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From 1990 through 1996, the United States House of Representatives Task Force on the Development of Parliamentary Institutions in Eastern Europe, commonly known as the "Frost-Solomon Task Force," in conjunction with the House Information Systems Office and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress, provided technical support to new parliaments in Central and Eastern European countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Prior to that, the Gift of Democracy was initiated by the U.S. Senate, through the Office of the Secretary of the Senate and the Senate Computer Center, providing equipment and technical assistance to the Senate and Sejm of Poland. These programs helped to strengthen democratic institutions, and also build lasting partnerships and bonds of friendship between the U.S. Congress and many of the participating parliaments, including the Polish Sejm and Senate. Under a separate mandate, the Library of Congress and Congressional Research provided assistance to the legislatures of Ukraine and Russia. The success of the Frost-Solomon Task Force led to the creation of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), a bi-partisan congressional commission that carries on the traditions of the Frost-Solomon Task Force through partnerships with thirteen legislatures around the world. The Partnership facilitates the exchange of expertise and experience, and strives to strengthen the professionalism of its members and staff, as well as to increase transparency and accountability. To celebrate and continue this tradition of peer-to-peer parliamentary partnership, the Sejm and Senate of Poland and the House Democracy Partnership will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Frost-Solomon Task Force and hold a staff training institute to enable current HDP partners countries to learn from the transition experiences of Frost-Solomon Task Force countries - particularly with respect to the deepening of parliamentary research capacity. Booklet to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the U.S. Congress Assistance to the new Senate and Sejm of the Republic of Poland |