of the Commission, the head of any office of the
House of Representatives or any congressional support agency
may assist the work of the Commission by--
(1) detailing personnel to the staff of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs or another standing committee of the House of
Representatives; or
(2) authorizing personnel to participate in activities of
the Commission.
SEC. 5. TRANSITION FROM FORMER COMMISSION.
(a) Continuation of Existing Programs.--The Commission may
continue programs of assistance with legislatures of partner
countries which were initiated by the former Commission.
(b) Transfer of Authorities and Resources.--Any authorities
and resources of the former Commission which remain available
as of the day before the date of the adoption of this
resolution, including unobligated funds, shall be transferred
and made available to the Commission.
(c) Definition.--In this section, the ``former Commission''
means the House Democracy Assistance Commission established
under the House Democracy Assistance Commission Resolution
(House Resolution 135, One Hundred Ninth Congress, agreed to
March 14, 2005).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution.
When the Berlin Wall fell, I was there with other congressional
colleagues. We experienced firsthand the exuberance of the people of
East Germany and across the newly liberated region.
But to sustain the momentum of that unique instant in history to
commitment on both sides of the Atlantic, commitment not just to
elections, but to the development of permanent, democratic institutions
that permeate society. Madam Speaker, I vividly recall how excited we
in Congress were when we first provided assistance to our new
colleagues in democratically elected parliaments across Central and
Eastern Europe.
That is why I strongly support the resolution before the House today,
which reestablishes the House Democracy Assistance Commission. This
important body plays a critical role in ensuring that the new
generation of emerging democratic institutions get desperately needed
assistance.
In the 109th Congress, the House created this commission to enable
members and staff to assist their counterparts in the parliaments of
new democracies around the globe. With our help, they will build
strong, independent legislatures.
The commission has been led by two steadfast and consistent
supporters of democracy promotion, David Price, our colleague from
North Carolina, and David Dreier, my fellow Californian. I want to
offer my sincere gratitude to both of them for their efforts.
Under their leadership, the commission took congressional delegations
to six new or reemerging democracies and hosted six visiting
parliamentary delegations here in Washington.
The commission also offered material assistance to several
legislatures through USAID, most notably a project to furnish and equip
and train staff of the parliamentary library of East Timor with the
invaluable assistance of our own Library of Congress.
Pending the passage of this resolution by the full House, the
commission in 2007 plans to assist the legislatures of Afghanistan,
Colombia, East Timor, Georgia--not our own Georgia, but the former
Soviet Republic of Georgia--Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia,
Macedonia, Mongolia and Ukraine.
Madam Speaker, in 1918, President Woodrow Wilson expressed the idea
that it is in our national interest to encourage free and open and
democratic governments. Over the past nine decades, the United States
has sustained and expanded this important commitment. The Price-Dreier
Commission is an important part of this tradition, and it deserves our
continued support.
I urge all of our colleagues to participate in the House Democracy
Assistance Commission and to support this most important legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I also rise in strong support of House Resolution 24,
reestablishing the House Democracy Assistance Commission for this 110th
Congress. I was an enthusiastic cosponsor of the legislation creating
the commission in the year 2005, and I am proud of what it has
accomplished during these years.
Our colleagues, as Mr. Lantos mentioned, Mr. Dreier and Mr. Price,
deserve our thanks for their hard work and identifying candidate
legislatures in emerging democracies to receive commission assistance.
The 12 partner countries selected so far include nations of strategic
importance to all of us, such as Afghanistan and Lebanon. They include
the largest Muslim majority nation on Earth, Indonesia, which has
emerged from authoritarian dictatorship to become the world's third
largest democracy.
It includes countries that have overcome Soviet-era communism such as
Georgia, Mongolia and Ukraine. They include one of the world's newest
nations, East Timor. It also includes important neighbors in the
hemisphere such as Colombia and Haiti and friends in Africa, among many
others. To these nations, the commission provides not only technical
support, but moral support as well.
