Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for votes on July 13, 2018, as I was tending to official business. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 327 and Yea on Roll Call No. 328

Mr. Speaker, there is really a tragic situation that has been unfolding for a long time in Syria, and I think it is important that we have a brief discussion today about what is at stake and what is happening.

To start that discussion, Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the honorable chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a champion for the people of Free Syria.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue and for his very eloquently delivered speech on the seriousness of what is happening.

The Syrian civil war is now in its eighth year, and it is approaching a very serious crossroad. While the media focus fades away after some chemical attack or a picture that steals our hearts for a moment, the war crimes being committed and the atrocities taking place in Syria are happening in full force right this very minute.

For the last 9 days, the southern border of Syria has been under constant bombardment from airstrikes and barrel bomb attacks. Despite a ceasefire

pact from Russia in July of 2017, we know Syria's main military ally has continued to carry out attacks on behalf of the Assad regime.

This critical moment will affect the future of Syria, the security interests of the United States, and stability within the international community. So what are we going to do about it?

Since World War I, we have held that chemical weapons have no place on the battlefield. We have held strong to this principle and its core to the values of our country.

We know that the President of Syria, the brutal dictator, Bashar al- Assad, and his ruthless regime have committed countless war crimes, and they are responsible for murdering more than half a million Syrians.

We know Assad has used chemical weapons countless times to attack and murder innocent civilians.

We know that Russian and Iranian regimes have supported and helped Assad in his genocide on the Syrian people, including airstrikes and attacks that account for more than 50,000 dead Syrian children.

We have seen the Assad regime, along with his Iranian and Russian backers, starve the people in cities like Madaya, Aleppo, and eastern Ghouta by using food as a weapon.

We know the Assad regime has often refused U.N. and other humanitarian organizations from delivering critical humanitarian assistance to the most ravaged cities in Syria.

Because we know this, we cannot turn a blind eye. We cannot just sweep this under the rug and ignore the horrific reality in Syria right now. We cannot isolate ourselves from this crisis.

What happens in Syria and what happens in the Middle East has a very real impact on our national security and the security of future generations. If we fail to act in Syria and fail to inflict punishment over the use of chemical weapons, we will ultimately see the end of the nonproliferation treaty of chemical weapons and open the world to ghastly horrors, perpetual insecurity, and extreme danger.

I support the President's enforcement of those red lines, but we must not be naive enough to think that, if we show weakness elsewhere, it will not happen again.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that the United States invade Syria, put 100,000 troops in, and start a regional war, not in the slightest. What I am suggesting is that we take a stand for what is right, what is just, and what is in the best interests of the United States and the freedom-loving people around the world.

We need a long-term strategy in Syria that leads to a solution of peace and an end to the ongoing, deadly, and horrific conflict. This strategy should also include the end of the Assad regime and a place at the table for all people at the table of government.

First, we must maintain a presence in Syria and we must uphold the deescalation zones that have already been established. By bolstering these areas and making it known that the United States remains in the region, we can thwart the strongmen of Russia and Iran from pushing into these areas and targeting civilians.

Internally, both Russia and Iran are fractured and tired. They both view Syria as a power-grab opportunity to take on their enemies: the United States and Israel. It comes as no surprise, as we know the true intentions of these bad actors anyway.

That being said, we cannot allow Iran to complete its land bridge through the middle of Syria, and we cannot trust the Russians ever on anything. Russian strikes have obliterated residential areas in Syria, displacing thousands. The area's major hospitals and makeshift hospitals have been targeted and destroyed.

Let me say that again. The region's hospitals have been targeted and destroyed. We must take measures to punish Russia and Iran for their crimes.

Next, given the dire situation in places like Daraa, we need to establish no-fly zones and maintain a presence to ensure they are being enforced by us and our allies. This is vital for the safety of our coalition units, the humanitarian aid volunteers, and the Syrian civilians who have been forced to flee their homes and their communities.

We need to hold Assad, his regime, and the Russian and Iranian supporters accountable.

In April, I spoke on the House floor in support of a bill I introduced with my House Foreign Affairs Committee colleagues, H.R. 4681, the No Assistance for Assad Act. This bill, which passed the House and now sits in the Senate, is a step in the right direction in taking actions in Syria and punishing the Assad regime for its horrific war crimes.

