Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 4453 (ih) To encourage the establishment of a United Nations Rapid Deployment Police and Security Force. [Introduced in House] ...H.R. 4453 (ih) To encourage the establishment of a United Nations Rapid Deployment Police and Security Force. [Introduced in House] ...
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4452
To require funds made available to each Federal department and agency
for United States development or humanitarian assistance programs to be
made available to foreign countries through the activities of United
States organizations or businesses that are owned or controlled by
naturalized United States citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for
permanent residence, who are from those foreign countries.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 20, 2004
Mr. Meeks of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on International Relations
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A BILL
To require funds made available to each Federal department and agency
for United States development or humanitarian assistance programs to be
made available to foreign countries through the activities of United
States organizations or businesses that are owned or controlled by
naturalized United States citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for
permanent residence, who are from those foreign countries.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) American society has long been known for being a
``melting pot'', boasting citizens from all countries and
continents across the world.
(2) After reaching America's shores, naturalized United
States citizens and aliens lawfully admitted for permanent
residence have taken advantage of educational and
entrepreneurial opportunities thereby allowing these
individuals to contribute to the economic and cultural riches
that define our great Nation.
(3) Many of these new Americans still have connections to
their countries of origin--forming community, educational,
religious, and other organizations in the United States that
continue to tie them to their homelands. These new Americans
send remittances that total more than $70,000,000,000 per year
to help loved ones abroad sustain dreams and build new ones.
(4) At a time when the events of September 11, 2001, have
resulted in new and different security concerns for the United
States, it is critical that every attempt be made to better
understand those foreign countries that receive United States
assistance.
(5) Due to national security implications, the United
States Government can no longer afford to conduct foreign
policy without the benefit of engagement of foreign countries,
including on a cultural, social, technical, and economic basis.
(6) Naturalized United States citizens and aliens lawfully
admitted for permanent residence should be encouraged to use
the same skills that they have contributed to the development
of the United States toward the development of their countries
of origin in order to--
(A) take part in introducing or enhancing
democratic values abroad;
(B) capitalize on America's diversity to establish
strong cross-border relationships that can create
multilateral bonds for generations to come;
(C) utilize multilingual and multicultural segments
of American society to ease and reduce costs for
project transitions in foreign countries; and
(D) encourage long-term sustainable development in
foreign countries in which such development has been
difficult to obtain.
(7) Currently, projects under many foreign assistance
programs do not involve naturalized United States citizens or
aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence who are from
the recipient country in leadership roles in the planning,
design, and implementation of the projects, and consequently--
(A) project leaders often do not transfer critical
skills to individuals in the recipient country, making
it difficult for long term development to take place;
and
(B) increased costs relating to cultural adjustment
often occur that might not occur if individuals
originally from the recipient country were involved in
the projects.
(8) Because many United States Government departments and
agencies face management constraints that make it necessary to
bundle projects and activities for foreign countries under
``Mega'' contracts and grants, it has become increasingly
difficult for smaller United States organizations and
businesses owned or controlled by naturalized United States
citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence,
who are from such foreign countries to compete to carry out
those projects and activities.
(9) To encourage the transference of skills, knowledge, and
democratic values that will lead to long-term sustainable
development and require fewer transition costs, special
preferences should be given to naturalized United States
citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence,
who are seeking United States foreign assistance funding for
projects in their countries of origin.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE DEVELOPMENT AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
FUNDS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES THROUGH UNITED STATES ENTITIES
OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY INDIVIDUALS FROM THOSE FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, up to 10 percent of
funds made available to each Federal department and agency for any
fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2005) to carry out United
States development assistance or humanitarian assistance programs shall
be made available to foreign countries through the activities of United
States organizations or businesses that are owned or controlled by
naturalized United States citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for
permanent residence, who are from such foreign countries.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
Not later than January 1 of each year, the President shall prepare
and transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that
contains a description of the implementation of section 3 for the
preceding fiscal year. Each such report shall specify the number and
dollar value or amount (as the case may be) of prime contracts,
subcontracts, grants, and cooperative agreements awarded to
organizations and individuals described in such section during the
preceding fiscal year.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--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.
(2) United states development assistance or humanitarian
assistance programs.--The term ``United States development
assistance or humanitarian assistance programs'' means programs
to provide development assistance or humanitarian assistance
under major budget functional category 150 (relating to
International Affairs), including programs under--
(A) chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (relating to development assistance);
(B) chapter 10 of part I of that Act (relating to
the Development Fund for Africa);
(C) chapter 11 of part I of that Act (relating to
assistance for the independent states of the former
Soviet Union);
(D) chapter 12 of part I of that Act (relating to
assistance for the countries of the South Caucasus and
Central Asia region);
(E) chapter 4 of part II of that Act (relating to
the Economic Support Fund); or
(F) the Support for East European Democracy (SEED)
Act of 1989.
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