Many of us have heard of how much democratic reformers and
parliamentarians overseas appreciate the formal relationships with the
House provided by this commission. All of us here know democracy is
more than just about holding an election. It is also about building
responsive institutions that can earn the public trust and the public's
allegiance.
To be effective in a democratic context, legislatures must have the
independent capacity for research, for analysis and for legal drafting.
So the expanding programming that the commission plans to undertake
during this Congress is vitally important, Madam Speaker.
I have no doubt that the commission will continue to do great things
with the limited resources that it shares with our Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
It represents a modest investment in sharing with the people of the
world one of our most treasured legacies, government of the people, by
the people, for the people. For these reasons, Madam Speaker, this
resolution before us deserves our unanimous support.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to my
good friend and our distinguished colleague from California (Mrs.
Capps), a member of the commission for the 109th Congress.
Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this bipartisan
resolution to continue that good work of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission. As a member of the commission, I want to thank our
cochairs, Representatives David Price and David Dreier, for the
excellent job that they have done in leading us.
I want to thank our current and former staff, John Lis, Tommy Ross,
Lara Alameh and Robert Lawrence, who have worked very hard to make the
commission successful with its work.
Madam Speaker, the House Democracy Assistance Commission was
established in the last Congress as an instrument for this House to
share some of
[[Page H997]]
the lessons we have learned over 200 years about making democratic
government work.
The commission has tried to impart these lessons to countries around
the world now embarking on this hopeful path. Members of the commission
have visited a number of countries struggling to find their way in a
more open system of government, eager to have our partnership with them
in this endeavor. We have hosted representatives from many of these
same countries here in Washington and in some of our congressional
districts.
For example, I hosted members of the Indonesian delegation in my
district, and I have traveled there, and to East Timor, to Macedonia,
to Afghanistan. During these visits, we discussed with our counterparts
the basic workings of government, everything from the importance of
constituent relations to the value of setting budgets, from the roles
of minority and majority parties to the importance of public health
programs.
{time} 1245
We don't tell them how they should make their governments work, but
we do try to explain how we have made it work in this country; and we
have done so in a bipartisan and really even nonpartisan manner.
Madam Speaker, this year the House will have before it many important
tasks. I believe very few are as important to the well-being and future
of our country as helping to establish stable democracies around the
world. The House Democracy Assistance Commission will try in its small
way to advance that goal, to bring us a more peaceful and just, well-
governed world.
I urge the House to pass this legislation and let us continue our
work.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as
he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), one of
the co-authors and co-creators of this commission.
(Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to my
very good friend from Miami (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen); and of course my great
pal from California (Mr. Lantos), my classmate and neighbor, who, as
soon as I took the well, decided to walk off the floor, but he is still
here for a moment. And I do appreciate the fact that in a bipartisan
way we have taken on what is one of the most interesting and fulfilling
challenges that I have faced in the many years that I have been
privileged to serve here in the Congress.
And, of course, as I look around the Chamber and see colleagues like
Lois Capps and, of course, the man with whom I served as a partner in a
bipartisan way on this, David Price from North Carolina; on our side of
the aisle, Jeff Fortenberry and John Boozman, who are among the Members
to serve on this commission, it is very, very important today that we
reauthorize this effort.
As we look at our quest to prosecute the global war on terror, it is
obvious that many things need to be done. We obviously need to have the
military wherewithal to do everything necessary to make sure that as we
face terror attacks and other military conflicts that we are able to
successfully take that on. But, similarly, it is important for us to
look at other ways in which we can do everything possible to help
people who are struggling.
And I forgot to mention Ms. Schwartz, who I had not seen because my
peripheral vision wasn't that great; so I am happy that she is here,
another very able and hardworking member of our commission.
But, Madam Speaker, as I was saying, as we look at this challenge not
only dealing with the military challenge, it is important for us to
work to build democracies and those institutions that relate to it and
the rule of law and political pluralism and self-determination, as I
like to always say, those things that we have a tendency to take for
granted here in the United States but are so important.
