Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 354) condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador's residence on May 16, 2017, and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and measures to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, and also the gentleman from New York, the ranking member of this committee, Mr. Engel, for working with us on this clear condemnation of the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C., on May 16.

That day, President Erdogan of Turkey, a longstanding NATO ally, met at the White House to discuss counterterrorism cooperation and to discuss bilateral issues. This was an important meeting. But that evening, armed members of the Turkish President's security detail brutally attacked demonstrators who had gathered outside the Turkish Ambassador's residence on Sheridan Circle in Washington, D.C. They were there to protest various policies of the Turkish Government.

In an unprovoked attack, armed Turkish personnel broke through D.C. Metropolitan Police lines and attacked the protesters. They choked, beat, and kicked the demonstrators until D.C. Metropolitan Police officers, and State Department Diplomatic Security were able to stop the melee and restore order.

One woman was beaten unconscious. She testified before the Foreign Affairs Committee that she sustained brain damage as a result. A protester near her was beaten to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face. His front teeth were smashed.

Mr. Speaker, what was the reason these and other American citizens were harshly beaten?

They chose to exercise their constitutional right to free speech and assembly. They chose to criticize actions of President Erdogan's government. The protesters got under the Turkish delegation's skin.

Let us be clear: at no time was President Erdogan in danger. This was not an act of protection. It was an act of suppression on our American soil.

The actions of the Turkish security detail were unprofessional and dangerous. You had armed security personnel creating a melee. The actions were unjustified and, up to this point, have gone largely unchallenged.

H. Res. 354 puts Congress firmly on record in clear, unmistakable terms condemning the actions of the Turkish security guards last month. The resolution also demands that Turkey immediately lift diplomatic immunity for all those who assaulted U.S. citizens and law enforcement officers.

This resolution also calls for the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Secret Service to review their security procedures and for them to convey to Turkish officials in clear terms the expectations for the behavior of their security teams when they are operating in the U.S.

Mr. Speaker, one of the most disturbing aspects of last month's attack is that this assault by Turkish security officials was not an isolated incident. Rather, it was the third instance of violence they have engaged in while operating in the United States in recent years.

Passage of this resolution is an appropriate, strong response by this House to those brutal actions by Turkish forces.

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

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

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

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

The violent attacks, Mr. Speaker, by officers assigned to Turkish President Erdogan's security detail against peaceful protesters back on May 16 were designed to do one thing. They were designed to silence those protesters' criticism of the Turkish Government. That is why it is so important that we speak out.

We must speak loudly and clearly that we will protect our citizens and their fundamental rights to free speech and to assembly. Turkey is an important and longstanding NATO ally, but the Turkish Government can and should do better than this, and it can start by addressing the concerns of the House of Representatives and many Americans who were very angered by the video capturing this disgraceful attack on these citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 390) to provide for emergency relief to victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Iraq and Syria, to provide accountability for perpetrators of these crimes, 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 the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by recognizing the efforts of our colleague, Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith of New Jersey is chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. We appreciate his strong leadership on this critical issue. And, as always, I also appreciate Ranking Member Engel for his support.

Mr. Speaker, more than 6 years ago, the world watched with dread as Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad ordered action against what were peaceful protestors coming down the main boulevard in Damascus. We watched on CNN and international television. As they were saying it was peaceful, we then saw the automatic weapons of the regime open up and mow them down. What has followed has been year after year of mass atrocities as Assad seeks to break the Syrian people.

Building on the vacuum created by Assad, ISIS burst onto the international stage in 2014 by declaring themselves and their supposed ``caliphate''--and committing obscene, horrific acts in an effort to spread their nihilistic, death-filled ideology.

We also saw that they targeted anyone unlucky enough to cross their path across Syria and Iraq. Yet, oddly enough, the regime in Syria did not target ISIS. They were too busy carrying out their campaign against the people of Syria--protesters, the Free Syrian Army, and others--who were pushing back against the regime.

Here, alongside the nightmare that Assad created, came this new nightmare of ISIS. These two evils, as I call them, ISIS and Assad, exist side by side, perpetrating extreme violence on anyone who would oppose their grip on power.

ISIS is committing genocidal violence against Yazidis and Christians in Syria and Iraq, seeking to destroy their entire communities and to erase their shared histories. Assad is committing massive crimes against humanity, targeting men, women, and children from all sects, all religions, and all groups, as documented by Caesar, a military photographer who snuck out photos of what goes on in Assad's prisons, documenting the torture and death of tens of thousands of citizens in Syria.

More than a year after the Obama administration, under intense congressional pressure, finally declared that ISIS' actions against the religious communities of Iraq and Syria constituted ``genocide,'' there is still an urgent need for assistance to these vulnerable communities. These communities, which exist on the outskirts in Syria and on the borders, have been devastated by ISIS' efforts to wipe them out.

These ancient communities, whose roots go back centuries, include Christians, Yazidis, Assyrians, Syriacs, Turkomans, and many others. Their presence in Iraq and Syria is crucial to the social fabric of these nations.

While the U.S. has been generous in providing assistance to those targeted, their needs are still urgent and extreme. Whole communities have been displaced, enslaved, and slaughtered. Survivors need assistance in feeding and clothing their families and in beginning to address the extreme trauma caused by ISIS and Assad.

This bill offers additional immediate relief for these vulnerable communities and also directs the State Department to do more to support efforts to collect and preserve evidence of ``genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes'' so that, someday, justice might be served.

I urge Members to support this bill so that the possibility of justice and accountability for these atrocities can give hope to those suffering today.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, April 24, 2017.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce: I write with respect to H.R. 390, the

``Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability

Act.'' As a result of your having consulted with us on

provisions within H.R. 390 that fall within thc rule X

jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, I forego any

further consideration of this bill so that it may proceed

expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.

The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual

understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 390 at

this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject

matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our

committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as

this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may

address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our

committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an

appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate

conference involving this or similar legislation and asks

that you support any such request.

I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 390 and would ask

that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Congressional Record during floor

consideration of H.R. 390.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the author of this bill and also the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

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

Just in speaking about the conditions of the Christian community, outside of Erbil, like Chairman Smith, I had the opportunity last year to speak to Archbishop Warda and to many of those Christian families that have survived, and to see many of the children that are struggling there.

I did want to commend the Knights of Columbus, the archbishop, and Catholic Charities for their sustained effort, which goes not only to this Christian community, but also the neighboring Yazidi community. These communities have no other means of support.

I think that as we reflect upon this, beyond the genocidal actions of ISIS, we have also seen the depravity of the Assad regime, which has engaged in a massive effort to destroy anyone, regardless of sect or religion or ethnicity, if they suspect them of being unwilling to bow to Syria's murderous dictator. None are safe.

I say ``suspect'' because so many of those who were tortured to death to give up other names are simply caught up in a web of intelligence services who go out and try to find those who they believe may not be loyal. And they haul them in for torture. And under the knife, many of these people will give up names of other families, whoever they can remember, whoever they know who may or may not in any way be involved in politics, but then find themselves in those same torture chambers.

The result of this kind of a society year after year breeds a sense of absolute hopelessness, of blowback, of problems throughout Syria from which, I must say, I suspect this long climb back is going to be a very difficult one.

