Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2019

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4969) to improve the design and construction of diplomatic posts, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, let me make this observation for my colleagues. The U.S. Department of State operates more than 270 diplomatic posts around the world, often in difficult and sometimes very, very hostile environments. These embassies and consulates project American power and reflect our values. They protect the lives of the Americans who work in and visit those embassies every day. We owe it to the American people and those who serve us overseas to build the most secure, effective, and efficient embassies and consulates that we possibly can.

That is why I want to thank Chairman Mike McCaul, the author of this

bill, who is with us. Each day, there are thousands of brave Americans who serve our country at our embassies and consulates overseas. These facilities are our outposts for democracy. While our diplomats serve overseas, it is our job to ensure that they have the resources and support they need. This bill will do just that, by authorizing critical resources for embassy security, construction, and maintenance; enhancing worldwide security protection; and lastly, improving oversight of embassy design and construction of these consulates and embassies.

The threats facing our embassies and diplomats overseas are real. We need to respond. The reported sonic attacks against our diplomats serving in Havana--and Canadian diplomats serving there, too, as you will recall--serve as a stark reminder of the real and complex security challenges they face on a daily basis. Yet, the last time Congress authorized resources for enhanced embassy security was immediately after al-Qaida bombed the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Over 220 people were killed and 4,000 others were injured in these attacks.

On August 7, we solemnly recognized the 20th anniversary of those cowardly attacks. Thus, we must strengthen our resolve to do everything within our power to prevent another Nairobi or Dar es Salaam attack by constructing the safest, most secure, and most appropriate diplomatic posts around the world. That starts with this bill, which, if enacted, will be the first embassy security authorization in 15 years.

Since the East African Embassy bombings, the State Department has used several different approaches to design and construct new posts quickly and efficiently. This is no small task, but what has become clear is that effective congressional oversight of these projects is essential to ensuring their success.

That is why this bill promotes efficient contracting methods, ensures the facilities meet security and safety standards, and engages with the State Department in an effective, long-range planning process for the new projects.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4969, which will improve the security, effectiveness, and efficiency of our embassies and consulates.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for mentioning the State Department authorization. We are still working on that measure. We hope to move that.

In the interim, though, the ability to move on the floor now with the embassy security measure is important.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, of course, a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and he is the author of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, America's embassies obviously are forward operating bases for our democracy, for our system. The brave men and women who serve at those posts represent our country on a daily basis and represent them often in a difficult and increasingly dangerous environment.

As we have tragically seen before, diplomatic posts overseas are often the first and easiest targets our enemies choose to attack. Importantly, this legislation will improve the security, the functionality, and the efficiency of our embassies and our consulates through enhanced oversight and better management of the construction of new diplomatic facilities.

So, again, I want to thank Chairman Mike McCaul of Texas, and I want to thank Representative Robin Kelly, as well as Ranking Member Engel and the many members of the committee from both sides of the aisle who have worked extensively on this important piece of legislation.

Our embassies project American power. They do reflect our values. We owe it to our diplomats and the American people to build the best embassies possible.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and let me thank Mr. McCaul and Ms. Kelly, both members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for authoring this important legislation and Chairman Royce for bringing it to the floor.

One of the most important things that we deal with on our committee is protecting the lives of the brave American citizens working at our embassies and consulates abroad. This legislation will help us improve the way we provide embassy security.

This bill would also authorize the embassy security, construction, and maintenance account for the next year at $2.3 billion, the same level appropriated for the account this year.

Now, what has me concerned is the Trump administration has asked Congress to slash embassy security by $700 million. That just isn't right.

Mr. Speaker, the clearest indication of an administration's priorities is its annual budget. Frankly, it is astounding to me that the Trump administration has proposed such massive cuts to embassy security funding for 2 years in a row.

