Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of the joint resolution, which disapproves the removal of sanctions against three companies owned by the Russian oligarch and Putin crony, Oleg Deripaska. Mr. Deripaska's complicity and Putin's efforts to undermine our democracy and those of our allies is well known, and this is without the benefit of what the special counsel has investigated and thus far uncovered.

Simply put, the Treasury Department has not provided Congress with convincing evidence that the deal reached with Mr. Deripaska truly ends his control over the companies. And the Treasury Department has not provided Congress with convincing evidence that Mr. Deripaska will not, in fact, benefit financially from the divestiture of these businesses.

These sanctions were imposed last year on Mr. Deripaska and these companies, over Mr. Deripaska's malign efforts and the Kremlin's malign efforts to interfere in our democracy, as well as the efforts to invade Russia's neighbor and the continuing destabilization of Ukraine.

The simple reality is, having imposed these sanctions as a deterrent, nothing has changed in the Kremlin's behavior to warrant the relaxation of these sanctions.

Sanctions are imposed for a reason. The reason these were imposed was because of the malevolent actions of Mr. Deripaska and the Kremlin. They are intended to influence the Kremlin's behavior. So what has changed that merits now the relaxation of these sanctions? The answer is nothing.

The Russian actions in the last election continued, through the manipulation of social media, to meddle in our democratic affairs. Violence along the line of contact between Russia and Ukraine continues and within Ukraine continues. Nothing has changed in the Kremlin behavior.

Nothing has changed to warrant Treasury lifting these sanctions, and so I join my colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues on a bipartisan basis, and I thank my colleague from Texas for his support to disapprove of this relaxation of sanctions on Russia and Mr. Deripaska, and to urge the rest of the Congress to join us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Leron Gubler, who is retiring as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Gubler is the longest tenured President in the 97-year history of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and is largely credited for the revitalization of Hollywood's flourishing economy.

Since 1992, Leron has transformed the organization to ensure it not only supports local businesses but is committed to serving all residents of the Hollywood community.

During his tenure as President, Leron fostered the development of four successful business improvement districts, and families and businesses from all over the world are moving to Hollywood.

With over ten thousand housing units in the development pipeline and three hotels under construction, Hollywood is flourishing, and Leron has played a significant role in this renaissance.

Leron founded the Hollywood Chamber Community Foundation, which has raised over $900,000 for non-profit organizations in Hollywood, and helped create the Hollywood Chamber Political Action Committee, which initiated the State of the Entertainment Industry Conference.

In 2008, Leron became the master of ceremonies for the Hollywood Walk of Fame following the passing of longtime Hollywood Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant. In his ten years as emcee for the Walk of Fame, Mr. Gubler has announced over three hundred Walk of Fame ceremonies.

Leron Gubler has worked to ensure that Hollywood remains safe, relevant, and economically vital, and I ask all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating him for twenty-six years of dedicated service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Hollywood United Methodist Church in Hollywood, a unique neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, upon the twenty-fifth anniversary of its Red Ribbons of Hope.

Hollywood United Methodist Church (HUMC) was founded in 1909, when the first congregants began organizing. As the congregation grew, a decision was made to build a new home for the church. Designed by renowned architect Thomas P. Barber and based partially on the English Gothic style of London's Westminster Hall, construction began in 1927 and in 1930, the stately church was unveiled, lauding its illustrious reign as a Hollywood landmark. In 1981, the church was declared as a Historic-Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles, and in 2015, a second campus, the Toluca Lake Campus of Hollywood United Methodist Church was opened.

Since its inception, HUMC has provided spiritual guidance and tangible support to the Hollywood area community--working to fulfill its mission to be an inclusive, vibrant, diverse congregation that welcomes all people. This ideology is apparent in the church's many programs and ministries that include Homeless Ministry, Youth Programs and participation in mission efforts assisting those in need by rebuilding lives and homes in the U.S. and abroad.

