[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 73 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3024-H3026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1415
FOREIGN SERVICE MEMBER REST
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3658) to amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to permit
rest and recuperation travel to United States territories for members
of the Foreign Service.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3658
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. INCLUSION OF UNITED STATES TERRITORIES AS ELIGIBLE
FOR REST AND RECUPERATION TRAVEL FOR MEMBERS OF
THE FOREIGN SERVICE.
The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended--
(1) in section 901(6)(B) (22 U.S.C. 4081(6)(B)), by
inserting after ``United States'' the following: ``or its
territories, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands''; and
(2) in section 903(b) (22 U.S.C. 4083(b)), by striking ``,
its territories and possessions, or the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico'' and inserting ``or its territories, including
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United
States Virgin Islands''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
[[Page H3025]]
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
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
I want to recognize our colleague from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) and
the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and
the Global Environment, Mr. Faleomavaega, for putting forward a very
important measure.
H.R. 3658 amends the Foreign Service Act to give the Secretary of
State needed authority to ensure that foreign service officers from
U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the
U.S. Virgin Islands, are provided the same benefits as their colleagues
from the 50 States.
Currently, the State Department provides air transportation home from
overseas assignments for the purpose of rest and recuperation to all
foreign service officers who reside in any of the 50 States. However,
current law does not permit the department to provide the same benefit
to foreign service officers who reside in any of the territories.
The State Department has informed us that they do not have any
objection to this measure. The cost of implementing it would be very
small as it would impact very few foreign service officers.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution that would
rectify an inequity in the treatment of our dedicated foreign service
officers.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3658, introduced by my
good friend from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno).
This bill will make a long overdue clarification to the Foreign
Service Act that will allow American foreign service officers to take
rest and recuperation travel, commonly referred to as R&R, in American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands and, of course, the United States Virgin
Islands.
American diplomatic personnel who serve at hardship posts overseas
are allowed to take State Department-funded R&R travel either at
locations abroad or locations in the United States. But the phrase
``locations in the United States'' has been interpreted by the State
Department regulation to exclude U.S. territories for some reason. That
interpretation has placed a distinctly unfair burden on foreign service
officers from those territories who might wish to spend their R&R with
families at home.
It also puts U.S. territories at a disadvantage compared to other
destinations abroad or in the United States where our diplomatic
personnel may want to travel to rest and recuperate.
I want to commend our colleagues who have sponsored this legislation
to remove this inadvertent and unfair provision. H.R. 3658 is a worthy
bill that deserves our unanimous support.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno), the author of this bill.
Mr. FORTUNO. I thank my colleague.
I want to begin by thanking Chairman Berman for ushering H.R. 3658
through the committee process. In his short time as chairman, Mr.
Berman has shown intelligence, generosity and strong bipartisan spirit,
the same leadership qualities displayed by his predecessor, the
irreplaceable Tom Lantos.
I want to thank my good friend, Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
as well. I continue to marvel at her devotion to her constituents in
south Florida and at her tireless efforts to help light the lantern of
freedom in dark places around the world.
I also want to thank the representatives from the other U.S.
territories, all of whom are original cosponsors of H.R. 3658. And I
want to thank you, Ms. Watson, and you, Judge Poe, for your support for
this bill. I note that Ms. Watson served as a U.S. Ambassador to
Micronesia and therefore brings a special expertise to this subject.
Mr. Speaker, the specific purpose of H.R. 3658 is to permit Foreign
Servicemembers to take rest and recuperation travel, known as R&R, in
the five U.S. territories. The broader objective of the bill is to
ensure that Federal employees from the U.S. territories enjoy the same
rights and privileges as their fellow citizens from the 50 States.
I am pleased that the American Foreign Service Association supports
H.R. 3658, and that the State Department does not oppose its passage.
Mr. Speaker, the Foreign Service Act lists the instances in which the
State Department may pay the travel-related costs of Foreign
Servicemembers. One section of the FSA states that the Department may
pay the travel costs incurred by Foreign Service personnel for what is
known as home leave. The purpose of the home leave is to ensure that
Foreign Servicemembers who have been sent abroad undergo a period of
reorientation to the United States. The FSA provides that home leave
may be taken in the 50 States and the U.S. territories.
Another section of the FSA states that the Department may pay the
costs incurred by Foreign Servicemembers for R&R travel. Unlike home
leave, which is granted to all Foreign Servicemembers who serve abroad,
R&R is granted only to those stationed at hardship posts. Under the
current FSA, R&R may only be taken in locations in the United States.
State Department regulations have interpreted this phrase to exclude
U.S. territories.
Mr. Speaker, there is no principled basis for allowing Foreign
Servicemembers to take home leave but not R&R in the U.S. territories,
and H.R. 3658 amends the FSA to eliminate the distinction. Just as they
proudly serve in our Nation's Armed Forces, residents of the U.S.
territories also represent this great country abroad as diplomats.
These men and women from the territories take the same risks and endure
the same long absences from their families as their colleagues from the
States. Making certain that our laws treat these public servants on
equal terms is the only right thing to do.
Mr. Speaker, I ask you to consider the case of Mr. Ramon Negron. Mr.
Negron is a U.S. citizen born and raised in Puerto Rico, a graduate of
West Point, and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. Mr. Negron
currently serves as a political economic officer at the U.S. Interests
section in Havana, Cuba, which is a hardship post. Mr. Negron's next
posting, to begin this summer, is as the Embassy Office Director in
Basra, Iraq. It is neither sensible, nor fair, that under current law
the State Department will not cover the cost of airfare so this U.S.
citizen, U.S. soldier and U.S. diplomat can travel home to Puerto Rico
to be with his family before leaving for the Middle East. H.R. 3658
will correct this disparity.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE. I would inquire of the gentlewoman if she has any other
speakers.
Ms. WATSON. I have no other speakers.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3658, to
amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to permit rest and recuperation
travel to United States territories for members of the Foreign Service,
sponsored by my good friend and neighbor, Mr. Fortuno of Puerto Rico.
Mr. Speaker, the Foreign Service Act unfortunately is not consistent
in the way it treats citizens from the mainland and those from the
territories. While it allows for the State Department to pay for
Foreign Service members to return home, to any of the 50 states or U.S.
territories, after being posted abroad, it only permits residents of
the 50 states who are at hardship posts, such as Iraq and Afghanistan,
to be granted R & R for a period of time while posted.
This bill, at its core, is about equal and fair treatment for
residents of the U.S. territories. When most of us hear the word home,
we have a clear picture in our head of where that is. But for these
Foreign Service members, it is not that simple. Under current law,
these diplomats must pay their own way if they want to visit their
family and friends back home in the territories, while diplomats from
the states have their travel costs covered.
[[Page H3026]]
Although these members are from a U.S. territory, they are our fellow
citizens and commit their lives to the diplomatic causes. They join for
the love of their country and risk their safety in dangerous posts.
The bill before us today would eliminate this unequal and unfair
treatment between Foreign Service members who reside in the territories
and those that reside in the states. I urge my colleagues to support
passage of H.R. 3658.
Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3658.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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