,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfhb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #ae1        
#bjai,ms4 ,lee of ,california introduced
 the following bill2 which was referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  
,a ,,bill  ,to provide for ,united      
,states participation in the            
,inter-,parliamentary ,union1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,united ,states    
participation in the                    
,inter-,parliamentary ,union  7a7       
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,the ,inter-,parliamentary ,union 
7,,ipu71 founded in #ahhi1 is the world 
organization of national parliaments    
comprising #agj parliaments 7including  
all the major allies of the ,united     
,states7 and working closely with the   
regional parliamentary organizations on 
all continents4  7#b7 ,the core mission 
of the ,,ipu is the promotion of        
parliamentary democracy1 the elaboration
 of standards and criteria for          
democratic parliamentary practice1 the  

protection of human rights1             
international peace and security1 the   
political empowerment of women1         
sustainable international development1  
and greater transparency and            
accountability at the global level1     
which are in line with ,united ,states  
interests and priorities4  7#c7         
,congress was a founding member of the  
,,ipu1 and played an active and         
prominent role for many decades4  7#d7  
,the main concerns of ,congress1        
including the scheduling of main        
assembly and arrears1 have been fully   
addressed by the ,,ipu4  7#e7 ,through  
the activities of the ,,ipu1 the ,united
 ,states can usefully promote its core  
values of freedom1 democracy1 and human 
rights1 and help build stronger         
parliaments around the world4  7b7      
,united ,states participation in the    
,inter-,parliamentary ,union            
,notwithstanding section #bejc of the   
,foreign ,affairs ,reform and           
,restructuring ,act of #aiih 7division  

,g of ,public ,law #aje-bgg2 #bb        
,u4,s4,c4 #bgf note7--  7#a7 the        
,secretary of ,state is authorized to-- 
7,a7 facilitate the readmission and     
participation of the ,united ,states in 
the ,inter-,parliamentary ,union2 and   
7,b7 pay expenses to meet the annual    
obligations of membership in the        
,inter-,parliamentary ,union1 in        
accordance with the assessments         
determined by the ,governing ,council2  
and  7#b7 the majority leader of the    
,senate1 in consultation with the       
minority leader of the ,senate1 and the 
,speaker of the ,house of               
,representatives1 in consultation with  
the minority leader of the ,house of    
,representatives1 are authorized to     
designate ,members of ,congress to serve
 as delegates to the ,assembly of the   
,inter-,parliamentary ,union4