Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, today we held a markup on various important measures. I'd like to express support of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act, H.R. 6207, of which I am the proud sponsor, along with our lead Democratic cosponsor, my good friend and ranking member of our subcommittee, Rep. Karen Bass.

I would also like to thank Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Engel, both of whom are original cosponsors, for scheduling this bill for markup so soon after introduction.

A sense of urgency with regard to the DR Congo is not misplaced.

As many of you know, the DRC is a strategically-located, resource- rich country which, unfortunately, has been misgoverned for most of its history.

H.R. 6207 supports the humanitarian and accountability efforts of civil society groups pushing back against civil strife and political repression. In particular, it acknowledges the role of the faith community and the Catholic Church, which educates and heals the Congolese people through its schools and hospitals while upholding the need for the rule of law and respect for constitutional principles in the DRC.

H.R. 6207 also supports a free and fair electoral process in the DRC which is long overdue. It is in our national security interest to support the Congolese people's call for democracy and accountability. Plus it is the right thing to do.

Notably, H.R. 6207 puts human rights violators and corrupt actors in the Democratic Republic of Congo under notice, codifying existing tools that allow us to sanction bad actors.

I urge my colleagues to join us by cosponsoring H.R. 6207.

I am also proud to be a sponsor of H.R. 1697, the Israel Anti- Boycott Act.

This Act will help protect Israel from unfair and punitive boycott efforts fomented by biased international organizations.

I commend my good friends Peter Roskam, Juan Vargas, and Lee Zeldin for introducing this critical bipartisan measure to protect Israeli and American sovereignty and economic interests. I would also like to recognize our Chairman Ed Royce's work to amend this bill to bring it to a full committee vote.

The notoriously anti-Israel agenda of the UN Human Rights Council in recent years has developed into a dangerous assault on Israel's economy. Pursuant to a March 2016 UNHRC resolution decrying businesses that operate beyond Israel's 1949 Armistice lines, the Human Rights Council in recent years has carried out an insidious blacklisting effort that is tantamount to economic warfare against the State of Israel.

Earlier this year the Council announced that it had compiled a list of 206 companies that it believed ought to be boycotted because they operate outside Israel's old boundaries. Of these 206 UN-blacklisted companies, 143 are based in Israel and 22 in the United States. Clearly it is right to protect these companies from damaging boycotts and to stand by our stalwart ally, Israel, the only democratic country in the region.

This legislation directs the President to amend U.S. commerce and foreign trade laws to prohibit American companies from knowingly complying with boycotts targeted at American allies. I urge my colleagues to support this measure to deliver badly-needed protection to American and Israeli companies whose legitimate business should not be manipulated to serve a hateful, anti-Israel political agenda.

I further urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5898, the UNRWA Accountability Act, another bipartisan measure introduced by David Cicilline and Lee Zeldin.

For years the United States has been the world's largest donor to an organization that amplifies a Palestinian curriculum which propagates anti-Israel and anti-Semitic animus while entrenching conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. By conferring refugee status to successive generations of displaced Palestinians, UNRWA contributes to a ballooning population of aggrieved people who in turn are manipulated by those seeking to maintain pressure upon Israel.

United States aid to UNRWA must conform to United States' interests in securing true peace for Israel and the Palestinian people. This means applying real oversight and scrutiny to UNRWA's policies. It also means identifying alternatives to UNRWA if its mandate is at odds with our interests. This legislation requires a report that will help Congress conduct this critical oversight. This bill has my full support.

I would like to thank Representative Norma Torres for introducing H. Res. 944. This is a simple, compassionate resolution that expresses solidarity for the people of Guatemala who lost their loved ones and their homes to the terrible volcanic eruption of Mount Fuego on the third of June.

I am proud to be the lead Republican cosponsor of this resolution, for which Ms. Torres, along with her staffer Clay Boggs, deserve the credit.

I also want to note as an aside, that Congresswoman Torres and I have at times found ourselves on different sides of policy debates, including toward Guatemala.

What is important, however, is that when disaster strikes, we put aside our differences and unite in solidarity with those who suffer. Indeed, we have received thanks from people in Guatemala, and I am sure Ms. Torres has as well, who note with appreciation this bipartisan coming together to support the Guatemalan people.

I urge my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, to join us.

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

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

I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their very strong support of this legislation and for their strong statements today.

I think this is, again, another example of bipartisan legislation and the House uniting over a very egregious situation that is occurring in the DRC.

I would point out to my colleagues that I have visited the DRC myself, been to Kinshasa, the capital, raised a number of human rights issues when I was there.

But I also traveled to Goma, where there was terrible acts of bloodshed committed by both the government troops. As well as those that were combating the government, and even terrible acts by the peacekeepers, the U.N. peacekeepers, some years ago, where they were complicit in human trafficking, particularly of little children.

