DELTA Act

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we voted on a number of critical pieces of legislation. One of these, which I supported, was H.R. 3030, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2017, sponsored by my friend Ann Wagner.

This bill will strengthen our efforts to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Our Foreign Service officers are often on the front lines where there is a risk or reality of atrocity crimes. H.R. 3030 will ensure they have the right training to recognize and respond to early warning signs of such crimes. This legislation will also strengthen Congressional oversight by requiring the President to annually report on what is happening on the ground, how the United States has responded, and recommendations for strengthening U.S. response. I was proud to cosponsor this bill and I commend my colleagues for supporting it.

I commend my colleague for naming this bill after the late, iconic Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. He spoke so powerfully about the unique, persistent evil of anti-Semitism that generated the Holocaust, warning that ``the antisemite is by definition ideologically fanatic and pathologically racist . . . an antisemite is someone who has never met me, never heard of me, yet he hates me.''

Mr. Wiesel and I worked together at the historic 2004 Berlin conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. There 55 participating governments committed to specific, significant actions to combat anti-Semitism. They were following the parliamentary movement to get the OSCE to fully and forcefully fight anti-Semitism. That movement originated in a Helsinki Commission hearing I chaired in May 2002 and I was proud to lead this movement together with parliamentarians from Germany, the UK, and France.

In his Berlin keynote address, Mr. Wiesel said, ``We know . . . that anti-Semitism is dangerous not only to Jews but to countries too, where it is allowed to flourish . . . When a Jew is slapped in the face, humankind itself falls to ground . . . Antisemitism is rooted in hatred; its language is a language of hatred, it doctrine is filled with hatred--and hatred by its nature, always runs overboard, crossing geographical boundaries and ethnic affiliations. It is a contagious disease.''

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Wiesel also dedicated his life to the prevention of other genocides, calling for action to prevent genocides in Bosnia,

Rwanda, and Sudan. Yet another genocide was committed after Sudan, this one against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria by ISIS. The survival of these ancient communities depends on humanitarian, stabilization, and recovery assistance from the United States and other countries.

Last June this house unanimously passed H.R. 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act, so that our aid reaches the genocide survivors and perpetrators are held accountable. The Senate has still not been given the opportunity to vote on this urgently needed legislation. I again call for the Senate to pass H.R. 390 now and send it to the President for his signature. This legislation will significantly strengthen the ongoing efforts of his Administration to directly help Christian and Yazidi genocide survivors at risk of extinction.

Another critical piece of legislation for which I voted in support was the Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act, H.R. 5480.

Chairman Royce's Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act expands, and improves upon, our previous microenterprise legislation. By way of background, the Committee on Foreign Affairs has a long history in this field, dating back at least to former chairman Ben Gilman's Microenterprise for Self-Reliance and International Anti- Corruption Act of 2000. I myself introduced the Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004, and a bill that amended the 2000 legislation, both of which became law.

In keeping with a deeper understanding of how to combat poverty and maintaining a needed focus on women, Chairman Royce's bill broadens the scope from microenterprise to include small and medium enterprises. While it is important to make sure that the very poor are not being neglected, small and medium enterprises help power development and thereby empower the poor. Thus I encouraged all to support H.R. 5480 and the House voted to pass the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I also supported H.R. 5105, the BUILD Act.

I thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Ted Yoho of Florida, for offering this critical and visionary legislation. This legislation will modernize development finance to benefit the developing world, consistent with U.S. policy objectives.

To cite one critical component, the BUILD Act serves to counteract China's strategy in Africa, which uses development finance as a means to serve China's ends, even if that means propping up brutal dictators.

I thank Chairman Ed Royce for his leadership in guiding this legislation through the Foreign Affairs Committee, and for his responsiveness to concerns I had relayed, relating to China.

In particular, I appreciate changes made to the initial draft of this bill concerning the denominating of future loans in foreign currencies.

While the International Development Finance Corporation that this legislation would create needs to have flexibility, including issuing loans in foreign currencies, we must remember it is also the long-term geostrategic goal of China, Russia, and certain other countries to replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

I therefore appreciate Chairman Royce's amended text, which adds, ``Foreign currency denominated loans and guaranties should only be provided if the Board determines there is a substantive policy rationale for such loans and guaranties.''

Beyond this, however, there should be a clear policy statement on the importance and overall strategic interest in retaining the dollar as the world's reserve currency. Indeed, earlier this year, China met with central bankers from 14 African nations to discuss the viability of using China's yuan as the reserve currency for the region.

This nonetheless underscores the urgency for creating an International Development Finance Corporation, which the BUILD Act accomplishes, while underscoring the need for policy guidance that loans in foreign currencies not be used to undermine reserve dollar dominance.

I further voiced support of H.R. 4819, the DELTA Act, introduced by my friend and colleague Mr. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, of which I was a cosponsor.