And this commission was specifically built on something that we did
about 15 years ago following the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and the
demise of the Soviet Union, that being our effort to let Eastern and
Central Europe know that as they work to claw their way from
totalitarianism that we would do all that we could to help build their
parliaments. And, Madam Speaker, that is exactly what we have now been
able to do so far in six countries and we have six other countries with
which we are working very closely, assuming that we reauthorize this
effort here.
And we are going to be doing so, I know, under the very able
leadership of my colleague Mr. Price, and I am going to be working on
our Republican side with members. And, again, I was very privileged to
serve as chairman that we did this as a partnership. It was not only a
partnership in a bipartisan way between Democrats and Republicans here,
but it also has been a very important partnership in working with
nongovernment organizations, with the Department of State, with the
National Endowment for Democracy, with the International Republic
Institute, with the National Democratic Institute, and a wide range of
other entities out there that recognize that building these parliaments
that will have the ability to engage in oversight of their executive
branch, to put into place a budget process to make sure that they have
the kind of constituent service that is very important for them, these
are the kinds of things that this commission has worked on so
effectively.
A couple of quick examples from the missions that we have been on so
far: one of the things that we found in Kenya when we visited there was
that it was essential for us to help them build up their budget process
and their committee process there as well, and we were able to provide
through our commission great benefits for them. And, frankly, when we
were on our mission there in Nairobi, Kenya last July, we went to the
site of the former U.S. embassy. And we all know back in 1998 that our
embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya were attacked
by al Qaeda, and now for us to see the role that we are playing in
helping to build this democracy in and the fledgling parliament in
Kenya has been a very important thing, especially in the light of the
fact that most recently we have seen an effort supported by the Kenyan
Government and the Ethiopian Government in liberating the Somalians
from the hold of those Islamic extremists. So we are seeing a real
tangible benefit in this war on terror from the work of this
commission.
Similarly, in the Balkans, in Macedonia, on our mission there most
recently just over the Thanksgiving break, we were able to do a great
deal in helping with the building of their committee process there, and
our commission has worked long and hard on that.
So, Madam Speaker, I am going to quote my friend David Price because
my feeling is virtually identical to that. When we think about the
important work that we do with the privilege that we have of serving as
Members of the United States Congress, there is nothing that is more
fulfilling and rewarding and tangible for us to see than the
opportunity to participate in this very important work on the
commission.
So I express my appreciation again to Chairman Lantos and Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen and all of the members of this commission, and we look forward
to reporting back to our colleagues here in the House of
Representatives, Madam Speaker, on the very important success that we
are going to be having in the months and years to come.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Before yielding to my good friend from North Carolina, let me pay
tribute to the two Davids who have done an extraordinary job in the
last session and, in fact, should be called two Goliaths of legislative
accomplishment across the globe.
I could not think of a person more qualified than my friend David
Price of North Carolina to chair the House Democracy Assistance
Commission. David Price is a legislator's legislator. His understanding
of the legislative process as a distinguished academic political
scientist and his practice as one of the most outstanding legislators
in the history of the Congress uniquely qualify David Price to chair
the House Democracy Assistance Commission.
Under his leadership, this body will take to many parts of the world
not
[[Page H998]]
only the principle but the practice of the democratic process.
Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure and pride I yield such time
as he may consume to my friend David Price.
(Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise
and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend
from California for those very generous and indeed extravagant words.
Coming from him, they mean more than I can say.
Mr. LANTOS. It was an understatement.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Thank you.
And we do thank the chairman and the ranking member, Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen, for scheduling this resolution so promptly, so that the House
could act on this and our commission could get on with its work.
I also want to acknowledge the previous speaker, Mr. Dreier, the
previous chairman of the House Democracy Assistance Commission, who did
a wonderful job in getting this commission launched in its first 2
years. As he said, we have operated every step of the way on an open
and bipartisan basis; and so as we swap roles, with my assuming the
chairmanship and his being the ranking member, I am very hopeful that
this will be a seamless transition, and that this cooperative way of
operating will continue. Indeed it should, as we work together in this
body to take the message and the practice of democracy to our partner
legislatures around the world.
