PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE Nov.

10, 2011 WASHINGTON UPDATE State, Foreign Operations Bill on Senate Floor Next Week The Senate voted this afternoon to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to a mini-bus appropriations bill that includes the State, Foreign Operations bill, along with the Energy and Water and Financial Services bills. With the Veterans Day holiday tomorrow, consideration of the bill is expected to begin Monday, Nov. 14, and the first votes on amendments could come as early as Tuesday. A number of senators have indicated their intention to offer amendments to the bill, although none of these amendments have been made public. Possibilities include: cuts in UN funding; various UN reform amendments; cuts in aid to Pakistan; reduced funding for the International Panel on Climate Change; withdrawal from UNESCO because it accepted the Palestinian Authority as a member; cuts to State Department and USAID operating expenses; and amendments to codify in statute various transparency and evaluation initiatives undertaken by USAID lately. Other important legislation is also slated for next week. Passage of the expected conference agreement on the first mini-buswith a continuing resolution (CR) likely to be attached to it, since the current CR expires Nov. 18could compete with this second one, as could consideration of the Defense authorization bill. With many amendments being prepared just for the State, Foreign Operations bill, and doubtless amendments being offered to the other two bills in the package as well, it is unclear how the week will hold everything intended for it. Some speculate that debate on the second mini-bus will end up spilling over to the week after Thanksgiving. UPCOMING HEARINGS Hearing: Weeding Out Bad Contractors: Does the Government Have the Right Tools? Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Witnesses: TBA When: Nov. 16, 9:00 a.m. Where: 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building Contact: 202-224-2627 http://www.hsgac.senate.gov

Hearing: Progress of the Obama Administration's Policy toward Iran Committee: House Oversight and Government Reform CommitteeNational Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations Subcommittee Witnesses: TBA 1

When: Nov. 15, 10:00 a.m. Where: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building Contact: 202-225-5074 http://oversight.house.gov Hearing: Environmental Refugees and Displace Persons: Protecting the Vulnerable Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Witnesses: Vincent Cochetel, regional representative, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Richard E. Scott, chief of mission, International Organization for Migration; Alice Thomas, climate displacement program manager, Refugees International; Susan Martin, executive director, Institute for the Study of International Migration, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University; Marc Hanson (moderator), government relations Senior advocate, Refugees International When: Nov. 17, 2:00 p.m. Where: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building Contact: 202-225-3599 tlhrc@mail.house.gov

ARTICLES AND REPORTS BBC Nov. 7: Liberia Election: CDC Monrovia Protest Turns Deadly A protest ahead of Liberias presidential election runoff between incumbent and Nobel Peace laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and opposition candidate Winston Tubman has left at least one person dead. Tubman pulled out of the race on Tuesday, citing alleged fraud. The violence has caused Liberias Justice Minister to promise increased security for upcoming elections. Nov. 8: IAEA Nuclear Report Strengthens Case against Iran The UNs nuclear watchdog released a report on Tuesday charging Iran with working on research for a nuclear bomb to arm one of its long-range missiles. Iran insists the research is solely for civil and not military purposes, though the international community continues to fear otherwise. Nov. 9: Haiti Cholera Victims Demand UN Compensation The Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti has filed suit against the UN for hundreds of millions of dollars to compensate Haitian cholera victims. The suit claims that the UN failed to check its peacekeepers for the disease before deployment, then failed to deal with the outbreak properly. More than 6,500 Haitians have died from the outbreak and nearly 500,000 made ill. Nov. 10: Sudan Bombs Refugees in South Sudans Unity State South Sudan has accused Sudan of bombing a refugee camp in South Sudans territory, killing 12 people and wounding 20 others. The Sudanese military, which has been fighting rebel groups in states abutting the border since South Sudans independence, denies the claim. Nov. 10: Calls to End Child Labor on West Africas Cocoa Farms A U.S. government report found that more than 1.8 million children in West Africa are involved in growing cocoa, and calls to end child labor in the industry. The Minister for Labor and Social Affairs in the Ivory Coast, the worlds largest exporter of cocoa, has said that global chocolate companies who use such dangerous labor have a moral obligation to engage in better practices.

New York Times Nov. 9: An Unruly Election Campaign Mirrors Congos Lingering Political Instability As the DRC prepares for its general elections, insecurity, corruption and violence are breeding grounds for a dangerous campaign season. Violence and controversy have already surged, with logistical delays and oppressive measures endangering the process. Nov. 9: Security Forces Kill at Least 26 in Syria These killings are only the latest of the 3,500 murders so far during Syrias antigovernment protests. Authorities blame armed gangs and Islamist militants for the bloodshed. Authorities agreed to an Arab League plan on Nov. 2 to withdraw from restive cities, set political prisoners free, and start talks with the opposition, but the UN says that at least 60 people have been reported killed since then, and a UN official warned Wednesday of the prospect of civil war. Washington Post Nov. 10: Iranian Leader Warns Israel, U.S. Not to Attack Nuclear Sites The UN report suggesting that Iran may be on its way to a nuclear build-up has prompted Israels leaders to discuss possibly attacking Irans nuclear sites, prompting Irans leader to warn against such actions. The U.S. continues to seek international support for tougher sanctions against Iran, but Russia and China have expressed reluctance. Disclaimer: Articles linked in the Update are intended to provide a dashboard view of newsworthy and topical issues from popular news outlets that will be of interest to readers of the Update. The articles are an information sharing vehicle rather than an advocacy tool. They are in no way representative of the views of InterAction or the U.S. NGO community as a whole.