[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11074-11078]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HEALTH, SAFETY, AND SECURITY OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS ACT OF 2004

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4060) to amend the Peace Corps Act to establish an 
Ombudsman and an Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4060

       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 ``Health, Safety, and Security 
     of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. OMBUDSMAN OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.) is amended by 
     inserting after section 4 the following new section:

     ``SEC. 4A. OMBUDSMAN OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Peace 
     Corps the Office of the Ombudsman of the Peace Corps 
     (hereinafter in this section referred to as the `Office'). 
     The Office shall be headed by the Ombudsman of the Peace 
     Corps (hereinafter in this section referred to as the 
     `Ombudsman'), who shall be appointed by and report directly 
     to the Director of the Peace Corps.
       ``(b) Volunteer Complaints and Other Matters.--The 
     Ombudsman shall receive and, as appropriate, inquire into 
     complaints, questions, or concerns submitted by current or 
     former volunteers regarding services or support provided by 
     the Peace Corps to its volunteers, including matters 
     pertaining to--
       ``(1) the safety and security of volunteers;
       ``(2) due process, including processes relating to 
     separation from the Peace Corps;
       ``(3) benefits and assistance that may be due to current or 
     former volunteers;
       ``(4) medical or other health-related assistance; and
       ``(5) access to files and records of current or former 
     volunteers.
       ``(c) Employee Complaints and Other Matters.--The Ombudsman 
     shall receive and, as appropriate, inquire into complaints, 
     questions, or concerns submitted by current or former 
     employees of the Peace Corps on any matters of grievance.
       ``(d) Additional Duties.--The Ombudsman shall--

[[Page 11075]]

       ``(1) recommend responses to individual matters received 
     under subsections (b) and (c);
       ``(2) make recommendations for administrative or regulatory 
     adjustments to address recurring problems or other 
     difficulties of the Peace Corps;
       ``(3) identify systemic issues that relate to the 
     practices, policies, and administrative procedures of the 
     Peace Corps affecting volunteers and employees; and
       ``(4) call attention to problems not yet adequately 
     considered by the Peace Corps.
       ``(e) Standards of Operation.--The Ombudsman shall carry 
     out the duties under this section in a manner that is--
       ``(1) independent, impartial in the conduct of inquiries, 
     and confidential; and
       ``(2) consistent with the revised Standards for the 
     Establishment and Operation of Ombudsman Offices (August 
     2003) as endorsed by the American Bar Association.
       ``(f) Involvement in Matters Subject to Ongoing 
     Adjudication, Litigation, or Investigation.--The Ombudsman 
     shall refrain from any involvement in the merits of 
     individual matters that are the subject of ongoing 
     adjudication or litigation, or investigations related to such 
     adjudication or litigation.
       ``(g) Reports.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this section, and semiannually 
     thereafter, the Ombudsman shall submit to the Director of the 
     Peace Corps, the Chair of the Peace Corps National Advisory 
     Council, and Congress a report containing a summary of--
       ``(A) the complaints, questions, and concerns considered by 
     the Ombudsman;
       ``(B) the inquiries completed by the Ombudsman;
       ``(C) recommendations for action with respect to such 
     complaints, questions, concerns, or inquiries; and
       ``(D) any other matters that the Ombudsman considers 
     relevant.
       ``(2) Confidentiality.--Each report submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall maintain confidentiality on any matter 
     that the Ombudsman considers appropriate in accordance with 
     subsection (e).
       ``(h) Definition.--In this section, the term `employee' 
     means an employee of the Peace Corps, an employee of the 
     Office of Inspector General of the Peace Corps, an individual 
     appointed or assigned under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 
     (22 U.S.C. 3901 et seq.) to carry out functions under this 
     Act, or an individual subject to a personal services contract 
     with the Peace Corps.''.

