[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 18 (Thursday, January 29, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1066-S1067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
        Cardin, and Mr. Dodd):
  S. 355. A bill to enhance the capacity of the United States to 
undertake global development activities, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, along with Senators Whitehouse, 
Murray, Cardin and Dodd, I am introducing a bill to triple the number 
of Foreign Service officers working with USAID.
  As we take stock of America's image in the world, it's clear that we 
need to do more to help countries stabilize their society and their 
economy.
  Our own security depends on the stability of far-flung places beyond 
our borders.
  America's generosity and ability to help other countries is becoming 
more important to the effectiveness of our foreign policy.
  In the U.S., the responsibility for development falls largely to the 
U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.
  USAID was founded by the Kennedy administration in 1961. It became 
the first U.S. foreign assistance organization with the primary goal of 
long term economic and social development efforts overseas.
  During its first decade, it had more than 5,000 Foreign Service 
Officers serving all over the world, often in the most difficult of 
conditions.
  Today--at a time when the U.S. needs to show its leadership overseas 
more than ever--USAID operates with just 1,000 Foreign Service 
Officers.
  With so few people to deploy, our hands are tied and we're missing 
opportunities to build bridges and foster diplomacy.
  For example, more than seven years after U.S. took military action in 
Afghanistan, the Taliban and al Qaeda continue to undermine progress 
toward a more stable state.
  Our military has done a heroic job in Afghanistan. But success in 
Afghanistan also depends on improving the lives of the Afghan people--
jobs, agriculture, stability, and a functional government.
  We have not done enough to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan 
people. And the military cannot bear this burden alone.
  The last time I went to Afghanistan there were only six American 
agricultural experts for the entire country--I think today there are 
only slightly more.
  For a nation with an agricultural economy and record poppy harvest, 
we have been able to lend just a handful of agricultural development 
experts.
  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates understands this critical need to 
partner our military efforts with civilian development expertise. Last 
month he said:

       The problem is that the civil side of our government--the 
     Foreign Service and foreign-policy side, including our aid 
     for international development--[has] been systematically 
     starved of resources for a quarter of a century or more . . . 
     We have not provided the resources necessary, first of all, 
     for our diplomacy around the world; and second, for 
     communicating to the rest of the world what we are about and 
     who we are as a people.

  Many people on both sides of the aisle agree that USAID is no longer 
equipped to do its job effectively. We simply are not meeting the 
international development goals of the United States.
  USAID has been shortchanged--and America's efforts abroad have 
suffered as a result.
  Now we have a lot of needs here at home, to be sure. But one 
important lesson of the last few years is that America must be engaged 
if we are to remain a leader in world affairs.
  The Increasing America's Global Development Capacity Act of 2009 
would take the first step toward putting the Agency for International 
Development on firmer footing. As Secretary Clinton said in her remarks 
to USAID employees last week, it is ironic that that our very best 
young military leaders are given unfettered resources to spend as they 
see fit to build a school, to open a health clinic, to pave a road, and 
our diplomats and development experts have to go through miles of 
paperwork to spend ten cents. Secretary Clinton said, and I agree, that 
this is not a sensible approach.
  The bill would authorize USAID to hire an additional 700 Foreign 
Service Officers this year. This would basically double the current 
number of development officers available to work in targeted countries.
  This is fundamental to rebuilding the agency's capacity.
  Senator Leahy, Chair of the Foreign Operations Appropriations 
Subcommittee, shares a commitment to rebuilding USAID. I am heartened 
by the Subcommittee's recommended increase in funding for USAID's 
operating expenses for fiscal year 2009. This was a priority for me in 
the bill, and Chairman Leahy has been very supportive.
  My bill also would establish a goal of hiring an additional 1,300 
Foreign Service Officers by 2012.
  After three years, USAID would have more than 3,000 talented, 
committed Americans serving in the world's most difficult locations 
helping to improve the lives of others. It won't be the 5,000 experts 
of the 1960s, but it will be a big improvement from today.
  With a stronger development work force, we can send talented public 
servants to help improve child and maternal health, treat people with 
AIDS, TB and malaria, provide clean water and sanitation, help farmers 
and women start or improve their business, and assist reformers and 
civic leaders to build stronger democratic institutions.
  We all recall the renewed interest in public service that emerged 
after 9/11--many of those people have answered the call, and I bet 
there are as many more who would welcome an opportunity to serve.
  Foreign development assistance is as important a foreign policy tool 
as diplomacy and defense.
  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is perhaps the most persuasive 
advocate for rebuilding our civilian development capacity. He argues 
that we need to engage in non-military ways to pursue global 
development goals.
  The civilian instruments of national security--diplomacy, development 
assistance, sharing expertise on civil society--are becoming more and 
more important.
  Secretary Gates argues that these tools are good for the world's 
poor, our national security, and our country.
  I agree.
  Let us take one concrete step to rebuild that important civilian 
capacity, which would help improve our ability to help the world's 
poorest countries and people.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 355