Perhaps the church's most recognized ministry however, is its compassionate hospitality to people living with HIV/AIDS. For many years, the church has offered pastoral counseling and supportive services referrals to persons and their families living with HIV/AIDS. HUMC supports outreach efforts for Project Angel Food, The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, The Wall/Las Memorias and the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and congregants participate in the annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles. In 1993, HUMC installed its Red Ribbons of Hope--red ribbons being the universal symbol of support and awareness for those living with HIV/AIDS--on both campuses to proclaim the church as ``a sanctuary of hope and love.''

I am proud to recognize Hollywood United Methodist Church's on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its Red Ribbons of Hope, and I invite all Members to join me in honoring this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Homenetmen Glendale ``Ararat'' Chapter upon its fortieth anniversary.

Established in 1918, the Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, commonly referred to as Homenetmen, has served hundreds of thousands of youth worldwide. In 1922, when Homenetmen chapters in Constantinople were forced to close, its leaders dispersed across the world. From there, a network of chapters began appearing globally, including in the United States.

Homenetmen Western USA presently comprises 19 chapters, with several within California's 28th Congressional District, which is home to a large and vibrant Armenian-American community. This extraordinary organization has preserved the Armenian spirit by introducing Armenian- American youth to the rich Armenian culture and heritage, and has provided them with physical, moral and social education.

Founded in 1978, the Homenetmen Glendale ``Ararat'' Chapter is the largest chapter in Homenetmen Western USA. It has served thousands of children, young adults and seniors over the years and has provided scouting, athletic, educational, cultural, and wellness activities to the comunities it serves. The organization has been especially committed to improving the lives of our next generation by offering healthy programs for teens and young adults through supervised weekend and after school activities in a family-oriented environment. In addition, it has championed teaching the importance of volunteerism, teamwork and citizenship.

The time, effort, and care that the Homenetmen Glendale ``Ararat'' Chapter has given to the community is invaluable, and the Armenian- American residents of Southern California have benefited greatly from its dedicated work. The organization has played a significant role in shaping our children into responsible citizens and thriving members of society, who become shining examples of Homenetmen's motto--``Elevate Yourself and Others With You.''

I ask all Members to join with me in commending the Homenetmen Glendale ``Ararat'' Chapter for forty years of dedicated service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to nominate Dr. Steve Chien to sit on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, pursuant to section 105 of H.R. 5515, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. Dr. Chien is the Technical Group Supervisor of the Artificial Intelligence Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.

The commission was established to review advances in artificial intelligence, competitiveness of the United States in artificial intelligence and machine learning and the means

to maintain a technological advantage in areas of national security and defense. The commission will consist of 15 members appointed by legislative and executive branch leaders and will terminate on October 1, 2020.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Troy D. Perry of Los Angeles, California, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) which this year celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Today, we celebrate his commitment to MCC and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Community.

Rev. Troy Perry has been a force and pioneer for LGBTQ human rights, advocating for legal, spiritual, and social equality. As the founder of the Metropolitan Community Church in 1968, he created the first church designed to minister to the needs of its LGBTQ members. What began as a small gathering in his apartment, blossomed into the flourishing organization of the MCC with churches across the country. The MCC created a safe space for members of the LGBTQ community to congregate.

Along with establishing the MCC, Rev. Perry was one of the founders of the first gay pride event in Los Angeles in 1970. With the goal of commemorating the Stonewall uprising of 1969, he collaborated with other community leaders to create Christopher Street West, the organization that held its first gay pride parade on June 28, 1970. Because of his visionary and inspiring actions, LA PRIDE continues today under the auspices of Christopher Street West. Rev. Perry continued his advocacy for gender and sexual equity and became the first openly gay person to serve on the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations in 1973. In recognition of his vital work for LGBTQ rights, Rev. Perry was invited to the White House by President Jimmy Carter to discuss his civil rights work. Rev. Perry continued his advocacy on the national stage, being appointed as an official delegate to the White House Conference on Hate Crimes and the White House Conference on AIDS by President Bill Clinton.

