The purpose of H.R. 7738 was to revise section 5 (b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act (which provides the President authority to restrict economic relations with other nations during war or "national emergency"), by limiting the act strictly to situations of declared war, and creating new legislation (the International Emergency Economic Powers Act) to deal with other emergency situations. In addition, H.R. 7738 also provided for the following: (1) Title I of the bill restricted section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act strictly to wartime situations, but left intact the existing uses of section 5(b) including the economic embargoes against Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, and Cambodia, and the blocking of Chinese and East European assets. (2) Title II transferred the nonwartime powers into a new International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which provided more narrowly drawn authorities than those provided by the Trading With the Enemy Act and required specific procedures (including those required by the National Emergencies Act) in exercising the authorities. (3) Title III transferred to the Export Administration Act the authority to regulate exports of non-U.S.-origin goods and technology by U.S. foreign subsidiaries. This authority had been exercised pursuant to section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act, but it was neither a wartime nor an emergency authority, and properly belonged in the nonemergency Export Administration Act. On July 12, H.R. 7738 was considered on the House floor under suspension of the rules, and passed by voice vote. The bill was then referred to the Senate committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which amended H.R. 7738 in an open markup session on September 15. The committee amendments agreed to were basically technical in nature; however, one amendment struck out the House language stating that the issuance of particular regulations to carry out economic restrictions should be made subject to congressional veto. The Senate agreed to the committee amendments and passed the measure by voice vote on October 11. On November 30, 1977, the House agreed to the majority of the Senate amendments, but also added on various technical provisions to the remaining amendments. On December 7, 1977, the Senate agreed to the House technical additions to the Senate amendments, thus clearing the measure for the President who received it on December 8. However, on December 15, 1977, the House and Senate agreed by voice vote to House Concurrent Resolution 443 which requested the President to return the bill to the Clerk of the House so that technical corrections could be made. H.R. 7738 was again delivered to the President on December 19, and on December 28, 1977, became Public Law 95-223. Legislative history Mar. 29, 30; Apr. 19, 26; May 5, 1977-H.R. 2382 and H.R. 1560 consid- June 2, 8, 9, and 13, 1977-Markup of draft legislation, incorporating June 17, 20, 1977-Considered in open markup session by full commit- June 23, 1977-Reported with amendments. House Report 95-459. July 12, 1977-Passed House as amended under suspension of rules, by July 13, 1977-Referred to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Sept. 15, 1977-Considered in open markup session by Senate Committee Oct. 3, 1977-Reported in Senate, with amendments. Senate Report 95466. Oct. 11, 1977-Passed Senate with committee amendments. Nov. 30, 1977-House agreed to Senate amendments 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and Dec. 7, 1977-Senate agreed to House amendments to Senate amend- Dec. 8, 1977-Measure delivered to President. Dec. 15, 1977-House and Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 443, requesting the President to return the enrolled bill, and providing for its reenrollment with technical corrections. Dec. 19, 1977-Delivered to President. Dec. 28, 1977-Approved. Public Law 95-223. 11. To Provide for Relief and Rehabilitation Assistance to the Victims of the Recent Earthquake in Romania-H.R. 5717 (by Mr. Bingham, for himself, and Representatives Vanik, Fenwick, Rostenkowski, and Whalen) H.R. 5717 was introduced on the House floor by Representative Jonathan Bingham on March 29, 1977, and subsequently referred to the Committee on International Relations. The purpose of the measure was to authorize funds to provide for the relief and rehabilitation of victims of the earthquake that struck Romania in March of 1977. Although the Agency for International Development had already provided some $626,000 in emergency disaster relief, the additional funds were felt necessary because of the catastrophic nature of the earthquake. The full committee considered the legislation on April 4, and began markup on April 5. H.R. 5717 was