I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1707 

To suspend the authority for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security 

Cooperation (the successor institution to the United States Army School 

of the Americas) in the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 27, 2007 

Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. HONDA, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. 

GUTIERREZ, Mr. PAUL, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. PETRI, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. 

WALSH of New York, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. COHEN, Ms. 

MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. HOLT, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. 

MEEHAN, Mr. KIND, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 

CUMMINGS, Mr. RUSH, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. FARR, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. WYNN, Mrs. MALONEY of New 

York, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 

Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. FATTAH, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. 

CONYERS, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. MCNULTY, Ms. WATSON, Ms. ZOE LOFGREN

of California, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. 

KAPTUR, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. CARSON, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 

DOGGETT, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. STARK, Mr. 

LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. CLAY, Ms. WATERS, Mr. 

OLVER, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. ALTMIRE, and 

Mr. WEXLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To suspend the authority for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (the successor institution 

to the United States Army School of the Americas) in 

the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Latin America Military 

5 Training Review Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR WESTERN HEMI7 SPHERE INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY CO8 OPERATION. 

9 (a) SUSPENSION OF INSTITUTE.—The Secretary of 

10 the Army shall suspend the operation of the Western 

11 Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation until the 

12 submission of the report under section 4(e). 

13 (b) SUSPENSION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority of 

14 the Secretary of Defense to operate an education and 

15 training facility under section 2166 of title 10, United 

16 States Code, is suspended until the submission of the re17 port under section 4(e). 

18 (c) LIMITATION ON ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW EDU19 CATION AND TRAINING FACILITY.—No training or edu20 cation facility may be established in the Department of 

21 Defense for Latin American military personnel (as a suc22 cessor to the United States Army School of the Americas, 

23 the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Coopera24 tion, or otherwise) until the submission of the report under 

25 section 4(e). 


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1 SEC. 3. JOINT CONGRESSIONAL TASK FORCE. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a joint 

3 congressional task force to conduct an assessment of the 

4 kind of education and training that is appropriate for the 

5 Department of Defense to provide to military personnel 

6 of Latin American nations. 

7 (b) COMPOSITION.—The task force shall be composed 

8 of eight Members of Congress, of whom two each shall 

9 be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representa10 tives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, 

11 the majority leader of the Senate, and the minority leader 

12 of the Senate. 

13 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act, the task force shall submit 

15 to Congress a report on the assessment conducted under 

16 subsection (a). The report shall include— 

17 (1) a critical assessment of courses, curriculum, 

18 and procedures appropriate for education and train19 ing of military personnel of Latin American nations; 

20 and 

21 (2) an evaluation of the effect of such education 

22 and training on the performance of Latin American 

23 military personnel in the areas of human rights and 

24 adherence to democratic principles and the rule of 

25 law. 


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1 (d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘Mem2 ber’’ includes a Delegate to, or Resident Commissioner in, 

3 Congress. 

4 SEC. 4. COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE HUMAN RIGHTS 

5 ABUSES AT THE UNITED STATES ARMY 

6 SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com8 mission to investigate the activities of the United States 

9 Army School of the Americas and its successor institution, 

10 the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Coopera11 tion. 

12 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

13 (1) APPOINTMENT.—The commission shall be 

14 composed of eight members, of whom two each shall 

15 be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Rep16 resentatives, the minority leader of the House of 

17 Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, 

18 and the minority leader of the Senate. 

19 (2) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the commis20 sion shall be selected from among individuals with 

21 knowledge and experience in foreign military train22 ing and international human rights who are not offi23 cers or employees of the Federal Government. 

24 (3) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—The mem25 bers of the commission shall be appointed not later 


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1 than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 

2 Act. 

3 (4) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy of the commis4 sion shall not affect the powers of the commission 

5 and shall be filled in the manner in which the origi6 nal appointment was made. 

7 (5) CHAIRPERSON; VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The 

8 Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the commission 

9 shall be elected by the members. 

10 (6) COMPENSATION.—Members of the commis11 sion shall serve without pay. 

12 (7) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the 

13 commission shall receive travel expenses, including 

14 per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 

15 applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 

16 57 of title 5, United States Code. 

17 (c) POWERS.— 

18 (1) HEARINGS AND SESSIONS.—The commis19 sion may, for the purpose of carrying out this sec20 tion, hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, 

21 take testimony, and receive evidence as the commis22 sion considers appropriate. 

23 (2) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 

24 The commission may secure directly from any Fed25 eral department or agency such information as the 


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1 commission considers necessary to carry out the pro2 visions of this section. Upon request of the Chair3 person of the commission, the head of such depart4 ment or agency shall furnish such information to the 

5 commission. 

6 (d) INVESTIGATION.—Not later than two years after 

7 the date on which all members of the commission have 

8 been appointed, the commission shall complete an inves9 tigation into the activities of the United States Army 

10 School of the Americas and its successor institution, the 

11 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. 

12 The investigation shall— 

13 (1) identify those individuals responsible for 

14 drafting or approving manuals for use at either such 

15 institution advocating tactics that violate inter16 national law or the laws of the United States; 

17 (2) determine how such manuals were used in 

18 training conducted by either such institution; 

19 (3) determine the effect of such training; and 

20 (4) identify those individuals responsible for 

21 teaching such tactics. 

22 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the com23 pletion of the investigation under subsection (d), the com24 mission shall submit to Congress and the Secretary of De25 fense a report containing the results of the investigation 


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1 and recommendations for actions in response to any viola2 tions of human rights to which training at the United 

3 States Army School of the Americas or its successor insti4 tution, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Co5 operation, contributed. 

6 (f) TERMINATION.—The commission shall terminate 

7 30 days after the date of the submission of the report 

8 under subsection (e). 

Æ 


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