[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 163 (Tuesday, November 15, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6189-H6192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2016
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5332) to ensure that the United States promotes the meaningful
participation of women in mediation and negotiations processes seeking
to prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5332
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 ``Women, Peace, and Security
Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Around the world, women remain under-represented in
conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict
peace building efforts.
(2) Despite the historic under-representation of women in
conflict resolution processes, women in conflict-affected
regions have nevertheless achieved significant success in--
(A) moderating violent extremism;
(B) countering terrorism;
(C) resolving disputes through nonviolent mediation and
negotiation; and
(D) stabilizing societies by enhancing the effectiveness of
security services, peacekeeping efforts, institutions, and
decision-making processes.
(3) Research shows that--
(A) peace negotiations are more likely to end in a peace
agreement when women's groups play an influential role in the
negotiation process;
(B) once reached, a peace agreement is 35 percent more
likely to last at least 15 years if women have participated
in the negotiation process; and
(C) when women meaningfully participate, peace negotiations
are more likely to address the underlying causes of the
conflict, leading to more sustainable outcomes.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the meaningful participation of women in conflict
prevention and conflict resolution processes helps to promote
more inclusive and democratic societies and is critical to
the long-term stability of countries and regions;
(2) the political participation and leadership of women in
fragile environments, particularly during democratic
transitions, is critical to sustaining lasting democratic
institutions; and
(3) the United States should be a global leader in
promoting the meaningful participation of women in conflict
prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict
relief and recovery efforts.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It shall be the policy of the United States to promote the
meaningful participation of women in all aspects of conflict
prevention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict
relief and recovery efforts, reinforced through diplomatic
efforts and programs that--
(1) integrate the perspectives and interests of affected
women into conflict-prevention activities and strategies;
(2) encourage partner governments to adopt plans to improve
the meaningful participation of women in peace and security
processes and decision-making institutions;
(3) promote the physical safety, economic security, and
dignity of women and girls;
(4) support the equal access of women to aid distribution
mechanisms and services;
(5) collect and analyze gender data for the purpose of
developing and enhancing early warning systems of conflict
and violence;
(6) adjust policies and programs to improve outcomes in
gender equality and the empowerment of women; and
(7) monitor, analyze, and evaluate the efforts related to
each strategy submitted under section 5 and the impact of
such efforts.
SEC. 5. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO PROMOTE THE PARTICIPATION
OF WOMEN IN CONFLICT PREVENTION AND PEACE
BUILDING.
(a) Requirement.--Not later than October 1, 2017, October
1, 2022, and October 1, 2027, the President, in consultation
with the heads of the relevant Federal departments and
agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees and make publicly available a single government-
wide strategy, to be known as the Women, Peace, and Security
Strategy, that provides a detailed description of how the
United States intends to fulfill the policy objectives in
section 4. The strategy shall--
(1) support and be aligned with plans developed by other
countries to improve the meaningful participation of women in
peace and security processes, conflict prevention, peace
building, transitional processes, and decision-making
institutions; and
(2) include specific and measurable goals, benchmarks,
performance metrics, timetables, and monitoring and
evaluation plans, to ensure the accountability and
effectiveness of all policies and initiatives carried out
under the strategy.
(b) Specific Plans for Agencies.--Each strategy under
subsection (a) shall include a specific implementation plan
from each of the relevant Federal departments and agencies
that describes--
(1) the anticipated contributions of the department or
agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind
contributions, to implement the strategy; and
(2) the efforts of the department or agency to ensure that
the policies and initiatives carried out pursuant to the
strategy are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term
sustainability.
(c) Department of State Implementation.--Within each
relevant bureau of the Department of State, the Secretary of
State shall task the current Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary with the responsibility for the implementation of
the strategy under subsection (a) and the specific
implementation plan for the Department under subsection (b),
with respect to the roles and responsibilities of such
bureau. The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretaries tasked
with such responsibility shall meet, at least twice a year,
to review the implementation of the strategy and the plan and
to contribute to the report under section 8(b).
(d) Coordination.--The President should promote the
meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, in
coordination and consultation with international partners,
including multilateral organizations, stakeholders, and other
relevant international organizations, particularly in
situations in which the direct engagement of the United
States is not appropriate or advisable.
