It\ue000is\ue000imperative\ue000that\ue000the\ue000following\ue000three\ue000policies\ue000be\ue000eliminated:\ue000
(1)\ue000USAID\u2019s\ue000Partner\ue000Vetting\ue000System\ue000(PVS)\ue000to\ue000vet\ue000NGO\ue000personnel\ue000and\ue000leaders;\ue000(2)\ue000the\ue000
Department\ue000of\ue000Treasury\u2019s\ue000Voluntary\ue000Guidelines\ue000intended\ue000to\ue000prevent\ue000charities\ue000funnel-
ing\ue000money\ue000to\ue000terrorists;\ue000and\ue000(3)\ue000the\ue000anti-prostitution\ue000policy\ue000requirement\ue000for\ue000organiza-
tions\ue000receiving\ue000money\ue000from\ue000the\ue000President\u2019s\ue000Emergency\ue000Plan\ue000for\ue000AIDS\ue000Relief\ue000(PEPFAR)\ue000
through\ue000USAID\ue000and\ue000the\ue000Department\ue000of\ue000Health\ue000and\ue000Human\ue000Services\ue000(HHS).

\u2022\ue000
Voluntary\ue000Best\ue000Practices\ue000for\ue000U.S.\ue000Based\ue000Charities\ue000and\ue000endorse\ue000in\ue000their\ue000stead\ue000the\ue000
Principles\ue000of\ue000International\ue000Charity\ue000developed\ue000by\ue000over\ue00039\ue000American\ue000NGOs,\ue000founda-
tions,\ue000grant\ue000makers,\ue000legal\ue000\ue003rms,\ue000and\ue000public\ue000interest\ue000advocates.\ue000This\ue000will\ue000remove\ue000
NGOs\ue000from\ue000roles\ue000usually\ue000performed\ue000by\ue000security\ue000and\ue000intelligence\ue000personnel;\ue000and

\u2022\ue000
eign\ue000NGOs\ue000to\ue000comply\ue000with\ue000the\ue000August\ue0002008\ue000federal\ue000court\ue000ruling\ue000(which\ue000found\ue000it\ue000
unconstitutional\ue000to\ue000compel\ue000U.S.-based\ue000groups\ue000to\ue000adopt\ue000the\ue000U.S.\ue000Government\u2019s\ue000
requirement),\ue000and\ue000allow\ue000the\ue000most\ue000e\ue001ective\ue000groups\ue000to\ue000partner\ue000with\ue000the\ue000U.S.\ue000in\ue000the\ue000
\ue003ght\ue000against\ue000HIV/AIDS.\ue000

American\ue000NGOs\ue000would\ue000be\ue000able\ue000to\ue000more\ue000e\ue001ectively\ue000implement\ue000U.S.\ue000foreign\ue000assistance\ue000 programs\ue000without\ue000having\ue000to\ue000sacri\ue003ce\ue000constitutional\ue000rights\ue000or\ue000put\ue000their\ue000sta\ue001\ue000in\ue000physi- cal\ue000jeopardy.

(NGOs) to efecti\ue003ely
im\ue002lement U.S.
\ue001oreign assistance

intended to hel\ue002
\ue000ght terrorism
\ue002ut the li\ue003es o\ue001
NGO staf at risk
by requiring the
organizations to
\ue002er\ue001orm tasks
associated with

needlessly \ue002uts
countless others
at risk by denying
them access to
\ue002rograms that can
hel\ue002 them a\ue003oid
contracting HIv/

THESE\ue000 THREE\ue000 EXECUTIVE\ue000 BRANCH\ue000 INITIATIVES\ue000 UNDER- mine\ue000the\ue000ability\ue000of\ue000relief\ue000and\ue000development\ue000organizations\ue000to\ue000 e\ue001ectively\ue000implement\ue000U.S.\ue000foreign\ue000assistance\ue000programs\ue000by\ue000

On\ue000July\ue00017,\ue0002007,\ue000USAID\ue000published\ue000a\ue000notice\ue000in\ue000the\ue000Federal\ue000 Register\ue000describing\ue000the\ue000agency\u2019s\ue000intent\ue000to\ue000create\ue000a\ue000new\ue000Part- ner\ue000Vetting\ue000System\ue000(PVS).\ue000The\ue000notice\ue000proposed\ue000vetting\ue000indi- viduals\ue000and\ue000o\ue002cers\ue000from\ue000non-governmental\ue000organizations\ue000 (NGOs)\ue000that\ue000apply\ue000for\ue000USAID\ue000contracts,\ue000grants\ue000and\ue000coopera- tive\ue000 agreements\ue000 to\ue000 ensure\ue000 that\ue000 neither\ue000 USAID\ue000 nor\ue000 USAID- funded\ue000 activities\ue000 were\ue000 inadvertently\ue000 bene\ue003tting\ue000 terrorists.\ue000 The\ue000PVS\ue000will\ue000a\ue001ect\ue000every\ue000nonpro\ue003t\ue000organization\ue000that\ue000applies\ue000 for\ue000USAID\ue000funding,\ue000and\ue000thousands\ue000of\ue000NGO\ue000employees\ue000and\ue000 board\ue000 members\ue000 \u2013\ue000 a\ue000 list\ue000 of\ue000 people\ue000 that\ue000 includes\ue000 religious\ue000 leaders\ue000 and\ue000 members\ue000 of\ue000 Congress\ue000 \u2013\ue000 will\ue000 be\ue000 forced\ue000 to\ue000 turn\ue000 over\ue000private\ue000personal\ue000information.\ue000Furthermore,\ue000in\ue000propos- ing\ue000the\ue000new\ue000PVS,\ue000the\ue000agency\ue000has\ue000ignored\ue000the\ue000fact\ue000that\ue000U.S.\ue000