Rev. Troy Perry has been honored by many esteemed institutions over the years for his work on behalf of the LGBTQ community. Rev. Perry received the Humanitarian Award from the American Civil Liberties Union, Lesbian and Gay Rights Chapter and has been honored by the Gay Press Association for his advocacy and work establishing progressive and inclusive communities of faith.

I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Reverend Troy Perry, a paramount voice for peace, tolerance, and understanding for his lifetime of outstanding service to the LGBTQ community and to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, the 115th Congress will soon come to an end. There is much work that we will leave undone, but none so consequential to our democracy as the failure to pass legislation to protect Special Counsel Mueller's investigation from further interference by the President. Today may be our last chance to avoid the constitutional crisis that will come should this President fire Mueller or Rosenstein or otherwise act to obstruct justice while we are in recess.

This is our opportunity, our responsibility, to uphold the rule of law and to make clear that no one, even this President--or any President--is above the law.

My colleagues, the fig leaf is gone. If we leave this work undone, after all this President has said and done, if he fires individuals responsible for an investigation into which the President himself may be implicated, no Member of this Chamber can say they did not see it coming.

For months, this President and his allies in Congress have sought to interfere with, obstruct, and manipulate this investigation:

They have selectively leaked or declassified documents;

They have sought to impeach the Deputy Attorney General to give the President cover to fire him;

They have watched in silence as this President has demanded loyalty and public pronouncements of devotion from the Justice Department and law enforcement officials while he has denigrated judges based on their ethnicity, while he has told us that we cannot believe our free press, that we cannot believe what we see and what we hear, but that we can only believe him.

All of this is an affront to the rule of law, and all of it has been met with almost absolute silence from my colleagues in the GOP, with the exception of a few brave people like John McCain.

This is an administration that says the truth is not truth, that they are entitled to their own alternate facts.

There is nothing more corrosive to a democracy than the idea that there is no such thing as truth, that the President is the law, that he is entitled to an Attorney General who will protect him and not the country or our system of justice.

Mr. Speaker, by defeating this previous question, we can bring to the floor a bipartisan bill to protect the special counsel's investigation.

Wake up, my colleagues. Our democracy, our rule of law, is under assault. Stand up to this President. Do your duty.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic upon its 50th anniversary.

Since its inception in 1968, the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic has been providing free healthcare services for the uninsured and low income of the Los Angeles community. This remarkable clinic offers a wide range of invaluable services, including women's and children's healthcare, general medicine, counseling therapy, HIV screening and education, laser tattoo removal for high risk youth, acupuncture, and clothing and food for the homeless.

I also want to recognize the phenomenal physicians, nurses, counselors, medical and clerical assistants, without whom the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic would be unable to carry out this essential work. The time, skills, and training graciously donated by these outstanding volunteers have allowed the clinic to provide over 30,000 patient and client visits a year.

In addition to providing free healthcare services, the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic is also the home of the Cara A Cara Latino HIV/AIDS Project, which conducts outreach and community education to high risk populations. This project was one of the first of its kind and served as the impetus for others to follow.

I firmly believe, along with the clinic's board of directors, volunteers, and staff, that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and I applaud the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic for fulfilling this belief by providing critical care to the needy.

The assistance that the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic has provided to the community is immeasurable, and the residents of the Los Angeles area have benefited greatly from their exceptional efforts. At this time, I ask all members of Congress to join with me in proudly commending the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic for its fifty years of dedicated service to the Los Angeles community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, commonly known as Homenetmen, upon its one- hundredth anniversary.

Founded in 1918, Homenetmen has been a global phenomenon that has served hundreds of thousands of youth worldwide. Over the years, this extraordinary organization has mentored outstanding youth and has encouraged members to work towards achieving individual as well as collective excellence.

Homenetmen has continuously expanded over the last century and is currently the largest Armenian scouting and athletic organization in the United States. In 1922, when Homenetmen chapters in Constantinople were forced to close, its leaders dispersed across the world. From there, a network of chapters began appearing globally. The first chapter in the western United States, the Homenetmen Los Angeles Chapter, was founded in 1968, and its prosperity led to the formation of other chapters across the region.

