Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the distinguished chairman, my good friend, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes.

(Mr. HASTINGS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am going to truncate my original remarks.

Mr. Speaker, today's legislation is yet another callous attempt by my friends on the other side to undermine healthcare for millions of Americans, all while recklessly adding billions of dollars to the deficit.

This legislation not only guts vital provisions of the Affordable Care Act, but also weakens the requirements on employer-provided healthcare. I might add, even though we may not be bringing it up, we do support the conference report and will be willing to go forward in that regard.

The time has come for our friends across the aisle to abandon their tired playbook, a playbook full of tactics and strategies bent on sabotaging and undermining healthcare, rather than plans to make our healthcare system stronger and more inclusive.

Mr. Speaker, we are also here today, as I just said, on the conference report, for a three-bill spending package, funding a portion of our government, which runs out of funds at the end of this month.

This funding package isn't perfect, and while I would have preferred we consider appropriations bills one at a time through regular order, as the Speaker promised, this effort represents how this House should operate when we consider legislation. We hold hearings, markups, go to conference, negotiate in good faith, and finally, emerge with a bipartisan compromise.

Good process makes for good policy. While this bill may not be one Democrats would have written, I am glad this conference report rejects House Republicans' and President Trump's extreme budget cuts and harmful antienvironmental riders.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to say this: We have learned that, as Hurricane Florence closes in on millions of Americans, the administration has raided the coffers of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to move money to ICE. I am not going to spend a lot of time on that. I think it is just wrong.

Mr. Speaker, this Republican-led Congress sets yet another record with today's 97th closed rule. Week after week, my friends across the aisle continue to make history for all the wrong reasons, but we should not let this latest milestone go unrecognized because it is yet another sad point in this Chamber's history.

In this historically closed-off Congress, Republican leaders have used restrictive rules to block measures to create jobs, bring down the cost of prescription drugs, and make education more affordable for our children.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary thirty minutes for debate, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to debate the Rule for H.R. 3798, the Save American Workers Act and the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 5895.

Mr. Speaker, last year Republicans took one on the chin when their Affordable Care Act repeal bill--a bill they spent all of 17 days working on--went down in flames in a most public and spectacular fashion. They learned that conspicuously snatching health insurance from millions of people would probably cost them some votes.

So, instead of continuing with their more open, though admittedly failed tactics, my friends across the aisle are pursuing an altogether shiftier strategy today.

That strategy, with its aim of ridding the American people of their healthcare coverage, can be summed up in one word: sabotage.

Today's legislation is yet another callous attempt by Republicans to undermine healthcare for millions of Americans, all while recklessly adding billions of dollars to the deficit. This legislation not only guts vital provisions of the Affordable Care Act, but also weakens requirements on employer provided healthcare.

Now is the time for us to face facts and accept truths. Fact, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking poll found that 50 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act.

Fact, 75 percent of Americans want to keep the Affordable Care Act's provisions that prevent health plans from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. Fact, 72 percent of Americans want to retain the provision of the ACA that prevents insurers from charging sick people more.

The time has come for my friends across the aisle to abandon their tired playbook--a playbook full of tactics and strategies bent on sabotaging and undermining healthcare rather than plans to make our healthcare system stronger and more inclusive.

Mr. Speaker, we are also here today to consider H.R. 5895, a conference report for a three-bill spending package--funding a portion of our government--which runs out of funding at the end of this month.

This funding package isn't perfect, and while I would have preferred we consider appropriations bills one at a time through regular order as the Speaker promised, this effort represents how this House should operate when we consider legislation: we hold hearings, markups, go to conference, negotiate in good faith, and finally emerge with a bipartisan compromise.

Good process makes for good policy, and while this bill may not be one Democrats

would have written, I'm glad this conference report rejects House Republicans' and President Trump's extreme budget cuts and harmful anti-environmental riders.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to say this, we have learned that as Hurricane Florence closes in on millions of Americans, the Trump Administration has raided the coffers of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to move money to ICE for the continued immoral detention of children.

