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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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. POLICY TOWARD THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) if the transformation of the totalitarian So-
viet Union to independent states does not result in
the creation of free market economies and function-
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ing democracies, there is a real threat of economic
and social collapse, the reemergence of threatening
totalitarian states, and the continued rapid produc-
tion of conventional weapons and weapons of mass
destruction;
(2) the national security interests of the United
States are best served by stable, democratic societies
and free markets in Russia and the other former
Soviet republics;
(3) the economic interests of the United States
are best served by the full integration of Russia and
the other former Soviet republics into world mar-
kets; and
(4) the transformation into working democ-
racies with open market economies is primarily the
responsibility of the former republics themselves, but
the rest of the world can make significant contribu-
tions to this effort, linking such contributions to
well-planned reform programs.
(b) POLICY.—It is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) it should be the goal of United States policy
toward the former Soviet Union to help Russia and
the other former Soviet republics, and the Baltic
states, achieve economic and political stability
through the establishment of democratic states with
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free market economies that are integrated into the
international market economy and political commu-
nity;
(2) the President should immediately begin con-
sultations with the Congress with respect to, and
promptly prepare and transmit to the Congress, a
comprehensive plan to assist Russia, and those
former Soviet republics with democratically elected
governments which are moving toward free market
economies; and
(3) this plan should include expeditious ac-
tion—
(A) to provide prompt humanitarian assist-
ance when necessary to prevent life-threatening
shortages of food and urgently needed medical
supplies;
(B) to combat the proliferation of nuclear
weapons and components and nuclear weapons
technology;
(C) to provide technical and economic as-
sistance to facilitate the emergence of free mar-
ket economies and democratic institutions; and
(D) to help the former Soviet republics
draft laws, establish political and legal struc-
tures, and build institutions that facilitate open,
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democratic, free market societies that protect
individual rights.
SEC. 2. REPAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR UNITED STATES
ASSISTANCE.
(a) REIMBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENTS.—Assistance
provided to Russia and other former Soviet republics, or
any successor entity, shall be conditioned, to the extent
that the President determines to be appropriate after con-
sultation with the recipient government, upon the agree-
ment of the recipient government to reimburse the United
States Government within seven years for the cost of such
assistance from natural resources or other materials avail-
able to the recipient government.
(b) REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS.—At the end of
each fiscal year in which assistance is provided to Russia
and the other former Soviet republics, the President shall
provide a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs in
the House, the Committee on Foreign Relations in the
Senate, the Committee on Armed Service of the House of
Representatives and Senate, and the Committee on Appro-
priations of the House of Representatives and Senate,
which shall at a minimum, set forth—
(1) determinations made by the President per-
taining to natural resource compensation in each
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case in which assistance is provided to Russia or the
other former republics;
(2) the status of any ongoing discussions re-
garding natural resource compensation with govern-
ments who the President is considering the provision
of assistance;
(3) the amount, type and intended date of deliv-
ery of any natural resource compensation agreed
upon by recipient governments;
(4) the amount, type, value and storage location
of any natural resource compensation received by
the United States Government for assistance to Rus-
sia or other former Soviet republics.
(c) USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AS REPAYMENT.—
The President shall encourage the reimbursement required
under subsection (a) to be made through the provision of
natural resources, such as oil and petroleum products, and
those strategic and critical materials stockpiled under the
authority of section 4 of the Strategic and Critical Mate-
rials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98c).
SEC. 3. CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH ASSISTANCE IS PRO-
HIBITED.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no as-
sistance may be provided by the United States to any
government of a former Soviet republic which—
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(1) has not been freely and democratically cho-
sen, or which is not moving toward a free society,
a free market economy, and the privatization of
most sectors of the economy;
(2) takes action to restrict the emigration of
Jews or Christians or otherwise discriminates
against Jews or Christians on the basis of their
religion; or
(3) is providing military or economic assistance
to Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Angola, or any or-
ganization in any country which seeks the violent
overthrow of a democratically elected government.
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