At the end of the day, though, it is still absolutely imperative that those responsible for those hideous crimes be held accountable. A key aspect of any lasting peace is going to be accountability, because a renewal of trust and the prospect of justice is going to be based on some measure on whether we are going to hold to account those who committed those kinds of crimes, those who led to this kind of horror. Whether it is Assad's regime or whether it is ISIS, there is so much devastation left in the wake.

I urge Members to support this resolution so that the possibility of peace can be sustained by the hope that justice will prevail. I again thank Mr. Smith for authoring this measure. I also thank Ranking Member Engel for his passionate leadership on the crisis in Syria for so many years.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 355) condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 22, 2017, expressing heartfelt condolences, and reaffirming unwavering support for the special relationship between our peoples and nations in the wake of these attacks, 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 any extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Congressman Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee; and Congressman Paul Cook, the vice chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I recognize them for their work on this timely and important resolution.

On May 22, as the world knows, in a cowardly act of terrorism, a suicide bomber attacked those exiting a concert at the Manchester Arena in England. These were principally teenagers and children who were attending that concert, in some cases, parents. What many had planned to be a night of joy, a festival, a chance for them to gather to celebrate turned with one horrifying blast into a nightmare of chaos and devastation, and 23 innocent people were killed, 166 were severely injured, and many of those victims were children.

This past week, in another cowardly attack, terrorists struck unsuspecting and unarmed pedestrians on London Bridge, and then those terrorists went on an attack against innocent bystanders in London's Borough Market area, slashing and killing, and thus far, at least 7 victims have died and 48 have been seriously wounded. We grieve their loss and send our prayers and condolences to their families.

We also commend the brave and selfless actions of British first responders who, in the wake of both attacks, moved to quickly secure the areas, aid the wounded, and prevent further loss of life.

Our deranged enemies, it is clear, are intent on striking us wherever and whenever possible, often choosing to prey upon the most vulnerable, the most innocent in our society, preying, in this case, on children and teenagers. We must be even more determined in our resolve to stop them and we must continue to build upon our own capabilities, strengthening our cooperation with our friends and allies like the United Kingdom.

Mr. Speaker, the United Kingdom has been a staunch friend and ally, unparalleled in its support for the United States, including as a partner in our counterterrorism efforts. At this sad time, we stand solidly beside our friends and allies as they mourn, heal, and most assuredly rise again following this tragedy. Passage of this resolution is just one way that we can demonstrate this support.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in unanimously supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), chairman of the British- American Parliamentary Group and co-chairman of the Congressional United Kingdom Caucus, and he also has strong family ties in Britain.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), chairman of the Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

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

Mr. Speaker, following the killing in London this past weekend, British Prime Minister May compared the attacks in Manchester and those in the capital, and she said: `` . . . while the recent attacks are not connected by common networks, they are connected in one important sense. They are bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division, and promotes sectarianism.''

``Defeating this ideology is one of the great challenges of our time. . . .''

Those were the Prime Minister's words.

We are committed to standing with our British friends and allies in this important fight. This resolution signals our resolve to deepen our collaboration with our friends and allies in the United Kingdom to counter terrorism and to counter radicalization.

Mr. Speaker, I, therefore, urge my colleagues to join me in unanimous support of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize the 50th anniversary of the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU), one of the most effective trade associations advocating on behalf of the nation's federally-insured credit unions.

In 1966, around 50 credit union leaders came together in Los Angeles to explore how to better have their interests addressed at the federal level and the possibility of creating a trade association located in our nation's capital to meet that need. That idea took root and NAFCU was formed as the National Association of Federal Credit Unions in April of 1967. Soon thereafter NAFCU was the first national credit union trade association to be headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area.

Since its inception, NAFCU has steadily grown in size and expanded its team, representing now over 800 credit unions and employing over 60 individuals, and even updating its name to the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions earlier this year.

Most importantly NAFCU's influential presence has not gone unnoticed and the association has become well-known for its ability to identity, examine, and represent issues of concern to federally-insured credit unions before Congress.

NAFCU has crossed many milestones in its 50 years, from the enactment of the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) to the passage of the Credit Union Membership Access Act in 1998. In recent years, they have been at the forefront in fighting for regulatory relief for our nation's credit unions. As a Member of Congress, I have had the pleasure of working with NAFCU on numerous occasions, working to provide regulatory relief and take on crucial issues impacting our credit unions. I congratulate NAFCU on its 50th anniversary and I look forward to working with them in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions and service of Professor Doug Kresse as Director of Forensics at Fullerton College in Fullerton, California. After a decade of dedication to the speech and debate team, Doug will pass on the torch to his colleagues, but remain a devoted professor and mentor at Fullerton College.

Doug Kresse was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest where he graduated from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Speech Communication. He received a Master's degree in Speech Communication from California State University, Fullerton. He taught as Director of Forensics and Speech and Communications at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington, Tiffin University and Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, and finally, Fullerton College in Fullerton, California. Doug developed the intercollegiate speech & debate program at Fullerton College and served as Director of Forensics for ten years. He coached hundreds of students into polished speakers and well-argued debaters, helping them to move forward confidently in their studies, careers, and lives. Doug was presented with the ``President's Award'' by the National Education Debate Association in March 2016 for his commitment to collegiate debate and support of his students.

A life-long learner, Doug is well known for his regular interest in news and reading. He actively participated in C-SPAN's Classroom programs for educators and was a national prize winner for C-SPAN's American Presidents series, designing a chessboard of the George H. W. Bush presidency. He continues to show C-SPAN and other news clips in the classroom as examples in his speech and debate courses, well known for his office full of VHS tapes.

In his free time, Doug can be found keeping up with the local concert scene in Los Angeles, running, and spending time with his family. He has been married to his wife, Marti, for 37 years and is the proud father to two daughters, Kristin and Carol, father-in-law to Raymond, and grandpa to Mitchell Paige Coates.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Doug Kresse for his dedication to his community and students, creating the leaders and speakers of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1625) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to include severe forms of trafficking in persons within the definition of transnational organized crime for purposes of the rewards program of the Department of State, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1625 is the human trafficking TARGET Act. It authorizes the State Department and Federal law enforcement to target international human traffickers, and they can do that by offering rewards for their arrest or conviction anywhere around the globe.

Mr. Speaker, I think for all of us, with some of the cases we have had in our districts, some of our constituents, some of the victims, this is pretty close to all of us. It has touched many of our communities, because trafficking in persons here in the U.S. and worldwide is a major global crime that destroys countless lives at home and abroad, and the most vulnerable are destroyed by this.

Many of these persons--and they are primarily women and children--are trafficked into international sex trade by force or by fraud or by coercion. And I will remind everyone, out in southern California, in L.A., the average age of a girl being trafficked is 14. In Orange County, the average age is 14.

So when I say ``by force,'' we are talking about abduction. When I say ``by fraud,'' that is a situation where they get one of these gigolos, one of those Romeos--they call them--to go out, convince some girl to run off with him, get her out of State, and then he sells her to a criminal gang. The gang sells her to the crime syndicate. Now her fate is sealed. Or through coercion, and we have heard these cases. At 14, young people are pretty gullible, what this criminal organization is going to do to her sister or to her parents if she does not go along.

So this transnational crime also includes forced labor. It involves significant violations of public health, human rights standards worldwide, and every other kind of moral standard you could think of. And that is why, as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as Representative for the 39th District in California, I have, over the last few years, made working on this issue and moving legislation on this horrific crime a top priority for the committee, and we have had bipartisan support throughout for this legislation. We have enacted many bills in recent years, including the International Megan's Law last February. We have held committee hearings in Washington, in L.A., and in Orange County to hear firsthand from victims.

