II. OPERATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

A. Committee Origins and History

The Committee on International Relations traces its origins to November 29, 1775. It was on that date that the Continental Congress by resolution created a committee "for the sole purposes of corresponding with our friends in Great Britain, Ireland, and other parts of the world." The members chosen for this committee were Benjamin Franklin-who served as chairman and guiding spirit-Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Johnson, Jr., John Dickinson, and John Jay. Known at first as the Committee of Correspondence, the committee itself soon changed its name to the Committee of Secret Correspond

ence.

That committee was the first institution created to represent the United States in the foreign affairs field. The Committee on International Relations (as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) is a lineal descendant of the Committee of Correspondence.

Franklin's committee quickly entered into communication with various persons in Europe for the purpose of ascertaining sentiment there toward the Colonies and obtaining any other information which might be useful in the struggle with England. It even designated its own secret agents abroad.

By the spring of 1777, the specialized nature of the committee's work had been recognized and its title was changed to "Committee for Foreign Affairs." Special problems in foreign relations, however, were sometimes dealt with by select or temporary committees appointed for the purpose.

After the Congress of the United States was organized under the Constitution, select committees to deal with foreign affairs were appointed. In 1807, during the Jefferson Presidency, a House committee was established in response to predatory actions by both the French and British against American commercial shipping. Following the seizure and search of the U.S. frigate Chesapeake 10 miles off the Virginia coast by a British ship, the House appointed a special Foreign Relations Committee which was also known as the Aggression Committee. That committee had an active role in foreign policy considerations through the War of 1812 and in 1822, renamed the Committee on Foreign Affairs, was designated a standing committee of the House with a membership of seven.

The 150th anniversary of that event was celebrated by the committee in 1972.

Because the House is the organ of National Government closest to the citizenry, the Committee on Foreign Affairs may truly be said to have been the voice of the American people on issues of international sig

nificance for more than century and a half. Although this important role has remained the same, the name of the committee was changed on March 19, 1975, by a resolution (H. Res. 163) sponsored by 22 members of the committee, to the Committee on International Relations. The change resulted from the extensive discussions by the members that were undertaken in relation to the reorganization of the subcommittee structure of the committee. It was the consensus that the change in the name of the full committee would more accurately reflect the organization of the committee as it had been agreed upon by its own members.

Throughout its history, the committee has been composed of some of America's most able legislators and statesmen. Two American Presidents have served on it: James K. Polk, from 1827 to 1831, and John Quincy Adams, who become chairman in 1842 after he returned to the House following his term as the Chief Executive.

Many former chairman of the committee have written their names into the history books. Among them was Edward Everett of Massachusetts, chairman in the 20th Congress, who also served as Secretary of State, was a Whig Vice Presidential candidate in 1860, and is remembered as one of America's greatest orators. Francis W. Pickens, who chaired the committee from 1839 to 1841, later became Governor of South Carolina and authorized the firing on Fort Sumter which precipitated the Civil War.

Serving as chairman in the aftermath of World War I. Stephen G. Porter of Pennsylvania came to be one of the most influential figures in the determination of American foreign policy in the early 1920's. In more recent times, Chairmen Sol Bloom of New York and James P. Richards of South Carolina have been recognized for their contributions to America's leadership in the immediate post-World War II period. The longest tenure as chairman in the history of the committee was that of Hon. Thomas E. Morgan of Pennsylvania, who served in that position from 1959 until the end of the 94th Congress. The present chairman, Hon. Clement J. Zablocki, has represented the 4th District of Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1949.

Other former members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs-men like Tom Connally of Texas, Champ Clark of Iowa, and J. William Fulbright of Arkansas-went to the U.S. Senate where they established reputations for their work on international affairs legislation.

Moreover, committee experience has provided a beginning for numerous men who have gone on to distinguish themselves in the diplomatic service of the country. Among them was Perry Belmont, chairman in the 49th and 50th Congresses, who was U.S. Minister to Spain in 1888-89 and a noted author of works on international policies. His successor as chairman in the 51st Congress was Robert R. Hitt of Ohio who was chief of the U.S. Legation in Paris from 1874 to 1881 and subsequently was appointed Assistant Secretary of State. Christian A. Herter, who served as Secretary of State during the Eisenhower administration, was a committee member in the 82d Congress. More recent examples are: Chester Bowles, former Under Secretary of State; James W. Wadsworth, former U.S. Representative at the United Nations; F. Bradford Morse, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and director of the United Nations Development Pro

gram; E. Ross Adair, former Ambassador to Ethiopia; and William S. Mailliard, Ambassador to the Organization of American States.