Homenetmen Western USA presently comprises 19 chapters; several within California's 28th Congressional District, which is home to a large Armenian-American community. Throughout the years, the organization has preserved the Armenian spirit by exposing Armenian- American youth to the rich Armenian culture and heritage, and has provided them with physical, moral and social education. It conducts scouting and athletic activities which foster dedicated and outstanding individuals and helps members develop leadership and life skills. Through its scouting program, scouts actively engage in physical, team- building and educational activities, coupled with community service and outdoor scouting expeditions. A highlight of the organization is the Navasartian Games and Festival, which is an annual event that attracts thousands of community members and boasts the participation of many athletes and scouts.

The time, effort, and care that Homenetmen has given to the global Armenian community is invaluable, and many have benefited greatly from their dedicated work. The organization has championed shaping our children into responsible and thriving members of society, who become shining examples of Homenetmen's motto--``Elevate Yourself and Others With You.''

I ask all Members to join with me in commending Homenetmen for one- hundred years of dedicated service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Homenetmen Los Angeles Chapter upon its fiftieth anniversary.

Established in 1918, the Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, commonly referred to as Homenetmen, has served hundreds of thousands of youth worldwide. The first chapter in the western United States, the Homenetmen Los Angeles Chapter, was founded in 1968, and its prosperity led to the formation of other chapters across the region.

Homenetmen Western USA presently comprises 19 chapters, with several within California's 28th Congressional District, which is home to a large Armenian community. This extraordinary organization has preserved the Armenian spirit by exposing Armenian-American youth to the rich Armenian culture and heritage, and has provided them with physical, moral and social education.

The Homenetmen Los Angeles Chapter plays a vital role in instilling the importance of teamwork, discipline and patriotism within its members, and helps shape the character and hone leadership skills of Armenian-American youth. It conducts scouting and athletic activities which foster dedicated and outstanding individuals and encourages members to work towards achieving individual as well as collective excellence. Through its scouting program, scouts actively engage in physical, team-building and educational activities, coupled with community service, outdoor scouting expeditions and field trips.

The time, effort, and care that the Homenetmen Los Angeles Chapter has given to the community are invaluable, and the Armenian-American residents of Southern California have benefited greatly from their dedicated work. The organization has championed shaping our children into responsible citizens and thriving members of society, who become shining examples of Homenetmen's motto -- ``Elevate Yourself and Others With You.''

I ask all Members to join with me in commending the Homenetmen Los Angeles Chapter for fifty years of dedicated service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the hundreds of staff and volunteers who have helped to create and sustain the Atwater Park Center (APC) in Los Angeles as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

In 1968, volunteers from a local church organized one of the first early childhood engagement programs in Los Angeles County with the goal of helping local families maximize their young children's development by providing networking opportunities and support. From this endeavor, a secular, non-profit organization, Atwater Park Center (APC) was established, renting classrooms in Atwater Baptist Church, to provide a variety of family services, which continues to this day.

Now, 50 years later, the award-winning APC has served thousands of children throughout the Los Angeles region, providing developmentally sensitive childcare and education. The center also offers home and educational services and support programs for families in both English and Spanish, making it accessible to a wide variety of people. It is also a training site for numerous colleges whose students major in nursing, occupational therapy, child development, and early childhood education, giving hands-on experience to students who want to dedicate their careers to enriching the lives of others.

The staff and volunteers of the Atwater Park Center understand that nothing comes close to the relationship a child has with his or her parents but that group care with teachers and caregivers can add to a child's development, helping them stay emotionally secure, confident, and involved in classroom activities. With this feeling of security, children are more likely to explore and make connections with others, and APC presents an atmosphere where children are encouraged to cooperatively live, work, and play. Play spurs communication, imagination, and the development of abstract thought, and children are encouraged to find the style of play that best suits them. The center recognizes the extent to which play is critical in a child's development and focuses on equipping them with as many tools and resources as possible to pave the way to a successful life.

