[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2626-2631]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ESTABLISHING THE HOUSE DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE COMMISSION FOR THE 110TH 
                                CONGRESS

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 24) establishing the House Democracy Assistance 
Commission for the One Hundred Tenth Congress, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 24

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

       There is established in the House of Representatives a 
     commission to be known as the House Democracy Assistance 
     Commission (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the 
     ``Commission'').

     SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMISSION.

       (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be 
     composed of 20 Members of the House of Representatives, of 
     whom 11 shall represent the majority party and be appointed 
     by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and 9 shall 
     represent the minority party and be appointed by the Minority 
     Leader of the House of Representatives.
       (b) Terms of Members of the House of Representatives.--Each 
     member of the Commission shall be appointed for a term that 
     is concurrent with the Congress in which the appointment is 
     made. Such a member may be reappointed for one or more 
     subsequent terms in accordance with the preceding sentence.
       (c) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall 
     be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     from among the members appointed by the Speaker of the House 
     of Representatives under subsection (a).

     SEC. 3. DUTIES.

       (a) Activities.--The Commission shall work with the 
     legislatures of partner countries, as determined pursuant to 
     paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b), on a frequent and 
     regular basis in order to--
       (1) enable Members, officers, and staff of the House of 
     Representatives and congressional support agencies to provide 
     expert advice and consultation to members and staff of the 
     legislatures of partner countries;
       (2) enable members and staff of legislatures of partner 
     countries to study the operations of the House of 
     Representatives and its support agencies; and
       (3) provide recommendations to the Administrator of the 
     United States Agency for International Development regarding 
     the provision of material assistance, such as modern 
     automation and office systems, information technology, and 
     library supplies, as the Commission determines to be needed 
     by a legislature of a partner country in order to improve the 
     efficiency and transparency of its work, and to oversee the 
     provision of such assistance.
       (b) Selection of Partner Legislatures.--
       (1) In general.--In order to carry out the activities 
     described in subsection (a), the Commission may conduct, as 
     needed, studies on the feasibility of programs of assistance 
     for legislatures of countries described in paragraph (2) for 
     the purpose of strengthening the legislative infrastructure 
     of such countries. Such studies shall assess--
       (A) the independent and substantive role that each 
     legislature plays, or could reasonably be expected to play, 
     in the legislative process and government oversight;
       (B) the potential benefit to each legislature of expert 
     advice from and consultation with Members and staff of the 
     House of Representatives in areas such as the development of 
     research services and legislative information systems, 
     legislative procedure, committee operations, budget process, 
     government oversight, and constituent services; and
       (C) the need in each legislature for material assistance, 
     such as modern automation and office systems, information 
     technology, and research materials, in order to improve 
     efficiency and transparency.
       (2) Countries described.--The countries referred to in 
     paragraph (1) are countries that have established, have re-
     established, or are developing democratic legislatures which 
     would benefit from the assistance described in this 
     resolution.
       (3) Additional partner legislatures.--From any countries 
     studied in accordance with paragraph (1), the Commission may 
     select one or more legislatures to receive assistance under 
     the provisions of this resolution, subject to a written 
     expression of interest from the highest ranking office within 
     the legislature of a selected country.
       (c) Reports.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than December 31, 2007, and each 
     December 31 thereafter, the Commission shall prepare and 
     submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
     Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, appropriate 
     House committees, the Office of Interparliamentary Affairs of 
     the House of Representatives, and the Administrator of the 
     United States Agency for International Development, an annual 
     report on the Commission's activities, including a review of 
     the activities of the Commission in the current year and a 
     proposal for the activities of the Commission in the upcoming 
     year, as described in subsection (a).
       (2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``appropriate 
     House committees'' means the following committees of the 
     House of Representatives:
       (A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs.

[[Page 2627]]

       (B) The Committee on Appropriations.
       (C) The Committee on House Administration.
       (D) The Committee on Rules.

