[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

[[Page H6080]]

     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

[[Page H6081]]

       (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

[[Page H6082]]

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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