I am honored to recognize the volunteers and staff of the Atwater Park Center for its remarkable achievements over the last five decades. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the APC for their dedicated service to children and families in the greater Los Angeles area.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to call the House's attention to ongoing human rights abuses in Pakistan, particularly in the province of Sindh. For years, political activists and religious minorities in Sindh have faced daily threats of forced conversion, disappearances by security forces, and murder.

Hundreds of Sindhis remain unaccounted for and others have been held away from their families for months or years to create a climate of fear and repression. There is also a disturbingly high incidence of terrorist violence against religious minorities, which Pakistani security forces have been unable or unwilling to prevent.

I call upon the administration to prioritize these issues with Pakistan, which is conducting their national election today. The assault on religious and ethnic minorities in Pakistan must end, and the hundreds of people who have been detained indefinitely must be released.

Mr. Speaker, it was almost exactly 2 years ago, as Donald Trump closed in on the Republican nomination, that the Russians began weaponizing stolen emails it had acquired some time earlier.

This disclosure of stolen emails was only one vector of the Russian active measures campaign. At the same time, the Russians were engaged in a surreptitious social media campaign and a very overt use of their paid media platforms, like Sputnik and Russia Today, to influence the American electorate.

What was this about? Was this new and unprecedented intervention in our affairs merely about choosing one candidate over another in the American Presidential system? Or was there something broader within the Russian aims?

It is certainly true that the Russians had a preferred candidate in Donald Trump. Candidate Trump had talked disparagingly about NATO. He had talked about doing away with sanctions on Russia over its invasion of its neighbor. He had talked about making common cause with Russia in Syria, where our interests are not at all aligned. And most significant, he had talked about doing away with the penalties we had imposed for Russia's invasion of its neighbor, something we never thought would take place in the last century, the remaking of the map of Europe by dint of military force. That is something we thought we would never see in this century.

It is certainly true they had a preferred candidate in Donald Trump, for all those reasons. It is also true that they had a deep antipathy towards Hillary Clinton, someone who, when people gathered in massive numbers in Russia to protest fraudulent elections in 2011, spoke out on behalf of people's right to protest and assemble, something that the Kremlin felt was a direct threat to the regime.

But far more fundamental was the Russian object of sowing discord in the United States, of pitting one American against another, of playing along the fault lines in our society, of weakening the very fabric of our democracy.

It is very important to recognize that what the Russians did here, they did not do alone in the United States. Yes, it was new and unprecedented for us, but what the Russians did here, they have been doing for years elsewhere in Europe and around the world. It is an attack not only on our democracy, but on the very idea of liberal democracy. This attack takes place at a time in our lives where, when you look around the world, you must conclude objectively that the autocrats are on the rise in places like Poland and in Hungary and the rise of the far right parties in Germany, Austria, and France, with Erdogan in Turkey--Turkey is the now the leading jailer of journalists in the world--and in the Philippines with Duterte.

It cannot be said that an iron curtain is descending, but there is a rising tide of authoritarianism that threatens to submerge some of the great capitals around the globe. For those of us who had lived in the post-World War II generation, I think we were always under the assumption that our freedoms around the world were ever-increasing, that it was some immutable law of nature, that our freedom to express ourselves, to practice our faith, to associate with whom we would, was ever-increasing. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, the moral arc of the universe may be long, but it bends toward justice, only to find that today, it does not bend towards justice.

As much as the idea of America as the indispensable Nation has been given a bad name, we truly are indispensable. All around the world people look to us: people in prison who gathered in Tahrir Square wanting a better government; people in the Philippines, the victims of a campaign of mass extrajudicial killing; people in prison in Turkey for journalism.

People all over the world look to us. They are not going to look to Russia; they are not going to look to China; they are not going to look to Europe, with all of its problems; and increasingly they do not recognize what they see. They look to our White House and they do not recognize what they see. They see a President more comfortable with autocrats and dictators than they do with Democrats and democracy. This is a terrible tragedy for us. It is a bigger tragedy for the rest of the world.