(e) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the President, in implementing each strategy submitted under
subsection (a), should--
(1) provide technical assistance, training, and logistical
support to female negotiators, mediators, peace builders, and
stakeholders;
(2) address security-related barriers to the meaningful
participation of women;
(3) increase the participation of women in existing
programs funded by the United States Government that provide
training to foreign nationals regarding law enforcement, the
rule of law, or professional military education;
(4) support appropriate local organizations, especially
women's peace building organizations;
(5) support the training, education, and mobilization of
men and boys as partners in support of the meaningful
participation of women;
(6) encourage the development of transitional justice and
accountability mechanisms that are inclusive of the
experiences and perspectives of women and girls;
(7) expand and apply gender analysis to improve program
design and targeting; and
(8) conduct assessments that include the perspectives of
women before implementing any new initiatives in support of
peace negotiations, transitional justice and accountability,
efforts to counter violent extremism, or security sector
reform.
SEC. 6. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE PARTICIPATION OF
WOMEN IN CONFLICT PREVENTION AND PEACE
BUILDING.
(a) Foreign Service.--The Secretary of State, in
conjunction with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, shall ensure that all
appropriate personnel (including special envoys, members of
mediation or negotiation teams, relevant members of the civil
service or Foreign Service, and contractors) responsible for
or deploying to countries or regions
[[Page H6190]]
considered to be at risk of, undergoing, or emerging from
violent conflict obtain training, as appropriate, in the
following areas, each of which shall include a focus on women
and ensuring meaningful participation by women:
(1) Conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution.
(2) Protecting civilians from violence, exploitation, and
trafficking in persons.
(3) International human rights law and international
humanitarian law.
(b) Department of Defense.--The Secretary of Defense shall
ensure that relevant personnel receive training, as
appropriate, in the following areas:
(1) Training in conflict prevention, peace processes,
mitigation, resolution, and security initiatives that
specifically addresses the importance of meaningful
participation by women.
(2) Gender considerations and meaningful participation by
women, including training regarding--
(A) international human rights law and international
humanitarian law, as relevant; and
(B) protecting civilians from violence, exploitation, and
trafficking in persons.
(3) Effective strategies and best practices for ensuring
meaningful participation by women.
SEC. 7. CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development shall establish guidelines for overseas United
States personnel of the Department or the Agency, as the case
may be, to consult with stakeholders regarding United States
efforts to--
(1) prevent, mitigate, or resolve violent conflict; and
(2) enhance the success of mediation and negotiation
processes by ensuring the meaningful participation of women.
(b) Frequency and Scope.--The consultations required under
subsection (a) shall take place regularly and include a range
and representative sample of stakeholders, including local
women, youth, ethnic and religious minorities, and other
politically under-represented or marginalized populations.
(c) Collaboration and Coordination.--The Secretary of State
should work with international, regional, national, and local
organizations to increase the meaningful participation of
women in international peacekeeping operations, and should
promote training that provides international peacekeeping
personnel with the substantive knowledge and skills needed to
ensure effective physical security and meaningful
participation of women in conflict prevention and peace
building.
SEC. 8. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
(a) Briefing.--The Secretary of State, in conjunction with
the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development and the Secretary of Defense, shall
brief the appropriate congressional committees, not later
than one year after the date of the first submission of a
strategy required under section 5, on--
(1) existing, enhanced, and newly established training
carried out pursuant to section 6; and
(2) the guidelines established for overseas United States
personnel to engage in consultations with stakeholders,
pursuant to section 7.
(b) Report on Women, Peace, and Security Strategy.--Not
later than two years after the date of the submission of each
strategy required under section 5, the President shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees a report that--
(1) summarizes and evaluates the implementation of such
strategy and the impact of United States diplomatic efforts
and foreign assistance programs, projects, and activities to
promote the meaningful participation of women;
(2) describes the nature and extent of the coordination
among the relevant Federal departments and agencies on the
implementation of such strategy;
(3) outlines the monitoring and evaluation tools,
mechanisms, and common indicators to assess progress made on
the policy objectives in section 4; and
(4) describes the existing, enhanced, and newly established
training carried out pursuant to section 6.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed
Services, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Armed
Services, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives.