B. Power of the Purse

The Committee on International Relations has virtually the same jurisdiction as the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, with the exception of consideration of treaties and Presidential appointments of Ambassadors and certain other officers, which constitutionally lie only with the Senate. The House of Representatives, however, through its power over the disbursal of funds has traditionally initiated appropriations. The Committee on International Relations, therefore, bears the primary responsibility of authorizing appropriations affecting relations of the United States with foreign countries.

C. Committee Jurisdiction

(1) Scope. Since 1822, the Committee on International Relations has had a broad jurisdiction over foreign relations. It also had authority to report appropriations from 1885 to 1920 (secs. 689 and 690, Rules of the House of Representatives, H. Doc. No. 507, 83d Cong.).

In the 94th Congress rule X (k) of the Rules of the House of Representatives defined the jurisdiction of the committee as follows: (k) Committee on International Relations:

(1) Relations of the United States with foreign nations generally.

(2) Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies and legislations in foreign countries.

(3) Establishment of boundary lines between the United States and foreign nations.

(4) Foreign loans.

(5) International conferences and congresses.

(6) Intervention abroad and declarations of war.

(7) Measures relating to the diplomatic service.

(8) Measures to foster commercial intercourse with foreign nations and to safeguard American business interests abroad.

(9) Neutrality.

(10) Protection of American citizens abroad and expatriation.

(11) The American National Red Cross.

(12) United Nations Organizations.

(13) Measures relating to international economic policy.

(14) Export controls [including nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware].1

(15) International commodity agreements (other than those involving sugar) [including all agreements for cooperation in the export of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware].1

(16) Trading with the enemy.

(17) International education.

In addition to its legislative jurisdiction under the preceding provisions of this paragraph (and its general oversight function under clause 2(b) (1)), the committee shall have the special oversight functions provided for in clause 3(d) with respect to customs administration. intelligence activities relating to foreign policy, international financial and monetary organizations, and international fishing agreements.

The jurisdiction as defined in the rule, with the exception of the references to nuclear technology in sections 14 and 15, was made effective January 3, 1975, following the passage in the 93d Congress of the

Committee Reform Act of 1974, House Resolution 988. The committee's jurisdiction over measures relating to international economic policy and export controls was expanded on January 4, 1977 (H. Res. 5) to include nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware, and jurisdiction over measures relating to international commodity agreements (other than those involving sugar) was expanded to include all agreements for cooperation in the export of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware.

The special oversight function of the committee as set forth in clause 3(d), rule X, was made effective January 3, 1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Congress).

D. Oversight Functions

The committee, by tradition and precedent, maintains a close watch over the Department of State and other agencies of the Government which are involved in foreign affairs. Under the Rules of the House of Representatives the committee is authorized to exercise continuous surveillance of the execution by the executive branch of the laws within the committee's jurisdiction. Under provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, the committee has the further responsibility of submitting a biennial report to the House on these review activities. The law states:

SEC. 136. (a) In order to assist the House in

(1) its analysis, appraisal, and evaluation of the application, administration, and execution of the laws enacted by the Congress, and

(2) its formulation, consideration, and enactment of such modifications of or changes in those laws, and of such additional legislation, as may be necessary or appropriate,

each standing committee shall review and study, on a continuing basis, the application, administration, and execution of those laws, or parts of laws, the subject matter of which is within the jurisdiction of that committee.

(b) Each standing committee shall submit to the House, not later than January 2 of each odd-numbered year beginning on or after January 1, 1973, a report on the activities of that committee under this clause during the Congress ending at noon on January 3 of such year.

In compliance with this requirement, the committee filed a report on its legislative review activities on December 29, 1978, covering the work of the 95th Congress. It is House Report 95-1824 and contains a more detailed listing of the committee oversight and review activities than is possible here.

E. Study Missions and Participation in International Conferences and Events

The committee has kept itself informed of the latest developments in foreign affairs. The usual frequent conferences with high Government officials, both civil and military, have been augmented by special study missions to various parts of the world to obtain first-hand knowledge of the problems of foreign countries and the administration of U.S. programs and operations falling within the purview of the committee. Committee members have also been designated to serve as official delegates to a number of international conferences and events.