For example, at a field hearing in Fullerton, we heard from Angela Guanzon, who was trafficked from the Philippines into coerced servitude in Los Angeles where she worked for 18 hours a day every day without a weekend off, without a holiday off, was forced to sleep on the hallway floor until a sharp-eyed neighbor finally alerted law enforcement.

I helped establish a Human Trafficking Congressional Advisory Committee. I established that in the 39th District for L.A., Orange County, and San Bernardino. We have local law enforcement involved in that as well as the Federal authorities, victims rights groups, and community advocates in California to address these concerns, to try to come up with solutions.

Mr. Speaker, we have made progress, but there is still so much work to be done. If we are going to end human trafficking, it will take all of us working together, so I want to thank Ranking Member Engel, of course, Congressman Connolly, and the coauthor of my legislation here, Lois Frankel, for their outstanding work on this measure.

As has been discussed today, trafficking in persons is increasingly perpetuated and perpetrated by sophisticated transnational criminal enterprises. The traffickers themselves operate outside sometimes of our borders. Other times they are inside our borders, but the profits from the trafficking industry contribute to the expansion of organized crime and terrorism here and worldwide.

That is why combating human trafficking requires a global approach to identify and apprehend the world's worst offenders. This TARGET Act for traffickers does that. It targets human trafficking globally through the Department of State's very successful Rewards Programs.

Rewards issued under these programs have led to the capture of major terrorists and international criminals, including--I will remind Members--Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, several members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group who kidnapped and killed American citizens, and over 60 major international drug traffickers. All of them were convicted with the help of this particular program that we want to expand now, that we want to apply here.

A reward on one's head creates real fear for terrorists and criminals. At one committee hearing, a State Department official testified that one captured narcotics trafficker told DEA agents he would no longer trust anyone in his organization after the U.S. put a $5 million reward for his capture.

I remember the quote. He said he felt like a hunted man.

Well, Mr. Speaker, we want human traffickers to know the fear of being hunted.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel) especially for the trips that she has made overseas--not just here in the United States--to do this investigative work to expose trafficking and for being the original lead Democratic coauthor with me on this bill. I also want to again thank Gerry Connolly for his work.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. He has done a great deal of work over the years on this issue as well.

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

Let me say that, for republics in Europe and our United States, we credit our civilizations with having eradicated slavery some 150 years or more ago, but clearly Judge Poe uses the right word here: Slavery is, in fact, what is committed in these acts.

I can tell you, my chief of staff, having worked in relief efforts in south Asia and in Cambodia with underaged girls as young as the ones described by Judge Poe--7, 8, 9 years old--the most vulnerable people on this planet are being sold into slavery. As long as force and fraud, coercion is used to prey upon the most vulnerable, as long as profits from these victims suffering from the ill-gotten gains are used to build out criminal networks to snare more and more of these children, as long as trafficking in persons is a global crime that extends beyond the capacity of certain governments, then it requires a global response and, again, as my colleagues have said, requires that the United States, therefore, lead.

So this bill targets human traffickers around the world through the Department of State's successful reward programs by offering rewards for their capture anywhere on Earth, it lets the victims of human trafficking know we will not stop until they are free, and it tells the predators that we will not stop until they are behind bars.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 672) to require continued and enhanced annual reporting to Congress in the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom on anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, the safety and security of European Jewish communities, and the efforts of the United States to partner with European governments, the European Union, and civil society groups, to combat anti-Semitism, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleagues Nita Lowey and Chairman Emeritus Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for their leadership on the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism and for their good work on this timely and important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I will lay out this case, but it is one we are familiar with. Hostility towards the Jewish people in some European cities is very deep, making Jews in certain areas look over their shoulders, afraid to walk the streets at night. In recent years, this surge in anti-Semitism has led to an outbreak of violent attacks.

Those violent attacks are targeting certain Jewish neighbors. They are targeting places of worship. I think back to 2015, the deadly attacks on the kosher supermarket in Paris and, later on, the synagogue in Copenhagen.

European governments have since passed laws designed to better protect their Jewish citizens, designed to punish those who perpetrate anti-Semitic incidents, but much more work remains to be done because there needs to be a better coordination on these efforts between Jewish communities and law enforcement and more comprehensive reporting on the incidents to identify trends, to identify problematic regions.

In addition, in order to consistently apply anti-Semitism laws throughout Europe, there needs to be a uniform legal understanding of what constitutes anti-Semitism.

Let me explain. We must be clear on this. The fire bombing of synagogues is not a political protest. The defacing of cemeteries, the yelling slurs at rabbis, the threatening of Jewish school children, this is not political protest. This is anti-Semitism, and it must be stopped.

Absent a clear-eyed definition of anti-Semitism, perpetrators of violent acts have, at times, been given a pass for their actions due to the flimsy defense of political protest.

Adoption across Europe of a single definition of anti-Semitism would provide an important foundation for law enforcement officials, enabling them to better enforce laws and develop strategies for improved security for the Jewish community.

This bill, H.R. 672, the Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2017, calls for these fundamental improvements, and it reaffirms the U.S. commitment to combating anti-Semitism. It urges European nations to adopt a working definition of anti-Semitism. It calls for increased reporting on it.

Anti-Semitic incidents in Europe have to be reported in a way in which people can be held accountable. Collaborative efforts between U.S. and European law enforcement and the efforts to improve security for Jewish communities is another important aspect of this legislation.

Now is the time to act and pass this important measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), chairman of the Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa and is our chairman emeritus.

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

First, let me say that the words just spoken by Ranking Member Eliot Engel are precisely the sentiment that I think we all wish to convey. We must do all we can to combat anti-Semitism in all of its insidious forms, and we do it because the consequences, the horrifying consequences of doing nothing in the face of such evil, are unconscionable. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past by remaining silent, as this same poison affects our communities today.

Passage of this bill sends a clear signal that anti-Semitism has no place in free societies and urges our European partners to provide practical guidance that will empower law enforcement and better equip them to tackle this rising problem, and it sends the message that our own law enforcement is willing to work hand in hand with theirs in order to tackle this problem.

I appreciate the work of Congresswoman Lowey and Congresswoman Ros- Lehtinen and, of course, Mr. Engel, the ranking member. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 145) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the fight against corruption in Central America, 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 any extraneous materials in the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 145, which affirms this body's support for the independent anticorruption commissions in Central America that seek to combat corruption and combat impunity in the countries of the Northern Triangle region.

I would like to commend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), a new member of the committee, for her work on this important resolution. Of course, I appreciate Mr. Engel, the ranking member and the former chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, for his long-time focus on this critical region.

Mr. Speaker, in recent years, the U.S. has seen a surge in illegal migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Now, that is the Northern Triangle of Central America.

Many of these migrants are fleeing violence. They are fleeing criminality and institutionalized corruption. More than anything, the citizens of these countries want governments that will work for them.

As a result of these governments, the international community has responded. Governments in the region, including the United States, have helped to establish the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala--that is called CICIG--and the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, known as MACCIH.

Both of these organizations are making important contributions to tackling the culture of corruption and impunity in their respective countries and are working to give the citizens of these countries confidence in their own judiciary. These organizations have put politicians and public servants on notice that nobody should be above the law and that their citizenry demands transparency.

