Pete Sessions: “I would be glad to discuss the national Forum Foundation's TRANSFORM Program. With the help of my good friend from…”

“I would be glad to discuss the national Forum Foundation's TRANSFORM Program. With the help of my good friend from Alaska, I offered an amendment to the supplemental that was accepted by the Senate. I understand that it was modified during conference--but will now permit organizations, such as the National Forum Foundation's TRANSFORM program, to receive the much needed authority to receive funds to pay for administrative expenses. TRANSFORM began 3 years ago as a natural extrapolation of the Denton Program. The Denton Program allows U.S. Air Force Transport aircraft under the control of CINCTRANS to deliver overseas on a space available basis, humanitarian aid donated by 501(c)(3) charity organizations. In analyzing the transportation of humanitarian aid, the National Forum Foundation has learned that commercial ships have 2000 times the space than our Air Force aircraft and with the export-import imbalance, are usually relatively empty departing our ports. The TRANSFORM program brings the 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, which collect and wish to distribute these goods, to the commercial shipping lines willing to carry them space-available. The charity has to be indoctrinated to conform to the loading dates and times, port locations and the specific loading manner required by the ship-line. TRANSFORM exercises special means to ensure no delays in ports or customs issues.”