The ability of this Administration to reach new lows is astounding.

To my fellow Americans who are in Hurricane Florence's path, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

As a Floridian, I know all too well the effects these devastating storms can have and I urge everyone to take all necessary steps to be prepared, be safe, and listen to the direction of local authorities as this storm impacts the Southeast.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this Republican led Congress sets yet another record with today's 97th Closed Rule. Week after week, my friends across the aisle continue to make history for all the wrong reasons. But we should not let this latest milestone go unrecognized, because it is yet another sad point in this Chamber's history.

In this historically closed-off Congress, Republican leaders have used restrictive rules to block measures to create jobs, bring down the cost of prescription drugs, and make education more affordable.

These policies deserve consideration on the House Floor, yet they are continuously blocked by the Republican Majority.

This discouraging record not only suppresses the voices of Democratic and Republican Members, it also suppresses the voices of millions of Americans.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican friends may claim today's three-bill spending package gets the ball rolling to fully fund the government.

But we need to put into context what it means to fully fund the government, it means that we must pass 12 appropriations bills in order to fully fund our government.

So, before they take a victory lap over today's spending package, I will simply remind the Majority that with precious few legislative days remaining, we still must pass the remaining seventy-five percent of bills that will fund our government.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1059 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my dear friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and the underlying legislation.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3798, the Save American Workers Act of 2018, and H.R. 5895, Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2019.

Mr. Speaker, today is quite an unusual day, not only for our Nation, but also for Members of Congress. As a result of that, I have had a discussion with my dear friend, Judge Hastings, and we have decided we are going to try to expedite that which we do today, so all Members need to be advised we might finish the process of the rule on the floor some 55 minutes early

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3798, the Save American Workers Act of 2018 and H.R. 5895, Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veteran Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019.

Since 2010, the American people have been dealing with the impacts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare. As we now know, Obamacare contains a number of provisions that have greatly impacted the labor market, the workforce, and employers of all sizes. At the broadest level, the bill created massive mandatory spending spending programs that have contributed greatly to the

country's debt and financial burdens on the American tax payer.

At the center of this is the employer mandate. The employer mandate impacts hiring and employees' hours because it requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to provide health insurance and carries a specific fine for noncompliance. Under this, employees who work 30 or more hours per week are considered full-time. In addition, complex reporting requirements make the burden of this provision even greater for employers.

The employer mandate requirement has resulted in employers reducing workers' hours to 29 hours per week or less in an attempt to minimize the mandate's devastating impacts. These reduced hours have caused millions of workers to receive less take home pay.

The 30-hour rule does little more than discourage employment and financial stability for American workers--especially low wage workers. According to a Hoover institution study, 2.6 million Americans making less than $30,000 were at risk of having their hours and wages cut as a result of Obamacare's 30-hour rule.

H.R. 3798 would give employers and workers more flexibility by changing Obamacare's definition of full-time worker from 30 hours per week to 40 hours per week and from 120 hours per month to 174 hours per month for full-time equivalents. In addition, the bill gives employers retroactive relief from the employer mandate penalty. Thus, any employer that owed a penalty for failing to provide coverage during that period would no longer owe it, a big help to some our small businesses.

The bill also includes a provision that will delay the implementation of the Obamacare tax on high-cost health plans, known as the ``Cadillac tax,'' until 2023, granting employers one additional year of relief from the tax.

Finally, in light of the repeal of the individual mandate penalty, H.R. 3798 removes burdensome regulatory requirements on some providers of minimum essential coverage.

Mr. Speaker, this rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 5895, Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019.

This three-bill Appropriations package provides funding for fiscal year 2019 in three very important categories. This bill is a product of members working across the aisle in a wonderful display of bipartisanship and I am pleased to see this body take up such an important measure.