     SEC. 4. ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--The Commission shall carry out the duties 
     described in section 3 using the staff and resources of the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs, including the use of 
     consultants or temporary employees, such as individuals with 
     expertise in development of democratic parliaments, 
     legislative systems management, legislative research, 
     parliamentary procedure, related legislative matters, and 
     technology systems management, as appropriate.
       (b) Participation of Legislative Branch Employees.--At the 
     request of the Commission, the head of any office of the 
     House of Representatives or any congressional support agency 
     may assist the work of the Commission by--
       (1) detailing personnel to the staff of the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs or another standing committee of the House of 
     Representatives; or
       (2) authorizing personnel to participate in activities of 
     the Commission.

     SEC. 5. TRANSITION FROM FORMER COMMISSION.

       (a) Continuation of Existing Programs.--The Commission may 
     continue programs of assistance with legislatures of partner 
     countries which were initiated by the former Commission.
       (b) Transfer of Authorities and Resources.--Any authorities 
     and resources of the former Commission which remain available 
     as of the day before the date of the adoption of this 
     resolution, including unobligated funds, shall be transferred 
     and made available to the Commission.
       (c) Definition.--In this section, the ``former Commission'' 
     means the House Democracy Assistance Commission established 
     under the House Democracy Assistance Commission Resolution 
     (House Resolution 135, One Hundred Ninth Congress, agreed to 
     March 14, 2005).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution.
  When the Berlin Wall fell, I was there with other congressional 
colleagues. We experienced firsthand the exuberance of the people of 
East Germany and across the newly liberated region.
  But to sustain the momentum of that unique instant in history to 
commitment on both sides of the Atlantic, commitment not just to 
elections, but to the development of permanent, democratic institutions 
that permeate society. Madam Speaker, I vividly recall how excited we 
in Congress were when we first provided assistance to our new 
colleagues in democratically elected parliaments across Central and 
Eastern Europe.
  That is why I strongly support the resolution before the House today, 
which reestablishes the House Democracy Assistance Commission. This 
important body plays a critical role in ensuring that the new 
generation of emerging democratic institutions get desperately needed 
assistance.
  In the 109th Congress, the House created this commission to enable 
members and staff to assist their counterparts in the parliaments of 
new democracies around the globe. With our help, they will build 
strong, independent legislatures.
  The commission has been led by two steadfast and consistent 
supporters of democracy promotion, David Price, our colleague from 
North Carolina, and David Dreier, my fellow Californian. I want to 
offer my sincere gratitude to both of them for their efforts.
  Under their leadership, the commission took congressional delegations 
to six new or reemerging democracies and hosted six visiting 
parliamentary delegations here in Washington.
  The commission also offered material assistance to several 
legislatures through USAID, most notably a project to furnish and equip 
and train staff of the parliamentary library of East Timor with the 
invaluable assistance of our own Library of Congress.
  Pending the passage of this resolution by the full House, the 
commission in 2007 plans to assist the legislatures of Afghanistan, 
Colombia, East Timor, Georgia--not our own Georgia, but the former 
Soviet Republic of Georgia--Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, 
Macedonia, Mongolia and Ukraine.
  Madam Speaker, in 1918, President Woodrow Wilson expressed the idea 
that it is in our national interest to encourage free and open and 
democratic governments. Over the past nine decades, the United States 
has sustained and expanded this important commitment. The Price-Dreier 
Commission is an important part of this tradition, and it deserves our 
continued support.
  I urge all of our colleagues to participate in the House Democracy 
Assistance Commission and to support this most important legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I also rise in strong support of House Resolution 24, 
reestablishing the House Democracy Assistance Commission for this 110th 
Congress. I was an enthusiastic cosponsor of the legislation creating 
the commission in the year 2005, and I am proud of what it has 
accomplished during these years.
  Our colleagues, as Mr. Lantos mentioned, Mr. Dreier and Mr. Price, 
deserve our thanks for their hard work and identifying candidate 
legislatures in emerging democracies to receive commission assistance. 
The 12 partner countries selected so far include nations of strategic 
importance to all of us, such as Afghanistan and Lebanon. They include 
the largest Muslim majority nation on Earth, Indonesia, which has 
emerged from authoritarian dictatorship to become the world's third 
largest democracy.
  It includes countries that have overcome Soviet-era communism such as 
Georgia, Mongolia and Ukraine. They include one of the world's newest 
nations, East Timor. It also includes important neighbors in the 
hemisphere such as Colombia and Haiti and friends in Africa, among many 
others. To these nations, the commission provides not only technical 
support, but moral support as well.
  Many of us have heard of how much democratic reformers and 
parliamentarians overseas appreciate the formal relationships with the 
House provided by this commission. All of us here know democracy is 
more than just about holding an election. It is also about building 
responsive institutions that can earn the public trust and the public's 
allegiance.
  To be effective in a democratic context, legislatures must have the 
independent capacity for research, for analysis and for legal drafting. 
So the expanding programming that the commission plans to undertake 
during this Congress is vitally important, Madam Speaker.
  I have no doubt that the commission will continue to do great things 
with the limited resources that it shares with our Committee on Foreign 
Affairs.
  It represents a modest investment in sharing with the people of the 
world one of our most treasured legacies, government of the people, by 
the people, for the people. For these reasons, Madam Speaker, this 
resolution before us deserves our unanimous support.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to my 
good friend and our distinguished colleague from California (Mrs. 
Capps), a member of the commission for the 109th Congress.
  Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this bipartisan 
resolution to continue that good work of the House Democracy Assistance 
Commission. As

