I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3818

To establish a Middle East Development Initiative to provide development

assistance to countries in the Middle East region for the purpose of

promoting the peace process in that region.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 8, 1994

Mr. PENNY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To establish a Middle East Development Initiative to provide

development assistance to countries in the Middle East

region for the purpose of promoting the peace process

in that region.

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 ‘‘Middle East Peace

5 and Development Act of 1994’’.
2

•HR 3818 IH

1 SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

2 It is the sense of the Congress that the United States

3 should continue to promote peace in the Middle East

4 region by—

5 (1) encouraging the establishment of diplomatic

6 relations and subsequent friendly relationships

7 among Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and other na8 tions in the region;

9 (2) promoting the shared development and use

10 of human, natural, material, and technological re11 sources of the region; and

12 (3) supporting self-determination for the Pal13 estinian people in the West Bank and Gaza.

14 SEC. 3. MIDDLE EAST DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish and

16 carry out a Middle East Development Initiative (in this

17 Act referred to as the ‘‘Initiative’’) to provide development

18 assistance to countries in the Middle East region for the

19 purpose of promoting the peace process in such region.

20 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—A country shall be eligible to

22 receive development assistance under the Initiative

23 only if the government of such country is engaged

24 in bilateral or multilateral discussions or negotia25 tions which promote the peace process in the Middle

26 East region.
3

•HR 3818 IH

1 (2) WEST BANK AND GAZA.—An organization

2 or any other entity located in the West Bank or

3 Gaza shall be eligible to receive development assist4 ance under the Initiative only if such organization or

5 entity is engaged in bilateral or multilateral discus6 sions or negotiations which promote the peace proc7 ess in the Middle East region.

8 (c) COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.—The

9 President shall coordinate the Initiative with—

10 (1) other programs under which assistance for

11 development is provided to countries in the Middle

12 East region, including programs for the West Bank

13 and Gaza; and

14 (2) any other appropriate foreign assistance

15 programs that promote development in the Middle

16 East region, including programs established and car17 ried out by international organizations.

18 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro20 priated to the President to carry out this Act

21 $260,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1995, 1996, and

22 1997. Amounts appropriated pursuant to the preceding

23 sentence are authorized to remain available until ex24 pended.
4

•HR 3818 IH

1 (b) OFFSETTING REDUCTION IN SPENDING FOR

2 FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FOR EGYPT AND ISRAEL.—For

3 each of the fiscal years 1995, 1996, and 1997, the amount

4 of foreign assistance provided to Egypt and Israel shall

5 be reduced as follows:

6 (1) EGYPT.—The amount of foreign assistance

7 provided to Egypt shall be at least $110,000,000

8 less than the amount of such assistance provided to

9 Egypt for fiscal year 1994.

10 (2) ISRAEL.—The amount of foreign assistance

11 provided to Israel shall be at least $150,000,000 less

12 than the amount of such assistance provided to

13 Israel for fiscal year 1994.

14 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

15 For purposes of this Act, the following definitions

16 apply:

17 (1) DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.—The term

18 ‘‘development assistance’’ means assistance under

19 chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of

20 1961 (relating to development assistance).

21 (2) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘foreign

22 assistance’’ means assistance under the Foreign As23 sistance Act of 1961 or under the ‘‘Foreign Military

24 Financing Program’’ account under section 23 of

25 the Arms Export Control Act.
5

•HR 3818 IH

1 (3) MIDDLE EAST REGION.—The term ‘‘Middle

2 East region’’ means the region consisting of the fol3 lowing: Bahrain, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Ku4 wait, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Ara5 bia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, the West

6 Bank, and Yemen.

Æ