H.R. 4681 needs to be implemented, as do the sanctions passed last year against the supporters of the Assad regime for their role in the genocide of Syrian civilians.

Most importantly, the United States needs to remind the people of Syria that we stand with them. We stand for freedom, and we stand against the inhumane crimes committed against them by this barbaric regime and their Russian and Iranian backers.

If you are a 10-year-old kid in Syria and your dad was killed by an airstrike, you might see ISIS as the only opponent to Bashar al-Assad, the butcher of Damascus who brutalized your family, who destroyed your home, who bombed your school, and who left you without an education or opportunity. If you are this 10-year-old kid in Syria right now, you are likely to be a rich target of ISIS recruitment. Sadly, the next generation of terrorism will likely stem from these regions that have no hope or opportunity, that feel completely abandoned and ignored by the international community.

I spoke to a Syrian regime defector yesterday named Caesar. Caesar defected from the Assad regime and brought with him thousands of pictures and documents proving that the regime tortures, starves, and kills innocent people every day. And, if that isn't enough, they document these atrocities with cold precision, reminiscent of the actions of Nazi Germany. It is chilling.

Caesar risks his life by sharing his experiences. In our meetings, he selflessly focuses on others. He emphasized how gravely the people of Syria are suffering every single day. And every single day, the people of Syria cling to the hope that America will speak up and stand with them.

I pray for peace, and I urge the administration to position the United States as the global leader this world needs right now.

I also implore the Senate to pass the Caesar Act, sanctioning regime officials involved in the torture and opening the path to their capture and trial as war criminals. They must be held accountable.

We have passed this bill repeatedly, and we will do so again if we must. But the Senate has an opportunity to make this law and stand with the values that we hold dear.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Syria need to know that there is hope. Right now, our lack of a strategy in Syria is leaving many with little hope or faith in the United States or our allies.

I believe America has a mission in the world, and it is to be an example of self-governance in a world drowning in strongmen, cruelty, and chaos. I believe we have an opportunity to show the people of Syria, and the world, that the American Dream continues. We are still that shining city on a hill and a beacon of hope for peace and prosperity.

When that light dims, it doesn't give America an opportunity to look within and relax, regain ourselves, and look coldly and detached at the rest of the world. History has shown again and again that a dimming light in American leadership only guarantees a future fight, a future calling up of a generation of Americans to, once again, defeat an enemy.

But if we remember this God-given mission and the light on the hill continues to beam bright, then we can create a generation within the camps of our enemies who rejects their ideology and implements change from within. Behind the Iron Curtain, it wasn't America's military action that sliced it in half. It was people behind it seeing our light, peering over that wall, and tearing it down so they, too, could enjoy those freedoms.

As a great President, John F. Kennedy, said: ``Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.''

Bashar al-Assad will ultimately pay an awful, eternal price when he meets his Maker. Let's move that appointment up so that justice here or in the afterlife is swift and soon. Let's shine our light on the actions of Iran and Russia. Let's expose with that brightness the torture and the bombing of aid convoys and hospitals. Let's shine that light on the plight of people simply trying to live their lives and to raise their children to be police officers, doctors, farmers, factory workers, and mothers and fathers.

Let's speak out for the freedom-loving people who so desperately need our voice. Let's shine our light on the oppressive darkness around the world.

Mr. Speaker, let's save Syria.

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

Mr. Speaker, today, June 20, 2018, I was absent during the first vote series due to official business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on rollcall No. 272, ``Yea'' on rollcall No. 273, and ``Yea'' on rollcall No. 274.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my constituent, Dixon Police Officer Mark Dallas, for his heroic actions during the shooting incident at Dixon High School last week.

On the morning of Wednesday, May 16, a student opened fire inside Dixon High School. Without hesitation, Officer Dallas chased down the student and returned fire. He disarmed the shooter and took him into custody.

The swift, decisive actions by Officer Dallas demonstrate the difference between a job and one's calling. His fearless sacrifices are core to who Mark is and who God called him to be.

As more details emerge surrounding the shooting incident, one thing is certain: Officer Dallas is an American hero. He stepped into harm's way to prevent a terrible tragedy and saved countless lives. He heroically protected the students, including his own son Josh, the faculty and staff, and the entire Dixon community.