[[Page 2628]]

a member of the commission, I want to thank our cochairs, 
Representatives David Price and David Dreier, for the excellent job 
that they have done in leading us.
  I want to thank our current and former staff, John Lis, Tommy Ross, 
Lara Alameh and Robert Lawrence, who have worked very hard to make the 
commission successful with its work.
  Madam Speaker, the House Democracy Assistance Commission was 
established in the last Congress as an instrument for this House to 
share some of the lessons we have learned over 200 years about making 
democratic government work.
  The commission has tried to impart these lessons to countries around 
the world now embarking on this hopeful path. Members of the commission 
have visited a number of countries struggling to find their way in a 
more open system of government, eager to have our partnership with them 
in this endeavor. We have hosted representatives from many of these 
same countries here in Washington and in some of our congressional 
districts.
  For example, I hosted members of the Indonesian delegation in my 
district, and I have traveled there, and to East Timor, to Macedonia, 
to Afghanistan. During these visits, we discussed with our counterparts 
the basic workings of government, everything from the importance of 
constituent relations to the value of setting budgets, from the roles 
of minority and majority parties to the importance of public health 
programs.

                              {time}  1245

  We don't tell them how they should make their governments work, but 
we do try to explain how we have made it work in this country; and we 
have done so in a bipartisan and really even nonpartisan manner.
  Madam Speaker, this year the House will have before it many important 
tasks. I believe very few are as important to the well-being and future 
of our country as helping to establish stable democracies around the 
world. The House Democracy Assistance Commission will try in its small 
way to advance that goal, to bring us a more peaceful and just, well-
governed world.
  I urge the House to pass this legislation and let us continue our 
work.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), one of 
the co-authors and co-creators of this commission.
  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to my 
very good friend from Miami (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen); and of course my great 
pal from California (Mr. Lantos), my classmate and neighbor, who, as 
soon as I took the well, decided to walk off the floor, but he is still 
here for a moment. And I do appreciate the fact that in a bipartisan 
way we have taken on what is one of the most interesting and fulfilling 
challenges that I have faced in the many years that I have been 
privileged to serve here in the Congress.
  And, of course, as I look around the Chamber and see colleagues like 
Lois Capps and, of course, the man with whom I served as a partner in a 
bipartisan way on this, David Price from North Carolina; on our side of 
the aisle, Jeff Fortenberry and John Boozman, who are among the Members 
to serve on this commission, it is very, very important today that we 
reauthorize this effort.
  As we look at our quest to prosecute the global war on terror, it is 
obvious that many things need to be done. We obviously need to have the 
military wherewithal to do everything necessary to make sure that as we 
face terror attacks and other military conflicts that we are able to 
successfully take that on. But, similarly, it is important for us to 
look at other ways in which we can do everything possible to help 
people who are struggling.
  And I forgot to mention Ms. Schwartz, who I had not seen because my 
peripheral vision wasn't that great; so I am happy that she is here, 
another very able and hardworking member of our commission.
  But, Madam Speaker, as I was saying, as we look at this challenge not 
only dealing with the military challenge, it is important for us to 