On the campaign trail, President Trump spent a lot of time blaming Secretary Clinton for the tragic attacks on our consulate in Benghazi. He did so with little regard for the facts. Secretary Pompeo, as a Member of this body, especially during the time of the absurd Benghazi Select Committee, expressed a great deal of outrage over the handling of diplomatic security. Now they have tried to cut funding for embassy security at every opportunity.

My message for them is simple: There is no cost too high to protect the lives of our diplomats and their families. I wish the President and the Secretary understood that.

Fortunately, Congress has the last word on these issues. We have come together in a bipartisan way for the past 2 years and rejected President Trump's draconian cuts to embassy security funding. This bill represents another rejection of the Trump administration's dangerous proposal.

Additionally, I would like to highlight two provisions in the bill. The first requires that all U.S. Government employees traveling abroad on official business receive a written or oral security briefing from the State Department on potential threats. This is a commonsense measure, and it is, honestly, bizarre that it isn't already required.

Second, I also want to thank Mr. McCaul and Ms. Kelly for including language that requires the State Department to provide our committee with a strategy for establishing a physical diplomatic presence in countries in which we currently have no physical diplomatic presence.

Lastly, I strongly support a universal approach to U.S. representation abroad, and I continue to be disappointed that we have no embassies in several countries in the Eastern Caribbean where Venezuela, Cuba, and others are present and active. Being absent significantly weakens U.S. leadership in the Caribbean and elsewhere around the globe.

Finally, let me say, while I am pleased that we are advancing this legislation, I am disappointed that it is moving as a standalone bill and not as it was originally intended, as the title of our committee's State Department authorization bill. Given the chairman's hard work on the State Department authorization bill, I am sure that the gentleman shares my concern. I hope that we can breathe new life into the legislative effort by the end of this Congress.

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

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

I will close by again thanking Chairman Royce for bringing this legislation to the floor.

We have no greater duty on our committee than to protect Americans serving abroad. I am very pleased that we are making several essential fixes in our approach to embassy security in this legislation and authorizing the embassy security, construction, and maintenance at a robust level.

We live in a dangerous time, and the Trump administration's budget would put our diplomats at even greater risk than what they have already faced on a daily basis, so I am glad that the House is stepping in to do what is needed.

Finally, let me say again, while I am pleased this bill is moving forward, I don't believe the window has closed on getting a comprehensive State Department authorization bill to the President's desk, and I continue to stand ready to work with the chairman to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I support the chairman's motion; I urge all Members to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, the Embassy Security Authorization Act.

Embassies are really the physical representation of the United States abroad. An American Embassy is the means in which the United States conducts its foreign policy and advances our interests around the world. Therefore, protecting our embassies and diplomats should be our number one priority. That is why my bill authorizes over $2.3 billion for embassy security.

If enacted into law, this would be the first embassy security authorization in 15 years. Furthermore, my bill makes critical reforms in how we build future embassies and think about our security.

In 1998, we had to reassess our embassy security when terrorists, at the direction of Osama bin Laden, bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing over 220 people and injuring 4,000 more. In retrospect, these attacks foreshadowed bin Laden's intentions to attack America. At the time, it forced us to reassess how we go about building our embassies and consulates.

A year later, Congress adopted a standard embassy design for our missions abroad. This design improved security, expedited construction, and saved money. However, recently, we have deviated from the standard embassy design in favor of projects prioritizing aesthetics.

Our embassies constantly face threats from hostile actors, even in friendly and allied countries. Our embassies are extensions of the homeland, and we must treat them as such. To that end, my bill would require the State Department to provide Congress with justification should an embassy or consulate project not use a standard design.

While I appreciate the goal of displaying American might through a striking embassy design, we must prevent a repeat of Kenya and Tanzania. My bill, with the $2.3 billion authorization and standard design reforms, is a good step forward towards achieving that balance.

Mr. Speaker, I want to again thank Ms. Kelly for her leadership on this issue, as well as Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their work on this important piece of legislation.

I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4969 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the Corker substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.