In my subcommittee, I chaired four hearings on this horrible practice of the peacekeepers themselves causing such violence against kids. There is now a much better situation, but it is still awful, and, again, we are now facing another serious crisis.

I would also point out to my colleagues that Karen Bass and I had a trip planned to Kinshasa for August 24 and 25. We made part of that trip where we went to Ethiopia, but we were denied visas. We could not get visas to go to the DRC. We wanted to raise issues with Kabila, himself, with regards to the election and human rights abuse. We were denied that by not getting a visa.

This bill could not be more timely. Indeed, there is an urgent need to focus attention on the DRC, a strategically located, resource-rich country, which has been misgoverned for much of its history and again is in crisis today.

The wonderful people of the DRC deserve better, far better than they have gotten from the Kabila regime. Next month, just before Christmas, the country is scheduled to vote to replace Joseph Kabila, who has retained power in defiance of constitutional term limits for some 2 years beyond his mandate.

Right now, there is talk of further postponement of the election, which would accord with Kabila's desire to postpone a transfer of power for as long as possible. If such a delay occurs, it would be attributable to the obstacles placed by the Kabila government to holding a free and fair election.

This bill before us today shows congressional resolve that there be accountability and codifies three executive orders by three Presidents: President Bush, President Obama, and President Trump.

It points out that there needs to be significant progress towards holding free and fair elections or else they will not be lifted, and it does so for 7 years. We are talking about respecting fundamental freedoms of the press, expression, and assembly, as described in the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agreement and in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2348.

It also points out that there needs to be, in the legislation, a free and fair Presidential election in accordance with the constitution of the DRC and that a democratically elected President has been sworn in and taken office.

It also supports the humanitarian and accountability efforts of civil society groups pushing back against civil strife and political repression. In particular, it acknowledges the role of the faith community and the Catholic Church, which educates and heals the Congolese people through its schools and hospitals, while upholding the need for the rule of law and respect for constitutional principles in the DRC.

Indeed, the Congolese Conference of Catholic Bishops, known as CENCO, has played a singular role in promoting restoration of democracy and respect for fundamental civil and political rights, including brokering the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agreement.

Mr. Speaker, this is a critical time for the DRC. We have an emerging Ebola crisis in the eastern part of the country. I note that, over the weekend, our Embassy in Kinshasa was forced to close due to ``credible and specific'' terror threats. The Embassy will remain closed at least until tomorrow because of those threats and perhaps even beyond that date. We are hurtling towards a political inflection point within the next month, which will either mark a turn towards proper constitutional governance or a downward spiral towards growing chaos and bloodshed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his comments and for his strong support.

Mr. Speaker, this is a true bipartisan bill. Our fingers are crossed for the people of the DRC. They deserve a free and fair election. Whoever emerges as the winner hopefully will take them on a new course.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support H.R. 6207, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act of 2018.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important piece of legislation that seeks to promote free and fair elections in the DRC by imposing sanctions on high level individuals who are undermining democratic processes and institutions in the country as well as those who are responsible for extrajudicial killings and have engaged in public corruption.

The DRC has the potential to be one of the richest countries on Earth. It has abundant deposits of copper, gold, diamonds, cobalt, and many other minerals. The Congo River is the second largest river in the world and the most powerful river in Africa, making way for enormous potential to generate hydroelectric power, and some scientists say it could provide enough power for all of sub-Saharan Africa's electricity needs. DRC also has great agricultural potential, with its 80 million hectares of arable land, climate conditions, and water resources.

This country has all the conditions to thrive and flourish, but it has not. Instead, continued delays in holding elections have increased tensions and unrest. Ongoing conflict in many parts of the country has resulted in hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees. The country is in a human rights crisis, and on top of all of this, the DRC is suffering from an Ebola outbreak. The humanitarian crisis in the DRC has been exacerbated by the political crisis over elections.

With respect to the ongoing political situation, the current crisis in the DRC started in 2015 when President Kabila, who is constitutionally barred from reelection, deliberately stalled planned elections. President Kabila remained in post, although his second constitutional term ended in 2016.

Since then, the political situation has steadily declined. The Congolese government and security forces have cracked down on anti- government mobilization through excessive use of force on peaceful protesters, shut down media outlets, and targeted arrests of activists.

In August 2018, President Kabila finally said he would uphold the constitution and not stand for a third term. Even with this announcement, the pre-electoral environment remains tense and unsafe for activists, journalists, political opposition, and religious leaders.

Additionally, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, just this month the government made a new round of arrests of pro-democracy activists ahead of presidential elections scheduled for December 23. This heavy-handed display of police and government security forces ahead of the long-awaited presidential election undermines and threatens people's ability to freely participate in the electoral process.

The government must immediately release all people arbitrarily detained for peacefully protesting, including the numerous pro- democracy activists, political opposition leaders, and journalists.

