[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1227-H1231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION CIVILIAN MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2008
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1084) to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the State
Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, and the Foreign Service Act
of 1980 to build operational readiness in civilian agencies, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1084
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reconstruction and
Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) In June 2004, the Office of the Coordinator for
Reconstruction and Stabilization (referred to as the
``Coordinator'') was established in the Department of State
with the mandate to lead, coordinate, and institutionalize
United States Government civilian capacity to prevent or
prepare for post-conflict situations and help reconstruct and
stabilize a country or region that is at risk of, in, or is
in transition from, conflict or civil strife.
(2) In December 2005, the Coordinator's mandate was
reaffirmed by the National Security Presidential Directive
44, which instructed the Secretary of State, and at the
Secretary's direction, the Coordinator, to coordinate and
lead integrated United States Government efforts, involving
all United States departments and agencies with relevant
capabilities, to prepare, plan for, and conduct
reconstruction and stabilization operations.
(3) National Security Presidential Directive 44 assigns to
the Secretary, with the Coordinator's assistance, the lead
role to develop reconstruction and stabilization strategies,
ensure civilian interagency program and policy coordination,
coordinate interagency processes to identify countries at
risk of instability, provide decision-makers with detailed
options for an integrated United States Government response
in connection with reconstruction and stabilization
operations, and carry out a wide range of other actions,
including the development of a civilian surge capacity to
meet reconstruction and stabilization emergencies. The
Secretary and the Coordinator are also charged with
coordinating with the Department of Defense on reconstruction
and stabilization responses, and integrating planning and
implementing procedures.
(4) The Department of Defense issued Directive 3000.05,
which establishes that stability operations are a core United
States military mission that the Department of Defense must
be prepared to conduct and support, provides guidance on
stability operations that will evolve over time, and assigns
responsibilities within the Department of Defense for
planning, training, and preparing to conduct and support
stability operations.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development.
[[Page H1228]]
(2) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means any entity included
in chapter 1 of title 5, United States Code.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(4) Department.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act,
the term ``Department'' means the Department of State.
(5) Personnel.--The term ``personnel'' means individuals
serving in any service described in section 2101 of title 5,
United States Code, other than in the legislative or judicial
branch.
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of State.
SEC. 4. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR RECONSTRUCTION
AND STABILIZATION CRISES.
Chapter 1 of part III of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2351 et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 617 the following new section:
``SEC. 618. ASSISTANCE FOR A RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION
CRISIS.
``(a) Assistance.--
``(1) In general.--If the President determines that it is
in the national security interests of the United States for
United States civilian agencies or non-Federal employees to
assist in reconstructing and stabilizing a country or region
that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from, conflict or
civil strife, the President may, in accordance with the
provisions set forth in section 614(a)(3), subject to
paragraph (2) of this subsection but notwithstanding any
other provision of law, and on such terms and conditions as
the President may determine, furnish assistance to such
country or region for reconstruction or stabilization using
funds under paragraph (3).
``(2) Pre-notification requirement.--The President may not
furnish assistance pursuant paragraph (1) until five days
(excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays)
after the requirements under section 614(a)(3) of this Act
are carried out.
``(3) Funds.--The funds referred to in paragraph (1) are
funds made available under any other provision of law and
under other provisions of this Act, and transferred or
reprogrammed for purposes of this section, and such transfer
or reprogramming shall be subject to the procedures
applicable to a notification under section 634A of this Act.
``(b) Limitation.--The authority contained in this section
may be exercised only during fiscal years 2008, 2009, and
2010, except that the authority may not be exercised to
furnish more than $100,000,000 in any such fiscal year.''.
SEC. 5. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION.
Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of
1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a et seq.) is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
``SEC. 62. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION.
``(a) Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and
Stabilization.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the
Department of State the Office of the Coordinator for
Reconstruction and Stabilization.
