[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6079-H6082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GANDHI-KING SCHOLARLY EXCHANGE INITIATIVE ACT
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5517) to affirm the friendship of the governments of the United
States of America and the Republic of India, and to establish a
bilateral partnership for collaboration to advance development and
shared values, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5517
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 ``Gandhi-King Scholarly
Exchange Initiative Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The peoples of the United States and India have a long
history of friendship and
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the interests of the peoples of the United States, India, and
the world will benefit from a stronger United States-India
partnership.
(2) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.,
were dedicated leaders fighting for social justice and social
change, peace, and civil rights in their respective
communities, and countries and in the world.
(3) The use of nonviolent civil disobedience is a shared
tactic that has played a key role in defeating social
injustice in India, the United States, and in other parts of
the world.
(4) Mohandas Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 1869, was
murdered on January 30, 1948, after dedicating his life to
the peaceful empowerment of the people of India and to the
end of British colonial rule.
(5) Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born on January 15,
1929, was murdered on April 4, 1968, after a life dedicated
to peaceful movements against segregation, discrimination,
racial injustice, and poverty.
(6) In February 1959, Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott
King, traveled throughout India. By the end of his monthlong
visit, Dr. King said, ``I am more convinced than ever before
that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent
weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for
justice and human dignity.''.
(7) Fifty years after Dr. King's visit, All India Radio,
the national radio station of India, discovered a taped
message by Dr. King that emphasized the intellectual harmony
between the messages of Dr. King and Mohandas Gandhi on
nonviolent social action.
(8) On August 22, 2011, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
National Memorial opened to the public in Washington, DC.
This newest memorial on the National Mall pays tribute to Dr.
King's national and international contributions to world
peace through nonviolent social change.
(9) The 116th Congress coincides with both the 150th birth
anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi and the 90th birth anniversary
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(10) Mohandas Gandhi, who employed the principle of
satyagraha, or ``fighting with peace'', has come to represent
the moral force inspiring many civil and social rights
movement around the world.
(11) Dr. King's effective use of Gandhi's principles was
instrumental to the American civil rights movement.
(12) There is a long history of civil and social rights
movements in the United States and in India. As the
relationship between the United States and India evolves, a
binational foundation through which the governments of each
country can work together and catalyze private investment
toward development objectives would provide an ongoing,
productive institution and symbol of the friendship and
common ideals of the respective governments and their
peoples.
(13) There is a global goal of ending tuberculosis by 2030,
the United States and India seek a TB-Free India by 2025, and
the United States-India Gandhi-King Foundation will help
address gaps across the TB value chain in prevention,
detection, diagnosis, and treatment, and would catalyze
market-based strategies to bridge the service gap for the
``last mile''.
(14) Leaders in both countries belonging to both major
political parties have prioritized the United States-India
relationship and on a bipartisan basis continue to support a
strengthened United States-India partnership, recognizing
that it will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st
century.
SEC. 3. GANDHI-KING SCHOLARLY EXCHANGE INITIATIVE.
In order to further the shared ideals and values of
Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr, the Secretary of
State shall establish, in cooperation with the appropriate
representatives of the Government of India, a professional
exchange program known as the ``Gandhi-King Scholarly
Exchange Initiative''. The initiative should be comprised of
the following:
(1) An annual educational forum for scholars from the
United States and India that focuses on the social justice
and human and civil rights legacies of Mohandas Gandhi and
Martin Luther King, Jr., which shall--
(A) be held alternately in the United States and in India;
(B) include representatives from governments,
nongovernmental organizations, civic organizations, and
educational, cultural, women's, civil, and human rights
groups, including religious and ethnic minorities and
marginalized communities; and
(C) focus on studying the works of Gandhi and King, and
applying their philosophies of nonviolent resistance to
addressing current issues, including poverty alleviation,
conflict mitigation, human and civil rights challenges,
refugee crises, and threats to democracy and democratic norms
in countries around the world.
(2) An undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate student
exchange for students in the United States and India to--
(A) study the history and legacies of Martin Luther King,
Jr., and Mohandas Gandhi;
(B) visit historic sites in India and the United States
that were integral to the American civil rights movement and
the Indian independence movement; and
(C) research and develop papers on the importance of peace,
nonviolence, and reconciliation in current conflict regions.
