Calling for the establishment of a United States Consulate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq along with similar efforts in other areas of Iraq.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 873) establishing a United States Consulate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and yield myself such time as I may consume.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should establish a consulate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. As the United States military presence in Iraq winds down and our diplomatic presence increases, a consulate in northern Iraq will prove indispensable to America. Fifteen countries, including Iran, Turkey, and a leading number of European countries, have already opened consulates in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan regional government. It would benefit U.S. national security to follow suit. American economic interests would also be served by opening a consulate in northern Iraq. Indeed, Iraqi Kurdistan offers numerous business opportunities across a number of important sectors, including energy development and infrastructure. The lack of a consulate in northern Iraq is preventing U.S. firms from taking full advantage of these new economic opportunities in a rapidly developing region. Instead, contracts are going to Iranian, European, Turkish, and Asian corporations.

Finally, the absence of a U.S. consulate in northern Iraq makes it extremely difficult for the residents of that region--Kurds, Arabs, and others--to gain access to U.S. consular services. Iraqis from the north must drive more than 200 miles to reach the American Embassy in Baghdad. And

some of the territory they are forced to cover is treacherous. This is no way to encourage Iraqi communication with American diplomats or to handle passport issues.

Madam Speaker, this year, the State Department modified its travel warning for Iraq, reflecting the relative safety and security in the Kurdistan region. And we must not forget that the Kurdish people of Iraq have been partners with the United States for many years. I believe that the establishment of the United States consulate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq will demonstrate our strong commitment to maintaining and building upon a success and stability that has already been achieved in that part of Iraq, thanks in large part to the proud, brave, and courageous warriors from our armed services. I also believe that we should open consulates in the majority Shia south and the majority Sunni Arab center of the country to expand America's diplomatic reach and presence throughout Iraq.

Madam Speaker, the future of United States-Iraqi relations will be based on diplomacy and security. Expanding our consular access in northern Iraq will contribute both to our national security goals and to the stabilization and success of the Iraqi nation. I encourage all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 873.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis).

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Iraqi Kurds have been willing partners with the United States since the beginning of the transition to democracy in Iraq in 2003. They personally endured the brutal persecution and murder, including the use of chemical weapons, that characterized the tyranny of Saddam Hussein's regime over Iraq. Their determination to prevent the recurrence of such persecution underlies their partnership with us in battling against terrorists, insurgents, and other militant extremists who seek to undermine the progress made in Iraq. They have committed themselves to a future within a Federal Republic of Iraq, a future of stability, of prosperity and democracy, of freedom and human rights. This is their vision, and this is our vision. Indeed, the future of United States cooperation with the Republic of Iraq in general, including the Kurdistan region, contains great opportunity for us.

As we responsibly redeploy from Iraq in accordance with our Status of Forces Agreement with the Republic of Iraq, we are continuing to normalize our bilateral relations at many different levels, as we should. One way to do so is to establish U.S. consulates in appropriate regions of Iraq, including in the Kurdistan region. Currently, United States citizens living in or visiting the Kurdistan Region of Iraq must travel 200 miles away to our embassy in Baghdad to receive consular services. Increased U.S. Government civilian representation throughout Iraq will serve American interests during this period of transition, increasing opportunities for travel, governmental and nongovernmental missions, people-to-people exchanges between our two nations, and for attracting greater U.S. business and investment in Iraq. And in this respect, establishing a consulate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will help ensure that the region continues to serve as a gateway for American businesses and investment to other regions of Iraq. Establishing U.S. consulates will also advance continued dialogue between the United States and the Republic of Iraq, including dialogue with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Finally, U.S. consulates in Iraq will hopefully help to ensure that stability, security, prosperity, human rights and freedom in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region, are protected and strengthened in the days and months and years ahead. Already, 15 countries, including leading European countries, have consular representation in the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Therefore, I strongly support House Resolution 873, which calls for the establishment of U.S. consulates in appropriate regions of Iraq, including Kurdistan.