There is much in this bill to recommend it--from prioritizing anti- poaching and wildlife trafficking efforts in the greater Okavango River Basin, to helping preserve the majestic elephant and other endangered species, to providing sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

One other aspect of this bill which I highlighted was that it enables us to partner with, and coordinate efforts with, the countries of Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

Botswana and Namibia in particular are two countries which are often overlooked, but which have made great strides in recent years towards becoming responsible partners. Both are, in the context of Africa, good places in which to do business, and should be commended for their efforts in improving governance. Their partnership in the greater Okavango initiative underscores this trend.

Angola is a nation which, after decades of civil war followed by strongman rule, is beginning to tackle corruption under new President Joao Lourenco. While it remains to be seen how far and how quickly Angola can go toward becoming a reliable partner and a country in which to do business, its inclusion as a DELTA Act partner country is a sign of confidence in the future.

I urged my colleagues to support the DELTA Act, and it also passed the House yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4819) to promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and biodiversity programs that facilitate transboundary cooperation, improve natural resource management, and build local capacity to protect and preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin of southern Africa, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Okavango Delta supports the economic livelihood of a million people in that region. It is in a desert, but the Okavango River flows into that desert and makes a home to the largest remaining population of elephants in the world.

This ecosystem spans three countries. It starts in the highlands of Angola, and it flows through Namibia and Botswana. Like other regions across Africa, there is a challenge here in the poaching and trafficking of threatened species in the delta. That poaching of elephant, black rhino, and hippo is increasing.

I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of poachers and organized criminal networks across the continent. Wildlife trafficking and profits from poaching provide a key funding source for international criminal networks and for terrorists.

These deadly groups undermine regional stability. They spread violence. They disrupt local governance. They have a devastating impact on the economic opportunities for members of the community.

This legislation provided by our good friend here, Mr. Fortenberry, H.R. 4819, is the Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals Act of 2018. This DELTA Act is an opportunity to be proactive and protect this part of the world before it is too late. It strengthens coordination among the Governments of the United States and Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to address these poaching threats and to support local communities in this greater Okavango River Basin.

A few months ago, I led a bipartisan delegation to the region, and I saw the critical need for these countries to work together to preserve and protect this magnificent landscape. I had not been in Angola since the beginning of that war, and to go back to see Angola today and have an opportunity to meet with the chairman of the committee responsible for conservation there--she is, in fact, herself a park ranger--and to see how Angola has emerged from years of civil war and unrest and is now looking to the international community for partnership and for support is heartening.

With Angola's immense natural resources, we are already seeing, unfortunately, foreign governments--for example, Beijing--pushing unwise development that threatens to siphon off this critical water source. Obviously, to siphon off this water source, it would devastate the river basin. This is why we must act now to protect the animals and communities that call the region home.

Animals and poachers, of course, know no boundaries. The water doesn't know any boundaries. In order for conservation efforts to be successful, we must take a transboundary approach.

I was proud to be the author of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act some years ago. I think it was in 2004 that it was passed. We saw how increased coordination across national borders can be successful in protecting critical landscapes and combating poaching threats.

This DELTA Act looks to build on these proven successes, which have set up national parks now in seven landscapes across Africa. This legislation strengthens the coordination among the Governments, as I said, of the United States, Angola, Botswana, and Namibia. It does that by leveraging partnerships with the private sector, with nongovernment organizations, and with regional bodies. It prioritizes wildlife trafficking and anti-poaching programs in this greater Okavango River Basin. And it promotes responsible economic growth for local communities through responsible natural resource management.

Again, I thank the bill's author, Representative Fortenberry, and our fellow co-chairs of the House International Conservation Caucus, Representatives McCollum and Cuellar, for their leadership and steadfast efforts to keep conservation and anti-poaching efforts alive here in Congress and to help us drive these efforts.

I want to thank Ranking Member Engel and, of course, from New York, Joe Crowley, for their work on this legislation. It is deeply appreciated, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), a member of the Committee on Appropriations and the author of this landmark legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the greater Okavango River Basin is home to the largest remaining elephant population on this planet, but like other regions across Africa, we know that poaching and trafficking of threatened species is increasing. We know that greater transboundary cooperation is essential to protect the basin in order to combat poaching threats and, obviously, to encourage the responsible management of water resources.

The U.S. currently supports programs in Africa to combat poaching threats and promote economic growth, but greater coordination and diplomatic engagement with these governments, these governments working together to streamline these programs and galvanize support from partner countries also in the region, is essential.

We do this not only to protect these threatened species, but also because it is in our national security interest to do so. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, before I begin my remarks, let me thank Chairman Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for his extraordinary leadership, not only on this bill, but on a whole array of conservation and security initiatives. I thank the gentleman for his chairmanship and for his long service in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank Ranking Member Engel for his support of this legislation and Congressman Sherman for his kind and generous remarks. They are very much appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, the greater Okavango River Basin is the largest freshwater wetland in southern Africa. Not only is it the main source of water and livelihood for more than 1 million people, as we have heard, it is home to the largest remaining elephant population in the entire world.

