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THE AMERICAN SCHOOLS ABROAD SUPPORT ACT; REAUTHORIZING THE TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION ACT OF 1998; THE VIET NAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT OF 2003; AMENDING THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACT OF 2003; AND VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS AND CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2004

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,

The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. siding.

Washington, DC. 10:58 a.m. in Room Henry J. Hyde pre

Chairman HYDE. The Committee will come to order. Due to the extensive bipartisan and noncontroversial nature of the items for consideration on today's agenda, it is my intention to expedite their consideration by dealing with them through two en bloc, unanimous consent requests.

First, I will ask unanimous consent to order two bills ordered reported favorably to the House with any amendments which the Members have before them deemed adopted.

Second, I will, by unanimous consent, ask the Committee to authorize me to seek consideration of the rest of the bills on the agenda in the House under suspension of the rules with any amendments which the Members have before them deemed adopted. All Members will be permitted to insert statements into the record on any of the bills or resolutions considered today.

Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee order favorably reported the following bills: H.R. 4303, The American Schools Abroad Support Act, as amended, and H.R. 4654, To reauthorize the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 through Fiscal Year 2007. Is there any discussion?

[H.R. 4303, amendment to H.R. 4303 and H.R. 4654 follow:]

(1)

I

108TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION

H. R. 4303

To authorize the Secretary of State to make grants to American-sponsored schools in Arab and other predominantly Muslim countries to provide full or partial merit-based scholarships for children from lower- and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 6, 2004

Mr. BERMAN (for himself and Mr. KNOLLENBERG) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of State to make grants to American-sponsored schools in Arab and other predominantly Muslim countries to provide full or partial merit-based scholarships for children from lower- and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools, and for other purposes.

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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.

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This Act may be cited as the "American Schools

5 Abroad Support Act".

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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

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Congress finds the following:

(1) During the 2003-2004 school year, the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State is financially assisting 189 elementary and secondary schools in other countries.

(2) These "American-sponsored" schools serve 99,318 students, of whom 27,412 are United States citizens.

(3) Twenty of these

American-sponsored

schools-serving 10,907 students-are located in the Near East and South Asia region, and other American-sponsored schools are located in countries with significant Muslim populations in Africa, Central Asia, and East Asia.

(4) American-sponsored schools provide an American-style education in English, with curricula that typically include an emphasis on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills.

(5) In response to growing anti-American sentiment in Arab and other predominantly Muslim coun

tries, the United States has placed a renewed em

phasis on public diplomacy programs, with education at the elementary, secondary, and university levels

representing an important part of that effort.

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(6) Education is a key element of the efforts of

the United States to promote political, economic,

and social reform in Arab and predominantly Muslim countries, and is one of the main components of

the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

(7) As active, vibrant institutions, American

sponsored schools play a vital role in their local com

munities, and help advance public diplomacy interests of the United States.

(8) The Department of State currently provides funds to American-sponsored schools amounting only, on average, to between one and two percent of their annual operating expenses.

(9) The United States has an interest in increasing the level of financial support provided to American-sponsored schools in Arab and predominantly Muslim countries, in order to—

(A) increase the number of students in such countries who attend such schools; and

(B) increase the number of young people who may thereby gain at any early age an appreciation for the culture, society, and history of the United States.

(10) The United States has an interest in in

creasing the number of students in Arab and pre

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dominately Muslim countries who attend American

sponsored schools beyond those from affluent families who are able to afford the cost of tuition, to include children from lower- and middle-income families who otherwise might not be able to afford to attend such schools.

(11) Many American-sponsored schools have the capacity to increase the number of students who attend such schools.

(12) The Department of State has legal authority under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) (com

monly referred to as the Fulbright-Hays Act) to pro

vide increased financial support for American-sponsored schools.

16 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

17 It is the sense of Congress that, based on the findings 18 contained in section 2, additional funds should be made 19 available to American-sponsored schools in Arab and pre20 dominately Muslim countries to provide full or partial 21 merit-based scholarships to children from lower- and mid22 dle-income families of such countries to attend such 23 schools.

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