``(2) Coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization.--
The head of the Office shall be the Coordinator for
Reconstruction and Stabilization, who shall be appointed by
the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. The Coordinator shall report directly to the
Secretary.
``(3) Functions.--The functions of the Office of the
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization shall
include the following:
``(A) Monitoring, in coordination with relevant bureaus and
offices of the Department of State and the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), political and
economic instability worldwide to anticipate the need for
mobilizing United States and international assistance for the
reconstruction and stabilization of a country or region that
is at risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or
civil strife.
``(B) Assessing the various types of reconstruction and
stabilization crises that could occur and cataloging and
monitoring the non-military resources and capabilities of
agencies (as such term is defined in section 3 of the
Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of
2008) that are available to address such crises.
``(C) Planning, in conjunction with USAID, to address
requirements, such as demobilization, disarmament, rebuilding
of civil society, policing, human rights monitoring, and
public information, that commonly arise in reconstruction and
stabilization crises.
``(D) Coordinating with relevant agencies to develop
interagency contingency plans and procedures to mobilize and
deploy civilian personnel and conduct reconstruction and
stabilization operations to address the various types of such
crises.
``(E) Entering into appropriate arrangements with agencies
to carry out activities under this section and the
Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of
2008.
``(F) Identifying personnel in State and local governments
and in the private sector who are available to participate in
the Civilian Reserve Corps established under subsection (b)
or to otherwise participate in or contribute to
reconstruction and stabilization activities.
``(G) Taking steps to ensure that training and education of
civilian personnel to perform such reconstruction and
stabilization activities is adequate and is carried out, as
appropriate, with other agencies involved with stabilization
operations.
``(H) Taking steps to ensure that plans for United States
reconstruction and stabilization operations are coordinated
with and complementary to reconstruction and stabilization
activities of other governments and international and
nongovernmental organizations, to improve effectiveness and
avoid duplication.
``(I) Maintaining the capacity to field on short notice an
evaluation team consisting of personnel from all relevant
agencies to undertake on-site needs assessment.
``(b) Response Readiness Corps.--
``(1) Response readiness corps.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development and the heads of other
appropriate agencies of the United States Government, may
establish and maintain a Response Readiness Corps (referred
to in this section as the `Corps') to provide assistance in
support of reconstruction and stabilization operations in
countries or regions that are at risk of, in, or are in
transition from, conflict or civil strife. The Corps shall be
composed of active and standby components consisting of
United States Government personnel, including employees of
the Department of State, the United States Agency for
International Development, and other agencies who are
recruited and trained (and employed in the case of the active
component) to provide such assistance when deployed to do so
by the Secretary to support the purposes of this Act.
``(2) Civilian reserve corps.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, may establish a
Civilian Reserve Corps for which purpose the Secretary is
authorized to employ and train individuals who have the
skills necessary for carrying out reconstruction and
stabilization activities, and who have volunteered for that
purpose. The Secretary may deploy members of the Civilian
Reserve Corps pursuant to a determination by the President
under section 618 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
``(3) Mitigation of domestic impact.--The establishment and
deployment of any Civilian Reserve Corps shall be undertaken
in a manner that will avoid substantively impairing the
capacity and readiness of any State and local governments
from which Civilian Reserve Corps personnel may be drawn.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State such
sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2007 through 2010
for the Office and to support, educate, train, maintain, and
deploy a Response Readiness Corps and a Civilian Reserve
Corps.
``(d) Existing Training and Education Programs.--The
Secretary shall ensure that personnel of the Department, and,
in coordination with the Administrator of USAID, that
personnel of USAID, make use of the relevant existing
training and education programs offered within the
Government, such as those at the Center for Stabilization and
Reconstruction Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School and
the Interagency Training, Education, and After Action Review
Program at the National Defense University.''.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITIES RELATED TO PERSONNEL.
