No Payments Required of American Citizens Departing Lebanon

Technorati Tags: Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Lebanon or State Department and Secretary of State, or President Bush and Cyprus, or U.S. Embassy, and Beirut, or Lebanese, and Syria, or EMERGENCY EVACUATION, and No Payments Required, or Foreign Relations Authorization Act,

No Payments Required of American Citizens Departing Lebanon

In this extraordinary case, Secretary Rice has directed the State Department to waive the requirement for American citizens departing Lebanon to reimburse the United States Government for their travel costs. We want to do everything we can to facilitate the departure of American citizens from Lebanon. Today’s step removes one potential worry for our citizens at this difficult time.

2006/695, Press Statement, Sean McCormack, Spokesman, Washington, DC, July 18, 2006, Released on July 18, 2006

Press Briefing Tony Snow 07/18/06 (VIDEO) Q Then let me follow about the evacuations of Americans. Are you comfortable with the pace at which they've proceeded? And we're starting to hear from some Americans in Lebanon that they have not been getting adequate help, and this idea of their paying for their evacuation, all that is -- they have some problems with. What's your sense of it?

A As for the complaint -- and I understand it -- about having to pay actually the same rate you get charged, which is commercial rate plus a dollar -- that is a result of congressional law. It is actually part of the 2003 Foreign Relations Authorization Act. Interestingly, the Department of State had actually asked for some fairly lax guidelines in terms of trying to do this. This is a provision that provides for the evacuation while lives are endanger by war, civil unrest, or natural disaster, and this includes American citizens, employees, dependents and so on. The State Department wanted something like -- they wanted, on a reimbursable basis to the extent feasible. Congress said, no, no, no, we want to get our money out of them -- I'm paraphrasing -- and they strengthened the language to the maximum extent practicable. It's the law. I daresay it's something that is causing heartburn for a number of people, but it is the law, and the State Department has to abide by it. Press Briefing Tony Snow 07/18/06 (VIDEO) FULL TEXT

The Pertinent Laws relating to Mr. Snows statement.

Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 H.R.1646

SEC. 201. EMERGENCY EVACUATION SERVICES.

Section 4(b)(2)(A) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2671(b)(2)(A)) is amended to read as follows:

`(A) the evacuation when their lives are endangered by war, civil unrest, or natural disaster of--

`(i) United States Government employees and their dependents; and

`(ii) private United States citizens or third-country nationals, on a reimbursable basis to the maximum extent practicable, with such reimbursements to be credited to the applicable Department of State appropriation and to remain available until expended, except that no reimbursement under this clause shall be paid that is greater than the amount the person evacuated would have been charged for a reasonable commercial air fare immediately prior to the events giving rise to the evacuation;'.

H.R.1646 Title: To authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6] (introduced 4/27/2001) Cosponsors (1) Related Bills: H.CON.RES.483, H.RES.138, H.RES.545, S.1401, S.1803 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 107-228 [GPO: Text, PDF] House Reports: 107-57; Latest Conference Report: 107-671 (in Congressional Record H6422-6470)

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 121,

Republican 180 36 3, Democratic 172 35 3, PELOSI, AYE

and more background plus the latest actions:

"State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956" "travel costs"

H.R.5828 Title: To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to remove the reimbursement requirement for evacuation as a result of war, civil unrest, or natural disaster. Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 7/18/2006) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 7/18/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

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