In 1938, Winston Churchill published a series of speeches he gave on the rise of Nazism. In America, the book was titled, ``While England Slept.'' America is not sleeping, but one of its great parties is. As John Boehner said recently, the Republican Party is off taking a nap somewhere.

Wake up. Freedom-loving people all around the world are looking to us. Wake up. Our democracy is at risk at home, and the very idea of liberal democracy is at risk around the world. Wake up.

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

Mr. Chairman, I join the chairman in urging support for the combined 2018 and 2019 Intelligence Authorization Act, which has been named in honor of Matthew Young Pollard, a Senate Intelligence Committee staffer who recently passed away, leaving behind a young son and bereaved colleagues both in the Senate and here in the House.

For well over a year now, considerable attention has been focused on the House Intelligence Committee and the profound disagreements that we have had about the Russia investigation. Those differences remain, and the American people should know that my Democratic colleagues on the Intelligence Committee and I continue the important work of investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 Presidential election.

Despite our disagreements over Russia with the majority, however, I have consistently and publicly maintained that the committee must seek to cordon off our disagreements over the Russia investigation and continue with our other work on as bipartisan a basis as possible. We owe the tens of thousands of men and women in the intelligence community nothing less, not only because they put themselves at personal risk every day, but also because their work is so important to the country that it demands the shared responsibility and oversight of the Congress.

The Intelligence Committee has a history of producing bipartisan bills even under the most difficult political circumstances.

I am pleased that our staffs have worked to reach a mutually acceptable final text, and have been able to weed out provisions that would have made it impossible to move forward jointly.

Much of the committee's oversight work is reflected in the bill as classified, but we can discuss some of the 2018-2019 IAA's elements openly, including the fact that the bill helps to better ensure that our elections are free from interference or manipulation.

This is essential to our democracy, and the bill includes important provisions that continue the work that we have been doing in the committee during the course of the work on the Russia investigation, and as a part of our normal oversight to maintain the integrity of our election system.

The bill also provides funding to our intelligence community in order to meet all threats from terrorism to nation-state actors. The bill authorizes funding across a wide range of endeavors that will allow the intelligence community and the Department of Defense to not only respond to threats, but to preempt them.

The bill takes steps to prevent a repeat of the Russian active measures campaign that targeted our 2016 election, by including a minority-authored provision requiring a briefing to key congressional leaders, including members of the intelligence community and committee, if the United States faces a significant foreign cyber intrusion or active measures campaign directed at a federal election.

The bill also ensures that America's technological advantage remains a priority for our intelligence services. As such, the bill resources and directs efforts that will promote our advantages across a range of cutting-edge domains, from space to artificial intelligence.

It enhances transparency and allows public access to certain work of the IC. The bill reauthorizes for 10 years the Public Interest Declassification Board which advises the President and executive branch agencies on the review and declassification of IC records of historical importance.

The bill also includes minority provisions related to parental leave, student loan repayment, and diversity and inclusiveness that are intended to make an exceptional workforce even better.

In the end, the men and women who serve in the intelligence community and the Defense Department are the most important factor in the success of our national security.

There are many other provisions in the bill that will build on the work of past years and move us further along technical and other pathways to meet new challenges and those still on the horizon.

This bill advances our national security, reinforces the principle of congressional oversight, and honors our values as a Nation.

Mr. Chair, I urge the support of the House, and look forward to considering amendments that will make a good bill even better. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson). He is the ranking member on the Emerging Threats Subcommittee and brings a wealth of experience in homeland security to the Congress.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell). She is the ranking member on the Department of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee and does a fabulous job for our committee.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Alabama.

Mr. Chair, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Heck), someone who we have come to rely on in our committee in a great many areas, but, in particular, the threat posed by foreign actors investing in American technologies, with an eye toward either appropriating our intellectual property, or making use of those

technologies for the purpose of spying on Americans.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger), who is the former ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a great stalwart for the men and women who work within the IC.