amended in two areas by the committee. First, the sum of $20 million was substituted for the sum of $25 million, which brought the amount of the authorization into line with the executive branch recommendation and the Senate companion bill, S. 1124. Second, the wording in the bill was clarified so that there would be no doubt that the sole purpose to be served by these disaster assistance funds would be strictly humanitarian and related directly to losses incurred by the earthquake. After ordering the bill favorably reported, as amended, on April 5, the committee was discharged from further consideration. The measure passed the House under suspension of the rules by a vote of 322 to 90 on the same day. On April 6, the Senate passed the measure by voice vote, thus clearing H.R. 5717 for Presidential signature on April 18, 1977 which designated the bill as Public Law 95-21. Legislative history Apr. 4, 1977-H.R. 5717 considered in open session by full committee. Apr. 5, 1977-Considered in open markup session by full committee, amended, and ordered favorably reported by voice vote. Apr. 5, 1977-Committee discharged from further consideration. Apr. 5, 1977-Passed House under suspension of rules by vote of 322 yeas to 90 nays. Apr. 6, 1977-Passed Senate by voice vote. Apr. 18, 1977-Approved. Public Law 95-21. 12. Commemorating Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko by Presenting a Memorial Plaque in His Memory to the People of Poland on Behalf of the American People-H.J. Res. 573 (by Mr. Zablocki, for himself, and Representatives Nedzi, Boland, Dingell, Fenwick, Rodino, Annunzio, Meyner, Kasten, Moakley, Gaydos, Minish, Price, Thompson, Rostenkowski, Gonzalez, Nowak, Derwinski, Brademas, Biaggi, Fascell, Reuss, Broomfield, Buchanan, and Murphy of Illinois) Chairman Zablocki introduced House Joint Resolution 573 on August 3, 1977 and the measure was then referred to the Committee on International Relations. On August 9, 1977 the resolution was referred to the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East, which held hearings and markup on September 23 and approved the measure for full committee action. House Joint Resolution 573 was considered and ordered favorably reported by the committee on September 27, 1977. The purpose of the resolution was to provide congressional sanction for a ceremonial event. October 17, 1977 marked the 200th anniversary of the battle of Saratoga, during which, in the words of the resolution, Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko "played a vital and significant role." The American Council of Polish Cultural Clubs had arranged for a memorial plaque to be erected near the Kosciuszko sarcophagus in Krakow on the anniversary date. The plaque bears the words "On the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Victory at Saratoga, October 17, 1977, grateful America remembers General T. Kosciuszko, fighter for your freedom and ours." Enactment of the resolution provided for additional words to appear at the plaque's base: "A gift to the people of Poland by joint resolution of the Congress of the United States." On September 30, 1977 the committee discharged the resolution by unanimous consent, and on the same day the measure passed the House by voice vote. The Senate passed the resolution by voice vote on October 17, 1977, and on November 1, 1977, House Joint Resolution 573 became Public Law 95-149 by Presidential signature. Legislative history Aug 9, 1977-H.J. Res. 573 referred to Subcommittee on Europe and the Sept. 19, 1977-Report requested from Department of State. Sept. 23, 1977—Considered in open hearing and markup session by sub- Oct 4, 1977-Referred to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Oct. 12, 1977-Reported by Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Oct. 17, 1977-Passed Senate by voice vote. 13. The International Safe Container Act-H.R. 8159 (by Mr. Murphy of New York, for himself, and Representatives Biaggi, Breaux, Studds, Bowen, Eilberg, De Lugo, Hubbard, Zeferetti, Hughes, Bonior, Akaka, and Trible) H.R. 8159 was introduced by Mr. Murphy of New York on June 30, 1977, upon receipt of Executive Communication 1461, dated May 9, 1977. The bill was referred jointly to the Committees on International Relations, Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and Merchant Marine and Fisheries. The purpose of the legislation was to implement the International Convention for Safe Containers and the annexes thereto, done at Geneva, December 2, 1972, which established uniform structural requirements for intermodal cargo containers, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, designed to be transported interchangeably by sea and land carriers, and moving in, or designed to move in, international trade, and for other purposes. Upon examining the bill, as