Press Releases
Developing the capacity of legislative staff is a central component of the House Democracy Partnership's work with its partner legislatures. From October 18-22, 2010, the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) organized a weeklong Parliamentary Staff Institute on budget analysis for staff from 11 HDP partner countries: Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, and TimorLeste.
Retired Congressional Research Service Staff Bill Robinson and Francis Miko conducted a threeday training program for staff of both Chambers of the Indonesian Parliament. The program was performed on behalf of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) and in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. The training consisted of presentations and discussions on techniques of public policy analysis and craft skills needed to work effectively with the Parliament.
A delegation from the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) traveled to Africa from July 3 to 12, 2010, to advance the commission's partnerships with the legislatures of Liberia and Kenya and make bilateral visits to Tanzania and Mali. The delegation was led by HDP Chairman David Price (D-NC) and included HDP Ranking Member David Dreier (R-CA and Reps. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Michael Conaway (R-TX), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI).
Retired Congressional Research Staff, Bill Robinson and Francis Miko, visited Timor-Leste as part of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) program in coordination with the Asia Foundation. They provided training to the staff of the Parliamentary Research Center (PRC) of the Timor-Leste Parliament from July 26-30, 2010. The training consisted of an intermediate course on techniques of public policy analysis and craft skills needed to work effectively with the Parliament. It included a seminar on critical thinking for legislative analysts.
On May 7, 2010, a delegation from the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) traveled to Haiti to assess the status of the country's recovery efforts and consult with the Haitian National Assembly on the last day of its mandate. The delegation was led by HDP Chairman David Price (D-NC) and included HDP Ranking Member David Dreier (R-CA); HDP Members Donald Payne (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA); and Reps. Bobby Rush (D-IL), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Brad Miller (D-NC), and Gwen Moore (D-WI).
A congressional delegation from the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) traveled to the Caucasus and South Asia from March 26 to April 2, 2010, to advance HDP's existing partnership with the Georgian parliament and inaugurate a new partnership with the parliament of Pakistan. The delegation was led by HDP Chairman David Price (D-NC) and included HDP member Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA). This was HDP's sixth outbound congressional delegation of the 111th Congress and 19 th overall.
Three Members of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) traveled to Haiti on March 5, 2010, as part of a congressional delegation to meet with Haitian and U.S. officials following the devastating earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince two months prior. HDP Chairman David Price (D-NC), Ranking Member David Dreier (R-CA), and Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) accompanied six other House Members on a delegation led by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). Their visit followed HDP visits to Haiti in February 2007 and May 2009.
A congressional delegation from the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) traveled to the Balkans from February 13-23, 2010, to inaugurate a partnership with the Assembly of Kosovo, advance its existing partnership with the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, and engage with legislators and other officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. The delegation was led by Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and was HDP's fifth outbound congressional delegation of the 111th Congress and 18th overall since 2005.
A delegation of four former members of Congress traveled to Georgia on behalf of the House Democracy Partnership from Jan. 22 to 28, 2010. The delegation consulted with several Georgian members of parliament and executive branch officials on the importance of legislative oversight of the defense and security sectors. The delegation was led by former Rep. Martin Lancaster (D-N.C.), who was joined by former Reps. Pete Geren (D-Texas), Joel Hefley (RColo.) and Heather Wilson (R-N.M.).
A congressional delegation from the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) traveled to the Middle East and Southwest Asia from November 9 to 16, 2009, to advance HDP's existing partnerships with the national assemblies of Lebanon and Afghanistan and engage with members of parliament and other senior officials in Pakistan. The delegation was led by HDP Chairman David Price (D-NC) and included HDP Ranking Member David Dreier (R-CA) and HDP members Lois Capps (D-CA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Charles Boustany, Jr. (R-LA).