House Resolution 24 would reauthorize the work of the commission.
This is a body that was inspired by the work of the Frost-Solomon Task
Force back in the early 1990s. We worked then with states in Central
and Eastern Europe as they were emerging from communism.
Our commission has undertaken this same kind of work. We are building
the institutional capacities of legislatures in emerging democracies.
We are working with them to develop their research and budget analysis,
oversight, legislative drafting, and other capabilities.
There is a difference, though. In contrast to the Frost-Solomon
effort, our scope is not just Central and Eastern Europe, although some
of our partner countries are still in that region. We are undertaking
around the world to work with partner legislatures. In the commission's
first 2 years, we have worked with legislatures in 12 nations. Many of
these countries are of key strategic import for our own Nation, and all
are enthusiastic, worthy, and willing partners: Afghanistan, Colombia,
East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia,
Macedonia, Mongolia, and Ukraine.
Madam Speaker, we view our work as a small but important niche in the
United States's mission to spread democracy around the world. We do
this not in the sense that we have all the answers about how to promote
democratic rights and governance. The commission's work is rooted in
the fundamental realization that the heart of democracy is not found
just in elections but between elections. Between elections, that is
when a nation's ability to govern itself in a way that is responsive to
its citizens and representative of its citizens is established. What
happens between elections, establishing representative institutions of
governance, is just as important as the nation's free determination of
who will govern.
Our commission works with partner legislatures to support development
of the tools legislators need to establish responsive, effective
government. We carry on our work in the sure realization that we do not
have all the answers. We know that our own democracy is a work in
progress. We do think we have an important story to tell. But we
approach each of these legislatures in a true spirit of partnership,
learning from them as they learn from us.
We also don't have a corner on the market of democracy promotion, and
we coordinate closely with USAID, with the State Department, with other
actors in the field to ensure that our efforts complement and enhance
theirs.
We have high expectations for the program which we hope to implement
in 2007 with the support of this body. During the last 2 years, our
focus has been on assessing candidate legislatures and seeking to
establish partnerships. Now we plan to move toward consolidating these
relationships by expanding and focusing our programming. We plan to
conduct advanced seminars on critical legislative capabilities, to
enable sustained communications between members and staff of our
legislatures, to identify and support pro-democracy reformers in
partner legislatures, and to provide small-scale material assistance in
cases of significant need.
So, Madam Speaker, let me close by again thanking my colleague
Representative David Dreier, the founding chairman of the House
Democracy Assistance Commission, thanking him for his leadership. He
has led us with vision and with an inclusive spirit. I also want to
thank Speaker Pelosi, past Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Hoyer,
Chairman Lantos, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and many others who have
supported the commission and helped bring forward quickly this
resolution to get our work going.
I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, which offers Members
of this body a promising opportunity to directly contribute to the
important work of championing democracy around the world.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as
he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), one of
the founding members of the commission and who is staying on to make
sure that we have a successful commission once again this year.
{time} 1300
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida
for her leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as our
chairman, Mr. Lantos, for your support of the resolution today.
Madam Speaker, I would like to add my voice to those who have
commented on the leadership of Mr. Price of North Carolina, and Mr.
Dreier of California, as well as the excellent service that the
dedicated staff has provided in the formation of the House Democracy
Assistance Commission.
Madam Speaker, I was very pleased to receive an appointment to the
commission during the last Congress, because I recognized its potential
to help legislators around the world who are struggling to give
representative democracy a chance. By supporting this program we can
provide direct help to build effective legislative institutions
worldwide. Through the work of the House Democracy Assistance
Commission we bring the best of our practical experience in running
this Congress to emerging democratic societies, where people are
longing to experience robust institutional systems that value the just
principles of self-determination.