(a) Extension of Certain Foreign Service Benefits.--The
Secretary, or the head of any agency with respect to
personnel of that agency, may extend to any individuals
assigned, detailed, or deployed to carry out reconstruction
and stabilization activities pursuant to section 62 of the
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (as added by
section 5 of this Act), the benefits or privileges set forth
in sections 413, 704, and 901 of the Foreign Service Act of
1980 (22 U.S.C. 3973, 22 U.S.C. 4024, and 22 U.S.C. 4081) to
the same extent and manner that such benefits and privileges
are extended to members of the Foreign Service.
(b) Authority Regarding Details.--The Secretary is
authorized to accept details or assignments of any personnel,
and any employee of a State or local government, on a
reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis for the purpose of
carrying out this Act, and the head of any agency is
authorized to detail or assign personnel of such agency on a
reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis to the Department of
State for purposes of section 62 of the State Department
Basic Authorities Act of 1956, as added by section 5 of this
Act.
SEC. 7. RECONSTRUCTION AND STABILIZATION STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in consultation
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, shall develop an interagency
strategy to respond to reconstruction and stabilization
operations.
(b) Contents.--The strategy required under subsection (a)
shall include the following:
(1) Identification of and efforts to improve the skills
sets needed to respond to and support reconstruction and
stabilization operations in countries or regions that are at
risk of, in, or are in transition from, conflict or civil
strife.
(2) Identification of specific agencies that can adequately
satisfy the skills sets referred to in paragraph (1).
(3) Efforts to increase training of Federal civilian
personnel to carry out reconstruction and stabilization
activities.
[[Page H1229]]
(4) Efforts to develop a database of proven and best
practices based on previous reconstruction and stabilization
operations.
(5) A plan to coordinate the activities of agencies
involved in reconstruction and stabilization operations.
SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act and annually for each of the five years thereafter,
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the implementation of
this Act. The report shall include detailed information on
the following:
(1) Any steps taken to establish a Response Readiness Corps
and a Civilian Reserve Corps, pursuant to section 62 of the
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (as added by
section 5 of this Act).
(2) The structure, operations, and cost of the Response
Readiness Corps and the Civilian Reserve Corps, if
established.
(3) How the Response Readiness Corps and the Civilian
Reserve Corps coordinate, interact, and work with other
United States foreign assistance programs.
(4) An assessment of the impact that deployment of the
Civilian Reserve Corps, if any, has had on the capacity and
readiness of any domestic agencies or State and local
governments from which Civilian Reserve Corps personnel are
drawn.
(5) The reconstruction and stabilization strategy required
by section 7 and any annual updates to that strategy.
(6) Recommendations to improve implementation of subsection
(b) of section 62 of the State Department Basic Authorities
Act of 1956, including measures to enhance the recruitment
and retention of an effective Civilian Reserve Corps.
(7) A description of anticipated costs associated with the
development, annual sustainment, and deployment of the
Civilian Reserve Corps.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Berman) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. 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. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 6 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank our colleague and friend from
California, a valuable member of the Appropriations Committee, an
individual who has always had a long-term interest in the issue of
capacity building in our international relations effort, Congressman
Sam Farr, who introduced this vitally important legislation and who has
an unwavering commitment to restoring the strength and expertise of
U.S. civilian agencies.
Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been engaged in
a stabilization or reconstruction operation once every 18 to 24 months.
During the same period, the backbone of America's diplomatic and
development might, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for
International Development, has been substantially weakened by staff
cuts, hiring freezes and consolidation.
Despite new hires, there are only 6,600 professional Foreign Service
officers in the State Department. According to Secretary of Defense
Gates, this is less than the personnel of one carrier battle group, and
allegedly less than the number of active military band members.
Likewise, at a time when the United States is engaged in two massive
stabilization and reconstruction efforts and countless other
emergencies, USAID, America's premier development agency, barely has
1,000 Foreign Service officers. Compare that number to the height of
the Cold War, when it had more than 4,500 Foreign Service officers with
expertise in engineering, agricultural development, rule of law, and
civil administration. In essence, we have created a situation where
those who are best suited for complex stabilization missions simply
aren't there.