     SEC. 3. OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       The Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 et seq.), as amended by 
     section 2 of this Act, is further amended by inserting after 
     section 4A the following new section:

     ``SEC. 4B. OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Peace 
     Corps the Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps 
     (hereinafter in this section referred to as the `Office'). 
     The Office shall be headed by the Associate Director of 
     Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, who shall be 
     appointed by and report directly to the Director of the Peace 
     Corps.
       ``(b) Responsibilities.--The Office established under 
     subsection (a) shall be responsible for all safety and 
     security activities of the Peace Corps, including background 
     checks of volunteers and staff, safety and security of 
     volunteers and staff (including training), safety and 
     security of facilities, security of information technology, 
     and other responsibilities as required by the Director.
       ``(c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress 
     that--
       ``(1) the Associate Director of Safety and Security of the 
     Peace Corps, as appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of this 
     section, should assign a Peace Corps country security 
     coordinator for each country where the Peace Corps has a 
     program of volunteer service for the purposes of carrying out 
     the field responsibilities of the Office established under 
     subsection (a); and
       ``(2) each country security coordinator--
       ``(A) should be under the supervision of the Peace Corps 
     country director in each such country;
       ``(B) should report directly to the Associate Director of 
     Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, as appointed pursuant 
     to subsection (a) of this section, on all matters of 
     importance as the country security coordinator considers 
     necessary;
       ``(C) should be responsible for coordinating with the 
     regional security officer of the Peace Corps responsible for 
     the country to which such country security officer is 
     assigned; and
       ``(D) should be a United States citizen who has access to 
     information, including classified information, relating to 
     the possible threats against Peace Corps volunteers.''.

     SEC. 4. OFFICE OF MEDICAL SERVICES OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       (a) Report on Medical Screening and Placement 
     Coordination.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps shall 
     submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
     that--
       (1) describes the medical screening procedures and 
     guidelines used by the office responsible for medical 
     services of the Peace Corps to determine whether an applicant 
     for Peace Corps service has worldwide clearance, limited 
     clearance, a deferral period, or is not medically, including 
     psychologically, qualified to serve in the Peace Corps as a 
     volunteer;
       (2) describes the procedures and guidelines used by the 
     Peace Corps to ensure that applicants for Peace Corps service 
     are matched with a host country where the applicant, 
     reasonable accommodations notwithstanding, can complete at 
     least two years of volunteer service without interruption due 
     to foreseeable medical conditions; and
       (3) with respect to each of the fiscal years 2000 through 
     2003 and the first six months of fiscal year 2004, states the 
     number of--
       (A) medical screenings of applicants conducted;
       (B) applicants who have received worldwide clearance, 
     limited clearance, deferral periods, and medical 
     disqualifications to serve;
       (C) appeals to the Medical Screening Review Board of the 
     Peace Corps and the number of times that an initial screening 
     decision was upheld;
       (D) requests to the head of the office responsible for 
     medical services of the Peace Corps for reconsideration of a 
     decision of the Medical Screening Review Board and the number 
     of times that the decision of the Medical Screening Review 
     Board was upheld by the head of such office;
       (E) Peace Corps volunteers who became medically qualified 
     to serve because of a decision of the Medical Screening 
     Review Board and who were later evacuated or terminated their 
     service early due to medical reasons;
       (F) Peace Corps volunteers who became medically qualified 
     to serve because of a decision of the head of the office 
     responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps and who 
     were later evacuated or terminated their service early due to 
     medical reasons;
       (G) Peace Corps volunteers who the agency has had to 
     separate from service due to the discovery of undisclosed 
     medical information; and
       (H) Peace Corps volunteers who have terminated their 
     service early due to medical, including psychological, 
     reasons.
       (b) Definition.--In subsection (a), the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means the Committee on 
     International Relations of the House of Representatives and 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
       (c) Full Time Director of Medical Services.--Section 4(c) 
     of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2503(c)) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(5) The Director of the Peace Corps shall ensure that the 
     head of the office responsible for medical services of the 
     Peace Corps does not occupy any other position in the Peace 
     Corps.''.

