Providing For Consideration of H.R. 1886, Pakistan Enduring Assistance And Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2009, And Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 2410, Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 And 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the rule and H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011. I would like to thank Chairman Berman and the House Foreign Affairs Committee for their continued insight, leadership, and their focus on diplomacy in the realm of foreign affairs and for bringing this much-needed reform legislation to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, during the Bush administration, the Department of Defense acted as our primary foreign liaison, much to the detriment of our relationships worldwide. This bill corrects the damage done over the past 8 years by providing the State Department with much-needed resources that will once again make diplomacy the centerpiece of our outreach effort.

This bill authorizes funding for the State Department and USAID to help prevent, navigate, and peacefully resolve foreign crises. This bill strengthens our own Nation by putting forth the image of America that we want the world to see: a hardworking nation rooted in tolerance and innovation. It reflects our commitment to intellectual diplomacy and allows the United States to lead by example.

For instance, by doubling the amount of volunteers in the Peace
Corps, we can double our response to humanitarian and international development needs. By creating the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation, we would allow more students, regardless of their economic background, to experience foreign cultures.

This legislation creates 1,500 foreign service jobs at the State Department with another 700 at USAID over the course of fiscal years 2010 and 2011. It funds language training programs, sorely neglected for years due to underfunding.

As the Representative of the Second District of Colorado, we have a large Tibetan and Tibetan Buddhist community, and I'm particularly appreciative that this bill establishes a Tibet section in the American Embassy in Beijing and a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet. These offices will follow political, economic, and social developments inside the country and report on human rights. It also establishes a Tibetan scholarship program that will enhance cultural exchange possibilities for American students and develop increased understanding of the region as a whole.

Another crucial element of modernizing the State Department is fighting the discrimination against the LGBT community worldwide, including in Iraq. This legislation requires the State Department to monitor and track violence, criminalization, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms, basic human rights, consistent with U.S. law. It requires the State Department to demand foreign governments to change or repeal discriminatory laws that criminalize homosexuality as well as requiring reports on related violence and discrimination. This will ensure that our foreign counterparts heed our rejection of intolerance and ensure that all people are granted the dignity they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I also applaud H.R. 1886, the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement, or PEACE, Act. It demonstrates America's commitment to foreign diplomacy and codifies the principle that social and economic development is critical to fighting terrorism and promoting peace.

Both bills bring to mind T.H. White's idea that ``might is not right.'' Military intervention is not as strong a diplomatic tool as fostering understanding.

I urge my colleagues to support and vote ``yes'' on the rule and the bill.

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