Mr. Speaker, this personnel imbalance is unacceptable and dangerously
shortsighted. Stabilization operations require expertise in smart
skills, such as job creation, rule of law programs, fortification of
police forces, and good governance training, which lies within
America's civilian agencies. Amazingly, at a time we need to call on
this expertise the most, the U.S. Government capacity for these skills
is at its weakest.
We need look no further than Iraq to see the dangers of overburdening
our military with stabilization and reconstruction activities for which
they were not trained, nor for which they are best suited. As Secretary
Gates aptly observed, ``Brave men and women in uniform have stepped up
to the task, with field artillerymen and tankers building schools and
mentoring city councils, usually in a language they don't speak. But it
is no replacement for the real thing, civilian involvement and
expertise.''
The U.S. needs experienced police officers to train local Iraqi
counterparts. We need USAID personnel to assist with municipal
administration, sewage treatment, banking, electricity, and thousands
of other tasks. This bill aims to successfully address upcoming threats
and prosecute the long-term fight against terror by fortifying the U.S.
Government's civilian capacity to deal with instability, particularly
in areas where terrorists thrive.
The Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008
authorizes the establishment of a Readiness Response Corps to plug the
gap regarding civilian capacity. The corps will include active and
standby components composed of Federal employees, and a reserve
component made up of civilian experts from State and local governments
and nongovernmental organizations.
To effectively establish the corps, the bill includes several
innovative personnel provisions which ensure that the State Department
and other Federal employees will not be prejudiced by joining the corps
and that the Secretary of State will have unambiguous authority to hire
personnel appropriate for the corps, including experts from Federal,
State and local agencies. The bill also authorizes the President to use
up to $100 million in any given fiscal year for the purposes of
furnishing assistance to stabilize and reconstruct a country or region
at risk.
Finally, the bill codifies the establishment of an Office of the
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization within the Department
of State.
Mr. Speaker, we expect this bill to accomplish two key goals. In the
short term, the bill will ease the burden on the Armed Forces by
allowing the State Department to deploy civilians in crisis situations
previously staffed by the military. In the long term, the bill will
enable the U.S. Government to project ``smart power'' in situations
that cry for such civilian expertise.
For these reasons, I thank my colleague, Mr. Farr, for introducing
this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this
legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1084, the
Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act. I want to
thank Chairman Berman; the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), the
author of the bill; and my dear friend, Mr. Saxton, the lead Republican
cosponsor of the legislation, for working to reach the bipartisan
agreement before us.
The text we are considering today was finalized in consultation with
the State Department and the White House. It provides the President and
Secretary of State with the basic authorities they have been seeking
for expanding reconstruction and stabilization activities in order to
assist countries whose descent into internal crisis may endanger the
national security interests of the United States.
The legislation formally creates and gives full legislative support
to the 4-year-old office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and
Stabilization. It also provides the President with the authority to
create a Federal Response Readiness Corps and a volunteer Civilian
Reserve Corps, a proposal based on a December 2005 Presidential
directive and which enjoys the support of a broad cross-section of U.S.
agencies.
These new corps will work to prevent future conflicts overseas and
ensure that we are better prepared to effectively address post-conflict
scenarios in countries that are important to our Nation's security
interests. The hope is that, by preorganizing and training qualified
civilian personnel, any future reconstruction and stabilization
operations can be better coordinated and
[[Page H1230]]
more effective in order to free up our Armed Forces to better focus on
strategic military and security objectives.
It is important to note that the text before us provides these
authorities in a limited, careful manner, subject to greater
congressional oversight. In contrast with the original text and other
proposed drafts, there are several things that today's suspension text
does not do: It does not mandate specific funding levels, and limits
funding authorities to a 3-year trial period, from fiscal year 2008
through 2010; it does not create additional budget draw-down authority
for emergency peacekeeping assistance; it does not mandate a minimum
number of Civilian Reserve Corps personnel; and it does not include
special personnel authorities such as waivers to allow dual
compensation of Federal retirees or an increase in the premium pay cap.