The pathway for habitat along the three-country waterway is essential for sustaining this majestic animal and other species. As a creative approach to conservation, to foster an ecosystem of well-being for communities and for the purpose of international stability and security, as so well stated by Chairman Royce, given the scourge of wildlife trafficking and the nexus that it creates to terrorist network financing, we introduced this bipartisan bill, a transnational conservation initiative linking the natural habitat of the three nations, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana, to ensure the survival of this pristine ecosystem that is essential for the future of conservation, species, as well as the communities and people who live there.

When we consider past conflicts that existed in parts of this region, it is truly heartwarming to work with the leaders of these countries to support their vision for the flourishing of animals and people, for the sake of the environment, and for the sake of their economies.

This is imaginative foreign policy. It moves us from a singular, traditional type of solution to addressing challenges in a comprehensive, multinational, multisectoral strategy that mirrors the complexity of nature itself, beyond human-defined borders. This bill is a unique opportunity to help save and enhance one of the most beautiful and delicate ecosystems in the entire world before other international actors ruin it.

As a co-chair of the International Conservation Caucus with Chairman Royce and with my good friends Congressman Cuellar from Texas and Congresswoman McCollum from Minnesota, I am very grateful for their hard work to help ensure the proper stewardship of natural resources in our own great country, as well as around the world.

This bill offers the opportunity to continue to build authentic relations with the countries of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, as well as local communities and the private sector, to develop effective strategies to promote sustainable resource management, combat wildlife trafficking, and stimulate economic regeneration in this part of the world.

Mr. Speaker, again, I greatly appreciate Chairman Royce's cosponsorship, active support, and leadership in moving the DELTA Act through the committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this innovative, imaginative, and important initiative.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Sherman for yielding and for the leadership that he has provided on this issue. Certainly, I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from California, Mr. Ed Royce, who has been working on this issue for so many years. I want to thank him and the ranking member of the committee, Mr. Engel, for all of the work that they have done.

In particular, I want to thank my co-chair, Mr. Fortenberry, for his leadership. I remember talking about this particular bill at the very beginning, and here we are about to pass very important legislation. Certainly, I want

to join Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Ed Royce, Mr. Engel, myself, Ms. McCollum, and the rest of the cosponsors on this bipartisan bill that promotes sustainable economic development, combats wildlife trafficking in Africa's critical Okavango River Basin, which supports more than a million people in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and which is home to several threatened wildlife species, including the largest remaining elephant population in the world.

Today, that region is at a near breaking point due to the not very well thought of development activities, and we have got to make sure that we act together.

Specifically, this bill will protect the vital Okavango River Basin by strengthening coordination between the United States, Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, and leveraging partnerships with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and regional bodies; prioritizing wildlife trafficking to make sure that we stop these poaching programs that have really affected this particular area; promoting sustainable economic growth for local communities through responsible natural resource management; and, more importantly, helping to stop the extinction of these majestic animals, these elephants and other endangered species.

So it is important that we all work together as lawmakers in a bipartisan way and also partner with nations to build international political support for sustainable development while protecting the world's most sensitive ecosystems. In today's global community, it is crucial that we assist our international partners and make sure that we find a better way to protect our world.

In conclusion, I would say that we only have one world to live in. It is up to us to ensure that we promote sustainable development so our children and grandchildren have a better world to live in.

I want to thank the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, my colleagues, our co-chairs, and all of the Members on both sides that have worked so hard for this bipartisan support of this particular bill. So I thank my Members and colleagues for bringing this important matter to the U.S. Congress' attention, and I urge the support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4819, the DELTA Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) for his initiative in putting forward this legislation to help protect one of Africa's most important ecosystems. I am pleased to cosponsor this measure. I also want to commend Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership on international conservation issues, particularly the fight against wildlife trafficking.

The Okavango River Basin in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia supports an amazing array of wildlife, including the largest remaining concentration of elephants in Africa. It is also home to more than a million people.

The DELTA Act requires the development of a strategy to encourage sustainable management of natural resources in the river basin, including the protection of wildlife. This strategy will require input from a wide range of stakeholders, including national governments, local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector.

The goal is to support economic development for the residents of the region while preserving unique ecosystems and protecting wildlife.

The DELTA Act has the support of key conservation organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this bipartisan legislation, which passed our committee by unanimous voice vote, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to reiterate the importance of conservation in combating the scourge of wildlife trafficking around the world. This bill reaffirms our commitment to these goals and will result in a strategy to encourage sustainable management of natural resources in the Okavango River Basin located in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia.

I thank Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Cuellar, and, of course, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their work. This bill passed our committee by unanimous, bipartisan voice vote. I strongly support it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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