(2) Stakeholders.--The term ``stakeholders'' means non-
governmental and private sector entities engaged in or
affected by conflict prevention and stabilization, peace
building, protection, security, transition initiatives,
humanitarian response, or related efforts, including--
(A) registered or non-registered nonprofit organizations,
advocacy groups, business or trade associations, labor
unions, cooperatives, credit unions, relief or development
organizations, community and faith-based organizations,
philanthropic foundations, and tribal leaders or structures;
(B) independent media, educational, or research
institutions; and
(C) private enterprises, including international
development firms, banks, and other financial institutions,
particularly small businesses and businesses owned by women
or disadvantaged groups.
(3) Meaningful participation.--The term ``meaningful
participation'' means safe, genuine, and effective access to,
and present and active involvement in the full range of
formal or informal processes related to negotiation or
mediation with respect to any efforts toward the following:
(A) Conflict prevention.
(B) Resolution or mitigation of, or transition from,
violent conflict.
(C) Peacekeeping and peace building.
(D) Post-conflict reconstruction, transition initiatives,
elections, and governance.
(E) Humanitarian response and recovery.
(4) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term
``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means--
(A) the United States Agency for International Development;
(B) the Department of State;
(C) the Department of Defense;
(D) the Department of Homeland Security; and
(E) any other department or agency specified by the
President for purposes of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include any extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure. This is the Women,
Peace, and Security Act of 2016. It is H.R. 5332.
I want to recognize Representative Kristi Noem and Representative Jan
Schakowsky for their bipartisan leadership on this measure and, of
course, Ranking Member Engel for his important work on it.
Earlier this year, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing. This
was part of our series on women in foreign affairs, where we heard
powerful testimony about the importance of including women in peace
processes around the world. We heard from those who had been engaged,
including the powerful voice of one who had helped bring about the
peace process in Northern Ireland.
It may seem obvious that women should have an opportunity to
represent their communities as a matter of right--they make up half of
the population. And what negotiation, what agreement, can claim to
represent women if their participation is barred.
Our hearing also emphasized another fact, and that is why women's
participation in peace processes is important if we care about the
likelihood of the success of that process. Simply put, when women are
at the negotiating table, peace is more likely.
Why would that be? Because research shows that a peace agreement is
more likely to be reached--in fact, 35 percent more likely to last at
least 15 years--when women are involved. When you consider that
historically half of all peace agreements fail--and they fail within
the first 5 years--women's involvement becomes imperative. Think about
the lives saved and the economies maintained by a 35 percent decrease
in repeated conflicts.
Mr. Speaker, from Liberia to Northern Ireland, we have watched women
play pivotal roles in that effort of reaching out to governments,
lobbying governments, impressing the combatants, and pushing
politicians to end a conflict.
{time} 1245
Women peacemakers often press warring parties to move beyond mere
power-sharing agreements that benefit only a small percentage of
fighters and, instead, shift that ground, debate over a comprehensive
and longer term accord, and reach those accords that benefit the full
civilian population as a whole. Once an agreement is reached, these
women can play a critical role in building support within the
communities, and that is why the legislation before us today is so
important. This bill recognizes the fact that it is in our
[[Page H6191]]
national interest to promote women's participation in resolving
conflicts globally, and it requires a government-wide strategy--an
effort--to advance this goal.
In 2011, the administration issued a National Action Plan on Women,
Peace, and Security. Recently, it published its update, H.R. 5332. This
bill, which is the result of our work and the result of the authors'
work, builds on this effort by requiring specific goals and benchmarks
for women's participation, along with the regular reporting to Congress
so as to gauge progress. The bill also requires that appropriate State
Department and USAID and Defense Department personnel receive training
on how to facilitate women's participation in conflict resolution, in
security initiatives, and in efforts to protect civilians from violence
and exploitation. Then it pushes this concept and gets them into the
effort to do so.
I urge all Members to support its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC, November 2, 2016.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 5332, the Women,
Peace, and Security Act of 2016, as amended, which has been
referred to the Committee on Armed Services. I am writing to
confirm that, although there are certain provisions in the
bill that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Armed Services, the committee will forgo action
on this bill in order to expedite this legislation for floor
consideration.
