Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 And 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHIFF. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend the Foreign Affairs Committee for all their hard work on the Foreign Relations Authorization Act and thank Chairman Berman for his support and his staff for working with me to include the Daniel Pearl Act as a part of this legislation. By incorporating the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, the committee brings much-needed attention to a critical human rights issue.

This legislation calls upon the Secretary of State to greatly expand its examination of the status of freedom in the press worldwide in the State Department's Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The Daniel Pearl Act requires the State Department to identify countries in which there were violations of freedom of the press and whether the government of those countries participate in, facilitate, or condone the violations. This report will spotlight those governments which seek to silence media opposition.

The Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act also establishes a grant program aimed at broadening and strengthening media independence internationally. Grant recipients will provide regionally and culturally relevant training to journalists and media organizations to help them meet international standards.

Again, I thank the chairman for his leadership on human rights issues and his support of the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act.

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