USAID Branding Modernization Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2744) to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs of the agency are identified overseas, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2744.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking my friend from Texas once again, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, for his hard work on this measure. I am glad to be a cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, our development efforts around the world accomplish so much.

Whether it is helping build a road that links a small village to a trade hub, working with governments to make their justice systems more transparent and accountable, assisting communities to get clean drinking water, or expanding access to broadband internet in rural areas, American development work is making differences you can see in people's lives. It is also projecting our country's character of compassion and generosity.

So when I travel around the world and I see the USAID logo--it is that recognizable seal of two hands clasped in friendship--on the front door of a new school or a wastewater treatment facility or a pallet of food on its way to refugees, it makes me proud. It really does.

The people benefiting from that assistance should know where it is coming from, too. We should signal to the world our commitment to development is a core pillar of America's global engagement.

This legislation reaffirms the obligation to brand our foreign assistance while continuing to provide needed flexibility to ensure we are not putting our partners or aid recipients at risk. It requires a long overdue audit to ensure that USAID projects are appropriately branded in the field.

This is something Mr. McCaul and I have been working on closely together.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter on this issue that Mr. McCaul and I wrote to the USAID administrator, our former House colleague, Mark Green.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.

Mr. Mark Green,

Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development,

Washington, DC.

Dear Administrator Green: We write to you today to

reiterate the Congressional intent behind HR 2744, the USAID

Branding Modernization Act, which we have introduced in the

116th Congress.

Providing foreign assistance around the world demonstrates

the generosity of Americans, and furthers our foreign policy

objectives. Branding foreign assistance is always the first

preference, to ensure that those receiving assistance know

that support comes from the American people. As such, the

Congress believes, and has affirmed, that in general, foreign

assistance provided using U.S. taxpayer dollars should be

branded, as appropriate. This demonstrates U.S. commitment to

assisting those in need, be it through food aid after a

drought, job training to empower women entrepreneurs, or

life-saving vaccines to eradicate polio.

That said, Congress acknowledges the need for discretion

and flexibility in branding in some instances to ensure the

safety and security of both implementing partners and

beneficiaries. This bill in no way amends that understanding,

or any authorities, which would impact the ability or need

for USAID to provide branding waivers or exemptions as

appropriate, with input from and ongoing communication with

implementing partners. As referenced in the legislation, 22

USC 2401 asserts that programs ``shall be identified

appropriately overseas''. Federal Register rules and

regulations under 2 CFR Part 700 provide waivers to ensure

that branding does not put partners or beneficiaries at risk,

and USAID internal guidance regarding marking and branding

policies remain at the discretion of the Agency.

Finally, this bill requires an audit, conducted by the

Inspector General for USAID, on the compliance with relevant

branding and marking requirements. This is not intended to

re-litigate branding decisions regarding waivers or

exemptions that are already in place. Rather, this audit is

intended to provide a more comprehensive picture for USAID,

its implementing partners, and Congress, of the challenges to

successful branding and marking, and how to better

communicate, provide guidance, and implement, branding and

marking requirements.

We appreciate USAID's ongoing efforts to save lives, reduce

poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people

emerge from humanitarian crises, to advance a free, peaceful,

and prosperous world. We look forward to continuing to work

with USAID on effective foreign assistance.

Sincerely,

Eliot L. Engel,

Chairman.

Michael T. McCaul,

Ranking Member.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad we will be moving ahead with this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, let me again thank my friend, Ranking Member McCaul, for his leadership on this bill.

One of the things that makes American foreign policy unique is that when we are at our best, our values are at the center of everything we do. I think one of the most important American values is that we are a generous and big-hearted country. We invest in development because development and security go hand-in-hand, but also because it is the right thing to do. It allows more people to live fuller, healthier, more prosperous lives.

We should take credit for that. We should let people know it is the United States extending a hand of friendship and assistance. That is the goal that this bill is pursuing.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to support this bill, I encourage all Members to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the United States Agency for International Development does an incredible job of providing lifesaving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people all around the globe.

I want to take this opportunity to commend our former colleague, Administrator Mark Green, for his hard work at USAID. I have had many constructive conversations with him since becoming the lead Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I look forward to many more. This bill is actually his idea.

While the primary goal of such assistance is to save the lives of people in desperate need, we also want to ensure the recipients know that it is a gift from the people of the United States of America.

We hear a lot about the need to maximize America's ``soft power.'' There is no better way to win hearts and minds than by saving lives, feeding hungry children, and helping impoverished populations.

This is why I introduced the Branding Modernization Act, together with Chairman Engel.

While this bill places no mandates on USAID and maintains the Administrator's flexibility, it does empower him to brand all of our humanitarian assistance.

It also expands the tools and logos available to the Administrator for implementing a comprehensive branding strategy.

Finally, it requires an audit by the agency's inspector general to ensure that our personnel are complying with branding regulations.

This bill represents smart diplomacy, good governance, and the true compassion of the American people. I believe it deserves our unanimous support.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Engel again for working with me, as usual, on this bill as well as many others, and I yield back the balance of my time.