The agreement addresses one of our fundamental responsibilities here in Congress, taking care of our veterans. The bill provides $5.3 Billion above FY18 levels and ensures funding for VA medical care. It funds VA medical care at $72.3 Billion, providing for 7 million veteran patients to be treated in FY19. The bill strengthens veteran programs like mental health care services, opioid abuse prevention, suicide prevention, and rural veterans health initiatives. Additionally, the legislation continues to rebuild infrastructure for our service members and their families with $10.3 Billion for military construction projects, an increase of $241 Million.

The second part of this appropriations package, energy and water, prioritizes our national security and invests in American infrastructure. The bill supports a strong nuclear national security strategy with a total $560 Million above FY 18 levels for the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons security programs. It also provides a much-needed influx of funds into our nation's water resources infrastructure by directing $7 Billion to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Finally, the legislation directs a much-needed increase of $29.8 Million for our extremely dedicated and brave Capitol Police Officers. This money will ensure their safety, the safety of our Capitol complex, and the thousands of guests who visit every day.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, the distinguished gentleman, his work with me is appreciated. On behalf of not only Judge Hastings and myself, really, the Rules Committee, which both of us represent, with great anxiety, we recognize, as our Members do, about the storm that is headed to the United States of America.

We want to wish all the people who are in the storm's way the very best, but we are attempting to do what we can to make sure we complete our work properly.

Thus, I ask for my colleagues to vote for this conference report, which will do so much to move us not only to the point where we can continue to work together, but to fund the important activities that need to take place.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues support this bill and the underlying bills.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good rule and so are the two underlying bills. it has become abundantly clear that Obamacare has failed the American people. Our nation's healthcare system is broken and only getting worse.

The American people are counting on us to empower individuals, families, and employers to spend their health care dollars the way they want. They are counting on us to remove the federal government from their health care and the first bill is another step in the right direction.

The second bill is a wonderful example to bipartisanship--the package isn't perfect, but it is a good bill. It takes care of our veterans and our military, it provides much-needed funding for our infrastructure and our waterways, and it ensures we are providing the Capitol Police officers the funding they need.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bills.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, last week we marked up H.R. 1911, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. All of the Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism are cosponsors of the bipartisan H.R. 1911--including four members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Eliot Engel, Brad Schneider, and Ted Deutch--which I authored to advance the fight against the ancient, persistent evil of anti-Semitism, whenever and wherever it occurs in the world.

So far 80 members have cosponsored the bill, including 25 members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Many leading Jewish organizations also support the legislation.

My friend, the great former Soviet refusnik and religious prisoner, Natan Sharansky, testified at two of the nine hearings I have chaired on anti-Semitism. He proposed what he called a simple test to help us distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism. Sharansky called it the ``three Ds: Demonization, double standard, and de-legitimization.''

Rabbi Andy Baker, Director for International Jewish Affairs for American Jewish Committee and Personal Representative of the OSCE

Chairperson-in-Office on Combatting-AntiSemitism, reports, ``We continue to see physical and even lethal attacks on Jews in Europe, efforts to restrict or ban elemental religious practices, and emboldened extremist political parties with an anti-Semitic agenda. Even as European governments have come to recognize the dangers facing their Jewish communities, many still have failed to devote the necessary resources to protect them or to be clear-eyed in recognizing the sources of the problem.'' This past March an 85-year Holocaust survivor, Mireille Knoll, was brutally murdered in Paris, an abhorrent example of anti-Semitic hatred.

According to B'nai Brith International, ``Unfortunately, we continue to see the dramatic growth of anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe and the Islamic world. This scourge has reached its highest level since World War II. B'nai Brith International is dedicated to shining the spotlight on hatred of Jews as a distinct and unique social illness, and to marshaling efforts to combat, and wherever possible, eradicate this phenomenon.'' According to B'nai Brith Canada, ``Last year was a record-breaking year for anti-Semitism in Canada, according to a new audit by B'nai Brith's league for human rights. As Global's Anne Leclair reports, Quebec ranks second in the country for reported anti- Semitic activity.''