Although we are attempting to create a system that is better equipped
to intervene more effectively in foreign crises, we are not intending
to lower the threshold for U.S. involvement in such situations. This is
not an invitation to ``nation building.'' For this reason, the amended
text requires a Presidential national security interest determination
and advance congressional notification before any deployment of the
corps to a country in crisis.
{time} 1045
We also intend that these activities be conducted in a transparent
and fiscally responsible manner. Toward that end, the text includes an
annual worldwide cap of $100 million on all reconstruction and
stabilization assistance provided under the act.
In order to mitigate the potential domestic impact, the text we are
considering today mandates that the Civilian Reserve Corps be staffed
in a way that does not diminish the capacity of State or local
governments from which the volunteers may be drawn. It also charges the
Office of the Coordinator to avoid duplication with other U.S. foreign
assistance activities. Finally, it requires enhanced reporting to
Congress on the structure, operation and cost of core operations, their
relations to other U.S. foreign assistance efforts, and any impact on
U.S. domestic readiness and capabilities.
I am gratified that we are able to reach this compromise, and look
forward to working together in the future to ensure the success of this
and other U.S. foreign assistance programs. I urge my colleagues to
support this bipartisan measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the chief
sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).
(Mr. FARR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Berman and
Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their leadership and vision on this
issue. I would also like to thank the Foreign Affairs Committee staff
for their meticulous work. We have a better bill on the floor for it.
This legislation is important because future stabilization operations
are going to rely on a different set of skills, different than we
currently have. We talk about stabilization and peace building, but how
exactly do you do that? That is what this bill is about.
It is a bill that allows the Secretary of State, working with the
Secretary of Defense, to essentially bring the core of people that have
the talent, have the linguistic talent, the knowledge talent, the
experience of careers, to come together to form an emergency response
team, much like we have in the domestic program with FEMA.
Even Secretary of Defense Gates has noted that future conflicts will
be fundamentally political in nature and will require an application of
all elements of national power, not just the Defense Department. On
another occasion, Secretary Gates called for more resources to be given
to our civilian agencies, so that they will have the civilian
professionals capable of carrying out reconstruction and stabilization
operations.
Why would the Secretary of Defense ask for more money to go to the
State Department and to USAID? It is because he sees the future threats
and our capacity to deal with them and understands that a safer and
more secure and more peaceful world depends upon adequately funding our
civilian agencies. He knows that the best way to avoid war is to
stabilize countries by creating stakeholders for peace in those
countries.
USAID, our foremost development agency, has the expertise, but lacks
the manpower and regular training to conduct stabilization operations.
With this bill, USAID will receive additional personnel to implement
stabilization operations. The State Department will also be enhanced as
it takes on the role of coordinator of these complex operations.
Again, I appreciate all the hard work that went into this bill to get
it to the floor. I appreciate the strong backing from Secretary Gates
and from Secretary Rice. I would also like to thank Congressman Saxton,
my colleague, for his stalwart support and his work on H.R. 1084. It is
my earnest hope that improved American civilian capabilities will yield
fewer and shorter conflicts and will build a more peaceful and
prosperous world. In order to do that, I need your vote, and I ask for
that for the betterment of America and the world.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to my
colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H.R. 1084. In today's security environment, it is absolutely
essential that we authorize the creation of the Response Readiness
Corps and Response Readiness Reserve within the State Department and
USAID. This legislation is a vital step toward achieving a proper
balance between civilian and military efforts in stabilization and
reconstruction missions.