For example, this special body in Honduras has begun to assist the Office of the Attorney General with the investigation into the more than $300 million that was embezzled from the Institute of Social Security and, in Guatemala, has trained the prosecutors that successfully built high-profile corruption cases against multiple government officials, including the former Guatemalan President, President Molina.

Once again, I want to thank Representative Torres for bringing this measure forward and for her efforts in working with the Northern Triangle countries to urge greater respect for an independent judiciary and to bring greater security and prosperity to the people of the Northern Triangle countries.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Norma Torres for authoring this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar), a member of the Committee on Appropriations.

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

Mr. Speaker, this important measure by Congresswoman Norma Torres affirms this body's support for all efforts to combat corruption in Central America. The people of this region have been living in societies that, because of corruption, and that corruption has become endemic, has led to gang violence, to criminality, to high levels of impunity. And these conditions directly affect the ability of these governments to bring peace and prosperity to all of its citizens, and that, in turn, fuels the flows of those who leave illegally, migrants, to the Northern Hemisphere--well, to the United States.

So the citizens of Northern Triangle countries, those in this region, want to live in safety in their own countries, and we can help by supporting efforts by the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala and its counterpart in Honduras, and those others in the region that are fighting for these efforts that enable an independent judiciary and a judiciary that combats corruption.

Norma Torres' work on Central America has helped to build capacity in these countries to begin providing security for its citizens, and I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1677) to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, encourage a negotiated political settlement, and hold Syrian human rights abusers accountable for their crimes, 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 any extraneous material in the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by commending the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the ranking member, for his leadership in authoring this critical legislation. Mr. Engel has long been the voice on Syria, and I must mention that the outline that he has given in terms of the initial problems when we saw those citizens on the streets of Damascus, walking, saying, ``Peaceful, peaceful,'' and then, as we saw on CNN, the automatic weapons open up and saw the Assad regime mow those civilians down--he was the first to begin to ring the alarm. I wish this body, and previous administrations as well, had done more to heed his calls.

For 6 years, we have watched the Syrian regime launch wave after wave of unrelenting destruction on the people of Syria. Airstrikes, chemical weapons attacks, forced starvation, industrial-scale torture, the deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, marketplaces, and this done with precision bombs and with crude barrel bombs, and, as a consequence, Syrians suffering every day.

Now, just last month, we saw footage of entire families killed, suffocated by sarin gas, a chemical weapon that Assad supposedly gave up under a deal brokered by Russia and the previous administration. The number of dead is estimated now to be close to 500,000, and another 14 million have been driven from their homes.

And while ISIS plays a role in the violence in Syria, it is Bashar al-Assad and his backers--among them, Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah--who are the main drivers of this death and destruction. ISIS has no airplanes. It is Russian and Syrian fighter planes and helicopters that drop those bombs on those hospitals and schools.

It is Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fighters who attack cities, who burn crops, who prevent food and water and medical supplies from reaching vulnerable civilians.

It is Assad's secret police and intelligence groups who kidnap and torture and murder civilians from every ethnic group and political party, Sunni, Shia, Christians, Alawite; none are safe.

One of the worst facilities is just 20 miles from Damascus, Sednaya, a prison, a place so terrible that it is called a human slaughterhouse. Thousands and thousands of people have been tortured and hung and shot and left to starve to death within the prison. And the numbers are so high that, in 2013, Assad began constructing a crematorium to dispose of the bodies.

Over the past 4 years, our committee heard agonizing testimony from Syrians caught up in this horror, including the brave Syrian defector known to the world as Caesar and for whom this bill is named. Caesar testified about the shocking scale of torture being carried out within the prisons of Syria.

We saw his photographs and the tens of thousands of photographs he took with those bodies numbered numerically. I don't know what it is about totalitarian regimes that leads them to want to number their dead and catalog it, but, because of his bravery, we have those photographs.

We have also heard from doctors who treat victims of chemical attacks, volunteers who dig through rubble with their bare hands to rescue those trapped within, and we have heard

from the survivors of torture in Assad's prisons.

As Syria drags on and on, vital U.S. national security interests are at stake. Assad's brutality is both a magnet for terrorist recruitment and a destabilizing force driving tens of millions of refugees out of that country. We have 14 million Syrians, as I said, who are displaced right now, many of them still in the country, and millions outside of the country, yet we have taken no steps to apply the economic tools that are available to us with respect to Assad and his backers.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is designed to increase the cost to Assad and to those outside backers by targeting the sectors of the economy that allow Assad to murder with impunity. Under the bill, foreign companies and banks will have to choose between doing business with the regime or with the United States. It would also sanction anyone who flies weapons or sends fighters into Syria to support the Assad regime.

This bill is also about creating economic leverage to push the parties to negotiate, creating the conditions for a negotiated peace. It is about finding a way forward to be determined by the Syrian people that does not allow Assad to exterminate his own community; it does not allow him to do it with impunity; does not guarantee ISIS a safe space from which to operate; and does not drive another 10 million people from their homes.

For there to be peace in Syria, the parties must come together, and so long as Assad and his backers can slaughter the people of Syria with no consequences, there is no hope for peace.

As we speak, Russia and Iran have proclaimed themselves the guarantors of peace and have promised to create de-escalation zones where military operations can be curtailed and civilians can seek safety. But these zones would be policed by the Syrian Army, supported by Russian military police, by Hezbollah fighters, and IRGC, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, backed by those Shia militias-- the very same people who have murdered thousands of Syrian civilians with impunity throughout this conflict and who are actively engaged in fomenting sectarian-based violence throughout the region. With this scenario, peace does not have a chance.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is long overdue. And last year, Eliot Engel and I brought this up, and we passed it unanimously, yet the other body did not take it up before we adjourned.

I urge all Members to support this legislation as we seek to ease the suffering of the Syrian people.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, April 20, 2017.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce: I write with respect to H.R. 1677, the

``Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act.'' As a result of your

having consulted with us on provisions within H.R. 1677 that

fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the

Judiciary, I forego any further consideration of this bill so

that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for

consideration.

The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual

understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 1677 at

this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject

matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our

committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as

this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may

address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our

committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an

appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate

conference involving this or similar legislation and asks

that you support any such request.

I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 1677 and would ask

that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Congressional Record during floor

consideration of H.R. 1677.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and an Air Force pilot.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to once again recognize the work of Ranking Member Engel and the other committee members who have contributed to this bill.

Our committee has heard the firsthand accounts of the suffering. We heard the testimony from Raed Saleh of the Syrian White Helmets as he spoke of their efforts to rescue and treat those who were killed and injured in Assad's brutal air assaults. When the bombs come in, as they often do, his organization, which was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, runs toward those shelters being destroyed to provide relief for the victims and to pull them out.

We have heard of the terror. More than a year ago, Dr. Mohamed Tennari of the Syrian American Medical Society described for the committee the sound of helicopters overhead, the thump of exploding bombs, and the overpowering smell of bleach in the air. This brave doctor described the horrendous effects this toxic gas has on the human body and the slow, agonizing deaths as the chlorine gas turned to hydrochloric acid in the lungs of victims.