Mr. Chairman, might I inquire of the gentleman whether he has any further speakers?

Mr. Chairman, I will take this opportunity to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, 1 month ago, the CIA held its annual memorial ceremony to honor its fallen. This year, the agency added four stars to the memorial wall, signifying four officers killed in the line of duty but who cannot be publicly named even in death. That, Mr. Chairman, is the sacrifice that we ask of our intelligence professionals, and it is one that they are prepared to make.

In exchange for that fidelity, it is our job to provide the intelligence community with the tools and authorities that it needs to keep us safe, all while exercising our constitutional authority of oversight and direction. This bill meets that responsibility, and I urge its passage by the House.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and our incredible staff. In particular, I thank Shannon Stuart, Carly Blake, Alan Souza, Mark Stewart, Wells Bennett, Scott Glabe, Rheanne Wirkkala, Amanda Rogers Thorpe, Thomas Eager, Kris Breaux, Christine Bocchino, Maher Bitar, Shannon Green, Linda Cohen, Patrick Boland, and Tim Bergreen.

These staff members labor three floors below the Capitol in a space we affectionately call--and sometimes unaffectionately call--the bunker. They do so for long hours and without daylight. We are very grateful to them and for their service.

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

Mr. Chairman, as the designee of the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating), I offer amendment No. 1.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to offer this amendment on behalf of its author, Mr. Keating of Massachusetts, who is one of our fine members who has great experience in public safety prior to coming to the Congress.

This amendment builds on an initiative from Chairman Nunes to extend tour lengths of deployed U.S. Government personnel, particularly those who are proficient in difficult languages such as Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, and Korean. Specifically, the amendment adds the Russian language to that list.

In view of the continuing threat to our national security posed by the aggressive action of the Russian Government, the U.S. Government must fully engage its cadre of personnel proficient in the Russian language.

I am a slow talker. I am talking even more slowly, and my colleague has arrived. I want to thank my colleague for his work.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating), who is the author of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I urge passage of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment.

I am pleased to rise in support. This amendment clarifies section 1503 of the bill dealing with foreign counterintelligence and cybersecurity threats to Federal election campaigns.

The current provision directs that, for each Federal election, the Director of National Intelligence, the Under Secretary of Homeland Security, and the FBI will make publicly available a report on foreign counterintelligence and cybersecurity threats to our elections.

Section 1503 strengthens our elections by providing information to the public about these threats by providing information about best practices and resources which may be used to counter these threats.

Mr. Schneider's amendment adds to the publicly available report the identification of the foreign actor, when possible. This public attribution can be very powerful, not only in terms of protecting the public, but also in deterring any foreign intervention in our democratic affairs.

I want to thank my colleague again for his work, and I am happy to support the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

This amendment complements other provisions in the bill focused on improving the security clearance process in the Intelligence Committee. Specifically, Ms. Jackson Lee's amendment recognizes that an immediate review may be called for when a security clearance holder is reported to have engaged in certain violent acts against individuals, property, or public spaces based on an association or sympathy with persons or organizations seeking to prevent others from exercising their constitutional rights. Such rights include those related to race, religion, national origin, or disability.

I thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. I am pleased to support it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

It is a great pleasure to team up with the gentleman again in pursuit of important priorities for the intelligence community and for our committee.

Enhancing diversity in the intelligence community is a continuing priority for the House and, unfortunately, remains a continuing challenge for the IC. While there are many intelligence professionals who are sincerely working to create a culture of inclusion, they acknowledge that progress is slow.

Mr. Hastings' amendment, together with initiatives championed by committee colleagues, Representatives Terri Sewell and Andre Carson, will help ensure that the Director of National Intelligence increases geographic outreach in IC recruitment efforts.

As coordinator of the IC, the DNI and his team are well postured to consolidate the separate recruitment activities of each IC entity into a comprehensive recruitment campaign that reaches every corner of our Nation, especially underserved regions that have had little interaction with the intelligence community.