Iraq and Afghanistan have really highlighted a need for better
interagency coordination and a more robust civilian capacity. As
someone who went to Iraq early and saw a void of adequate civilian
support, I know that we need to improve the civilian apparatus for
future stability in reconstruction efforts. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we
have relied on the military to act as diplomats, help build government
capacity and conduct combat missions, all at the same time.
Simply put, stability and reconstruction have fallen too heavily on
our military in recent years. Unable to tap into a viable, full-scale
deployable civilian force, our great men and women have been asked to
perform jobs outside of their area of expertise. Congress must, must do
a better job of marshalling all elements of national power in support
of U.S. goals abroad and ensure that future missions are not military-
centric, but joint interagency efforts. Part of this effort must be
greater capacity within civilian agencies, a bench to pull from when
contingencies arise. This legislation by my friend from California will
help do just that.
Congress must also be thinking about how to capture the skills and
lessons learned from military personnel and civilians who have served
on PRTs or other interagency projects in Iraq and Afghanistan. These
individuals now have vital skills that could be used to help train
Federal civilian employees deploying to zones of conflict.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1084 gets us on the right path, and I encourage all
of my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to a
gentleman who has been very interested in this whole process of
capacity building, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).
Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Speaker, people in Arkansas want to be safe and they
want to feel safe. Everyone in America wants to be safe and have a
strong national defense. National security means a strong military.
National security also means that all the tools in our tool box must be
available, including the capacity and availability of the civilian side
of our government.
Mr. Farr has been leading this charge, along with Mr. Saxton, and I
appreciate the great work of Mr. Berman stepping into his new role, to
bring forth this issue that all the tools of U.S. strength must be
available. As Mrs. Davis was pointing out, we have a lot of work to do
beyond this bill in terms of the coordination of all our different
agencies.
[[Page H1231]]
I was talking to one of my constituents who is a civilian working in
Iraq, and she said, You know, I sometimes think the differences in
conflicts between the agencies of the U.S. Government are greater than
the differences between us and the Iraqis. I think that really brings
home the issues and challenges that we have.
But this bill today is a great step towards making sure that we have
all the tools in our tool box that we need for our national security,
and I applaud its passage today.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back my time, I would like to
include for the Record an exchange of letters regarding H.R. 1084
between the gentleman from California, the chairman of the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform (Mr. Waxman), and me.
House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform,
Washington, DC, March 4, 2008.
Hon. Howard L. Berman,
Acting Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Berman: I am writing to confirm our mutual
understanding with respect to the consideration of H.R. 1084,
the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act
of 2008.
As you know, on February 27, 2008, the Committee on Foreign
Affairs ordered H.R. 1084 reported to the House. The
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Oversight
Committee) appreciates your effort to consult regarding those
provisions of H.R. 1084 that fall within the Oversight
Committee's jurisdiction, including matters related to the
federal workforce.
In the interest of expediting consideration of H.R. 1084,
the Oversight Committee will not separately consider this
legislation. The Oversight Committee does so, however, with
the understanding that this does not prejudice the Oversight
Committee's jurisdictional interests and prerogatives
regarding this bill or similar legislation.
I respectfully request your support for the appointment of
outside conferees from the Oversight Committee should H.R.
1084 or a similar Senate bill be considered in conference
with the Senate. I also request that you include our exchange
of letters on this matter in the Report by the Committee on
Foreign Affairs on H.R. 1084 and in the Congressional Record
during consideration of this legislation on the House floor.
Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman,
Chairman.
____
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, March 4, 2008.
Hon. Henry A. Waxman,
Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R.
1084, the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian
Management Act of 2008, which authorizes the President to
provide assistance to stabilize and reconstruct a country or
region that is at risk of, in, or is in transition from,
conflict or civil strife, and establishes a Response
Readiness Corps and Civilian Reserve Corps to respond to such
country or region.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions
that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform. I acknowledge that the
Committee will not seek a sequential referral of the bill and
agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the
bill does not prejudice the Oversight Committee's
jurisdictional interests and prerogatives regarding this bill
or similar legislation.
