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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1275

To provide the President with the authority to negotiate agreements with

the Government of Russia, and other former Soviet republics, providing

economic assistance in return for reimbursement from natural resources,

and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 10, 1993

Mr. DREIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To provide the President with the authority to negotiate

agreements with the Government of Russia, and other

former Soviet republics, providing economic assistance

in return for reimbursement from natural resources, and

for other purposes.

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

3 SECTION 1. POLICY TOWARD THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.

4 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

5 (1) if the transformation of the totalitarian So6 viet Union to independent states does not result in

7 the creation of free market economies and function-
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1 ing democracies, there is a real threat of economic

2 and social collapse, the reemergence of threatening

3 totalitarian states, and the continued rapid produc4 tion of conventional weapons and weapons of mass

5 destruction;

6 (2) the national security interests of the United

7 States are best served by stable, democratic societies

8 and free markets in Russia and the other former

9 Soviet republics;

10 (3) the economic interests of the United States

11 are best served by the full integration of Russia and

12 the other former Soviet republics into world mar13 kets; and

14 (4) the transformation into working democ15 racies with open market economies is primarily the

16 responsibility of the former republics themselves, but

17 the rest of the world can make significant contribu18 tions to this effort, linking such contributions to

19 well-planned reform programs.

20 (b) POLICY.—It is the sense of the Congress that—

21 (1) it should be the goal of United States policy

22 toward the former Soviet Union to help Russia and

23 the other former Soviet republics, and the Baltic

24 states, achieve economic and political stability

25 through the establishment of democratic states with
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1 free market economies that are integrated into the

2 international market economy and political commu3 nity;

4 (2) the President should immediately begin con5 sultations with the Congress with respect to, and

6 promptly prepare and transmit to the Congress, a

7 comprehensive plan to assist Russia, and those

8 former Soviet republics with democratically elected

9 governments which are moving toward free market

10 economies; and

11 (3) this plan should include expeditious ac12 tion—

13 (A) to provide prompt humanitarian assist14 ance when necessary to prevent life-threatening

15 shortages of food and urgently needed medical

16 supplies;

17 (B) to combat the proliferation of nuclear

18 weapons and components and nuclear weapons

19 technology;

20 (C) to provide technical and economic as21 sistance to facilitate the emergence of free mar22 ket economies and democratic institutions; and

23 (D) to help the former Soviet republics

24 draft laws, establish political and legal struc25 tures, and build institutions that facilitate open,
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1 democratic, free market societies that protect

2 individual rights.

3 SEC. 2. REPAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR UNITED STATES

4 ASSISTANCE.

5 (a) REIMBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENTS.—Assistance

6 provided to Russia and other former Soviet republics, or

7 any successor entity, shall be conditioned, to the extent

8 that the President determines to be appropriate after con9 sultation with the recipient government, upon the agree10 ment of the recipient government to reimburse the United

11 States Government within seven years for the cost of such

12 assistance from natural resources or other materials avail13 able to the recipient government.

14 (b) REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS.—At the end of

15 each fiscal year in which assistance is provided to Russia

16 and the other former Soviet republics, the President shall

17 provide a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs in

18 the House, the Committee on Foreign Relations in the

19 Senate, the Committee on Armed Service of the House of

20 Representatives and Senate, and the Committee on Appro21 priations of the House of Representatives and Senate,

22 which shall at a minimum, set forth—

23 (1) determinations made by the President per24 taining to natural resource compensation in each
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1 case in which assistance is provided to Russia or the

2 other former republics;

3 (2) the status of any ongoing discussions re4 garding natural resource compensation with govern5 ments who the President is considering the provision

6 of assistance;

7 (3) the amount, type and intended date of deliv8 ery of any natural resource compensation agreed

9 upon by recipient governments;

10 (4) the amount, type, value and storage location

11 of any natural resource compensation received by

12 the United States Government for assistance to Rus13 sia or other former Soviet republics.

14 (c) USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AS REPAYMENT.—

15 The President shall encourage the reimbursement required

16 under subsection (a) to be made through the provision of

17 natural resources, such as oil and petroleum products, and

18 those strategic and critical materials stockpiled under the

19 authority of section 4 of the Strategic and Critical Mate20 rials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98c).

21 SEC. 3. CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH ASSISTANCE IS PRO22 HIBITED.

23 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no as24 sistance may be provided by the United States to any

25 government of a former Soviet republic which—
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1 (1) has not been freely and democratically cho2 sen, or which is not moving toward a free society,

3 a free market economy, and the privatization of

4 most sectors of the economy;

5 (2) takes action to restrict the emigration of

6 Jews or Christians or otherwise discriminates

7 against Jews or Christians on the basis of their

8 religion; or

9 (3) is providing military or economic assistance

10 to Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Angola, or any or11 ganization in any country which seeks the violent

12 overthrow of a democratically elected government.

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