Many of those victims he spoke of were children. They were targeted by the regime. People were targeted as they slept in their beds in their neighborhoods. Just a few weeks ago, one family lost 20 relatives in a single sarin

gas attack. Of the 92 victims of that attack on that day, 23 were children.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, efforts to establish a lasting cease-fire failed, resulting in an aggressive campaign by Syrian and Russian air assets against eastern Aleppo. U.N. officials described that assault as ``crimes of historic proportions.''

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1644) to enhance sanctions with respect to transactions relating to North Korea, 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 measure in the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1644, the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act.

I want to begin by thanking the coauthor of this bill, Ranking Member Eliot Engel, for his work on this legislation and for his steadfast leadership that he has shown on addressing this threat to national security. He has been in North Korea twice--I have been there once--and he has been focused on this for a long time.

Mr. Speaker, North Korea does, in fact, pose an immediate threat to the national security of the United States and to our allies. Experts believe that, in less than 4 years, North Korea will have the ability probably to target the United States with a reliable intercontinental ballistic missile, one topped by a nuclear warhead.

The quick speed with which North Korea's program is advancing is a game changer for our national security. It is no wonder that former President Obama warned President Trump that North Korea would be the top threat to the United States--and this is after the program of strategic patience which President Obama deployed. That policy of strategic patience, unfortunately, has not worked out. We must move forward with something based on a plan that has worked in the past.

North Korea, now that they have conducted two nuclear weapons tests this last year and launched a total of 26 ballistic missiles, including one from a submarine, has reached the point where it is a threat to the United States. In the last 2 years alone, we have seen 49 of these tests of one kind or another as they have built out this program.

Alarmingly, with every test, North Korea gains valuable technical knowledge that has enabled it to make significant improvements to its developing arsenal. So as they march towards the day that it will have the capability of striking all 50 States with an ICBM, we have been reminded by our Chairman of the Joint Chiefs that the ``I'' in that acronym stands for ``intercontinental,'' and he says: as from that continent to this continent.

More immediately, these missiles gravely threaten our allies in South Korea and Japan, and it is a threat to the tens of thousands of U.S. servicemen serving in those countries.

North Korea has been a major proliferator, cooperating on its nuclear and missile programs with the likes of Iran, of Syria, and of Pakistan. I will remind the Members that they built a carbon copy of their nuclear program in Syria on the banks of the Euphrates River. Had it not been--had it not been--for the Israeli Defense Forces taking that facility out some years ago, we would be wrestling right now with the question of whether that facility was in the hands of al-Nusra or in the hands of ISIS or in the hands of Hezbollah. They are undermining U.S. security along with the entire global counterproliferation system, so we can only guess the extent of the damage that is being done through illicit, undetected networks.

Mr. Speaker, Congress has a chance to put North Korea policy on firmer ground, and this bill, this Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act, is a response to this immediate threat. It builds upon the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act, which was a bill authored by Mr. Engel and myself that was signed into law last Congress. With this law, the United States designated North Korea as a primary money laundering concern, cutting off their access to cash, and found Kim Jong-un and his top lieutenants responsible for grave human rights abuses. Indeed, the magazine The Economist accurately described North Korea as a gulag now masquerading as a country.

But at the same time, North Korea has worked over the past year to evade international sanctions with the help of a vast network of front companies, which we have now identified, and those front companies work with governments spanning the globe. Those who do business with North Korea provide it with money to fund the regime's nuclear program and fund its grotesque human rights abuses, and they must be stopped.

This bill does that by expanding sanctions to deter North Korea's nuclear programs and to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions. Let's be clear: these are international commitments that all nations are obliged to honor, including China.

It targets those who employ North Korean slave labor overseas. Companies from Senegal to Qatar to Angola import these North Korean workers who promptly send their salary back to the regime in North Korea, earning the regime billions of dollars in hard currency each year.

This is money that Kim Jong-un uses to advance his nuclear and missile program and also pay his generals, buying their loyalty to his brutal regime. That is what the high-level defectors that I have met with say. So let's squeeze his purse.

It cracks down on North Korean shipping and the use of international ports, restricting the regime's ability to ship weapons and other banned goods.

When we discover that foreign banks have helped Kim Jong-un skirt these sanctions, as some in China have repeatedly done, then we must give those banks and businesses a stark choice: to do business with that regime in North Korea or the United States. As we have heard from the new administration, this is a key focus of theirs.

So, Mr. Speaker, this legislation gives the administration powerful new tools to protect the U.S. and our allies from the threat of North Korean nuclear missiles by going after those who enable the regime's aggression. This shows the world that Congress stands ready to help the administration work with our allies and others to counter North Korea's belligerent behavior and maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1644, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform,

Washington, DC, April 24, 2017.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr, Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 1644, the Korean

Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act. As you know,

the Committee on Foreign Affairs received an original

referral and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

a secondary referral when the bill was introduced on March

21, 2017. I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring

this legislation before the House of Representatives in an

expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on

Oversight and Government Reform will forego action on the

bill.

The Committee takes this action with our mutual

understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 1644 at

this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject

matter contained in this or similar legislation. Further, I

request your support for the

appointment of conferees from the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform during any House-Senate conference convened

on this or related legislation.

Finally, I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters

on this matter be included in the bill report filed by the

Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as in the Congressional

Record during floor consideration, to memorialize our

understanding.

Sincerely,

Jason Chaffetz,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, who also chairs the Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a coauthor of this bill.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Engel, for his comments.

I will return to this theme about the urgent threat that the United States and our allies face here. We have listened to experts who have looked at this problem. In less than 4 years, Pyongyang may have the ability to make a reliable intercontinental ballistic missile topped by a nuclear warhead capable of targeting the continental United States. When we watch these tests and we see, from a North Korean submarine, how they are launching missiles and we watch the atomic weapons tests that they are doing, you can see how North Korea has advanced in their capabilities as they try to shrink these warheads and figure out how to put them onto an ICBM.

The problem is that, in the next few years, at the current rate of production of their nuclear material, they are going to be able to build out 100 atomic weapons for these intercontinental ballistic missiles. So the threat from North Korea is real, and real threats demand real responses.

We have tried various approaches in the past. We tried strategic patience during the last administration. I will tell you that I think Secretary Tillerson has helped devise a strategy of maximum pressure that makes a tremendous amount of sense to me, and I will share with you why I think it is very credible.

We have seen in the past, in 2005, back during Banco Delta Asia, back when North Korea was caught counterfeiting $100 U.S. bank notes, a strategy deployed that froze the capability of that regime to move forward with its nuclear weapons program. We know from talking to defectors about the impact that that had internally on North Korea because, frankly, these weapons programs are very expensive to run. It requires billions and billions of dollars every year.

North Korea doesn't really manufacture much, other than some of the clandestine missile parts and so forth that they transfer overseas and some meth and counterfeit cigarettes. All of that can be halted so that hard currency doesn't come into the hands of the regime, and, therefore, the regime will no longer have this capability.

Because it happened in 2005 and because we know of the consequences at the time, but also because of what we have seen with other nations, we should move with bipartisan legislation here.

I am going to speak for a moment about what this House of Representatives and our counterparts in the Senate did in the 1990s when it came to the issue of a regime in South Africa that had obtained a nuclear weapon and also was doubling down on their practices of apartheid in terms of the way that that regime treated its own people.

If you will recall, despite the assurances and warnings about sanctions that this was the wrong road, this House stood up, and over 80 percent of the Members here and over 80 percent of the Members in the Senate--or 75--huge bipartisan majorities of Republicans and Democrats came together with a policy that said enough--enough of the conduct of that apartheid state, enough of them developing a nuclear weapon.