are\ue000not\ue000diverted\ue000to\ue000terrorists\ue000or\ue000terrorist\ue000organizations.\ue000The\ue000 proposed\ue000 system,\ue000 which\ue000 was\ue000 e\ue001ectively\ue000 put\ue000 forth\ue000 with\ue000 no\ue000 consultation\ue000 with\ue000 the\ue000 NGO\ue000 community,\ue000 dangerously\ue000 blurs\ue000 the\ue000lines\ue000between\ue000USAID\ue000and\ue000the\ue000various\ue000security\ue000agencies\ue000 of\ue000the\ue000U.S.\ue000government.\ue000If\ue000the\ue000employees\ue000of\ue000U.S.\ue000NGOs\ue000work- ing\ue000abroad\ue000are\ue000suspected\ue000of\ue000working\ue000in\ue000concert\ue000with\ue000U.S.\ue000in-

in\ue000the\ue000world.\ue000If\ue000NGOs\ue000are\ue000forced\ue000to\ue000restrict\ue000their\ue000operations\ue000 in\ue000these\ue000places\ue000\u2013\ue000which\ue000they\ue000will\ue000if\ue000the\ue000PVS\ue000is\ue000implemented\ue000 \u2013\ue000we\ue000will\ue000be\ue000ceding\ue000the\ue000streets\ue000of\ue000the\ue000world\ue000to\ue000the\ue000kinds\ue000of\ue000 violent\ue000extremists\ue000that\ue000this\ue000policy\ue000aims\ue000to\ue000target.

ing\ue000and\ue000are\ue000being\ue000used\ue000inappropriately\ue000by\ue000federal\ue000o\ue002cials.\ue000 In\ue000 December\ue000 2006\ue000 the\ue000 Working\ue000 Group\ue000 wrote\ue000 to\ue000 Secretary\ue000 Paulson\ue000re-iterating\ue000its\ue000request\ue000that\ue000the\ue000Guidelines\ue000be\ue000with- drawn\ue000in\ue000favor\ue000of\ue000its\ue000Principles of International Charity.

The\ue000Global\ue000AIDS\ue000Act\ue000of\ue0002003\ue000required\ue000that\ue000organizations\ue000 receiving\ue000funds\ue000under\ue000the\ue000Act\ue000have\ue000or\ue000adopt\ue000a\ue000policy\ue000explic- itly\ue000opposing\ue000prostitution.\ue000Until\ue000May\ue0002005\ue000USAID\ue000and\ue000HHS\ue000 did\ue000 not\ue000 enforce\ue000 the\ue000 policy\ue000 requirement\ue000 against\ue000 U.S.-based\ue000 NGOs.\ue000 But\ue000 in\ue000 May\ue000 and\ue000 June\ue000 2005\ue000 the\ue000 two\ue000 agencies\ue000 issued\ue000 directives\ue000 imposing\ue000 the\ue000 policy\ue000 requirement\ue000 on\ue000 their\ue000 U.S.\ue000 NGO\ue000 implementing\ue000 partners\ue000 without\ue000 providing\ue000 any\ue000 guid- ance\ue000 on\ue000 what\ue000 activities\ue000 would\ue000 no\ue000 longer\ue000 be\ue000 permissible.\ue000 Because\ue000prostitutes\ue000can\ue000spread\ue000HIV/AIDS,\ue000many\ue000NGOs\ue000have\ue000

control\ue000the\ue000disease.\ue000In\ue000January\ue0002006\ue000InterAction\ue000entered\ue000the\ue000 federal\ue000courts\ue000with\ue000an\ue000amicus\ue000brief\ue000supporting\ue000the\ue000position\ue000 that\ue000 the\ue000 directives\ue000 were\ue000 an\ue000 unconstitutional\ue000 abridgement\ue000 of\ue000 the\ue000 free\ue000 speech\ue000 rights\ue000 of\ue000 American\ue000 citizens.\ue000The\ue000 Federal\ue000 District\ue000Court\ue000in\ue000New\ue000York\ue000agreed\ue000but\ue000the\ue000administration\ue000ap- pealed\ue000its\ue000decision\ue000to\ue000the\ue000Second\ue000Circuit\ue000Court.\ue000Before\ue000that\ue000