I am glad we agree that forgoing consideration of the bill
does not prejudice the Committee on Armed Services with
respect to any future jurisdictional claim over the
provisions contained in the bill or similar legislation that
fall within the committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I request
you urge the Speaker to appoint members of the committee to
any conference committee convened to consider such
provisions.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the committee
report on H.R. 5332 and into the Congressional Record during
consideration of the measure on the House floor.
Sincerely,
William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, November 3, 2016.
Hon. William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
Chairman, House Armed Services Committee,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 5332, the Women, Peace,
and Security Act of 2016, and for agreeing to be discharged
from further consideration of that bill.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Armed Services, or prejudice its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the
future. I would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 5332 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work with your Committee as
this measure moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this measure.
Again, let me first thank our chairman, Ed Royce, for helping to
advance this bill. I thank the bill's authors: Representative Noem and
Representative Schakowsky. Representative Schakowsky, especially, has
been focusing for years on the vulnerabilities that face women and
girls in conflicts and on the unique role in which women can play in
working to build peace. Ms. Schakowsky has been spending a great deal
of her time in representing issues such as the one in this bill. In
fact, she was the first one who told me about the bill and what they
were doing in terms of putting it together; so I really want to commend
her.
It has been nearly 5 years, Mr. Speaker, since the Obama
administration unveiled the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and
Security. The idea at the center of the strategy is the importance of
women in their helping to prevent and resolve conflicts. Thanks to the
administration's efforts, the U.S. has worked to include women in
conflict prevention, negotiation, and resolution. We have promoted
efforts to enhance the physical and economic security of women around
the world, and we have sought to break through the barriers that have
stopped women from being full participants in peace processes. We
haven't taken these steps on a hunch. Research has shown that peace
negotiations are more likely to succeed when women have influential
positions in the negotiation process.
The bill we are considering would make these policies permanent. It
would build on what the Obama administration has accomplished by making
sure State Department, USAID, and Pentagon personnel are fully trained
on the unique strengths that women bring to conflict prevention and
resolution. It would also require annual reporting so that Congress can
stay apprised of these efforts. I think making this strategy permanent
is absolutely imperative. After all, even though the administration and
bipartisan leadership in Congress have seen the value of this approach,
we have no idea how future administrations and Presidents and
Congresses will view women or if they will fully appreciate how women's
participation can make our foreign policies stronger.
I am pleased to support this measure, and I urge all of my colleagues
to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
South Dakota (Mrs. Noem), the author of this bill.
Mrs. NOEM. I, personally, thank the chairman for considering this
important bill, and I thank Representative Schakowsky for being willing
to pursue policies such as this and get them signed into statute. That
is the only way we can really be assured that they will continue into
the future.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5332, the Women, Peace, and
Security Act. I introduced this bill with Representative Schakowsky to
increase and strengthen women's participation in peace negotiations and
in conflict prevention globally.
The threats to our national security are troubling, and groups like
ISIL are determined to destroy us and our system of values. Russia and
China are using economic and military forces to expand their global
influences. Middle East instability is raising questions as to how the
conflict will impact our global economy and America's national
security.
With so much occurring, peace negotiations are ongoing. At least one
study showed us that, in conflict resolution processes, a peace
agreement is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years when
women are involved. Women can often encourage healthy choices within
the home and can advocate for their children's education and welfare.
Both of these help ensure greater stability by giving young people
opportunity outside of conflict. Their roles in the global economy also
help raise countries out of poverty. By bringing these perspectives to
the negotiating table, different priorities often emerge, which make
peace negotiations much more likely to address a conflict's underlying
causes. We have seen this to be true in places like Northern Ireland,
Africa, and Asia.
With all of this in mind, I introduced the Women, Peace, and Security
Act, along with Representative Schakowsky, and with Chairman Royce's
and Ranking Member Engel's help. The bipartisan legislation ensures
that women have a seat at the table when peace negotiations are
ongoing. It makes sure that there is meaningful congressional
oversight. This bill builds on existing U.S. initiatives while
requiring a focused and long-term strategy with greater congressional
oversight. Our legislation will help introduce further accountability.