work to build democracies and those institutions that relate to it and 
the rule of law and political pluralism and self-determination, as I 
like to always say, those things that we have a tendency to take for 
granted here in the United States but are so important.
  And this commission was specifically built on something that we did 
about 15 years ago following the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and the 
demise of the Soviet Union, that being our effort to let Eastern and 
Central Europe know that as they work to claw their way from 
totalitarianism that we would do all that we could to help build their 
parliaments. And, Madam Speaker, that is exactly what we have now been 
able to do so far in six countries and we have six other countries with 
which we are working very closely, assuming that we reauthorize this 
effort here.
  And we are going to be doing so, I know, under the very able 
leadership of my colleague Mr. Price, and I am going to be working on 
our Republican side with members. And, again, I was very privileged to 
serve as chairman that we did this as a partnership. It was not only a 
partnership in a bipartisan way between Democrats and Republicans here, 
but it also has been a very important partnership in working with 
nongovernment organizations, with the Department of State, with the 
National Endowment for Democracy, with the International Republic 
Institute, with the National Democratic Institute, and a wide range of 
other entities out there that recognize that building these parliaments 
that will have the ability to engage in oversight of their executive 
branch, to put into place a budget process to make sure that they have 
the kind of constituent service that is very important for them, these 
are the kinds of things that this commission has worked on so 
effectively.
  A couple of quick examples from the missions that we have been on so 
far: one of the things that we found in Kenya when we visited there was 
that it was essential for us to help them build up their budget process 
and their committee process there as well, and we were able to provide 
through our commission great benefits for them. And, frankly, when we 
were on our mission there in Nairobi, Kenya last July, we went to the 
site of the former U.S. embassy. And we all know back in 1998 that our 
embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya were attacked 
by al Qaeda, and now for us to see the role that we are playing in 
helping to build this democracy in and the fledgling parliament in 
Kenya has been a very important thing, especially in the light of the 
fact that most recently we have seen an effort supported by the Kenyan 
Government and the Ethiopian Government in liberating the Somalians 
from the hold of those Islamic extremists. So we are seeing a real 
tangible benefit in this war on terror from the work of this 
commission.
  Similarly, in the Balkans, in Macedonia, on our mission there most 
recently just over the Thanksgiving break, we were able to do a great 
deal in helping with the building of their committee process there, and 
our commission has worked long and hard on that.
  So, Madam Speaker, I am going to quote my friend David Price because 
my feeling is virtually identical to that. When we think about the 
important work that we do with the privilege that we have of serving as 
Members of the United States Congress, there is nothing that is more 
fulfilling and rewarding and tangible for us to see than the 
opportunity to participate in this very important work on the 
commission.
  So I express my appreciation again to Chairman Lantos and Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen and all of the members of this commission, and we look forward 
to reporting back to our colleagues here in the House of 
Representatives, Madam Speaker, on the very important success that we 
are going to be having in the months and years to come.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page 2629]]