Mr. Speaker, it is the men and women of our law enforcement, like Officer Dallas, who embody the very best of who we are as a nation. The courageous service of America's finest is truly the thin blue line between order and chaos.

On behalf of the 16th District of Illinois, I thank Officer Mark Dallas for his bravery and heroism, for his steadfast commitment to protection and serving, for being a role model to so many, and for making us all Dixon strong.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present for votes yesterday, May 21, 2018, due to a delayed flight. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 207; YEA on Roll Call No. 208; and YEA on Roll Call No. 209.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

It is a confusing amendment to me because, looking at what we want to do, I haven't talked to many people who don't think that Iran isn't a bad actor in the region. It is really almost impossible to find anybody except somebody in the Iranian regime who would say that.

This basically peacefully works with our partners to say: Let's find a strategy to counter this terrible activity, this terrible regime. Cyber defense. Working together for intelligence. What do we do to come together with our friends to make sure we can counter these destabilizing activities?

If this amendment would pass, it would hand a victory to a few people. It would hand a victory to Russia--Russia that has invested a lot in propping up the Assad regime and working with the Iranian regime to do so.

This would be a huge victory to Bashar al-Assad, who has killed half a million of his own people simply because he wants to stay in power. Fifty thousand of those are children, by the way. Many of those gasped their last breath on chemical weapons.

This would be a victory to Hezbollah, which has 150,000 rockets aimed at our best ally in the Middle East, Israel, that is worried about their future. This is the same Iran that calls Israel ``little Satan'' and the United States ``big Satan.''

And this would be, of course, a huge victory for Iran itself. This is a nation that is responsible for almost one-quarter of American deaths in Iraq that I actually operated against--one-quarter of the American deaths in Iraq. I would think it is pretty good to counter that.

So, ultimately, this makes military action less likely, because we are working with our allies to do what we can to prevent actions by this regime that will make war more likely, as we saw in the escalating situation between Israel and Iran just a week ago.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding the time. I urge my colleagues to resoundingly defeat this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, as a military pilot, Air Force pilot, I think it is important to note that this will not affect range operations at Nellis Air Force Base.

My district is home to four nuclear power plants, and I have seen firsthand the hard work and dedication of the men and women who work there. These plants not only provide clean, reliable power, but also create good jobs, and they strengthen our communities.

In 1982, the government made a commitment to these communities. Congress and the President approved Yucca Mountain over 15 years ago. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission concluded it can safely store spent fuel there for 1 million years.

In Illinois alone, ratepayers have contributed over $3 billion to the Nuclear Waste Fund, and Illinois houses more spent fuel than any State.

Today is about following through on our commitments. We must reassure communities like La Salle and Byron, that put their trust in the government, that they can continue to make clean, reliable nuclear power as well as have a safe place to store it.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman and my Illinois colleague, John Shimkus, for being a tireless advocate for making good on this commitment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lindsey Jensen, who was named the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Jensen began her teaching career 12 years ago, and her positive spirit and passion for education has profoundly impacted countless lives across our community.

As an English teacher at Dwight Township High School for the last 10 years, Mrs. Jensen has continually demonstrated her passion for teaching and her commitment to serving students, her colleagues, and her community. High School is such a pivotal and exciting time for students, especially as they prepare themselves for their next steps. These young adults need teachers like Mrs. Jensen who can inspire them, motivate them, and push them to reach their full potential.

Colleagues of Mrs. Jensen have described her as an educator who radiates with infectious positivity, saying she is more than a teacher of English, but rather a teacher of the people. As the son of a public- school teacher, I know the importance of having passionate and creative teachers in the classroom, and I know how important a good education is to giving a student hope and opportunity for a brighter future.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 16th District of Illinois, I wish to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Jensen for her dedicated service to our students and the Dwight community. It is my honor to congratulate Mrs. Jensen on this much deserved recognition as the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, and we are truly proud to have this exemplary educator representing our community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and the co-chair of the Friends of a Free, Stable, and Democratic Syria Caucus with me, Representative Boyle, for their work on this bill.

In the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, we thought it was going to be peaceful. Since then, 500,000 Syrians are dead--50,000 of which are children--at the hands of the brutal Assad regime.

Assad, his regime, Russia, and Iran have committed genocide across Syria. They have targeted hospitals and schools, and they have destroyed critical infrastructure with indiscriminate barrel bombs and airstrikes. They reduced much of the country to rubble. As long as Assad is in power, they should be fully responsible for rebuilding.