It was time for the United States to lead on this, work with the international community and enforce sanctions in a way that did what? That, within a short period of time, brought the apartheid regime to offer up to the international community that atomic weapon and to say: We are done with it. And for the South African apartheid regime to say, in terms of elections: Next year we are going to hold free and fair elections in South Africa--in terms of the release of Nelson Mandela and in terms of his election to President of South Africa.

Now, when people argue with us that sanctions may not be a way forward, I would remind them that, when we unite the international community and when we speak with one voice, yes, we could see a change of conduct in this regime in North Korea. So I say this gives a powerful tool to cut off the funding by going after those who do business with the regime in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Engel for his assistance in this, and I thank all of my colleagues who helped on this measure.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 230.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 534) to require the Secretary of State to take such actions as may be necessary for the United States to rejoin the Bureau of International Expositions, 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 any extraneous material in the Record.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 534, the U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act. As always, I appreciate the assistance of the ranking member, Mr. Engel, in expediting this legislation. I would like to commend two of our body here, Mr. Tom Emmer and Ms. Betty McCollum. We thank them and their Minnesota colleagues for their leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will enable American citizens and our businesses and State and local governments to once again compete on an even footing against foreign countries to host a World Expo here in the United States. It does so by authorizing the Secretary of State to take those steps necessary to rejoin the Bureau of International Expositions. This BIE, as it is called, is the organization that governs World Expos, and it determines which cities get to host such an event.

The United States originally joined the BIE back in 1928, but it withdrew from active membership in 2001. Unfortunately, the rules of the BIE make it virtually impossible for bids from nonmember nations to compete against bids from member nations. This bill will revise this. It will reverse the longstanding position, and we can lend our support to a recent surge of American interest in once again hosting a World Expo in the United States.

Citizens from Minnesota have developed a comprehensive bid and are actively competing against cities in Argentina and Poland to host the 2023 World Expo, but since these countries are BIE members, the U.S. must rejoin the BIE in order for Minnesota to compete on an even playing field when the BIE makes its recommendations to the selection committee in May.

It is not just Minnesota that is interested in this. At least five other U.S. States and cities are actively exploring hosting a World Expo in the future, including Los Angeles and San Francisco from my home State of California. These cities know that World Expos create American jobs. They promote American exports. They enhance the image of America around the world. Indeed, in November, the Departments of Commerce and State submitted reports to the President certifying that the Minnesota proposal was in the national interest of the United States and had guaranteed financial support from State, from local, from private, and other sources.

Members should know that U.S. law requires that the cost of hosting or participating in a World Expo be funded entirely by private donors. This bill does not change that. In fact, it reaffirms that requirement. This bill also specifically authorizes the Department of State to accept private contributions in order to cover any costs associated with rejoining the organization. Indeed, the organizers of Minnesota's 2023 Expo bid have committed to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 534 in order to once again give the American people the opportunity to host a World Expo here in the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters of support for this bill. One is from the administration, and the other is from ExpoUSA, the United States World's Fairs Council.

United States Department of State,

Washington, DC, April 24, 2017.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Department of State appreciates

Congress' interest in facilitating the bids of states to host

international expositions. Not only do such events

potentially generate considerable economic benefits but they

also create ideal opportunities for showcasing American

commercial capabilities to interested international

audiences. This is consistent with the President's policy to

promote domestic job growth and American innovation.

As the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) is the

international organization responsible for selecting venues

offered by bidders, the chances of U.S. bidders being

selected would be greatly enhanced if the U.S. were to renew

and maintain its membership in the BIE. H.R. 534, the ``U.S.

Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act'', as amended, would

provide the needed permissive authority for the Secretary of

State to do so.

Further, the Department greatly appreciates the efforts of

Congress to ensure the bill is consistent with similar

authorizations. Insofar as BIE has advised of the need for

United States membership to be renewed by May 12, 2017, to

ensure timely consideration of the Minnesota Expo 2023 bid,

the Department urges that, if possible, the bill be passed

quickly. This will enable the Department to take the

necessary steps to renew membership, enhancing prospects that

state bids to host upcoming expositions will prevail. With

the U.S. membership within BIE,

costs for states to bid and host will be decreased by half

and provide long-term savings for U.S. businesses interested

in participating in future expos, both domestically and

internationally.

Finally, expeditious renewal of United States membership in

the BIE will return the United States to the decision-making

body for future World's Fairs and Expos, offsetting the

growing influence of other countries, such as China.

The Office of Management and Budget has no objection to the

views expressed in this letter.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

Joseph E. Macmanus,

Bureau of Legislative Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer). He is the author of this bill. He has worked very hard preparing this legislation for passage.

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

World Expos are designed to showcase a nation's products, the technology, the innovative spirit. And what nation on Earth produces more innovative products and technology than the United States or has a better or more skilled workforce?

Simply put, when Americans compete in the world on an even footing, America wins. It is therefore in our interest to once again compete to host a World Expo.

This bill does that by empowering our fellow citizens to mount competitive private bids to bring a World Expo to the U.S., and it does so while maintaining a sound legal requirement that participation in Expos continue to be privately funded. It goes further to permit private funding for the relatively modest cost to rejoin the BIE. That is why this measure has the support of Members from both parties and the administration, which has written that H.R. 534 is consistent with the President's policy to promote domestic job growth and American innovation.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this measure and give our fellow Americans the chance to compete and win a World Expo for America. I again thank the bill's committed sponsors, Representatives Tom Emmer and Betty McCollum. I want to give a special thanks to Sean O'Neill, a detailee on my staff, whose skill and dedication have made today's consideration of this measure possible.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 187) relating to efforts to respond to the famine in South Sudan, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in July of 2011, all of us here celebrated the establishment of the world's newest nation. Finally, South Sudan had emerged after more than 20 years of brutal suppression by the government in Khartoum and a war that saw some of the worst human rights atrocities of our time. They emerged out of that.

Tragically, though, the celebration was short-lived. By December of 2013, a long-simmering rivalry between two leaders--South Sudan's ethnic Dinka President and ethnic Nuer Vice President--exploded in violence, and South Sudan became embroiled in yet another deadly civil conflict.

Today, over 100,000 people are starving to death; 5.5 million people--half of the population--are at risk of starving by July; and 3.6 million people have been displaced by conflict and famine with 7,000 newly displaced South Sudanese crossing the Ugandan border each and every week.

In February, famine was declared in two of the areas that have experienced the heaviest fighting.

Let's be clear: the famine unfolding across South Sudan is completely manmade. The leaders who have unleashed this horror upon the citizens that they are meant to represent--Salva Kiir and Riek Machar--have plundered billions of dollars in oil revenues and donor investment, manipulated ethnic tensions, and armed proxy militias. They have, as we can share with you, recruited child soldiers, killed U.N. peacekeeping forces, and forcibly displaced millions of their citizens--civilians who have been run from their homes.

Lifesaving humanitarian supplies have been looted by the government and by the opposition. The government has blocked humanitarian access through bureaucratic manipulation and through sheer brute force. Humanitarian workers have been deliberately targeted. They have been abused, raped, and murdered with impunity. Yes, humanitarian workers. South Sudan is now the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarians.

It is also the most dangerous place for their own citizens because they are treated the same way by these two so-called leaders. And those South Sudan leaders have, in effect, become exactly

like the government in Khartoum that their people fought against for decades.

