September 23, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 153 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S5632-S5633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     EBOLA ERADICATION ACT OF 2019

  Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
notwithstanding the order of August 1, 2019, the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 102, S. 1340.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1340) to authorize activities to combat the 
     Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 
     for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations, with 
an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Ebola Eradication Act of 
     2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic 
     of the Congo, which began in August 2018 in eastern Congo, is 
     the second largest in history and has resulted in over 1,600 
     cases and 1,000 deaths.
       (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 
     therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to response 
     efforts remain major obstacles to ending the current Ebola 
     outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the 
     outbreak continues to spread.
       (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics have been 
     repeatedly attacked by armed actors.
       (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without Borders suspended 
     its work in Ebola epicenters after two treatment centers were 
     attacked.
       (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, 
     an epidemiologist from Cameroon deployed by the World Health 
     Organization to eastern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was 
     killed in an attack on Butembo University Hospital.
       (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola have expressed 
     concerns about their ability to continue working on the 
     response given the complex security situation.
       (7) If the outbreak is not brought under control, it risks 
     spreading across the border to neighboring countries and 
     endangering millions of people.
       (8) The Administration released a November 29, 2018, 
     Presidential Memorandum implementing aid restrictions to most 
     countries on Tier III of the 2018 Trafficking In Persons 
     (TIP) report that fully restricted non-humanitarian, non-
     trade related aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
       (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
     7107(d)(4) and (5)) authorize the continuation of assistance 
     in Tier III countries if such assistance is determined to be 
     in the national interest of the United States.
       (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking Victims 
     Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.

[[Page S5633]]

     7107(d)(5)(B)) states, ``The President shall exercise the 
     [waiver] authority under paragraph (4) when necessary to 
     avoid significant adverse effects on vulnerable populations, 
     including women and children.''.
       (11) The President has not exercised the waiver authority 
     provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking in 
     Victims Protection Act of 2000 in relation to health, 
     education, or community outreach activities essential to the 
     success of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of 
     the Congo.
       (12) It is in the national interest of the United States to 
     help control and end the current Ebola outbreak in the 
     Democratic Republic of the Congo before it spreads.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE 
                   DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 110 of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107), 
     the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development shall immediately provide 
     assistance, including multi-sectoral, non-humanitarian, and 
     non-trade related foreign assistance, to the Democratic 
     Republic of the Congo and other vulnerable countries to 
     effectively combat the Ebola outbreak that began in August 
     2018. Subject to the availability of appropriations, such 
     assistance shall be provided at levels commensurate with both 
     the threat posed by the Ebola outbreak and an effective 
     response. Activities to expand and improve access to 
     communities heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak should be 
     prioritized under this section.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
     United States Agency for International Development shall 
     submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report--
       (1) describing the actions the Administrator has taken and 
     plans to take under section 3(a) to end the Ebola outbreak in 
     eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
       (2) proposing any additional legal authorities required to 
     improve the response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern 
     Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  Mr. RUBIO. I further ask unanimous consent that the Menendez-Lee 
amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the committee-reported 
substitute, as amended, be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be 
considered read a third time and passed; and that the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 940) was agreed to as follows:

        (Purpose: To modify the authority to provide assistance)

       On page 7, strike lines 12 through 25 and insert the 
     following:
       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 110 of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107), 
     and subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development shall immediately provide assistance, including 
     targeted foreign assistance under chapters 1 and 10 of part I 
     of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et 
     seq.; 22 U.S.C. 2293 et seq.) for global health and 
     activities necessary to respond to the threat posed by Ebola, 
     and under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act 
     of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.), to the Democratic Republic 
     of the Congo, South Sudan, and Burundi to effectively combat 
     the Ebola outbreak that began in August 2018, including water 
     and sanitation infrastructure, global health activities, 
     public messaging and other critical activities necessary for 
     ending the outbreak. Such assistance shall be provided at 
     levels commensurate both to address the threat posed by the 
     Ebola outbreak and conduct activities necessary for an 
     effective response. Activities to expand and improve access 
     to communities heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak should 
     be prioritized under this section.
  The committee-reported amendment, as amended, was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1340), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1340

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Ebola Eradication Act of 
     2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic 
     of the Congo, which began in August 2018 in eastern Congo, is 
     the second largest in history and has resulted in over 1,600 
     cases and 1,000 deaths.
       (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 
     therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to response 
     efforts remain major obstacles to ending the current Ebola 
     outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the 
     outbreak continues to spread.
       (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics have been 
     repeatedly attacked by armed actors.
       (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without Borders suspended 
     its work in Ebola epicenters after two treatment centers were 
     attacked.
       (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, 
     an epidemiologist from Cameroon deployed by the World Health 
     Organization to eastern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was 
     killed in an attack on Butembo University Hospital.
       (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola have expressed 
     concerns about their ability to continue working on the 
     response given the complex security situation.
       (7) If the outbreak is not brought under control, it risks 
     spreading across the border to neighboring countries and 
     endangering millions of people.
       (8) The Administration released a November 29, 2018, 
     Presidential Memorandum implementing aid restrictions to most 
     countries on Tier III of the 2018 Trafficking In Persons 
     (TIP) report that fully restricted non-humanitarian, non-
     trade related aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
       (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
     7107(d)(4) and (5)) authorize the continuation of assistance 
     in Tier III countries if such assistance is determined to be 
     in the national interest of the United States.
       (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking Victims 
     Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(d)(5)(B)) states, 
     ``The President shall exercise the [waiver] authority under 
     paragraph (4) when necessary to avoid significant adverse 
     effects on vulnerable populations, including women and 
     children.''.
       (11) The President has not exercised the waiver authority 
     provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking in 
     Victims Protection Act of 2000 in relation to health, 
     education, or community outreach activities essential to the 
     success of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of 
     the Congo.
       (12) It is in the national interest of the United States to 
     help control and end the current Ebola outbreak in the 
     Democratic Republic of the Congo before it spreads.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE 
                   DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 110 of the 
     Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107), 
     and subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development shall immediately provide assistance, including 
     targeted foreign assistance under chapters 1 and 10 of part I 
     of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et 
     seq.; 22 U.S.C. 2293 et seq.) for global health and 
     activities necessary to respond to the threat posed by Ebola, 
     and under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act 
     of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.), to the Democratic Republic 
     of the Congo, South Sudan, and Burundi to effectively combat 
     the Ebola outbreak that began in August 2018, including water 
     and sanitation infrastructure, global health activities, 
     public messaging and other critical activities necessary for 
     ending the outbreak. Such assistance shall be provided at 
     levels commensurate both to address the threat posed by the 
     Ebola outbreak and conduct activities necessary for an 
     effective response. Activities to expand and improve access 
     to communities heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak should 
     be prioritized under this section.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
     United States Agency for International Development shall 
     submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report--
       (1) describing the actions the Administrator has taken and 
     plans to take under section 3(a) to end the Ebola outbreak in 
     eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
       (2) proposing any additional legal authorities required to 
     improve the response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern 
     Democratic Republic of the Congo.

                          ____________________