I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4452 
To require funds made available to each Federal department and agency 
for United States development or humanitarian assistance programs to 
be made available to foreign countries through the activities of United 
States organizations or businesses that are owned or controlled by natu-
ralized United States citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent 
residence, who are from those foreign countries. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 20, 2004 
Mr. MEEKS of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To require funds made available to each Federal department 
and agency for United States development or humani-
tarian assistance programs to be made available to for-
eign countries through the activities of United States 
organizations or businesses that are owned or controlled 
by naturalized United States citizens, or aliens lawfully 
admitted for permanent residence, who are from those 
foreign countries. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following:
(1) American society has long been known for 
being a ‘‘melting pot’’, boasting citizens from all 
countries and continents across the world. 
(2) After reaching America’s shores, naturalized 
United States citizens and aliens lawfully admitted 
for permanent residence have taken advantage of 
educational and entrepreneurial opportunities there-
by allowing these individuals to contribute to the 
economic and cultural riches that define our great 
Nation. 
(3) Many of these new Americans still have 
connections to their countries of origin—forming 
community, educational, religious, and other organi-
zations in the United States that continue to tie 
them to their homelands. These new Americans send 
remittances that total more than $70,000,000,000 
per year to help loved ones abroad sustain dreams 
and build new ones. 
(4) At a time when the events of September 11, 
2001, have resulted in new and different security 
concerns for the United States, it is critical that 
every attempt be made to better understand those 
foreign countries that receive United States assist-
ance.
(5) Due to national security implications, the 
United States Government can no longer afford to 
conduct foreign policy without the benefit of engage-
ment of foreign countries, including on a cultural, 
social, technical, and economic basis. 
(6) Naturalized United States citizens and 
aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
should be encouraged to use the same skills that 
they have contributed to the development of the 
United States toward the development of their coun-
tries of origin in order to— 
(A) take part in introducing or enhancing 
democratic values abroad; 
(B) capitalize on America’s diversity to es-
tablish strong cross-border relationships that 
can create multilateral bonds for generations to 
come; 
(C) utilize multilingual and multicultural 
segments of American society to ease and re-
duce costs for project transitions in foreign 
countries; and 
(D) encourage long-term sustainable devel-
opment in foreign countries in which such de-
velopment has been difficult to obtain.
(7) Currently, projects under many foreign as-
sistance programs do not involve naturalized United 
States citizens or aliens lawfully admitted for perma-
nent residence who are from the recipient country in 
leadership roles in the planning, design, and imple-
mentation of the projects, and consequently— 
(A) project leaders often do not transfer 
critical skills to individuals in the recipient 
country, making it difficult for long term devel-
opment to take place; and 
(B) increased costs relating to cultural ad-
justment often occur that might not occur if in-
dividuals originally from the recipient country 
were involved in the projects. 
(8) Because many United States Government 
departments and agencies face management con-
straints that make it necessary to bundle projects 
and activities for foreign countries under ‘‘Mega’’ 
contracts and grants, it has become increasingly dif-
ficult for smaller United States organizations and 
businesses owned or controlled by naturalized United 
States citizens, or aliens lawfully admitted for per-
manent residence, who are from such foreign coun-
tries to compete to carry out those projects and ac-
tivities.
(9) To encourage the transference of skills, 
knowledge, and democratic values that will lead to 
long-term sustainable development and require fewer 
transition costs, special preferences should be given 
to naturalized United States citizens, or aliens law-
fully admitted for permanent residence, who are 
seeking United States foreign assistance funding for 
projects in their countries of origin. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE DEVELOPMENT AND 
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FUNDS TO FOR-
EIGN COUNTRIES THROUGH UNITED STATES 
ENTITIES OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY INDI-
VIDUALS FROM THOSE FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, up to 10 
percent of funds made available to each Federal depart-
ment and agency for any fiscal year (beginning with fiscal 
year 2005) to carry out United States development assist-
ance or humanitarian assistance programs shall be made 
available to foreign countries through the activities of 
United States organizations or businesses that are owned 
or controlled by naturalized United States citizens, or 
aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, who are 
from such foreign countries.