This is appalling. This is unconscionable. It cannot stand. Congress, working with our Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, and many other concerned countries, must make sure those who bear responsibility for this calamity are held to account through sanctions and other tools.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the ranking member of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee, for introducing this timely and important resolution, which seeks to bring attention to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in South Sudan, because in South Sudan it gets worse by the day. It has not mattered what arguments we have brought to bear against the President and the Vice President. Many world leaders and many of us have had these arguments face-to-face.

This resolution makes clear that the U.S. Agency for International Development should have the flexibility to tailor their response by using market-based food aid where appropriate, and U.S. commodities where needed. We need to ensure that food is not being used as a weapon in this civil war, and flexible food aid can help.

I urge all Members to join me in supporting this resolution and, more importantly, in continuing to demonstrate the compassion of the American people through lifesaving humanitarian assistance. Deep, arbitrary cuts to U.S. humanitarian assistance programs at a time when we are facing famine in four countries beset by violence--including countries where we are fighting designated terrorist groups--would be reckless and irresponsible. Millions of lives are hanging in the balance. It is in the U.S. interest to respond in South Sudan, just as it is in these other countries.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, many of us knew President John Garang who tragically died after many years of trying to secure freedom for the people of South Sudan, tragically died in a helicopter crash.

He was the father of his country. He was also one who always championed peaceful coexistence among the tribes in South Sudan. He was very different than obviously the current competing warlords for that position.

I had worked with Don Payne's father. Don Payne, Jr., spoke of this issue of the genocide resolution. We passed that resolution through this House together. As a matter of fact, we brought it before the Human Rights Council. Don Payne and I traveled up to New York to raise this issue.

What is shocking to us about the current circumstances in South Sudan is the effort being undertaken by the world community in order to try to step in and provide some measure of peace. Of course, we have talked today about what has happened to the people of South Sudan, what has happened to our own aid workers there.

But if we reflect for a minute that Rwandans have lost their lives there, when we were dealing with this genocide issue in Sudan, we took Don Cheadle, the actor who portrayed Paul Rusesabagina, who was also with us on that trip.

We went into Sudan in order to document the genocide that was going on, to speak to some of the survivors. We brought in a Nightline camera crew.

Yes, we have, in this case, brought the world community along to a certain extent. But here is part of the tragedy: those Rwandan peacekeepers were slaughtered in South Sudan. So were Chinese peacekeepers. So were Indian and Kenyan and Fiji and Danish peacekeepers. So were Egyptian and Ethiopian and Bangladeshi peacekeepers. So were Benin and Burkina Faso, and Chad and Mongolia. So were peacekeepers from Nepal and Nigeria and Norway, and the Philippines and Pakistan.

And this is the kind of attitude that we see from these warlords against their own people and against others who try to come in to keep the peace.

And this is why, frankly, in addition to this resolution, it is time--and I know the support is there in the Security Council, I know now there is the support--to cut off the arms and the ammunition going in to South Sudan that helps fuel these warlords.

We have heard the passion and dedication of Congresswoman Bass of California. Of course, she has worked with Mr. Smith of New Jersey, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, to shine a light on this crisis. As always, I appreciate the assistance of Mr. Engel, the ranking member.

I share the anguish of my colleagues in seeing the aspirations of South Sudan citizens dashed by kleptocrats and warlords, certainly not in the tradition of John Garang, warlords bent on maintaining power at any cost. The blood of countless civilians is on their hands, and the people of South Sudan deserve better.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to recognize the bravery and selflessness of the humanitarians who are working to save lives and bring an end to the suffering that has been imposed upon the people of South Sudan.

I have personally met with humanitarian workers who have been held at gunpoint, who have been threatened, who have been abused in the worst ways. I have met with people who have carried food and medicine on their backs through swamps because there were no roads.

Without their commitment, without their sacrifice, countless lives would have now been lost. And while they don't do this work for the accolades,

they deserve our recognition and thanks here tonight.

I urge Members to join me in honoring them today by supporting this timely resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as Major General Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Asseri made clear in a recent op-ed, the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is central to the fight against terror. Together our two countries are responding to the serious threat from ``Da'esh'' (ISIS) and other terrorist groups, Iran's continued support of terrorism, and the violent messages of religious extremism emanating from some quarters of the Middle East.

Gen. Asseri's support for intelligence-sharing is a clear recognition that countering these threats goes beyond the battlefield. We are appreciative of Saudi efforts to block the flow of funding to terrorists, weakening their capacity to perpetrate atrocities against innocents around the world. We note with enthusiasm efforts by Saudi Arabia to counter the messages of violent extremism that draw vulnerable young people into the grasp of these terrible groups and applaud efforts to address the challenge of rehabilitating convicted terrorists.

We are hopeful that the Saudi-led Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism will play an increasingly important role in both the fight against ISIS and efforts to push back against Iran's destabilizing activities in the region. Nowhere is this more relevant than in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has suffered both military and civilian casualties. It is imperative to push Iranian influence out of Yemen, expedite humanitarian assistance to Yemenis suffering through this conflict, and develop a coherent, long-term political framework through which the country can move forward.

The United States values Saudi Arabia as a partner, and we are committed to working together in the fight against terror.

I include in the Record the recent editorial by General Asseri.

[From FoxNews.com, March 26, 2017]

My Country Supports America's Tough Stance Against ISIS, Terror, and

Iran

(By Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Asseri)

Published March 26, 2017 (FoxNews.com)

Leaders from 68 countries gathered in Washington for a

meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh (ISIL)

hosted by President Trump's administration this past week.

Saudi Arabia welcomes the new administration's attention

to the Middle East and its support for America's friends who

are fighting back against transnational terrorists such as

Daesh and pushing back against Iranian interference in

countries such as Yemen.

As Americans would say, ``You've got our back.'' And

America's support is indispensable as we stand together

against a host of threats to regional stability.

While meeting with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin

Salman--an architect of our country's economic, social, and

governmental reforms--at the White House recently, President

Trump enthusiastically endorsed the modernization drive that

will make our country an even more valuable strategic

partner. Similarly, our government welcomes the United

States' long-standing support of the Saudi defense forces.

The new administration is also toughminded about the

Iranian threat to regional stability, which was magnified by

the recent nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers,

including the United States.

Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike

Pompeo each describe Iran as the world's largest state

sponsor of terrorism, while Vice President Mike Pence has

called the nuclear agreement ``a terrible deal.''

Saudi Arabia is prepared to work with the United States

and its allies to restrain Iranian conduct, just as we have

helped to stabilize the Arabian Gulf and its energy supplies

since World War II. While the US-Saudi partnership is time-

tested, reaffirming this relationship is a matter of

strategy, not sentiment. Since the Global Coalition's

founding three years ago, Saudi Arabia has been an active

partner from Day One, including sending fighter jets to the

Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey to join the US-led air

campaign against Daesh in Syria.

On the financial front, Saudi Arabia works closely with

the United States to cut off funding for Daesh and Al Qaeda.

Through real-time information-sharing, we cooperate with the

United States to shut down the flow of funds from western

banks to Middle Eastern extremists.

To ensure that charitable contributions don't subsidize

terrorism, we prohibit Saudi mosques and aid organizations

from transferring money outside our country.

