,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bjjf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #ae1 #bjbc,mr4 ,risch 7for himself and ,mr4 ,menendez7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to foster ,tunisia's democratic institutions1 to limit funds until ,tunisia restores checks and balances1 and to authorize the creation of a fund to support democratic reforms4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,safeguarding ,tunisian ,democracy ,act of #bjbc4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,in #bjaj and #bjaa1 waves of anti-government protests and violence reshaped governments across the ,middle ,east and ,north ,africa4 7#b7 ,while other countries in the ,middle ,east and ,north ,africa experienced violent crackdown1 rapid changes in government1 or descent into civil war1 ,tunisia's ,jasmine ,revolution saw the ouster of autocratic ,president ,zine ,el ,abidine ,ben ,ali and the emergence of a nascent1 growing democracy4 7#c7 ,on ,october #ad1 #bjai1 ,tunisians overwhelmingly elected ,kais ,saied1 a constitutional law professor1 as ,president based on his pledges to combat corruption and improve ,tunisia's economic outlook4 7#d7 ,on ,july #be1 #bjba1 ,president ,saied unilaterally suspended parliament and dismissed the ,prime ,minister1 citing exceptional circumstances and ,article #hj of the #bjad constitution4 7#e7 ,on ,september #bb1 #bjba1 ,president ,saied issued ,presidential ,decree #aag1 consolidating full executive and legislative powers within the presidency and authorizing further decrees regulating the judiciary1 media1 political parties1 electoral law1 freedoms and human rights4 7#f7 ,on ,february #f1 #bjbb1 ,president ,saied dissolved the ,supreme ,judicial ,council1 eliminating an independent judiciary4 7#g7 ,on ,march #cj1 #bjbb1 ,president ,saied officially dissolved parliament1 further consolidating power and eliminating checks and balances on the presidency4 7#h7 ,on ,june #cj1 #bjbb1 ,president ,saied unilaterally introduced a new draft constitution1 subject to a referendum1 consolidating broad powers under executive rule4 7#i7 ,on ,july #be1 #bjbb1 ,saied claimed victory in a constitutional referendum widely criticized for its lack of credibility and participation4 7#aj7 ,on ,september #ac1 #bjbb1 ,president ,saied announced ,presidential ,decree #bjbb-ed on ,cybercrime1 imposing prison terms for false information or rumors online and crippling free speech4 7#aa7 ,on ,september #ae1 #bjbb1 ,president ,saied announced ,presidential ,decree #bjbb-ee which weakened the role of political parties and imposed burdensome requirements to run for parliament4 7#ab7 ,on ,october #ae1 #bjbb1 the ,international ,monetary ,fund reached a staff-level agreement to support ,tunisia's economic policies with a #dh-month arrangement under the ,extended ,fund ,facility of #a1ijj1jjj1jjj and the potential for more from international donors4 7#ac7 ,on ,december #ag1 #bjbb1 only #aa percent of ,tunisians participated in parliamentary elections1 reflecting dissatisfaction with the referendum1 barriers to political parties1 and low public trust for democratic institutions in ,tunisia4 7#ad7 ,on ,january #bj1 #bjbc1 #d political opponents of ,president ,saied were sentenced through military courts for insulting a public official and disturbing public order4 7#ae7 ,on ,january #bi1 #bjbc1 only #aa percent of ,tunisians participated in parliamentary run-off elections1 reaffirming low public trust for democratic institutions in ,tunisia4 7#af7 ,on ,february #a1 #bjbc1 ,president ,saied extended the state of emergency until the end of #bjbc4 7#ag7 ,on ,february #aj1 #bjbc1 ,president ,saied announced strengthened diplomatic ties with the ,government of ,syria1 a ,united ,states-designated ,state ,sponsor of ,terrorism4 7#ah7 ,on ,february #aa1 #bjbc1 and in the following weeks1 ,president ,saied launched a political crackdown by arresting political activists1 journalists1 and business leaders for allegedly plotting against the state1 including by opening a criminal investigation against a former ,nidaa ,tounes parliamentarian4 7#ai7 ,on ,february #ba1 #bjbc1 ,president ,saied justified widespread arrests and harassment of ,african migrants and ,black ,tunisians by accusing hordes of irregular migrants of criminality and violence1 claiming a criminal enterprise hatched at the beginning of this century to change the demographic composition of ,tunisia threatened national security4 7#bj7 ,on ,february #bb1 #bjbc1 ,tunisian authorities arrested ,republican ,party leader ,issam ,chebbi and ,national ,salvation ,front member ,chaima ,issa4 7#ba7 ,on ,february #bd1 #bjbc1 ,tunisian authorities arrested ,national ,salvation ,front member ,jawher ,ben ,mbarek4 7#bb7 ,on ,april #ag1 #bjbc1 ,president ,kais ,saied vowed relentless war against opposition figures1 jailed ,ennahdha party leader ,rached ,ghannouchi1 detained president of the ,national ,salvation ,front coalition ,nejib ,chebbi1 and shuttered ,ennahdha offices and those of an ideologically broad opposition coalition4 7#bc7 ,as of ,april #bj1 #bjbc1 an ,international ,monetary ,fund loan for ,tunisia remains stalled as ,president ,saied's characterized necessary reforms as foreign diktats and decried proposed cuts in subsidies as socially destabilizing4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it shall be the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to forge a strong and lasting partnership with the ,government of ,tunisia to support shared national security interests to include countering the enduring threat of transnational terrorism and