  Before yielding to my good friend from North Carolina, let me pay 
tribute to the two Davids who have done an extraordinary job in the 
last session and, in fact, should be called two Goliaths of legislative 
accomplishment across the globe.
  I could not think of a person more qualified than my friend David 
Price of North Carolina to chair the House Democracy Assistance 
Commission. David Price is a legislator's legislator. His understanding 
of the legislative process as a distinguished academic political 
scientist and his practice as one of the most outstanding legislators 
in the history of the Congress uniquely qualify David Price to chair 
the House Democracy Assistance Commission.
  Under his leadership, this body will take to many parts of the world 
not only the principle but the practice of the democratic process.
  Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure and pride I yield such time 
as he may consume to my friend David Price.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend 
from California for those very generous and indeed extravagant words. 
Coming from him, they mean more than I can say.
  Mr. LANTOS. It was an understatement.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Thank you.
  And we do thank the chairman and the ranking member, Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen, for scheduling this resolution so promptly, so that the House 
could act on this and our commission could get on with its work.
  I also want to acknowledge the previous speaker, Mr. Dreier, the 
previous chairman of the House Democracy Assistance Commission, who did 
a wonderful job in getting this commission launched in its first 2 
years. As he said, we have operated every step of the way on an open 
and bipartisan basis; and so as we swap roles, with my assuming the 
chairmanship and his being the ranking member, I am very hopeful that 
this will be a seamless transition, and that this cooperative way of 
operating will continue. Indeed it should, as we work together in this 
body to take the message and the practice of democracy to our partner 
legislatures around the world.
  House Resolution 24 would reauthorize the work of the commission. 
This is a body that was inspired by the work of the Frost-Solomon Task 
Force back in the early 1990s. We worked then with states in Central 
and Eastern Europe as they were emerging from communism.
  Our commission has undertaken this same kind of work. We are building 
the institutional capacities of legislatures in emerging democracies. 
We are working with them to develop their research and budget analysis, 
oversight, legislative drafting, and other capabilities.
  There is a difference, though. In contrast to the Frost-Solomon 
effort, our scope is not just Central and Eastern Europe, although some 
of our partner countries are still in that region. We are undertaking 
around the world to work with partner legislatures. In the commission's 
first 2 years, we have worked with legislatures in 12 nations. Many of 
these countries are of key strategic import for our own Nation, and all 
are enthusiastic, worthy, and willing partners: Afghanistan, Colombia, 
East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, 
Macedonia, Mongolia, and Ukraine.
  Madam Speaker, we view our work as a small but important niche in the 
United States's mission to spread democracy around the world. We do 
this not in the sense that we have all the answers about how to promote 
democratic rights and governance. The commission's work is rooted in 
the fundamental realization that the heart of democracy is not found 
just in elections but between elections. Between elections, that is 
when a nation's ability to govern itself in a way that is responsive to 
its citizens and representative of its citizens is established. What 
happens between elections, establishing representative institutions of 
governance, is just as important as the nation's free determination of 
who will govern.
  Our commission works with partner legislatures to support development 
of the tools legislators need to establish responsive, effective 
government. We carry on our work in the sure realization that we do not 
have all the answers. We know that our own democracy is a work in 
progress. We do think we have an important story to tell. But we 
approach each of these legislatures in a true spirit of partnership, 
learning from them as they learn from us.
  We also don't have a corner on the market of democracy promotion, and 
we coordinate closely with USAID, with the State Department, with other 
actors in the field to ensure that our efforts complement and enhance 
theirs.
  We have high expectations for the program which we hope to implement 
in 2007 with the support of this body. During the last 2 years, our 
focus has been on assessing candidate legislatures and seeking to 
establish partnerships. Now we plan to move toward consolidating these 
relationships by expanding and focusing our programming. We plan to 
conduct advanced seminars on critical legislative capabilities, to 
enable sustained communications between members and staff of our 
legislatures, to identify and support pro-democracy reformers in 
partner legislatures, and to provide small-scale material assistance in 
cases of significant need.
  So, Madam Speaker, let me close by again thanking my colleague 
Representative David Dreier, the founding chairman of the House 
Democracy Assistance Commission, thanking him for his leadership. He 
has led us with vision and with an inclusive spirit. I also want to 
thank Speaker Pelosi, past Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Hoyer, 
Chairman Lantos, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and many others who have 
supported the commission and helped bring forward quickly this 
resolution to get our work going.
  I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, which offers Members 
of this body a promising opportunity to directly contribute to the 
important work of championing democracy around the world.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), one of 
the founding members of the commission and who is staying on to make 
sure that we have a successful commission once again this year.

                              {time}  1300

  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida 
for her leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as our 
chairman, Mr. Lantos, for your support of the resolution today.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to add my voice to those who have 
commented on the leadership of Mr. Price of North Carolina, and Mr. 
Dreier of California, as well as the excellent service that the 
dedicated staff has provided in the formation of the House Democracy 
Assistance Commission.
  Madam Speaker, I was very pleased to receive an appointment to the 
commission during the last Congress, because I recognized its potential 
to help legislators around the world who are struggling to give 
representative democracy a chance. By supporting this program we can 
provide direct help to build effective legislative institutions 
worldwide. Through the work of the House Democracy Assistance 
Commission we bring the best of our practical experience in running 
this Congress to emerging democratic societies, where people are 
longing to experience robust institutional systems that value the just 
principles of self-determination.
  Last Congress, the commission selected 12 parliaments from 
Afghanistan to East Timor for participation in its technical assistance 
program. Logistical challenges notwithstanding, the commission's 
dedicated professionals and committed members reached out to help 
replicate this institution's success stories in legislatures throughout 
the world.
  In reauthorizing the House Democracy Assistance Commission, we can 
continue to help other countries place their people's aspirations 
within reach. In helping them to succeed, we can play a direct role in 
laying the foundations for a more stable and peaceful world.