     SEC. 5. REPORTS ON THE ``FIVE YEAR RULE'' AND ON WORK 
                   ASSIGNMENTS OF VOLUNTEERS OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       (a) Report by the Comptroller General.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit 
     to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
     effects of the limitation on the duration of employment, 
     appointment, or assignment of officers and employees of the 
     Peace Corps under section 7 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 
     2506) on the ability of the Peace Corps to effectively manage 
     Peace Corps operations.
       (2) Contents.--The report described in paragraph (1) shall 
     include--
       (A) a description of such limitation;
       (B) a description of the history of such limitation and the 
     purposes for which it was enacted and amended;
       (C) an analysis of the impact of such limitation on the 
     ability of the Peace Corps to recruit capable volunteers, 
     establish productive and worthwhile assignments for 
     volunteers, provide for the health, safety, and security of 
     volunteers, and, as declared in section 2(a) of the Peace 
     Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501(a)), ``promote a better 
     understanding of the American people on the part of the 
     peoples served and a better understanding of other peoples on 
     the part of the American people'';
       (D) an assessment of whether the application of such 
     limitation has accomplished the objectives for which it was 
     intended; and
       (E) recommendations, if any, for legislation to amend 
     provisions of the Peace Corps Act relating to such 
     limitation.
       (b) Report on Work Assignments of Volunteers.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps 
     shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     report on the extent to which the work assignments of Peace 
     Corps volunteers fulfill the commitment of the Peace Corps to 
     ensuring that such assignments are well developed, with clear 
     roles and expectations, and that volunteers are well-suited 
     for their assignments.
       (2) Contents.--The report described in paragraph (1) shall 
     include--
       (A) an assessment of the extent to which agreements between 
     the Peace Corps and

[[Page 11076]]

     host countries delineate clear roles for volunteers in 
     assisting host governments to advance their national 
     development strategies;
       (B) an assessment of the extent to which the Peace Corps 
     recruits volunteers who have skills that correlate with the 
     expectations cited in the country agreements and assigns such 
     volunteers to such posts;
       (C) a description of procedures for determining volunteer 
     work assignments and minimum standards for such assignments;
       (D) a volunteer survey on health, safety, and security 
     issues as well as satisfaction surveys which will have been 
     conducted after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (E) an assessment of the plan of the Peace Corps to 
     increase the number of volunteers who are assigned to 
     projects in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Western 
     Hemisphere, particularly among communities of African descent 
     within countries in the Western Hemisphere, which help combat 
     HIV/AIDS and other global infectious diseases.
       (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means the Committee on 
     International Relations of the House of Representatives and 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

     SEC. 6. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE PEACE CORPS.

       (a) Establishment of Independent Inspector General.--
       (1) In general.--The Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
     U.S.C. App.) is amended--
       (A) in section 8G(a)(2), by striking ``, the Peace Corps'';
       (B) in section 9(a)(1), by adding at the end the following 
     new subparagraph:
       ``(X) of the Peace Corps, the office of that agency 
     referred to as the `Office of Inspector General'; and''; and
       (C) in section 11--
       (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or the Office of 
     Personnel Management'' and inserting ``the Office of 
     Personnel Management, or the Peace Corps''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, the Peace Corps'' 
     after ``the Office of Personnel Management''.
       (2) Technical amendment.--Section 9(a)(1)(U) of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by 
     striking ``and'' at the end.
       (b) Temporary Appointment.--The Director of the Peace Corps 
     may appoint an individual to assume the powers and duties of 
     the Inspector General of the Peace Corps under the Inspector 
     General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) on an interim basis until 
     such time as a person is appointed by the President, by and 
     with the advice and consent of the Senate, pursuant to the 
     amendments made in this section.
       (c) Exemption From Employment Term Limits Under the Peace 
     Corps Act.--
       (1) In general.--Section 7 of the Peace Corps Act (22 
     U.S.C. 2506) is amended--
       (A) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b); and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(c) The provisions of this section that limit the 
     duration of service, appointment, or assignment of 
     individuals shall not apply to--
       ``(1) the Inspector General of the Peace Corps;
       ``(2) officers of the Office of the Inspector General of 
     the Peace Corps;
       ``(3) any individual whose official duties primarily 
     include the safety and security of Peace Corps volunteers or 
     employees;
       ``(4) the head of the office responsible for medical 
     services of the Peace Corps; or
       ``(5) any health care professional within the office 
     responsible for medical services of the Peace Corps.''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--The first proviso of section 
     15(d)(4) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2514(d)(4)) is 
     amended by striking ``7(c)'' and inserting ``7(b)''.
       (d) Compensation.--Section 7 of the Peace Corps Act (22 
     U.S.C. 2506), as amended by subsection (c) of this section, 
     is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(d) The Inspector General of the Peace Corps shall be 
     compensated at the rate provided for level IV of the 
     Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
     States Code.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Health, Safety, and 
Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004.