Last Congress, the commission selected 12 parliaments from
Afghanistan to East Timor for participation in its technical assistance
program. Logistical challenges notwithstanding, the commission's
dedicated professionals and committed members reached out to help
replicate this institution's success stories in legislatures throughout
the world.
In reauthorizing the House Democracy Assistance Commission, we can
continue to help other countries place their people's aspirations
within reach. In helping them to succeed, we can play a direct role in
laying the foundations for a more stable and peaceful world.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution today.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend from
Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, a distinguished member of
the commission.
Ms. SCHWARTZ. Thank you, Mr. Lantos. I appreciate the opportunity to
speak on the floor this afternoon.
Madam Speaker, I was honored to serve on the House Democracy
Assistance Commission during the 109th Congress, and I was privileged
to travel on the commission's first trip to Indonesia and East Timor in
February of 2006. I too want to thank the commission's chairman,
Congressman David Price, and the ranking member, former chairman,
Congressman David Dreier, for their hard work and their leadership on
this important initiative.
I also want to acknowledge the commission's staff, John Lis, in
particular,
[[Page H999]]
the director, and the rest of the staff who worked hard in advance of
our trips and continued to work hard in preparing for the designation
of certain emerging democracies and our trips abroad as well to bring
some of those members here.
The last few years have borne witness to a number of encouraging
events in emerging democracies around the world, as well as a number of
discouraging setbacks. One thing that has become clear is that to help
advance democracy, transparency and the rule of law abroad, the United
States can and must do more than just support elections. We must
support the establishment of strong, independent democratic
institutions, which provide the backbone of viable democracy. So in
addition to elected executives, we must, and indeed it means, help
legislative and judicial branches of government have the authority, the
autonomy and the continuity that they need.
As Members of Congress, Members of the oldest directly representative
democratic institution in the world, we are in a unique position to
reach out to our counterparts in fragile democracies to held build
relationships and to learn from each other.
The House Democracy Assistance Commission has conducted legislative
strengthening programs with our counterparts in Indonesia, East Timor,
Georgia, Macedonia, Kenya and Afghanistan; and these legislators face
enormous challenges. For instance, in East Timor, where I traveled,
only two of their legislators had legislative experience prior to
serving in their parliament. They have almost no support staff and few
resources.
Their constitution provides for a substantive parliamentary role;
however, lack of experience and lack of infrastructure have severely
limited their role, leaving the executive to control most of their
legislation. Nonetheless, the members that we met with are deeply
committed to their role as representatives and to their role in
maintaining and building democratic institutions.
They are keenly aware of the challenges that they face as one of the
poorest nations in the world, where basic services from electricity to
schools are just being initiated. It is in our Nation's interest to
work with nations like East Timor, nations struggling on the road to
democracy and stability to establish effective legislative bodies.
The commission enables Members of this body, Democrats and
Republicans alike, to do just that, to share our knowledge, expertise
and passion for the legislative branch with our counterparts in these
emerging democracies.
We have worked with parliamentarians from these countries in their
home countries, in State capitals across this country and here in
Washington, focusing on the establishment of legislative information
and research services, on providing advice on legislative procedures
and committee operations, and on constituent services.
The commission has also provided these parliaments with some needed
material support, such as office equipment and computers and library
resources. So as we confront the global security challenges of the 21st
century, initiatives that strengthen democratic institutions abroad and
help provide a positive image of the United States are of utmost
importance. That is why this commission is so worthy of our continued
support. That is why I urge a ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 24.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume
to Mr. Boozman of Arkansas, our last speaker, who has made incredible
contributions to the House Democracy Assistance Commission as a
founding member of that body.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House
Resolution 24 to reauthorize the House Democracy Assistance Commission.
This type of parliamentary development program was initially seen as a
tool to help 12 emerging democracies rise from the grasp of communism
in Central and Eastern Europe in the mid-1990s.
The Solomon-Frost Task Force assumed that successful democratic
transitions in former Communist countries depended on direct
involvement and at a modest cost were able to help these parliaments
become effective legislatures and play a crucial part in a democratic
system.