[[Page 2630]]

  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution today.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend from 
Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, a distinguished member of 
the commission.
  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Thank you, Mr. Lantos. I appreciate the opportunity to 
speak on the floor this afternoon.
  Madam Speaker, I was honored to serve on the House Democracy 
Assistance Commission during the 109th Congress, and I was privileged 
to travel on the commission's first trip to Indonesia and East Timor in 
February of 2006. I too want to thank the commission's chairman, 
Congressman David Price, and the ranking member, former chairman, 
Congressman David Dreier, for their hard work and their leadership on 
this important initiative.
  I also want to acknowledge the commission's staff, John Lis, in 
particular, the director, and the rest of the staff who worked hard in 
advance of our trips and continued to work hard in preparing for the 
designation of certain emerging democracies and our trips abroad as 
well to bring some of those members here.
  The last few years have borne witness to a number of encouraging 
events in emerging democracies around the world, as well as a number of 
discouraging setbacks. One thing that has become clear is that to help 
advance democracy, transparency and the rule of law abroad, the United 
States can and must do more than just support elections. We must 
support the establishment of strong, independent democratic 
institutions, which provide the backbone of viable democracy. So in 
addition to elected executives, we must, and indeed it means, help 
legislative and judicial branches of government have the authority, the 
autonomy and the continuity that they need.
  As Members of Congress, Members of the oldest directly representative 
democratic institution in the world, we are in a unique position to 
reach out to our counterparts in fragile democracies to held build 
relationships and to learn from each other.
  The House Democracy Assistance Commission has conducted legislative 
strengthening programs with our counterparts in Indonesia, East Timor, 
Georgia, Macedonia, Kenya and Afghanistan; and these legislators face 
enormous challenges. For instance, in East Timor, where I traveled, 
only two of their legislators had legislative experience prior to 
serving in their parliament. They have almost no support staff and few 
resources.
  Their constitution provides for a substantive parliamentary role; 
however, lack of experience and lack of infrastructure have severely 
limited their role, leaving the executive to control most of their 
legislation. Nonetheless, the members that we met with are deeply 
committed to their role as representatives and to their role in 
maintaining and building democratic institutions.
  They are keenly aware of the challenges that they face as one of the 
poorest nations in the world, where basic services from electricity to 
schools are just being initiated. It is in our Nation's interest to 
work with nations like East Timor, nations struggling on the road to 
democracy and stability to establish effective legislative bodies.
  The commission enables Members of this body, Democrats and 
Republicans alike, to do just that, to share our knowledge, expertise 
and passion for the legislative branch with our counterparts in these 
emerging democracies.
  We have worked with parliamentarians from these countries in their 
home countries, in State capitals across this country and here in 
Washington, focusing on the establishment of legislative information 
and research services, on providing advice on legislative procedures 
and committee operations, and on constituent services.
  The commission has also provided these parliaments with some needed 
material support, such as office equipment and computers and library 
resources. So as we confront the global security challenges of the 21st 
century, initiatives that strengthen democratic institutions abroad and 
help provide a positive image of the United States are of utmost 
importance. That is why this commission is so worthy of our continued 
support. That is why I urge a ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 24.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to Mr. Boozman of Arkansas, our last speaker, who has made incredible 
contributions to the House Democracy Assistance Commission as a 
founding member of that body.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 24 to reauthorize the House Democracy Assistance Commission. 
This type of parliamentary development program was initially seen as a 
tool to help 12 emerging democracies rise from the grasp of communism 
in Central and Eastern Europe in the mid-1990s.
  The Solomon-Frost Task Force assumed that successful democratic 
transitions in former Communist countries depended on direct 
involvement and at a modest cost were able to help these parliaments 
become effective legislatures and play a crucial part in a democratic 
system.
  One of the most evident impacts of the program was the goodwill it 
generated towards the U.S. Congress and the American people among these 
East European countries under the Iron Curtain.
  As the need has continued to grow and our world continues to evolve, 
former Speaker Hastert recognized the necessity of having this program 
once again. The House Democracy Assistance Commission has given the 
U.S. Congress the ability to guide fledgling democracies into strong, 
stable institutions of government by creating relationships between 
members of both bodies.
  Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity to travel to Lebanon, Kenya and 
Liberia on a trip not too long ago. And we were greeted in Kenya by a 
big guy. I am a pretty big guy myself; I am not used to looking up to 
people. But this individual was probably 6-5, 6-6. He was the staffer 
that was in charge of taking us around the capital making sure that we 
got where we were supposed to be.
  And then we had the opportunity to journey outside of the capital out 
into the countryside. We flew out, and this same individual greeted us 
in his Masai warrior outfit. And we had the opportunity to visit with 
the Masai, see how they ran things. But, Madam Speaker, that is how you 
change the world, with the relationships, helping others build the 
institutions that underpin democracy. That is how you change the world.
  Again, I want to thank Congressmen Price and Dreier for their 
leadership, for the tremendous job that they have done, to Speaker 
Pelosi for going forward and agreeing to getting things along as far as 
they have on this, former Speaker Hastert for his vision, and then most 
importantly, to the staff that does such a tremendous job of helping 
out and making all of those things possible.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, we have no further requests for 
time, and yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he 
might consume to the distinguished member of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I would like to say a word or two about the 
Democracy Assistance Act. Let me commend the chairman and the ranking 
member for bringing this very important legislation up for reenactment.
  I had the opportunity to travel with the Democracy Assistance 
Commission, and was very impressed with the work that they were doing. 
I traveled to Lebanon with them, and I think we were the last group 
there before the war broke out. And we saw glimmers of hope with the 
parliament at that time. And so there was great interest in moving 
democracy forward.
  Our leaders at that time, Chairman Dreier and Cochairman Price did an 
outstanding job meeting with all party leaders. We then had the 
opportunity to visit South Africa and Liberia.