SEC. 4. GANDHI-KING GLOBAL ACADEMY.
(a) In General.--The president and chief executive officer
of the United States Institute of Peace shall create a
professional development training initiative on conflict
resolution tools based on the principles of nonviolence. Such
training initiative shall be known as the Gandhi-King Global
Academy and shall--
(1) target representatives from governments,
nongovernmental organizations, civic organizations, and
educational, cultural, women's, civil, and human rights
groups, including religious and ethnic minorities and
marginalized communities in countries with ongoing political,
social, ethnic, or violent conflict;
(2) include a specific focus on the success of nonviolent
movements, inclusion, and representation in conflict
resolution;
(3) develop a curriculum on conflict resolution tools based
on the principles of nonviolence; and
(4) make the curriculum publicly available online, in
person, and through a variety of media.
(b) Prohibition.--The United States Institute of Peace may
not, in the course of any activity authorized by subsection
(a), enter into any contract with an outside entity to
conduct advocacy on its behalf.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES-INDIA GANDHI-KING
DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION.
(a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State and in coordination
with appropriate counterparts in the Government of India, is
authorized to establish, on such terms and conditions as are
determined necessary and notwithstanding any other provision
of law, one or more legal entities to compose the United
States-India Gandhi-King Development Foundation (in this
section referred to as the ``Foundation''). Each such legal
entity within the Foundation shall be organized under the
laws of India and shall not be considered to be an agency or
establishment of the United States Government and shall not
have the full faith and credit of the United States.
(b) Functions.--The Foundation, through one or more
entities referred to in subsection (a)--
(1) shall identify development priorities and administer
and oversee competitively-awarded grants to private
nongovernmental entities to address such priorities in India,
including--
(A) health initiatives addressing tuberculosis (TB), water,
sanitation, and health (WASH), and pollution and related
health impacts (PHI);
(B) pollution, plastic waste reduction, and climate-related
shocks;
(C) education; and
(D) empowerment of women;
(2) should provide credible platforms and models, including
returnable capital to attract and blend public and private
capital, which can then be deployed efficiently and
effectively to address the priorities identified in paragraph
(1).
(c) Additionality.--
(1) In general.--Before an entity within the Foundation
makes a grant under subsection (b)(1) to address a priority
identified under such subsection, the Foundation shall ensure
that private sector entities are afforded an opportunity to
support the projects funded by such grants.
(2) Safeguards, policies, and guidelines.--The Foundation
shall develop appropriate safeguards, policies, and
guidelines to ensure that grants made under subsection (b)(1)
operate according to internationally recognized best
practices and standards.
(d) Limitations.--No party receiving a grant made under
subsection (b)(1) may receive such grant in an amount that is
more than five percent of amounts appropriated or otherwise
made available under section 7(a)(3) to the entity in the
Foundation making such grant.
(e) Governing Council.--
(1) Purpose.--The Government of the United States and the
Government of India shall convene a Governing Council to
provide guidance and direction to the Foundation.
(2) Appointment of members.--The Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall appoint a
majority of the Governing Council of the Foundation for a
period of five years following the establishment of the
Foundation.
(3) Charter.--The Governing Council of the Foundation shall
adopt a charter for the operation of the Foundation, which
shall include provisions to--
(A) identify development priorities or a process to
identify development priorities;
(B) define criteria for application, merit review, and
awarding of grants by the Foundation;
(C) establish an annual organization-wide audit by an
independent auditor in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards, the results of which shall be made
immediately available to the Board, the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, and the
appropriate Government of India counterpart;
(D) assist in the creation of project specific timetables
for each of the projects funded by a grant from the
Foundation;
(E) establish an oversight role and march-in audit rights
for the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development and the appropriate Government of
India counterpart; and
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(F) establish an annual report on the activities of the
Foundation to be made publicly available.
(f) Publicly Available Project Information.--The Foundation
shall maintain a user-friendly, publicly available, machine
readable database with detailed project level information, as
appropriate and to the extent practicable, including a
description of the grants made by the Foundation under this
section and project level performance metrics.