One of the most evident impacts of the program was the goodwill it
generated towards the U.S. Congress and the American people among these
East European countries under the Iron Curtain.
As the need has continued to grow and our world continues to evolve,
former Speaker Hastert recognized the necessity of having this program
once again. The House Democracy Assistance Commission has given the
U.S. Congress the ability to guide fledgling democracies into strong,
stable institutions of government by creating relationships between
members of both bodies.
Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity to travel to Lebanon, Kenya and
Liberia on a trip not too long ago. And we were greeted in Kenya by a
big guy. I am a pretty big guy myself; I am not used to looking up to
people. But this individual was probably 6-5, 6-6. He was the staffer
that was in charge of taking us around the capital making sure that we
got where we were supposed to be.
And then we had the opportunity to journey outside of the capital out
into the countryside. We flew out, and this same individual greeted us
in his Masai warrior outfit. And we had the opportunity to visit with
the Masai, see how they ran things. But, Madam Speaker, that is how you
change the world, with the relationships, helping others build the
institutions that underpin democracy. That is how you change the world.
Again, I want to thank Congressmen Price and Dreier for their
leadership, for the tremendous job that they have done, to Speaker
Pelosi for going forward and agreeing to getting things along as far as
they have on this, former Speaker Hastert for his vision, and then most
importantly, to the staff that does such a tremendous job of helping
out and making all of those things possible.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, we have no further requests for
time, and yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he
might consume to the distinguished member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I would like to say a word or two about the
Democracy Assistance Act. Let me commend the chairman and the ranking
member for bringing this very important legislation up for reenactment.
I had the opportunity to travel with the Democracy Assistance
Commission, and was very impressed with the work that they were doing.
I traveled to Lebanon with them, and I think we were the last group
there before the war broke out. And we saw glimmers of hope with the
parliament at that time. And so there was great interest in moving
democracy forward.
Our leaders at that time, Chairman Dreier and Cochairman Price did an
outstanding job meeting with all party leaders. We then had the
opportunity to visit South Africa and Liberia.
In all of the countries we attended there was a tremendous amount of
interest in our leadership of the Congress being there. I understand
that there are possibilities for Haiti and perhaps Colombia and other
countries throughout the world to be assisted by this very important
commission.
And so I would just like to add my voice to the importance of the
Congress, the parliament, legislator-to-legislator, in attempting to
bring democracy throughout the world.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time.
Madam Speaker, before concluding, let me just say this is the ideal
way this body works. We have set ourselves an important task: Teaching
new democracies how a parliamentary body should work. And with some of
our finest colleagues from the Republican and the Democratic side, we
have succeeded during the last session of Congress; and under the
leadership of David Price, we shall move ahead, teaching the practice
of democracy across the globe from a practical point of view.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of
H. Res. 24, to reestablish the House Democracy Assistance Commission in
the 110th Congress. In the 109th Congress, the House of Representatives
created this Commission to enable the
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Members and staff of the House of Representatives to personally assist
their counterparts in the parliaments of new democracies around the
world to build strong, independent legislatures. I thank my colleagues,
Mr. David Price, the gentleman from North Carolina, and Mr. Dreier, the
gentleman from California, for leading the Commission and supporting
the promotion of democracy.
Under their leadership, the Commission has accomplished a great deal.
It undertook congressional delegations to six new or reemerging
democracies and hosted six visiting parliamentary delegations here in
Congress. It also offered material assistance to several legislatures
through USAID. One highly successful project furnished, equipped, and
trained staff of the parliamentary library of East Timor, with the
invaluable assistance of our own Library of Congress.