By doing so, I am hopeful that we can provide even greater
sustainability outcomes during future conflict resolutions and peace
negotiation processes.
I thank the Speaker for considering H.R. 5332, and I urge my
colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who has played such a leading role on these
issues.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank my colleague for yielding.
[[Page H6192]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5332, the Women, Peace, and
Security Act.
First, I thank my partner in this effort, Congresswoman Kristi Noem,
for all of her work in making this day come, as well as to thank
Chairman Royce, who not only spoke so eloquently about the importance
of this legislation, but who helped to make it happen today. I thank
Ranking Member Engel for his leadership in moving this legislation
forward. I am so appreciative.
This is a bipartisan, budget-neutral bill to encourage the
participation of women in creating peace. As Congressman Royce said,
when women are involved in the peace process, negotiations are more
likely to end in lasting agreements. He is right in that the
International Peace Institute found that a peace agreement is 35
percent more likely to last for at least 15 years if women participate
in drafting the agreement. The study also found that, with a 5 percent
increase in women's political participation, a nation is five times
less likely to use violence when faced with international crisis or
conflict. Promoting the participation of women abroad is in our
country's strategic interest as it increases stability and economic
prosperity. However, women remain underrepresented in conflict
prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict peace-building
efforts around the world.
The Women, Peace, and Security Act is a step toward fixing that
imbalance and promoting a more peaceful future. The Women, Peace, and
Security Act would, for the very first time, establish women's
participation as a permanent element of U.S. foreign policy under
congressional oversight. It would also promote greater transparency and
accountability in efforts at the Department of Defense and the
Department of State. Under the Women, Peace, and Security Act, those
departments would report annually to Congress on efforts to actively
recruit women and to promote women's participation in conflict
prevention and resolution.
The bill would encourage the United States to assist women mediators
and negotiators by eliminating barriers to their equal and secure
participation in peace processes. In addition, it would institute
comprehensive training modules on the protection, rights, and specific
needs of women in conflict and would require the administration to
evaluate the impact of U.S. foreign assistance on women's meaningful
political participation.
The United States plays such a crucial role in promoting peace all
over the world. By making women's participation in the peace process a
national priority, we will improve national and global security. I am
proud to join Congresswoman Noem in championing this legislation, and I
encourage my colleagues to support its passage.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Once again, I thank Chairman Ed Royce as well as Representatives Noem
and Schakowsky for their hard work. This is truly bipartisan and is
very good for the country.
This is one of these issues that wouldn't have occurred to many
people a generation ago or even a decade ago, but thanks to hard work,
research, and innovative thinking, we now know how critical it is that
women have a seat at the table when we are working to prevent and
resolve conflicts. This bill will help ensure that our foreign policy
stays on the cutting edge.
I hope, in the future, we will continue to do the hard work that is
needed to drive new ideas in foreign policy and to understand the
complexities and sensitivities of our interconnected, global landscape.
This isn't kid stuff, and we shouldn't treat it lightly; so I am
grateful for the commitment of my colleagues that has helped move this
bill forward. I urge a ``yes'' vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
From Syria to Afghanistan to Sudan, armed conflicts are raging all
over this globe, and efforts to negotiate their ends are more important
now than ever. We know that when women are included in these
discussions that we are much more likely to see an enduring peace. As a
witness at our hearing on women's participation explained: including
women is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.
The legislation before us today will strengthen U.S. efforts to
promote the inclusion of women in peace negotiations in order to create
more sustainable agreements and reduce that likelihood that we have
seen over and over and over again of a return to conflict.
I take this moment to thank Representatives Noem and Schakowsky for
their bipartisan work on this measure. I also want to mention a few
staff members who have not only worked on our series of focusing month
after month on empowering women in negotiations, but on issues beyond
that--human trafficking. I especially want to thank Jessica Kelch,
Janice Kaguyutan, Renee Munasifi, and Elizabeth Cunningham. I thank
them all for their efforts throughout the years on these issues.
As we close, I really urge all of my colleagues to support this
important legislation.
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. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5332, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to ensure
that the United States promotes the meaningful participation of women
in mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, mitigate, or
resolve violent conflict.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________