Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act of 2008

Floor Speech

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1084, the Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management Act. I want to thank Chairman Berman; the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), the author of the bill; and my dear friend, Mr. Saxton, the lead Republican cosponsor of the legislation, for working to reach the bipartisan agreement before us.

The text we are considering today was finalized in consultation with the State Department and the White House. It provides the President and Secretary of State with the basic authorities they have been seeking for expanding reconstruction and stabilization activities in order to assist countries whose descent into internal crisis may endanger the national security interests of the United States.

The legislation formally creates and gives full legislative support to the 4-year-old office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. It also provides the President with the authority to create a Federal Response Readiness Corps and a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps, a proposal based on a December 2005 Presidential directive and which enjoys the support of a broad cross-section of U.S. agencies.

These new corps will work to prevent future conflicts overseas and ensure that we are better prepared to effectively address post-conflict scenarios in countries that are important to our Nation's security interests. The hope is that, by preorganizing and training qualified civilian personnel, any future reconstruction and stabilization operations can be better coordinated and more effective in order to free up our Armed Forces to better focus on strategic military and security objectives.

It is important to note that the text before us provides these authorities in a limited, careful manner, subject to greater congressional oversight. In contrast with the original text and other proposed drafts, there are several things that today's suspension text does not do: It does not mandate specific funding levels, and limits funding authorities to a 3-year trial period, from fiscal year 2008 through 2010; it does not create additional budget draw-down authority for emergency peacekeeping assistance; it does not mandate a minimum number of Civilian Reserve Corps personnel; and it does not include special personnel authorities such as waivers to allow dual compensation of Federal retirees or an increase in the premium pay cap.

Although we are attempting to create a system that is better equipped to intervene more effectively in foreign crises, we are not intending to lower the threshold for U.S. involvement in such situations. This is not an invitation to ``nation building.'' For this reason, the amended text requires a Presidential national security interest determination and advance congressional notification before any deployment of the corps to a country in crisis

We also intend that these activities be conducted in a transparent and fiscally responsible manner. Toward that end, the text includes an annual worldwide cap of $100 million on all reconstruction and stabilization assistance provided under the act.

In order to mitigate the potential domestic impact, the text we are considering today mandates that the Civilian Reserve Corps be staffed in a way that does not diminish the capacity of State or local governments from which the volunteers may be drawn. It also charges the Office of the Coordinator to avoid duplication with other U.S. foreign assistance activities. Finally, it requires enhanced reporting to Congress on the structure, operation and cost of core operations, their relations to other U.S. foreign assistance efforts, and any impact on U.S. domestic readiness and capabilities.

I am gratified that we are able to reach this compromise, and look forward to working together in the future to ensure the success of this and other U.S. foreign assistance programs. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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