       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 ``Increasing America's Global 
     Development Capacity Act of 2009''.

[[Page S1067]]

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) foreign development assistance is an important foreign 
     policy tool in addition to diplomacy and defense;
       (2) development assistance is part of any comprehensive 
     United States response to regional conflicts, terrorist 
     threats, weapons proliferation, disease pandemics, and 
     persistent widespread poverty;
       (3) in 2002 and 2006, the United States National Security 
     Strategy included global development, along with defense and 
     diplomacy, as the 3 pillars of national security;
       (4) in its early years, the United States Agency for 
     International Development (referred to in this Act as 
     ``USAID'') had more than 5,000 full-time Foreign Service 
     Officers;
       (5) in 2008, USAID had slightly more than 1,000 full-time 
     Foreign Service Officers;
       (6) the budget at USAID, calculated in real dollars, has 
     dropped 27 percent since 1985;
       (7) this decline in personnel and operating budgets has 
     diminished the capacity of USAID to provide development 
     assistance and implement foreign assistance programs; and

     SEC. 3. HIRING OF ADDITIONAL FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS AS 
                   USAID EMPLOYEES.

       (a) Initial Hirings.--Except as provided under subsection 
     (c), not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Administrator of USAID (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Administrator'') shall increase by not less 
     than 700 the total number of full-time Foreign Service 
     Officers employed by USAID compared to the number of such 
     officers employed by USAID on September 30, 2008. These 
     officers shall be used to enhance the ability of USAID to--
       (1) carry out development activities around the world by 
     providing USAID with additional human resources and expertise 
     needed to meet important development and humanitarian needs 
     around the world;
       (2) strengthen the institutional capacity of USAID as the 
     lead development agency of the United States; and
       (3) more effectively help developing nations to become more 
     stable, healthy, democratic, prosperous, and self-sufficient.
       (b) Subsequent Hirings.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided under subsection (c), 
     during the 2-year period beginning 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall increase 
     by not less than 1,300 the total number of full-time Foreign 
     Service Officers over the number of such officers at the 
     beginning of such 2-year period to carry out the activities 
     described in subsection (a), contingent upon sufficient 
     appropriations.
       (2) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit a 
     strategy to Congress that includes--
       (A) a plan to create a professional training program that 
     will provide new and current USAID employees with technical, 
     management, leadership, and language skills;
       (B) a staffing plan for the subsequent 5 years; and
       (C) a description of further resources and statutory 
     changes necessary to implement the proposed training and 
     staffing plans.
       (c) Exception.--If the Administrator determines that USAID 
     has competing needs that are more urgent than the hirings 
     described in subsection (a) or (b), or finds a shortage of 
     qualified individuals for such hirings, the Administrator may 
     reduce the number of such hirings and use the available funds 
     for competing needs if the Administrator submits a report 
     describing such competing needs and, if applicable, the 
     nature of the shortage, to--
       (1) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (3) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (4) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives.
                                 ______