We have also taken strong steps to stop unauthorized

shipments of military equipment from leaving Saudi Arabia and

to prevent people from crossing our borders to join Daesh in

Iraq or Syria.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is mobilizing the Muslim world

against the extremist threat to our religion. Under Saudi

leadership, the 41-nation Islamic Coalition is equipping our

countries to fight violent extremists by training our

security forces and sharing information and intelligence.

Last March, in the largest joint military exercise ever in

the Middle East, some 350,000 soldiers, 20,000 tanks and

2,500 warplanes from 20 countries joined together in ``war

games'' in the Saudi desert to jointly train our security

forces for operations against non-state armed groups.

Turning from the battlefields to the battle of ideas, the

Islamic Coalition is encouraging educators and scholars as

well as religious and political leaders to raise their voices

against those who preach violence. Moreover, Saudi Arabia has

created a center which operates 24/7 to analyze social media

to identify and track terrorist efforts to recruit and

activate new followers.

But non-state armed groups and radical preachers aren't

the only threats. By conducting ballistic missile tests last

month and meddling in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, the Sinai

Peninsula and even the Gulf States, Iran is imperiling the

stability of our region. Even more disturbingly, Iran is

sharing ballistic missile technology with the extremist

Houthi militia in Yemen and similar groups in other

countries, thereby imperiling the security of the entire

region.

In Yemen, which shares a 1,100-mile border with Saudi

Arabia, Iran is supporting and arming the Houthi militia,

modeled on the terrorist Hezbollah movement that has

destabilized Lebanon. While making Yemen ungovernable, the

Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia, having fired more than

40,000 mortars, rockets and other projectiles at our towns,

killing at least 375 civilians, closing more than 500 schools

and displacing 24 villages and over 17,000 people.

In January, three Houthi suicide boats rammed a Saudi

frigate off the western coast, killing two crew members and

injuring three others.

Responding to this threat, Saudi Arabia leads a coalition

of 12 countries fighting to reinstate Yemen's legitimate,

internationally recognized government and restore peace and

security to the country.

To be sure, Saudi Arabia prefers to promote stability

through peaceful means, as we do by providing much-needed

diplomatic and economic support to strategic allies such as

Egypt and Jordan. But aggression, active destabilization and

acts of terrorism, including Iran's infringements in Yemen,

demand a military response.

From the Cold War through the War on Terror, the U.S. has

helped Saudi Arabia strengthen our defenses through joint

military training exercise and ballistic defensive weapons

sales, making our country the largest customer of U.S.

military equipment.

Today, we're working with the United States and its allies

to defeat Daesh, Al Qaeda and Iranian-sponsored extremism and

expansionism.

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder for a secure and stable

Middle East in a peaceful and prosperous world.

(Major General Ahmed Hassan Mohammad Asseri is an adviser

to Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister.)

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 92) condemning North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, 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 any extraneous material in the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me begin here by thanking Mr. Wilson for his leadership on H. Res. 92. What this resolution does is to describe in alarming detail the growing sophistication of North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons program. This, of course, poses a direct threat to the United States as well as to our allies.

Last year alone, North Korea, as we will recall, conducted more than 20 missile tests, including one from a submarine, and they are doing this in pursuit of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the United States. Kim Jong-un has detonated two separate nuclear devices in the same year, a first for this rogue regime. Today, the Kim regime's aggression continues, and recent satellite imagery indicates that Pyongyang is now prepared to detonate its sixth nuclear device.

With every test, North Korea gains valuable knowledge that has enabled it to make significant improvements to this developing arsenal. Bear in mind that North Korea has cooperated on its program with these countries, and I would like the Members to think on this: they have cooperated with Iran, they have cooperated with Syria on a nuclear program, and they have cooperated with Pakistan. This, of course, is undermining U.S. security, but, frankly, it undermines the security of the entire global counter-proliferation system.

That is why I strongly support the passage of this resolution. I have been in North Korea, and let me tell you, this resolution, which condemns North Korea's development of an ICBM and calls for the United States and others to immediately address this urgent threat, is very necessary at this time.

Fortunately, the new administration already has several tools at its disposal. One of those is a bill that we wrote up in the committee, a bill authored by myself and Eliot Engel, the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act. It was signed last year, and it was also taken up at the U.N. Security Council and passed at the Security Council office. This resolution, among other things, empowers the President to ramp up pressure on the North Korean regime by sanctioning foreign companies that do business with--and therefore enable--the regime.

The deployment of the anti-missile defense system THAAD to the Korean Peninsula must also continue as quickly as possible, and China should end its economic intimidation of our ally South Korea in response to this deployment. THAAD will serve as a vital first line of defense protecting U.S. personnel in the region and protecting our allies from Kim Jong-un.

As this resolution notes, China needs to do its part to implement the sanctions contained in multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. President Trump should press this issue with President Xi when the two meet this week. With these steps, I believe the United States can again exert effective pressure on the Kim regime.

As H. Res. 92 emphasizes, Congress stands ready to help counter North Korea's belligerent behavior and maintain peace and maintain stability in the Asia Pacific.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Armed Services,

Washington, DC, March 30, 2017.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H. Res.

92, a resolution ``Condemning North Korea's development of

multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, and for other

purposes,'' as amended. There are certain provisions in the

legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the

Committee on Armed Services.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration of this important

legislation, I am willing to waive this committee's further

consideration of H. Res. 92. I do so with the understanding

that by waiving consideration of the resolution the Committee

on Armed Services does not waive any future jurisdictional

claim over the subject matters contained in the legislation

which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction.

Please place a copy of this letter and your response

acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the

Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on

the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in

which you have worked regarding this matter and others

between our respective committees.

Sincerely,

William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), who is a senior member of both the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee and the author of this resolution.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chairman emeritus of the committee who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa and has authored previous legislation to address the North Korean threat.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Mimi Walters of California).

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

Mr. Speaker, North Korea, as we all know, poses an urgent threat to the United States and to our allies. Experts say that, in less than 4 years, Kim Jung-un will likely have the ability to make a reliable intercontinental ballistic missile topped by a nuclear warhead capable of targeting the continental United States. They also expect that, by then, North Korea may have accumulated enough nuclear material to build up to 100 warheads for those ICBMs they have been making.

In an interview, the President says he is going to discuss this growing threat and Kim Jung-un's behavior with Chinese President Xi this week. As he says, China has great influence over North Korea, and China will either decide to help us with North Korea or they won't, but, if they do, that will be very good for China.

It will be good for China because we have made it very clear that this is a key interest of the United States. We do not want to see North Korea able to proliferate this kind of weaponry. They have already tested this off of a submarine. It would be irresponsible for us, China, and every member of the international community not to take steps now to cut off all hard currency into North Korea that allows that regime to continue down this path.

This threat is real, and that demands real response. I appreciate Joe Wilson bringing this resolution because, as he notes, one other point that I think we have to make, the deployment of THAAD needs to be completed as quickly as possible.

The President must also utilize the economic tools that Congress has given him with the act authored by myself and Mr. Engel to cut off funding for the regime of Kim Jong-un. I would also encourage the administration to pursue all opportunities to strengthen our economic and security relationships with our partners throughout the Asia Pacific right now because, as we know, our allies there are equally concerned about this development.

I thank the author of this resolution, Mr. Joe Wilson, and, of course, my committee's ranking member, Mr. Engel. I want to thank Mr. Sherman as well for working on this resolution.

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

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