[[Page 2631]]

  In all of the countries we attended there was a tremendous amount of 
interest in our leadership of the Congress being there. I understand 
that there are possibilities for Haiti and perhaps Colombia and other 
countries throughout the world to be assisted by this very important 
commission.
  And so I would just like to add my voice to the importance of the 
Congress, the parliament, legislator-to-legislator, in attempting to 
bring democracy throughout the world.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time.
  Madam Speaker, before concluding, let me just say this is the ideal 
way this body works. We have set ourselves an important task: Teaching 
new democracies how a parliamentary body should work. And with some of 
our finest colleagues from the Republican and the Democratic side, we 
have succeeded during the last session of Congress; and under the 
leadership of David Price, we shall move ahead, teaching the practice 
of democracy across the globe from a practical point of view.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Res. 24, to reestablish the House Democracy Assistance Commission in 
the 110th Congress. In the 109th Congress, the House of Representatives 
created this Commission to enable the Members and staff of the House of 
Representatives to personally assist their counterparts in the 
parliaments of new democracies around the world to build strong, 
independent legislatures. I thank my colleagues, Mr. David Price, the 
gentleman from North Carolina, and Mr. Dreier, the gentleman from 
California, for leading the Commission and supporting the promotion of 
democracy.
  Under their leadership, the Commission has accomplished a great deal. 
It undertook congressional delegations to six new or reemerging 
democracies and hosted six visiting parliamentary delegations here in 
Congress. It also offered material assistance to several legislatures 
through USAID. One highly successful project furnished, equipped, and 
trained staff of the parliamentary library of East Timor, with the 
invaluable assistance of our own Library of Congress.
  In the aftermath of September 11, it has been too easy to view some 
nations more aggressively, as we undertook the obvious course of 
attempting to dismantle terrorist networks, end the support they 
received from states, and strengthen domestic and international defense 
capabilities. But in addition to responding to the immediate security 
threat, it is also necessary to help democracy take root in those 
countries of the Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, and other 
regions that now breed or support terrorists. It is in these Muslim 
countries or regions, more than anywhere else, that terrorism feeds off 
tyranny, finding recruits among the politically repressed and sanctuary 
from states that use terror against their own people. Building 
effective political institutions is the surest way to sever the link 
between terror and tyranny and to advance the values of democracy, 
individual rights, and cultural pluralism in the Middle East and 
elsewhere in the Muslim world.
  Promoting democratic institutions and values in the Muslim world is 
thus one of our most urgent challenges. But it is not the only one. 
Meeting the challenge of democratization in the Muslim world should not 
warrant a retreat from a global approach; on the contrary, it 
constitutes a powerful new argument for maintaining and strengthening 
this approach. As September 11 made clear, any seam of dysfunction in 
the international system, however marginal to the main centers of 
political and economic interest, can become a source of exposure and 
threat. In a globalized world, the cancer of breakdown in any country 
can metastasize to other parts of the global body politic and thus 
constitutes a danger to international peace and security. In promoting 
the antidote of democratic institution-building, therefore, it is 
unwise to write off any country as insignificant or beyond hope.
  The global defense of democracy is the appropriate and most effective 