(g) Detail of United States Government Personnel to the
Foundation.--
(1) In general.--Whenever the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development or the Secretary
of State determines it to be in furtherance of the purposes
of this Act, the Administrator and the Secretary are
authorized to detail or assign any officer or employee of the
Agency or the Department, respectively, to any position in
the Foundation to provide technical, scientific, or
professional assistance to the Foundation or, in cooperation
with the Foundation, to implementing partners of the
Foundation, without reimbursement to the United States
Government.
(2) Status.--Any United States Government officer or
employee, while detailed or assigned under this subsection,
shall be considered, for the purpose of preserving their
allowances, privileges, rights, seniority, and other benefits
as such, an officer or employee of the United States
Government and of the agency of the United States Government
from which detailed or assigned, and shall continue to
receive compensation, allowances, and benefits from program
funds appropriated to that agency or made available to that
agency for purposes related to the activities of the detail
or assignment, in accordance with authorities related to
their employment status and agency policies.
(3) Sunset.--The authorities provided under this subsection
shall terminate on the date that is five years after the
establishment of the Foundation.
SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Initial Reports.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act--
(1) the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a
report on the Secretary of State's plan to establish the
initiative authorized under section 3;
(2) the president and chief executive officer of the United
States Institute of Peace shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a
report on the president and chief executive officer's plan to
establish the initiative authorized under section 4; and
(3) the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development shall submit to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a
report on the Administrator's plan to establish, not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the organization authorized under section 5.
(b) Periodic Updates.--Upon the request of the committees
specified in subsection (a), the Secretary of State,
president and chief executive officer of the United States
Institute of Peace, and Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development shall submit to such
committees an update on the progress in implementing each of
the initiatives or establishing the organization referred to
in such subsection.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out--
(1) section 3, up to $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2021 through 2025 to the Secretary of State
(2) section 4, up to $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 to the
United States Institute of Peace;
(3) section 5, up to $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 to
the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development; and
(4) section 5, up to $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2022 through 2025, if the private sector in India commits
amounts equal to that contributed by the United States.
(c) Sense of Congress on Foreign Assistance Funds.--It is
the sense of Congress that the authorization of
appropriations under subsection (a) should be renewable for
one or more periods of not more than 5 years if the Secretary
of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development,
determines that the Foundation's work is successful in
addressing the priorities identified in section 5(b)(1) and
that the private sector in India has committed funds to the
Foundation in accordance with subsection (a)(4).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 5517, the Gandhi-King Scholarly
Exchange Initiative Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in strong support of the Gandhi-
King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act, a measure championed by our
late friend and colleague, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia.
In 2009, John traveled to India to commemorate the 50th anniversary
of Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King's journey to explore
Gandhi's teachings on the use of nonviolent direct action to advance
social justice. John's trip and his decades of civil rights work in
public service--what he would call ``good trouble''--led to the Gandhi-
King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act.
This legislation honors the longstanding friendship between the
people of the United States and India and establishes an educational
exchange program to advance the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi and Dr.
King. It also establishes a development foundation that would allow
India and the United States to work together to address pressing
issues, like climate change, education, and public health.
At a time when our country is struggling to come to terms with the
reality of systemic racism, I can think of no better time to advance
the work of Gandhi; King; and John Lewis, our friend and colleague.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this measure, and I hope all of my
colleagues will do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, after years of working with India to address certain
development challenges, the United States has seen impressive results.
The best results so far is that India, who was once a recipient of
foreign aid, is now a donor country, but there is still a lot of work
to be done.
This is especially true when it comes to fighting tuberculosis,
improving water sanitation, increasing education, and empowering women.
That is why I urge my colleagues to support the Gandhi-King Scholarly
Exchange Initiative Act.
This bill, authored by the late Representative John Lewis, supports
the establishment of a development fund that will continue our fight to
improve these areas of concern. In addition, it will transition
management of these programs from the United States to India. It is a
public-private partnership powered by the Government of India and the
private sector, and it is a true testament to how far India has come.
This bill also honors the legacy of two men that it is named for,
Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., by creating a professional
exchange program to study pressing global challenges, including the
struggle for civil rights, the fight to end poverty, and strategies to
decrease global conflicts.
Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to honor the remarkable legacy of
Representative John Lewis, who first introduced this legislation. I am
proud to be here on the floor with Chairman Engel in support of his
bill. The creation of this foundation is just another example of his
dedication to improving the lives of so many people not only here in
the United States, but around the world. I thank the late
Representative John Lewis, and I thank my friend, Chairman Engel, for
bringing this important bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, the goal of U.S. foreign assistance should
always be that countries graduate from our aid. Today, we move one step
closer to this goal with the authorization of the US-India Gandhi-King
Development Foundation.
This bill further affirms a strong bilateral relationship between
United States and India and will strengthen
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our ties to the world's largest democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this
important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud we are considering this excellent measure
written by our dear friend, John Lewis. I know we all miss John dearly,
but his legacy of advancing the cause of righteousness and justice
lives on, and this is a good example.
John championed the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act to
further the teachings of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Their
work on civil rights and social justice should be a beacon for us all,
and I am pleased we can pass a measure today to continue their
invaluable work for humanity.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and partner, Mr. McCaul. It is a
pleasure once again to work with him on the committee and to work on
legislation for the country and the world.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation, and I urge my
colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor and a member of the
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I rise in strong
support of H.R. 5517, the ``Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative
Act'', which establishes an exchange initiative between the United
States and India to study the work and legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and
Martin Luther King Jr.
First and foremost, I wish to express my gratitude and fondness for
my former colleague and dear friend, John Lewis, who passed away a few
months ago, for introducing and leading this vital piece of
legislation.
By passing this bill today, we authorize the U.S. Department of
State, in cooperation with the Indian Government, to incorporate three
new programs:
the Gandhi-King Scholarly Initiative, which creates an annual
educational forum for scholars from both countries that focuses on the
legacies of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr;
the Gandhi-King Global Academy, a United States Institute of Peace
(USIP) program tasked with developing a professional development
training initiative on conflict resolution based on the principles of
nonviolence; and
the United States-India Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which
establishes a foundation to address social, environmental, and health
priorities in India.
Mr. Speaker, Congressman Lewis was a giant among us mere mortals.
Not only was he the conscience of the Congress, widely beloved and
revered on both sides of the aisle, but he was also one of the Original
Big Six, a pillar of the Civil Rights Movement, and a lifelong warrior
for a more just, equitable, and better America.
Like Gandhi and Dr. King, Congressman Lewis shaped the world through
his actions of nonviolence, and it is in his honor that we gather here
today to vote on a bill he championed.
To quote Congressman Lewis, ``Both Gandhi and King were inspired
human beings who believed deeply in the power of nonviolent resistance
to injustice as a tool for social change.''
It is because of their courage, commitment, and vision of a more
tolerant and equitable world that we are all able to enjoy and practice
our most fundamental democratic freedoms.
As the world's oldest and largest democracies, the United States and
India have long traditions of upholding these shared values of
nonviolent revolutions championed by figures like Gandhi, King, and
Lewis.
But as we have seen over the past few years, both countries have
experienced significant affronts to the fundamental democratic
principles, which threaten to erode the values that these men and many
others have given their lives to protect.
Mr. Speaker, the ``Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act''
seeks to apply the philosophies of Gandhi and Dr. King to conflict
resolution efforts and current policy challenges.
With this legislation, we seek to embody the best of what we saw of
Gandhi, Dr. King, and Congressman Lewis in their fight for equality and
justice as well as seek to preserve these values so that future
generations are empowered and able to continue the fight against
injustice.
Just a few months ago, the world was reminded of the power nonviolent
resistance has to effect positive change in the face of grave
injustices.
In the wake of George Floyd's murder, millions of people across the
world and in all 50 states within the U.S. gathered together to
peacefully protest against police brutality.
People of different races, socioeconomic classes, ethnicities,
genders, and sexual orientations came together to demonstrate in the
most democratic way possible.
Mr. Speaker, those marches, which were, without a doubt, inspired by
the marches led by Gandhi and Dr. King, have resulted in a genuine
dialogue about institutional racism in this country and have awakened
efforts to reform the system, so that it truly benefits all people.
I am honored to be a leader on this bill, and I urge all Members to
join me in voting for H.R. 5517, the ``Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange
Initiative Act.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cuellar). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5517, 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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