The Kator Center on Anti-Semitism Worldwide sounded the alarm; stating ``Europe's largest Jewish communities are experiencing a normalization and mainstreaming of anti-Semitism not seen since the Second World War.''

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive United States government approach to combating anti-Semitism--led by a strong, senior official. In 2004, Congress passed and signed into law the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004. I was the prime sponsor of the provisions that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism in the State Department and position of Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti- Semitism to lead it.

H.R. 1911 would elevate the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti- Semitism to the rank of Ambassador, to be nominated by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and reporting directly to the Secretary of State. It would mandate the Special Envoy to serve as the primary advisor to the United States government on monitoring and combating anti-Semitism in foreign countries and coordinate efforts across the government.

The bill would prohibit the Special Envoy from being double-hatted with duties and responsibilities unrelated to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism. It would also require the President to nominate a Special Envoy within 90 days of the enactment of this act and thereafter within 120 whenever the position is empty.

Since Congress created the position, there have been long delays in every Administration filling it.

PRESIDENT BUSH: 583 days

PRESIDENT OBAMA: 307 days and 227 days

When they were appointed, Gregg Rickman, Hannah Rosenthal, and Ira Forman did a tremendous job. Currently there has been no Special Envoy for 482 days. I and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including you Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, called on the President and Secretary Tillerson to appoint someone as a matter oftop priority. I repeat that call and urge Secretary Pompeo to appoint a Special Envoy now.

Jewish communities here and abroad continue to be targeted for hatred and deadly violence. America has a proud bipartisan history of leading the fight against anti-Semitism, including this House unanimously-- passing H. Res. 354 in 2015, which I authored as a detailed blueprint for actions that are critical to prevent more deadly attacks on Europe's Jewish communities.

We must build and expand on this history. The Special Envoy is critical to focusing and redoubling our leadership and this bill enhances the position. I ask my fellow committee members to support this vital legislation.

I also ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3030, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2017. This bill will strengthen our efforts to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. My friend Ann Wagner is the sponsor of this legislation and I am proud to cosponsor it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 1911.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud original cosponsor of this bill, and I am pleased that we are considering it today.

I want to start by thanking my colleagues for their hard work on this bill and their hard work on this effort: Congressman Chris Smith, the author of this legislation, and my fellow co-chairs of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. I am proud to stand with a group of legislators committed to fighting intolerance and hatred.

Mr. Speaker, every day, more and more alarming anti-Semitic attacks shock the world: Holocaust survivors violently assaulted, rallies and parades glorifying Nazi leaders, swastikas graffitied to incite fear and terror. The list goes on and on.

And let's be clear, Mr. Speaker, this isn't just happening in faraway places. We have seen a sickening increase of anti-Semitic acts in our country as well. We have seen people who embrace hatred and bigotry given a loud new megaphone to spread their poison.

As a country, we need to come together to say enough is enough. We need to say there are not good people on both sides. We need to confront evil, call it by its name, and say there is no place for it anywhere in the United States or around the world.

We all need to do it as citizens. We need to do so in our laws and in our policies. And the very least that we could do is have the administration fill the positions that are supposed to be dealing with this issue. The Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism position at the State Department is still vacant. That is really unacceptable.

We must have a senior official to push back against the intolerance and hatred of anti-Semitism. American leadership is desperately needed in the fight against this ancient form of hatred. I am fed up with the administration dragging its feet on filling this crucial position. It should happen now.

That is why I am glad we are moving this bill forward. This legislation would elevate the Special Envoy position and require the President to put forward a nominee no more than 120 days after a vacancy. That is 4 months.

This is essential for making sure that a prolonged vacancy like we have right now never happens again.

We must have a senior State Department official dedicated to coordinating U.S. Government efforts to combat anti-Semitism abroad. So I strongly support this measure, and I ask my colleagues to join me doing so.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).