reported by the Interstate and Foreign Committee, the Committee on International Relations agreed to forego further consideration in order to expedite passage of the bill. However, in order that the jurisdiction and comments of the committee would be included in the legislative history of the bill, material was provided to be inserted in the House Report (95-693). Legislative history May 10, 1977-Executive Communication 1461: A letter from the Secretary of Transportation, transmitting a draft of proposed legislation to formalize common international safety requirements for the ap proval, examination, and inspection of containers within the jurisdiction of the United States and used in international transport, to maintain a high level of safety of human life, to facilitate international container transport, and for other purposes. May 10, 1977-Executive Communication 1461 jointly referred to Committee on International Relations and Interstate and Foreign Commerce. May 12, 1977-Executive Communication 1461 referred jointly to Subcommittees on International Organizations and on International Policy and Trade. June 24, 1977-Executive Communication 1461 referred also to Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. June 30, 1977-H.R. 8159 jointly referred to Committee on International Relations, Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and Merchant Marine and Fisheries. July 6, 1977-Referred jointly to Subcommittees on International Eco- Aug. 29, 1977-Reports requested from Departments of State, Labor, Sept. 9, 1977-Report received from Department of State. Sept. 19, 1977-Acknowledgment received from Department of Labor. Oct. 12, 1977-Reported by Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 1 Upon examining the bill, as reported by Interstate and Foreign Commerce, the Committee agreed to forgo further consideration in order to expedite passage of the bill. However, in order that the jurisdiction and comments of the committee will be included in the legislative history of the bill, material was provided to be inserted in House Report 95-693. Nov. 1, 1977-Passed House by voice vote under suspension of rules. Nov. 4, 1977-Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation dis- Nov. 29, 1977-House agreed to the Senate amendment. Dec. 13, 1977-Approved. Public Law 95–208. B. 1978 1. International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1978H.R. 12222 (by Mr. Zablocki, for himself, and Representatives Fascell, Diggs, Nix, Fraser, Rosenthal, Hamilton, Wolff, Bingham, Harrington, Ryan, Collins of Illinois, Solarz, Meyner, Bonker, Studds, Pease, Beilenson, Cavanaugh, Findley, Buchanan, Whalen, Winn, and Gilman) The executive branch request for foreign economic assistance_authorizing legislation for fiscal year 1979 was transmitted to the Congress as executive communication 3297 on February 20, 1978. On February 22, 1978, H.R. 11080, draft legislation containing the executive branch proposal, was introduced, by request, by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on International Relations. The committee also had other foreign assistance measures under consideration at this time, including H.R. 10691, which was a counterpart to S. 2420, a bill prepared by the late Senator Hubert H. Humphrey. H.R. 10691 contained reforms which called for a major reorganization of the administration of U.S. development assistance. A major feature of the bill included the establishment of the International Development Cooperation Administration, which would have responsibility for administration of all the major U.S. development assistance programs, including, the bilateral assistance programs now run by the Agency for International Development (AID); the contributions to the World Bank Group and the regional development banks now coordinated by the Department of the Treasury; the voluntary contributions to the United Nations technical and humanitarian agencies now coordinated by the Department of State: and the development and relief aspects of the Public Law 480 food-for-peace program, now coordinated by the Agriculture Department. An ad hoc group of 14 committee members under the chairmanship of Mr. Zablocki met 10 days-February 16, 21. March 2, 14, 16, 21, and April 4, 11, 12, 17-and reviewed H.R. 10691 to make recommendations on portions of the bill for inclusion in the fiscal year 1979 markup. Additionally a number of subcommittees had held hearings, either individually or jointly, to make their recommendations on the foreign assistance programs under their jurisdiction. The full committee held 4 days of hearings, February 21, 22, 23, and 24, to receive testimony on the draft legislation from the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID). On April 5 and 11, the full committee heard subcommittee recommendations. |