Finally, the government must investigate and hold to account those responsible for human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, and other serious abuses.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is extremely important for addressing conditions in the DRC, but it is also important for sending a message to the world that the United States has not retreated from its commitment to protect human rights and advance democracy around the world.

The late former U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and nine former African presidents said Congo's future ``is in grave danger.''

``We are deeply concerned about the political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], which represents a threat to the stability, prosperity and peace of the Great Lakes region. . . .''

Mr. Speaker, the situation in the DRC is deteriorating as we speak. It is time we act.

Following a call from the region, please join my colleagues Chris Smith, Chairman Ed Royce, and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, and I, and support this bill that supports human rights, democracy, and accountability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6207) to support democracy and accountability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. This is the Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act.

Mr. Speaker, I would begin by thanking Congressman Smith and Congresswoman Karen Bass, they are the chairman and ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, and I thank the ranking member of this committee, Mr. Engel, for their work on this bipartisan legislation.

Long overdue elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are scheduled now for December 23, 2018. But we all know that simply holding elections is not enough.

President Kabila already has remained in power 2 years past his constitutional mandate. And while I am pleased that he will reportedly step aside, the corruption of the Kabila government runs much deeper than just the presidency. Government officials and security forces continue to use their positions of power to undermine the election and to stoke instability in the country.

Peaceful protests have been met with violence, with mass arrests. They have even been met with torture. New reports of abuse and intimidation against journalists and against activists by government forces emerge now every day.

Meanwhile, arbitrary legal impediments have barred prominent opposition candidates from running. The government insists on using untested and confusing voting machines, leaving the election vulnerable to vote manipulation and to rigging.

Throughout all of this, the government continues to boycott international efforts to support election preparations and to increase humanitarian assistance, and continues to deny, in the face of serious and mounting evidence, that there is a problem.

I have been on three trips to the Congo over this issue over the years. The people of the Congo are suffering and the humanitarian situation is dire. Over 4 million Congolese are internally displaced. More than 13 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including 7 million facing acute food insecurity. And another Ebola outbreak is threatening the lives of thousands.

We know that government security forces are responsible for horrific human rights abuses and for provoking instability across the DRC. Just last year, two researchers were killed investigating human rights abuses in the country. One of these researchers was an American. The government continues to block efforts to fully investigate and hold individuals accountable. This cannot stand.

The U.S. must be fully engaged in support of the Congolese people and their struggle to freely choose their next leader. This legislation we are considering today is a call to action. It requires a determination on individuals responsible for undermining peace and security, impeding the democratic process, committing human rights violations, and engaging in corruption so

that they can be sanctioned. It calls for a focus on those that are blocking the democratic process.

Mr. Speaker, we have seen this sad situation before in the DRC. We have seen instability and conflict spill into neighboring countries and undermine the entire region. We cannot let this cycle continue. A failed election in December would surely inflame the violence. This is why we must take decisive action to hold individuals accountable and ensure free and fair elections this December.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and I ask unanimous consent that he may control that time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the lead Democrat on this bill and the ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our staff members who made this bill possible, particularly Lesley Warner of my staff. We traveled to the Congo in 2016 with Chairman Royce and had very important meetings there, frustrating but important meetings.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this measure.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, borders nine other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and positive or negative events there often impact the entire region. This is why stability in the DRC is a priority not for that country's people, but for many other countries, including the United States. That is why Chairman Royce and I led a codel there and why so many of our other members on the Foreign Affairs Committee--Mr. Smith and Ms. Bass--have been there and have really cared about the region.

For years, the DRC has been on the brink of crisis. More than 13 million people need humanitarian support, including 7.8 million children. Across the country, violent conflicts have intensified, including near the city of Beni, where health workers are battling a deadly Ebola outbreak.

The current government, as my colleagues mentioned before, has shown a concerning disregard for democracy and the country's constitution, with troubling restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly and disturbing reports of Congolese security forces violating the human rights of peaceful protestors.

Next month, the DRC will hold elections, as my colleagues have mentioned, that were supposed to be held back in December of 2016. It is a critical time for the United States to show that we are committed to the DRC having a peaceful political transition and moving toward accountable, democratic governance.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act, this bill, asks the administration to continue providing robust humanitarian and development assistance to the people of the DRC. It also requires the President to submit a report to Congress detailing the extent to which Congolese Government officials are involved in human rights abuses against civilians and codifies previous executive orders that target the property and interests of any persons responsible for actions that threaten the stability of the DRC.

It is important that we continue leading the international community to address the many challenges in the DRC. That is why this bill asks the administration to keep the DRC on the U.N. Security Council agenda and work to ensure the U.N. peacekeeping mission there has sufficient means to operate effectively.

After decades of conflict and instability, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo deserve a peaceful democratic transition. By passing this bill today, we show that the House is committed to supporting that process.

Mr. Speaker, it is in the national security interest of the United States to support a peaceful political transition and accountable governance in the DRC. With elections scheduled for next month, this bill comes at a critical time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.