Further, as to any House-Senate conference on the bill, I
understand that your Committee reserves the right to seek the
appointment of conferees for consideration of portions of the
bill that are within the Committee's jurisdiction, and I
agree to support a request by the Committee with respect to
serving as conferees on the bill (or similar legislation).
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in
my Committee's report on the bill and in the Congressional
Record during consideration on the House floor of H.R. 1084,
and I look forward to working with you on this important
legislation.
Cordially,
Howard L. Berman,
Acting Chairman.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of 1084, the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian H.R. Management
Act of 2008, introduced by my distinguished colleague from California,
Representative Farr.
This important legislation will amend the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, and the
Foreign Service Act of 1980 in order to build operational readiness for
civilian agencies.
Since the end of the cold war, the United States has consistently
been engaged in stabilization or reconstruction operation at the
average interval of once every 18 to 24 months. However, despite the
United States' ever increasing stabilization efforts around the world,
U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID), the most significant
dipolmatic and development organ of the United States Government, has
been substantially weakened due to staff cuts, hiring freezes, and
consolidation. This is absolutely unacceptable.
In a time where the U.S. has mounted a global war on terror, arguably
destabilizing more regions than not, it is imperative that American
diplomatic missions reflect American global involvement. This important
legislation authorizes the Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Administrator of USAID, to establish a Response Readiness Corps to
provide stabilization and reconstruction activities in foreign
countries or those with expertise in engineering, agricultural
development, rule of law, and civil administration required for the
complex stabilization missions of today are simply not there. At a time
regions that are at risk, in, or are in transition from, conflict or
civil strife (up to 250 personnel to serve in the Corps, and such other
personnel as the Secretary may designate from the Department and
USAID).
I have said time and time again that what the United States needs is
a new diplomatic offensive, a diplomatic surge. That being said, there
are only 6,600 professional Foreign Service officers today in the State
Department. According to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the number
of professional Foreign Service officers is less than the personnel of
one carrier battle group. In a time when the United States is engaged
in two massive stabilization and reconstruction efforts and countless
other emergencies, USAID has less than 1,000 Foreign Service officers,
as opposed to during the height of the Cold War when there were more
than 4,500 Foreign Service officers. In essence, we have created a
situation where those with expertise in engineering, agricultural
development, rule of law, and civil administration required for the
complex stabilization missions of today are simply not there. At a
time when we need to call on this expertise the most, the U.S.
Government capacity for these skills is at its weakest.
This legislation seeks to alleviate some of this total lack of
diplomatic and developmental capacity. The aim of this bill is to
successfully address upcoming threats and prosecute the long-term fight
against terror by fortifying the United States Government's civilian
capacity to deal with instability, particularly in areas where
terrorist and terrorism thrive. This legislation will authorize the
Secretary to establish a Readiness Response Corps in order to alleviate
the gap in civilian capacity. This Corps will include active, as well
as standby, components composed of Federal employees. Furthermore, it
includes a reserve component consisting of civilian experts from State
and local governments as well as non-governmental organizations.
The current American diplomatic and developmental strategy simply
does not sufficiently meet the needs of today's world. This bill will
amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to
transfer or reprogram up to $100 million in any given fiscal year for
the purposes of furnishing assistance and permitting the export of
goods and services to assist in stabilizing and reconstructing a
country or region that is in, or is in transition from, conflict or
civil strife. It also amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act
of 1956 in order to establish within the Department of State an
absolutely essential Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and
Stabilization.
I strongly support this legislation that will ease the burden on the
Armed Forces by allowing the State Department to deploy civilians in
crisis situations previously staffed by the military. Our men and woman
in uniform have accomplished what we asked them to do and it is time
that the U.S. Government responsibly and appropriately addresses the
stabilization and reconstruction situations that persist, despite our
inaction, throughout the world. I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this extremely important and timely piece of legislation.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1084, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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