The No Assistance for Assad Act would place conditions on American non-humanitarian assistance in Syrian territories controlled by the Assad regime or their allies.

By limiting our reconstruction assistance to Assad, we send a strong message that the American people will not support any efforts to legitimize or bolster the barbaric Assad regime--a regime that uses chemical weapons on its own innocent civilians, as we saw especially recently.

We have seen far too many horrifying images of the bloody and besieged children across Syria, suffering at the hands of an evil war criminal.

As of January 2018, the United States has provided more than $7.7 billion in humanitarian assistance to the people of Syria. We will continue to support the innocent victims with emergency food, safe drinking water, shelter, and other vital resources that they desperately need.

Separately, this legislation places strict conditions on the non- humanitarian assistance for things like early recovery, stabilization, and reconstruction in the Assad-controlled Syrian territories.

The release of all political prisoners and providing full access to Syrian prisoners for human rights investigations and removing those human rights abusers from positions of authority are just two of the conditions included in this bill. The Syrian Government must also end all attacks against civilians and halt the development and deployment of ballistic and cruise missiles.

For our own national security and that of our allies, we must do all we can now to prevent the next generation of terrorists down the road.

Without hope and opportunity, the people of Syria and those across the Middle East will become prime recruits for groups like ISIS, Hezbollah, and others.

The United States of America must take a stand against the genocide in Syria, the inhumane war crimes against the innocent people of Syria, and the oppressive strongmen, those like Assad.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4681, the No Assistance for Assad Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Rotary Club of Walnut, Illinois for their collective commitment to service, both at home and abroad, and for their dedication to serving our community for 70 years.

Originally chartered on May 24, 1948, the Rotary Club of Walnut has been an integral part of Rotary International's influence in northern Illinois. This dynamic group provides people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures with the platform to exchange ideas and form lifelong friendships, all while giving back to the community.

By forming partnerships with local law enforcement and civic groups, the Rotary Club of Walnut has promoted family-friendly events and thoughtful discussions to ensure our communities are clean, safe, and thriving. This is done through their Five Avenues of Service, which include club, vocational, community, international, and youth services. These avenues enable the Rotary Club to facilitate a more sustainable living environment for the people in our communities and have had a lasting impact in our neighborhoods.

We are fortunate to have the dedicated members of the Walnut Rotary Club serving the communities in the 16th Congressional District of Illinois. The passion, integrity, and collective life experiences of the Club members are a real benefit to all of us. They continue to deliver real and lasting impacts in our area through various programs and initiatives, and their charitable work stretches across the community, throughout the state of Illinois, and all over the world.

I'm proud to recognize the Rotary Club of Walnut today, and to thank them for their exemplary work in helping others. This group is the true embodiment of the Rotary's motto ``Service Above Self'' and I look forward to many more years of their servant leadership in our area.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to welcome Pastor Paul C. Meyers as our guest chaplain this morning and greatly appreciate him leading us in prayer on this historic Thursday.

Pastor Meyers is from the 16th Congressional District of Illinois, which I proudly represent, and serves as the senior chaplain at the United Methodist Church in Roscoe, Illinois.

Serving in ministry since 1992, Pastor Meyers has been a stalwart, faithful figure in our community. He serves as chaplain for the fire, EMS, and law enforcement--19 years and counting--and is currently the head chaplain for the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department and the Roscoe Police Department. He also serves as chaplain with the FBI and will be resident chaplain at the FBI Academy this month in Quantico.

I want to say thank you to Pastor Meyers and to his family for all they do to serve in our community. We are humbly grateful for this dedication to serving the Lord and providing us with this spiritual guidance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of our fallen heroes, the seven U.S. military members killed in the helicopter crash over western Iraq on Saturday, March 16, 2018.

As an airman, I had the privilege of flying with Captain Andreas O'Keefe. His Air Force service included three tours in Iraq, serving in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa and, most recently, in Texas to help out during Hurricane Harvey. And still, he wanted to do more.

Andy was a fellow air guardsman, a Long Island guy, and served with the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Like many who join the service, Andy did so voluntarily, with a servant's heart, eager to serve his country and to help others. Without question, he lived by the 106th credo: ``That others may live.''