                              {time}  1530

  The members of the Committee on International Relations received 
testimony in March at an important oversight hearing on the Peace 
Corps. We heard about some of the past problems and current problems 
the Peace Corps faces as it expands the number of volunteers around the 
world while at the same time taking into account the changed 
circumstances for American citizens living abroad during the post-
September 11 period.
  I am a very strong, long-time supporter of the Peace Corps. My 
colleagues and I who are strong supporters of the Peace Corps admire 
the sacrifice and important work that these volunteers do. We want to 
ensure through this legislation that the Peace Corps has the necessary 
procedures in place to protect our Nation's sons and daughters, or 
parents and grandparents, who dedicate 2 years of their lives to 
improving the circumstances of the peoples of the developing world.
  Mr. Speaker, at the March hearing we inquired into the adequacy of 
safety and security practices that govern volunteer assignments in more 
dangerous places around the world. We found that in Bolivia in 2001 the 
Peace Corps did not have in place the necessary management procedures 
to monitor or to account for a missing volunteer named Walter Poirier. 
We learned that the Poirier family of Lowell, Massachusetts, had to 
notify the Peace Corps that their son was missing. We understand from 
the General Accounting Office that the Peace Corps has taken important 
steps to remedy some of these problems, but still there is room for 
improvement.
  H.R. 4060 is intended to prepare the Peace Corps for expansion in a 
more dangerous world. The bill makes a number of important changes to 
the Peace Corps Act.
  The legislation creates the position of ombudsman to receive and 
inquire into complaints, questions or concerns raised by current or 
former volunteers or employees regarding services or support provided 
by the Peace Corps. The legislation statutorily creates an Office of 
Safety and Security within the Peace Corps to be headed by an Associate 
Director for Safety and Security who shall be responsible for all 
safety and security activities of the Peace Corps.
  This bill requires a report on the medical screening procedures and 
guidelines used by the Peace Corps to determine whether an applicant is 
medically and psychologically qualified to serve in the Peace Corps as 
a volunteer. The legislation also requires a report by the Comptroller 
General on the ``5-year rule'' which was cited by the GAO in previous 
reports as one of the reasons for an unacceptably high degree of staff 
turnover and loss of institutional memory, especially on safety and 
security matters.
  The legislation also creates a more independent Inspector General of 
the Peace Corps, exempting that individual and the staff of the I.G. 
from the 5-year rule, and creating more accountable oversight by this 
committee through increased access to information from the I.G. on all 
matters relating to the management of the Peace Corps.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation responds to the concerns addressed by 
our witnesses last week and also responds to the concerns raised by 
current and former volunteers who have contacted the committee to 
discuss their experience with the Peace Corps. I ask support for this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just say, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of this legislation; and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.
  First, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Hyde), the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos), and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). I want to thank 
all of them for their very strong interest and support of the Peace 
Corps, its nearly 8,000 volunteers and the larger Peace Corps 
community.

[[Page 11077]]