I thank the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight, Mr. Rohrabacher from California, for sponsoring this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight and the author of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of my resolution, H. Res. 873, and ask my colleagues to join me in this both moral and practical resolution.

A strong relationship with the Kurdish people serves the cause of peace, stability and democratic government in a region that needs a lot of bolstering when it comes to peace, stability and democratic government. It is a strong relationship with the Kurds that will keep radical Islamic forces in other parts of Iraq in check. It is a strong relationship with the Kurds that will offset the support that is going to these radical elements in the rest of Iraq and the region. As we know, the Kurds over the years have a history of being an oppressed people. Thus, they are natural allies of the United States, a country, our country, whose tradition is supporting oppressed peoples and struggling with them to promote democracy, opportunity and prosperity. If we can count on the Kurds, we will know that there's an opportunity for peace and stability in that area that wouldn't exist otherwise. And if they can count on us, the Kurds, we can count on them. This legislation will codify that relationship and that friendship by establishing an American consulate in Erbil, which is in the Kurdish part of Iraq. Let me note that 20 other countries, including European nations and other world powers, have diplomatic and consulate representation in Erbil, which is the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The Kurds have been willing partners of the United States since that democratic transition in Iraq began in 2003, and the Kurdish part of the country has served as a model for Iraq's democratization ever since Operation Iraqi Freedom.

We should move forward with this. Actually, it really is a sorry comment that we have to have congressional legislation to force the State Department to have a consulate in Kurdistan or in the Kurdish region of Iraq. This makes all the sense in the world. It's good for them. It's good for us. It's good for the people of Iraq. It creates an area of stability in which we are officially recognizing that concept of a peaceful relationship with the Kurds in order to have peace in Iraq.

So I ask my fellow colleagues to join me today in officially recognizing this great friendship that serves us all so well by enabling the State Department to open a consulate in Erbil, Kurdistan, and, again, underscoring the great friendship between the Kurds and the American people, a friendship that serves both our countries well.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman.

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 873. On several occasions, I have had the opportunity to visit Iraq and had the privilege of visiting the Kurdistan Region. I have seen firsthand the stability in this rapidly developing part of Iraq. Which is why on October 27 of last year, I joined Congressman Rohrabacher in introducing H. Res. 873, a resolution that would encourage the State Department to establish an American consulate in Erbil, which is the capital city of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Almost 20 other countries, including developed European allies and other world powers, have already set up their consulates in the Kurdistan Region, and America, I believe, should do the same. Establishing a consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan should be part of our transition in Iraq, from a military presence to a civilian and diplomatic one. This is an important step on Iraq's path to normalization and recognizes the growing stability in that part of the world and in northern Iraq.

A consulate in Erbil will serve both U.S. and Iraqi interests. A consulate will aid in fostering the growing economic, potential commercial and cultural/educational ties between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the U.S. The lack of a consulate is putting America at a disadvantage in the region and is a disservice, I believe, to our Iraqi Kurdish partners.

Since introduction of this resolution, the State Department has released plans to set up two permanent consulates in Iraq, readying itself for a larger role in the country as the U.S. military presence prepares to leave. The administration is requesting funds in the military supplemental for a consulate in Basra and one in northern Iraq. I believe the one in northern Iraq should be located in Erbil.

Erbil is one of the longest contiguous residential cities in the world, and as we have engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom, not a single soldier, not a single American life has been lost in combat in the northern part of Iraq. America's friends throughout the world and America's friends in Kurdistan I believe deserve the presence of a consulate in this country in Erbil in northern Iraq.

Madam Speaker, I rise to discuss an omission of a co-sponsor from my resolution, H. Res. 873, which passed the House by voice vote yesterday. The resolution calls for the Department of State to establish a U.S. Consulate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in order to normalize United States-Iraq relations at the diplomatic, commercial, and cultural levels as the U.S. Armed Forces redeploys from Iraq. The Honorable Tom Latham, from Iowa's 5th District, requested to be a co-sponsor on the aforementioned resolution. However, by an error on our part his name was omitted on the list we submitted. To this end, I request that the Record reflect he should have also been listed as a co-sponsor.