[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 16 (Monday, February 4, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S476-S477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EMBASSY SECURITY FUNDS TRANSFER ACT OF 2013
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 227, introduced earlier
today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 227) to authorize the transfer of certain funds
to improve security at United States embassies and other
diplomatic facilities worldwide, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
S. 227
Mr. LEAHY. Today I am pleased the Senate will pass the bipartisan
Embassy Security Funds Transfer Act of 2013. This commonsense
legislation will enact a provision similar to one passed overwhelmingly
by the Senate last December as part of the Sandy Supplemental but that
was stripped out by House Republicans.
This bill simply provides authority to the State Department to
transfer up to $1.1 billion in overseas contingency operations funds
appropriated in Fiscal Year 2012 for operations in Iraq, which are no
longer needed due to reduced State operations there, to be used for
increased security at U.S. embassies and other overseas posts
identified in the Department's security review after the terrorist
attack in Benghazi.
Making such resources available for these purposes is one of the
recommendations of the Accountability Review Board chaired by
Ambassador Pickering and Admiral Mullen. The bill permits the transfer
of funds between the diplomatic and consular programs and embassy
security construction and maintenance accounts. Such transfers would
otherwise be precluded due to percentage limitations.
To be clear, this legislation appropriates no additional funds. It
costs the taxpayers no additional money. It has no scoring impact. It
merely allows for the transfer of existing, appropriated funds for this
critical purpose. There is nothing controversial about this bill.
We all want to do what we can to prevent another tragedy like what
occurred in Benghazi. The State Department has done a review, and these
funds will be used to expedite construction of Marine security guard
posts at overseas facilities and for the construction of other secure
embassies. While it is impossible to guarantee the safety of our
diplomats and aid workers, many
[[Page S477]]
of whom risk their lives daily in dangerous places, we should protect
them as best we can so they can carry out their duties as safely as
possible.
As I mentioned, the Senate approved a similar provision last
December, overwhelmingly, by voice vote. I thank Chairwoman Mikulski,
Senator Graham, and the other cosponsors for supporting this bill and
for helping to expedite its consideration. I am confident that the
chairwoman and ranking member of the House State and Foreign Operations
Subcommittee share our view that this is an appropriate use of these
funds. I hope the House will act quickly to send this bill to the
President.
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, as a cosponsor of this important
legislation, I am pleased the Senate will pass this bill and once again
provide for stronger security at our diplomatic facilities.
Numerous reports have documented the security failures that resulted
in the tragic deaths of four Americans at the consulate in Benghazi.
Both the Administrative Review Board and the report of the Senate
Homeland Security Committee found that inexcusable failures of judgment
led State Department decisionmakers to ignore the rising threat levels
in Benghazi and the repeated requests for enhanced security at the
site. Marine Security Guards were not on site to protect our consulate
in one of the most dangerous and unstable regions in the world. The
failures of management that led to these decisions are reprehensible;
the lapses in judgment indefensible. It is beyond my comprehension why
the individuals whose poor decisionmaking directly resulted in the
deaths of four Americans remain employed by the State Department, and
compensated by the U.S. taxpayers.
One of the most troubling aspects of the Benghazi attack is the
complete disregard that State Department leadership gave to the
repeated requests for enhanced security from Ambassador Christopher
Stevens. Should funding have been an issue, the State Department always
has the option available to come to Congress for approval to transfer
funds within accounts. In fact, this is what S. 227 accomplishes--it
provides the State Department transfer authority to prioritize
diplomatic security in our embassies around the world. It is a sad, but
necessary postscript to this tragic event--and a step that, if taken
earlier by the State Department, may have saved the lives lost in
Benghazi.
It is my hope that the Senate takes into consideration my repeated
calls for increased Marine security at our embassies in high threat
areas of the world. In the two budgets I have authored during my Senate
tenure, I not only called for increased funding for military
protection, but also for reducing the presence of embassies in the most
dangerous areas of the globe. The safety of our men and women in
diplomatic service must be prioritized. This means placing more
emphasis on involvement in security by the Defense Department, but it
also means assessing whether our diplomacy in the most dangerous areas
of the world is better done from afar.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill
be read three times and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 227) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third
time, and passed, as follows:
S. 228
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 ``Embassy Security Funds
Transfer Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN FUNDS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF SECURITY
AT UNITED STATES EMBASSIES AND OTHER DIPLOMATIC
FACILITIES WORLDWIDE.
(a) Transfer Authority.--Funds appropriated by title VIII
of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act of 2012 (division I of Public Law
112-74; 125 Stat. 1265) under the headings ``Diplomatic and
Consular Programs'' and ``Embassy Security, Construction, and
Maintenance'' may be transferred between such headings.
(b) Availability.--
(1) In general.--Any funds transferred to a heading under
subsection (a) shall be merged with funds in the heading to
which transferred, and shall, except as provided in paragraph
(2), be available subject to the same terms and conditions as
the funds with which merged.
(2) Duration of availability.--Any funds transferred under
subsection (a) shall be available for the same period for
which such funds were originally appropriated.
(c) Notification Procedures.--Any transfer of funds under
subsection (a) shall be subject to the regular notification
procedures of the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate
and the House of Representatives.
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