  Now, last year, Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives approved 
the Peace Corps Expansion Act, which is designed to double the size of 
the Peace Corps and to increase its effectiveness overseas.
  The legislation before us today builds upon this important initiative 
by focusing on the need to improve the safety and the security of our 
Peace Corps volunteers. While most Peace Corps volunteers have a safe 
and positive experience, the General Accounting Office testified before 
the committee that volunteers under-reported crimes against them in 
part due to the belief that the Peace Corps lacks the capacity or the 
willingness to help.
  The GAO and the other witnesses also testified that the lack of well-
developed assignments really discourages volunteers from adequately 
immersing themselves in their host communities and thereby benefiting 
from the protections afforded to members from these villages and also 
those towns.
  Finally, the witnesses noted that the administrative impediments such 
as limitations on terms of employment within the Peace Corps and 
worrisome changes within the Office of Medical Services constrain Peace 
Corps employees from providing the best possible support to volunteers.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill that we are considering today addresses these 
issues by establishing an ombudsman within the agency to listen and to 
attend to volunteer and employee concerns by increasing the 
independence of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps to strengthen 
his ability or her ability to act as a watchdog on behalf of 
volunteers, also by requiring the agency to study and to report to us 
on how it can improve programming for volunteers and by lifting the 
term limits for key offices within the agency. I strongly support all 
of these provisions.
  Now, just as I support this bill to enhance the security and well-
being of the volunteers, I also might mention support for legislation 
which I have introduced to create a special postage stamp through the 
Peace Stamp Act which calls for the creation of a stamp, the revenues 
from which would send money to the Peace Corps. This stamp would help 
provide funding, badly needed funding, for the increased Peace Corps 
force that President Bush has called for. This bill, H.R. 4060, which 
we have before us today, will help us ensure the well-being of an 
expanded Peace Corps.
  Mr. Speaker, we must not lose sight of the fact that Peace Corps 
volunteers for over 40 years have been doing extraordinary jobs as our 
development ambassadors to the most remote centers of the world. They 
have truly been our very best ambassadors; and they have been doing 
their jobs, quite frankly, under very difficult and oftentimes very 
risky conditions. However, as we consider measures to improve the 
health, safety and security of our volunteers, we must be careful not 
to forge shields around our volunteers which will make it harder for 
them to reach the young English student, for example, in Central Asia 
or the Women's Cooperative in Peru and to reach and really pursue their 
own growth and development. So there is this very delicate balance that 
we must meet and we must put together, and I believe this bill does 
that.
  I strongly support passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues 
to do so as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Farr), a good friend, a great leader in this House, a former Peace 
Corps volunteer who served in Colombia and who knows the Peace Corps 
backwards and forwards and who has provided many years of service not 
only in this body but in many legislative bodies, and I think 
especially and most importantly for us today as our Peace Corps 
volunteer.
  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Lee) for yielding me time and for allowing me to join her on the floor 
today. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and 
members of the committee for allowing me to attend the hearing that led 
to the markup of this bill.
  I served in the Peace Corps, and it holds a really special place in 
my heart, as it does for four other Members of Congress who are also 
return Peace Corps volunteers. Our colleagues, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Honda) and myself all are return Peace Corps volunteers.
  In the 1960s I spent 2 years serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in 
Colombia, South America. My experience as a Peace Corps volunteer 
helped me to motivate my life to public service and I think helped 
shape me into the person I am today. And there are tens and tens of 
thousands of Americans who have served in the Peace Corps in over 130 
countries throughout the world and who have had similar experiences.
  The vast majority of the return Peace Corps volunteers agree with the 
sentiment that the Peace Corps experience was the toughest job they 
ever loved. Peace Corps not only benefits individual Americans, but it 
also helps the developing world and makes the world a bit safer one 
volunteer at a time. The important community-based jobs the Peace Corps 
volunteers perform are instrumental in helping to bring about greater 
peace and security in the world. Not only are PCVs helping people in 
developing countries overcome poverty, one of the root causes of 
terrorism, they are also showing the world a different, friendlier face 
of what Americans are really like.
  Peace Corps volunteers live, eat and work amongst the people in 
countries from Albania to Zambia. In this type of environment, where a 
Peace Corps volunteer is teaching hand washing to a child or computer 
literacy to a brother, the realization quickly dawns on the people, 
regardless of their nationality, that we have more similarities than 
differences. This people-to-people interaction is the real recipe for 
creating more peace and stability in the world.
  Today we are discussing the Health, Safety and Security of Peace 
Corps Volunteers Act of 2004, which tries to improve the safety of 
volunteers who can sometime serve in isolated areas of the world. H.R. 
4060 addresses some important issues and tries to increase the safety 
and oversight of the Peace Corps.
  I am very pleased that this bill does not mandate that volunteers 
must be paired together in communities. The best security measure for 
Peace Corps volunteers is for them to integrate quickly into their 
communities. Pairing volunteers would impede I think in this 
integration into the host country.
  My major concern with H.R. 4060, though, is that the safety and 
security measures should not take away from the important existing 
budgetary requirements of the Peace Corps. Let me end by reminding this 
body that in the currently constricted budget environment we need to 
carefully allocate our resources. Just recently, General Abizaid, who 
is head of the Middle East, let our Committee on Appropriations know 
that he thought America would never be able to have world peace until 
we were able to cross the cultural divides.
  I cannot think of any better investment that the United States 
Congress can make than to fully fund the Peace Corps as the President 
has requested in his State of the Union Address. What he asked was to 
double the size of the Peace Corps, which we have, but now we have 
failed to meet the President's demands on what it will take to do that. 
That is a very bad mistake at this time in the history of the United 
States.
  I am glad the Congress is concerned with the safety of volunteers, 
but I urge each of our Members, when it comes to the appropriations 
process, let us meet the President's request. Let us fully fund the 
Peace Corps. Let us indeed teach America how to cross the cultural 
divide and create world peace forever.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I will close for our side with just these few comments. 
I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) for his 
comments and