promoting regional stability2 7#b7 to develop and implement a security strategy that builds partner capacity to address shared threats and cements the role of the ,united ,states as the partner of choice2 7#c7 to encourage standards and training for the ,tunisian ,armed ,forces that enshrines military professionalism and respect for civil-military relations2 7#d7 to support the ,tunisian people's aspirations for a democratic future and support democratic principles in ,tunisia1 to include a robust civil society1 respect for freedoms of expression and association1 press freedom1 separation of powers1 and the rule of law2 7#e7 to support the ,tunisian people's livelihoods and aspirations for economic dignity2 7#f7 to work in tandem with our ,g#g and other partners to promote ,tunisia's return to democratic principles in a manner that halts democratic backsliding1 stabilizes the economic crisis1 spurs economic development1 and mitigates destabilizing migration flows2 and 7#g7 to readjust bilateral ,united ,states foreign assistance1 including security assistance1 based on the progress of the ,government of ,tunisia toward meeting the democratic aspirations and economic needs of the ,tunisian people4 #d4 ,limitation on funds2 creation of ,tunisia ,democracy ,support ,fund2 report 7a7 ,in general ,effective upon the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in conjunction with the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development-- 7#a7 shall limit funding to ,tunisia1 as provided for in subsection 7b72 and 7#b7 is authorized to establish a ,tunisia ,democracy ,support ,fund1 as provided for in subsection 7c71 to encourage reforms that restore ,tunisian democracy and rule of law4 7b7 ,limitation on funds ,of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available in fiscal years #bjbd and #bjbe to carry out chapters #a and #h of part ,i of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea et seq471 chapters #a through #f1 #h1 and #i of part ,,ii of such ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcja et seq471 and section #bc of the ,arms ,export ,control ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bgfc7 for the ,government of ,tunisia1 an aggregate amount of #be percent for each such fiscal year shall be withheld from obligation1 with the exception of funding for ,tunisian civil society1 until the ,secretary of ,state determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the state of emergency declared on ,july #be1 #bjba1 has been terminated4 7c7 ,tunisia ,democracy ,support ,fund authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary of ,state #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of the fiscal years #bjbd and #bjbe1 which shall be used to establish the ,tunisia ,democracy ,support ,fund for the purpose of encouraging reforms that restore ,tunisia's democratic institutions and rule of law4 7#b7 ,limitation ,funds authorized to be appropriated pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall not be available for obligation until the ,secretary of ,state certifies in writing to the appropriate congressional committees that the ,government of ,tunisia has demonstrated measurable progress towards the democratic benchmarks outlined in subsection 7d74 7d7 ,democratic benchmarks ,pursuant to subsection 7c77#b71 the democratic benchmarks to be addressed in the ,secretary of ,state's certification are whether the ,government of ,tunisia-- 7#a7 appropriately empowers ,parliament to serve the ,tunisian people and serve as an independent1 co-equal branch of government essential to a healthy democracy2 7#b7 restores judicial independence and establishes the ,constitutional ,court in a manner that fosters an independent judiciary and serves as a check on the presidency2 7#c7 is taking credible steps to respect freedoms of expression1 association1 and the press2 7#d7 creates an enabling operating environment in which ,tunisian civil society organizations can operate without undue interference1 including permitting international funding2 7#e7 ceases use of military courts to try civilians2 and 7#f7 ceases efforts to intimidate ,tunisian independent media through arbitrary arrests and criminal prosecutions of journalists on illegitimate charges4 7e7 ,initial ,report1 ,annual ,report and ,briefing 7#a7 ,initial report ,not later than #abj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act and annually thereafter through #bjbh1 the ,secretary of ,state shall provide a report and accompanying briefing on the state of ,tunisia's democracy and associated progress on the democratic benchmarks outlined in subsection 7d7 to the appropriate congressional committees4 7#b7 ,form of report ,the report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may include a classified annex4 7f7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary of ,state may waive the limitation on funding under subsection 7b7 if the ,secretary1 not later than #ae days before the waiver is to take effect1 certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that such waiver is in the national interest of the ,united ,states4 ,the ,secretary shall submit with the certification a detailed justification explaining the reasons for the waiver4 7g7 ,defined term ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 7#b7 the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 7#c7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#d7 the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 #e4 ,termination ,this ,act shall terminate on the date that is #e years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4