(Mr. HASTINGS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), one of the chairs of the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, and, again, a very esteemed member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and an original cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, if there are no other speakers on the other side, I am prepared to close.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

In closing, I want to, again, strongly support this bipartisan bill. I want to thank all the people who have worked hard on it, particularly Mr. Smith of New Jersey, who always, for years, has been battling the scourge of anti-Semitism; our chairman, Chairman Royce, and people on both sides of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

We can never become complacent when we see anti-Semitism, or anti- anything rear its ugly head. We need to reject it. We need to fight it. We need to shine a light in all the dark corners so it has no place to hide and fester.

What does it look like when it comes to foreign policy? It starts by appointing a senior diplomat, someone we can point to with confidence and say, ``You're leading America's effort to grapple with this problem around the world.''

This bill would make sure that that seat can't stay vacant the way it has been for the last 18 months. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. I, again, thank Mr. Smith, Chairman Royce, and all the people who have worked so hard for this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this legislation on the issue itself; Eliot Engel, of course, who has been a great friend, a part of this Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism; and you, Mr. Presiding Speaker, you are one of the cosponsors. We have 83 bipartisan cosponsors, and this is an idea whose time has come.

I especially want to thank Leader McCarthy for making sure the bill got to the floor today, for his leadership and strong support for it.

Anti-Semitism, Mr. Speaker, is exploding. Just look around in any country in the world, look at the human rights reports that are out there, and it is a problem here in the United States as well. It is exploding.

My first trip to the Soviet Union, now Russia, of course, was in 1982 on behalf of Soviet refuseniks. When I saw what that country was doing to individual Jewish men and women and families, I became committed then. I worked with Mr. Hastings on this for many, many years with the Helsinki Commission, to try to combat this ever escalating scourge of anti-Semitism. It is an age-old scourge. It is bad, and it is getting worse.

There is a persistent anti-Semitism, as I think my colleagues know, that historically has manifested itself throughout European history, from pogroms in Russia, to the Dreyfus affair, to Nazism in the 1930s, and, of course, the Holocaust right up until its modern-day iterations.

This has been joined, however, by two other streams of hate: one emanating from the world of militant Islam and one that is sometimes fomented by countries such as Iran. Strains of this new anti-Semitism can be heard in the demand of the BDS movement--boycott, divestment, sanctions--which always singles out Israel and rarely other countries like China

who engage in pervasive human rights abuse.

My friend and former Soviet refusenik, Natan Sharansky, testified at two of my hearings on combating anti-Semitism. He proposed what he called a simple test to help us distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism. Sharansky called it the ``three Ds: demonization, double standard, and delegitimization.''

First, demonization. When Israel's actions are blown all out of sensible proportions, and when comparisons are made between Israelis and the Nazis, which is absolutely sick and pathetic, this is anti- Semitism, not a legitimate criticism of Israel.

Second, double standard. When criticism of Israel is applied selectively, when Israel is singled out, libeled, and slandered by the U.N. Human Rights Council, for example, while the behavior or other egregious violators like China, Iran, Cuba, and Syria are largely ignored, that, too, is anti-Semitism.

The third ``D'' is delegitimization. In other words, Israel does not have a fundamental right to exist.

In light of this, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive U.S. Government approach.

Mr. Speaker, there is a need for a comprehensive approach. In 2004, I offered an amendment that became law to create the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, and also the amendment that created the Special Envoy. And I do call on President Trump to name that Special Envoy.

This elevates it to ambassador, so there will be additional gravitas so that this individual, whoever he or she may be, will have the ability to have direct access to the Secretary of State on the issue of combating anti-Semitism.

The bill also prohibits the position from being double-hatted. We know how that happens. All of a sudden, one person does all these different kinds of portfolios and becomes the master of none.

It also requires, as Eliot Engel said a moment ago, that, within 90 days of enactment of this act and thereafter, we need this name and we need this to be put forward so that we can get that person on the job and doing this great work.

Again, I look around at people who are getting ready to speak, Peter Roskam, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 83 cosponsors, totally bipartisan, and absolutely needed.