[[Page 11078]]

for his really deep and abiding commitment to the Peace Corps.
  I will say that I have had the privilege since I guess about 1980 to 
travel and meet with Peace Corps volunteers throughout the world. What 
I have witnessed in terms of their level of commitment, their level of 
understanding of their work and their real commitment not only to their 
region or their community or their village where they are working but 
really to the entire world is really phenomenal; and I want to support 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) in his position and his 
comment that we need to fully fund the Peace Corps at the levels that 
the administration has requested.
  Having said that, let me just say how important this measure is 
today. Those Peace Corps volunteers who are out there, as I said 
earlier, representing our country, they are really our best 
ambassadors; and, minimally, we should provide for every bit of 
security and safety that they need, everything that they need to make 
their job not only rewarding but safe so that they can return and 
really share their experiences with those who have not had the 
opportunity to volunteer abroad and help develop even an expanded and 
larger Peace Corps force.
  Let me thank everyone for their support of this bill for ensuring 
that it is a bipartisan bill.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Lee) for managing the bill for the Democrats and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos) for his work in crafting this legislation. I 
especially want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for 
authoring this very important piece of legislation to make sure to the 
greatest extent possible that U.S. professionals--of all ages--who are 
deployed abroad as part of the Peace Corps, one of the finest U.S. 
initiatives ever created, get the best possible protection and 
security. We need to provide them protection, that is second to none, 
so that they can be safe and secure.

                              {time}  1545

  Obviously, when people are deployed to dangerous areas, there are 
risks that are associated with that commitment. Still, it is up to this 
Congress, the State Department, and the administration, to ensure that 
no stone is left unturned in trying to make sure that Peace Corps 
volunteers are safe and secure in that environment
  No bill comes to this floor without a tremendous amount of work by 
very competent staff, and Peter Smith has helped to draft this 
legislation. I want to thank him especially for his fine work and his 
skill and expertise in drafting this bill, as well as Paul Oostburg for 
his work on it as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support H.R. 4060.
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4060--the 
Health, Safety, and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004.
  This important measure amends the Peace Corps Act to establish the 
Office of the Ombudsman of the Peace Corps. This office will have the 
important role of addressing complaints or concerns regarding services 
or support provided by the Peace Corps to its Volunteers. The measure 
also establishes the Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, 
which as the title of the section implies, will be responsible for 
safety and security activities of the Peace Corps.
  The Peace Corps' mission of compassion, skill-sharing and diplomacy 
is more important today than ever before to our global village. As many 
parts of the world become an increasingly dangerous place to carry out 
this mission, we must do all we can to provide safety and security for 
our Volunteers.
  Since 1961, Peace Corps Volunteers have strengthened the ties of 
friendship and understanding between the people of the United States 
and those of other countries. Some one hundred and seventy thousand 
volunteers have served in 137 countries over the past 43 years to make 
an impact on this world. We owe it to these Volunteers to create 
avenues for their concerns to be heard.
  I am proud to say that as a young man, I served as a Volunteer in the 
Republic of El Salvador, building schools and health clinics, learning 
the language, and developing an enduring bond with the people, culture, 
and language. The experience instilled in me a profound connection to 
that country, and a dedication to improving international relations 
around the world.
  Over the past 43 years, the Peace Corps has become an enduring symbol 
of our nation's commitment to progress, opportunity, and development at 
the grass-roots level in the developing world.
  Mr. Speaker, the Peace Corps has been a part of my life for almost 
forty years. I have served as a Volunteer, I have supported important 
Peace Corps legislation and today I rise in support of the Health, 
Safety, and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4060.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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