As a nation, we mourn for the families and loved ones of those fallen heroes. We send them our prayers, deepest condolences, and deepest gratitude for their service to the country.

While we grieve this tragic loss, I know Andy died doing what he loved and what he was called to do and what he wanted to do: serve his country.

Mr. Speaker, we stand in this Chamber because of the sacrifices of men and women like this. We have the freedom to debate and vote and use our voices because of their sacrifice.

With that, it is with a heavy heart that I say Godspeed to my friend, Captain O'Keefe.

May God bless our troops every day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ambassador Frederic C. Hof on his retirement from the Atlantic Council. Ambassador Hof has had an impressive career as a diplomat at the United States Department of State, a private sector CEO, and an officer of the United States Army. He is a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient. As a military officer, he served on the commission that investigated the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters at the Beirut International Airport. In 2001, he served as chief of staff on the Sharm al-Sheikh Fact-Finding Commission, headed by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, and was the principal drafter of the Commission's report. During his time at the State Department, Ambassador Hof took the lead in an effort to mediate Syrian-Israeli peace and was given the rank of Ambassador in his capacity as special adviser to the Secretary of State for transition in Syria.

After joining the Atlantic Council, as the leading Syria fellow in the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Ambassador Hof devoted his time to furthering the Syrian cause through the protection of civilians. As a prolific writer and leader, Ambassador Hof has hosted Syrian experts, activists, political leaders, and humanitarians in high level discussions pertaining to the U.S.-Syria policy and geopolitical implications of the Syrian conflict. Through his efforts, he has led the discussions on securing a stable and legitimate government in Syria and what role the United States should have. After taking on the role of director at the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Ambassador Hof continued his efforts to bring attention to the Syrian conflict and its ongoing destabilization to the region at large.

Mr. Speaker, as the seventh anniversary of the Syrian uprising approaches, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Ambassador Hof for his tireless efforts to bring attention to the Syrian conflict and its ongoing destabilization to the region at large. His service to this great nation is deeply appreciated and is a testament to the greatness and opportunity that these United States of America holds for freedom- loving people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 7th anniversary of the beginning of the Syrian War.

Since the conflict began in 2011, over 500,000 Syrians have been killed, including 50,000 children by the murderous dictator Bashar al- Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers. These brutal regimes not only target civilians with their artillery strikes, but the Assad regime continues to use chemical weapons, including chlorine gas, to kill his own citizens with impunity.

Over the last 7 years, over 30 chemical weapons attacks have taken place in Syria. Bashar al Assad has used these chemical weapons in clear violation of international law, and against countless resolutions by the United Nations Security Council. The world

has seen the heartbreaking images of children gasping for their lives, body bags lining the streets, and horrific videos of these chemical weapon attacks. We cannot turn a blind eye to the genocide before us.

The situation in Syria today is devastating with no signs of immediate improvement. As I have said before, in order to prevent the rise of the next generation of terrorists and killers, we must ensure that Bashar al-Assad is removed from power. I believe the United States of America was put on this Earth to be an example of self-governance and order in a world drowning in strongmen, oppression, and poverty.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for the United States to exert leadership in Syria. If we fail to act and if we fail to lead, we are failing humanity. Failing to act in Syria is a failure on us all. We must learn from history, learn from past mistakes, and take action as a global leader for freedom and hope. Stopping Assad's genocide in Syria is part of our mission statement, and I will continue to do what I can in support of that mission. I urge my colleagues to join me in doing the same.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the RAY BAUM'S Act. It is fitting that this bill be named for him, a shining example of public service and a great friend. My heart goes out to his wife and all his family and loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation reauthorizes the FCC for the first time in 28 years. I am proud of the inclusion of two of my bipartisan bills.

First is the Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act, which Mr. Loebsack and I introduced. It expands access to coverage in rural communities by allowing licensed, unused spectrum to be sub-allocated to carriers serving rural populations.

The second is the Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act, which Mr. McNerney and I introduced. It requires the FCC to thoroughly examine veterans' access to broadband and provide recommendations to increase access, especially for rural and low-income veterans.

Again, this legislation is one more example to show the majority of the work done in Congress is bipartisan and sometimes even bicameral.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and everybody for working together to get this done, and I urge my colleagues to support the RAY BAUM'S Act.