I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2819

To establish a program to provide assistance for developing countries of 

Eurasia and the Middle East. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 22, 2003

Mr. HOEFFEL (for himself, Mr. HOUGHTON, and Mr. MCDERMOTT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

A BILL

To establish a program to provide assistance for developing 

countries of Eurasia and the Middle East.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Modern-Day Marshall 

5 Plan for Eurasia and the Middle East Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) After World War II, the United States es9 tablished a program to provide for the reconstruc10 tion of Europe, named after General George C. Mar-
2

•HR 2819 IH 

1 shall and commonly referred to as the ‘‘Marshall 

2 Plan’’, which made a significant contribution to the 

3 stimulation of economic growth and international 

4 trade in Europe from 1948 to 1951, thereby helping 

5 to stem the spread of Communism and to foster sta6 ble political governments in Europe. 

7 (2) By providing assistance to Europe through 

8 the Marshall Plan, the United States recognized the 

9 direct link between economic growth and political 

10 stability, thereby investing resources into economic 

11 development and assistance. 

12 (3) The Marshall Plan is chiefly characterized 

13 by its integration of recipients into the development 

14 process, forming a partnership whereby European 

15 countries agreed to a ‘‘plan of action’’ that com16 mitted Europe to take steps toward solution of its 

17 economic and political problems prior to the formu18 lation of a program of assistance. 

19 (4) On April 17, 2002, President Bush stated 

20 in a speech at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI): 

21 ‘‘[General] Marshall knew that our military victory 

22 against enemies in World War II had to be followed 

23 by a moral victory that resulted in better lives for 

24 individual human beings. America has a much great25 er purpose than just eliminating threats and con-
3

•HR 2819 IH 

1 taining resentment. Because we believe in the dig2 nity and value of every individual, America seeks 

3 hope and opportunity for all people in all cultures.’’. 

4 (5) A principal objective of United States for5 eign assistance programs, as stated in the Foreign 

6 Assistance Act of 1961, continues to be the ‘‘encour7 agement and sustained support of the people of de8 veloping countries in their efforts to acquire the 

9 knowledge and resources essential to development 

10 and to build the economic, political, and social insti11 tutions which will improve the quality of their 

12 lives.’’. 

13 (6) Significant poverty, corruption, and human 

14 rights abuses in many countries of Eurasia and the 

15 Middle East contribute to the political and economic 

16 deterioration of those regions. 

17 (7) The potential resources of many countries 

18 of Eurasia and the Middle East are rich and plenti19 ful and can be developed in peace and in partnership 

20 through cooperation and mutual assistance. 

21 (8) The attacks against the United States that 

22 occurred on September 11, 2001, and the subse23 quent global war on terrorism, have enhanced 

24 United States strategic concern for the economic 
4

•HR 2819 IH 

1 and political future of countries of Eurasia and the 

2 Middle East. 

3 (9) United States foreign assistance programs 

4 continue to influence the direction of the Central 

5 Asia, Eurasia, and Middle East regions. 

6 (10) In 1972, the United Nations voted to rec7 ommend that developed countries should contribute 

8 an amount equal to 0.7 percent of their gross do9 mestic product for assistance to developing coun10 tries, however, the United States currently provides 

11 an amount equal to only 0.1 percent of its gross do12 mestic product for assistance to developing coun13 tries. 

14 (11) The magnitude of the economic, humani15 tarian, and political challenges in the Eurasia and 

16 Middle East regions is extensive and demands con17 sistent and enhanced input and assistance from the 

18 United States, particularly through the United 

19 States Agency for International Development 

20 (USAID) as well as extensive coordination with 

21 other appropriate United States agencies and inter22 national donor organizations, in order to effectively 

23 implement development assistance and effectively 

24 eliminate the causes of terrorism in these regions. 

25 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
5

•HR 2819 IH 

1 (1) to enhance and increase United States for2 eign assistance to the developing countries of Eur3 asia and the Middle East; and 

4 (2) to assist such countries of Eurasia and the 

5 Middle East to grow, prosper, and to seize the op6 portunities of the global economy in order to achieve 

7 transparent, accountable, and politically stable 

8 democratic forms of government in such countries. 

9 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS; STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

10 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con11 gress that the United States Government should recognize 

12 that to promote politically stable and economically pros13 perous countries in Eurasia and the Middle East is in the 

14 national security interests of the United States. 

15 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy 

16 of the United States—

17 (1) to promote stable democracies and market 

18 economies in countries of Eurasia and the Middle 

19 East; 

20 (2) to encourage regular dialogue between 

21 United States Government officials and human 

22 rights organizations, civic organizers, reform-minded 

23 politicians and democratic activists in order to fur24 ther democratic reform and economic stability in de-
6

•HR 2819 IH 

1 veloping countries of Eurasia and the Middle East; 

2 and 

3 (3) to encourage dialogue between United 

4 States Government officials and private sector indi5 viduals regarding the opening of markets and trans6 parency in business practices in countries of Eurasia 

7 and the Middle East. 

8 SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE POLITICAL STABILITY IN 

9 THE COUNTRIES OF EURASIA AND THE MID10 DLE EAST. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized, not12 withstanding any other provision of law, to establish and 

13 implement a program to provide economic assistance for 

14 the developing countries of Eurasia and the Middle East 

15 in order to promote political stability in such countries. 

16 (b) TYPES OF ASSISTANCE.—Assistance provided 

17 under the program established under subsection (a) shall 

18 include assistance to promote—

19 (1) economic growth, trade, education, and in20 frastructure; 

21 (2) health, including assistance to prevent, 

22 treat, and monitor HIV/AIDS, family planning as23 sistance, and child survival assistance; and 

24 (3) democracy building and human rights. 
7

•HR 2819 IH 

1 (c) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Assistance under the 

2 program established under subsection (a)—

3 (1) shall be provided in accordance with the 

4 terms and conditions utilized by the International 

5 Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the 

6 International Monetary Fund under the ‘‘Poverty 

7 Reduction Strategy Papers’’ process established by 

8 such institutions; and 

9 (2) shall be provided on such other terms and 

10 conditions as the President determines to be appro11 priate. 

12 (d) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.—The 

13 President shall coordinate the program established under 

14 subsection (a) with all other programs under which eco15 nomic assistance is provided to countries of Eurasia and 

16 the Middle East. 

17 (e) MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE.—The President, 

18 acting through the Secretary of State and other appro19 priate officials of the United States Government, shall 

20 urge other appropriate countries to provide assistance to 

21 countries of Eurasia and the Middle East in accordance 

22 with the terms and conditions of assistance provided by 

23 the United States under this Act. 
8

•HR 2819 IH 

1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro3 priated to carry out this Act such sums as may be nec4 essary for fiscal year 2004 and each subsequent fiscal 

5 year. 

6 (b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant 

7 to the authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) 

8 are authorized to remain available until expended.

Æ