With the DNI's leadership, smart division of labor among IC agencies, and innovative use of virtual communications vehicles, I am confident that a comprehensive recruitment campaign can cover the Nation more effectively and attract a workforce that is more representative of America.

Once again, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Hastings, as well as my HPSCI colleagues for their commitment to diversity, and I encourage my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I am proud to support the amendment offered by Representatives Schneider, Meadows, Torres, and Sinema.

Mr. Chair, it is imperative that our Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs Committees with oversight of Iran's role in Syria and Lebanon stay informed of proxy forces operating there and the strategic threat posed to

Israel, our other allies, and our Nation's interests in the region.

Requiring that the Director of National Intelligence report on areas such as arms transfers from Iran to Hezbollah and other militias, weapons facilities, supply chains, and financial capabilities will help us gain greater understanding of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapon proliferation in the region.

I thank my colleagues for offering the amendment. I appreciate Mr. Schneider's leadership on this issue, and I urge the House to support it.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

One hundred years ago, the great influenza pandemic, often called the Spanish flu, caused about 50 million deaths worldwide, between 3 to 6 percent of the global population, and far more than the deaths from combat casualties in World War I. Public health officials have warned that we are overdue for another pandemic that will likely spread even more virulently in our globalized world.

While global health may not be a topic that leaps to mind when thinking of the roles and missions of the intelligence community, the IC does play a pivotal role in defending us from microscopic threats. The IC's unique capabilities can be as valuable in combating disease as the other threats we face.

During the Ebola crisis, NGA and other IC agencies provided geospatial and other intelligence to health workers battling the outbreak. Ensuring

that we are prepared for any potential pandemic will be essential to saving American lives.

I wholeheartedly support the bipartisan amendment by my colleagues from California, Virginia, and Washington, and I thank them for working with the committee staff to refine and perfect it.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding, and I rise in support of the amendment offered by the Representatives from New York, Rice and King.

This amendment requires that the Director of National Intelligence, with the Department of the Treasury, submit to Congress a report on the possible exploitation of virtual currencies by terrorist actors, including state sponsors of terrorism.

It has long been said that if you wish to uncover the truth about malign activity, then follow the money. This remains true with the development and use of virtual currencies.

The IC must always remain one step ahead of our adversaries, and this amendment will help ensure that they continue to do just that.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to rise in support of the amendment offered by my colleague from Illinois, Congressman Lipinski.

This amendment requires that the Director of National Intelligence submit a report to Congress describing spending by Iran on military and terrorist activities outside of the country, including spending to support Hezbollah, Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hamas, and proxy forces elsewhere.

The intelligence community rightly remains focused on Iran's support for malign foreign military and terrorist activities abroad.

This amendment helps ensure that Congress has full visibility into the judgments and assessments of the IC

on Iran's spending to support these groups, and for that reason I support the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to include in the Record the following resolution authored by the Board of Directors of the Child Survivors of the Holocaust, Los Angeles. The Child Survivors of the Holocaust is an organization dedicated to supporting those who survived the Holocaust as children, and who today raise awareness of human rights violations, particularly those affecting children. I urge Congress to heed their words of concern for the treatment of immigrant children and families through the policy of child separation.

We, the elected members of the Board of Directors of the

Child Survivors of the Holocaust, Los Angeles (CSHLA),

protest the inhumane mistreatment of innocent, immigrant

children by our government officials.

The missions of the CSHLA include to:

(1) remember the Holocaust,

(2) educate our community and the public by telling our

personal life-stories, and

(3) raise awareness and prevent such tragedies from

happening to anyone today or in the future.

We who personally experienced the insecurity, anguish, and

stress from cruel separation as victims of the Third Reich,

are dismayed and outraged by the ruthless separation of

infants, toddlers, and adolescents from their parents. The

irreparable damage resulting from such actions has been

scientifically and clinically proven to impair human

development. Keeping the mission of our organization in mind,

we reject these abusively tragic tactics or the racist

prejudices underlying them.