response to the threat posed by Islamic extremists. As has already been 
suggested, these extremists do not represent a religion or a 
civilization but espouse an ideology of hatred and violence as their 
means to power. Though it is a particularist and corrupted Islamic 
ideology, to its zealous adherents it is a universal system of truth 
and thus a fitting rival to democratic civilization, which they falsely 
describe as decadent and narrowly Western. Since democracy is a 
genuinely universal value based on the belief that people everywhere, 
regardless of their religion or culture, can achieve self-government 
under the rule of law, it is the natural organizing principle in the 
struggle to defeat terrorism and to create a stable and peaceful world.
  Pending the passage of this resolution by the full House, in 2007 the 
House Democracy Assistance Commission plans to assist the legislatures 
of Afghanistan, Colombia, East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, 
Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia and Ukraine. I urge my colleagues 
to support this legislation and to participate in this important 
project.
  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 24, 
which will reestablish the House Democracy Assistance Commission for 
the 110th Congress.
  I was honored to be appointed by Speaker Pelosi to serve as a member 
of the House Democracy Assistance Commission during the last Congress, 
and I am proud of the accomplishments that were made by the Commission. 
I want to commend Representative David Dreier and Representative David 
Price who worked tirelessly during the 109th Congress to fulfill the 
mission of the Commission, and John Lis who worked tirelessly as the 
Commissions Staff Director.
  The HDAC built upon Congress's long history of helping emerging 
democracies around the globe. Many of my colleagues will remember the 
informal Frost-Solomon Task Force which worked during the early 1990's 
to provide invaluable technical assistance and equipment to Albania, 
Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Russia. When the HDAC was 
created, former Congressman Frost commented that the work of the 
Commission, ``means a great deal to members of foreign parliaments 
because it demonstrates that elected leaders in the United States care 
about what happens in their country.'' The work of this Commission may 
not be noticed by many of our colleagues or even our constituents, but 
it is vitally important to support and strengthen parliaments of new 
democracies around the world
  In 2006, the commission was active in Afghanistan, East Timor, 
Georgia, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, and Macedonia. I was glad to join 
the House Democracy Assistance Commission delegation to Lebanon and 
Kenya. During the trip, the delegation met with our counterparts in the 
Lebanese National Assembly and the National Assembly of Kenya. In 
Kenya, the delegation visited the Kimana Health Center and the Sinet 
water project, both of which were then dedicated in honor of 
Representative David Dreier and David Price, respectively.
  The final leg of this trip was to a meeting with Liberian President 
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Liberia is home to the first female head of 
state in all of Africa and is a country founded by freed American 
slaves, it is essential that the United States remain actively engaged 
in helping to build Liberia's fledgling democracy.
  Madam Speaker, the House Democracy Assistance Commission has only 
begun its important work. With the approval of this resolution, the 
Commission will be able to continue to spread its good work with an 
ever expanding list of partner countries.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Schakowsky). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 24, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those voting have responded in the affirmative.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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