In the aftermath of September 11, it has been too easy to view some
nations more aggressively, as we undertook the obvious course of
attempting to dismantle terrorist networks, end the support they
received from states, and strengthen domestic and international defense
capabilities. But in addition to responding to the immediate security
threat, it is also necessary to help democracy take root in those
countries of the Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, and other
regions that now breed or support terrorists. It is in these Muslim
countries or regions, more than anywhere else, that terrorism feeds off
tyranny, finding recruits among the politically repressed and sanctuary
from states that use terror against their own people. Building
effective political institutions is the surest way to sever the link
between terror and tyranny and to advance the values of democracy,
individual rights, and cultural pluralism in the Middle East and
elsewhere in the Muslim world.
Promoting democratic institutions and values in the Muslim world is
thus one of our most urgent challenges. But it is not the only one.
Meeting the challenge of democratization in the Muslim world should not
warrant a retreat from a global approach; on the contrary, it
constitutes a powerful new argument for maintaining and strengthening
this approach. As September 11 made clear, any seam of dysfunction in
the international system, however marginal to the main centers of
political and economic interest, can become a source of exposure and
threat. In a globalized world, the cancer of breakdown in any country
can metastasize to other parts of the global body politic and thus
constitutes a danger to international peace and security. In promoting
the antidote of democratic institution-building, therefore, it is
unwise to write off any country as insignificant or beyond hope.
The global defense of democracy is the appropriate and most effective
response to the threat posed by Islamic extremists. As has already been
suggested, these extremists do not represent a religion or a
civilization but espouse an ideology of hatred and violence as their
means to power. Though it is a particularist and corrupted Islamic
ideology, to its zealous adherents it is a universal system of truth
and thus a fitting rival to democratic civilization, which they falsely
describe as decadent and narrowly Western. Since democracy is a
genuinely universal value based on the belief that people everywhere,
regardless of their religion or culture, can achieve self-government
under the rule of law, it is the natural organizing principle in the
struggle to defeat terrorism and to create a stable and peaceful world.
Pending the passage of this resolution by the full House, in 2007 the
House Democracy Assistance Commission plans to assist the legislatures
of Afghanistan, Colombia, East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya,
Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia and Ukraine. I urge my colleagues
to support this legislation and to participate in this important
project.
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 24,
which will reestablish the House Democracy Assistance Commission for
the 110th Congress.
I was honored to be appointed by Speaker Pelosi to serve as a member
of the House Democracy Assistance Commission during the last Congress,
and I am proud of the accomplishments that were made by the Commission.
I want to commend Representative David Dreier and Representative David
Price who worked tirelessly during the 109th Congress to fulfill the
mission of the Commission, and John Lis who worked tirelessly as the
Commissions Staff Director.
The HDAC built upon Congress's long history of helping emerging
democracies around the globe. Many of my colleagues will remember the
informal Frost-Solomon Task Force which worked during the early 1990's
to provide invaluable technical assistance and equipment to Albania,
Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Russia. When the HDAC was
created, former Congressman Frost commented that the work of the
Commission, ``means a great deal to members of foreign parliaments
because it demonstrates that elected leaders in the United States care
about what happens in their country.'' The work of this Commission may
not be noticed by many of our colleagues or even our constituents, but
it is vitally important to support and strengthen parliaments of new
democracies around the world
In 2006, the commission was active in Afghanistan, East Timor,
Georgia, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, and Macedonia. I was glad to join
the House Democracy Assistance Commission delegation to Lebanon and
Kenya. During the trip, the delegation met with our counterparts in the
Lebanese National Assembly and the National Assembly of Kenya. In
Kenya, the delegation visited the Kimana Health Center and the Sinet
water project, both of which were then dedicated in honor of
Representative David Dreier and David Price, respectively.
The final leg of this trip was to a meeting with Liberian President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Liberia is home to the first female head of
state in all of Africa and is a country founded by freed American
slaves, it is essential that the United States remain actively engaged
in helping to build Liberia's fledgling democracy.
Madam Speaker, the House Democracy Assistance Commission has only
begun its important work. With the approval of this resolution, the
Commission will be able to continue to spread its good work with an
ever expanding list of partner countries.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
yield back the balance of our time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Schakowsky). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 24, as
amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those voting have responded in the affirmative.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
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