Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 499) condemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 499, a very important declaration of support for the people of Ukraine in this time of peril. This measure condemns Russia's unprovoked aggression in clear and in unmistakable terms. The U.S. has a strong interest in a democratic and prosperous Ukraine and a Ukraine with its territorial integrity intact.

I would like to take this time to recognize, also, Ranking Member Engel for coauthoring this bipartisan resolution, and I would also like to thank the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for their work to strengthen this resolution at last week's markup where it passed unanimously.

This resolution is an important part of the larger effort to aid Ukraine and impose real costs on Russia, to give Russia something to weigh in the balance, something to take into account for its unacceptable action in the Crimea section of Ukraine.

Among other resolves, the resolution condemns the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation, and it declares that the Ukrainian people have the right to determine their own future free from outside interference.

Importantly, the resolution calls on the administration to work with our allies to impose visa, financial, and other sanctions, as appropriate. Russia's actions cannot go unchallenged.

To show Moscow how isolated its aggression has made it, world leaders are speaking out. Today, the House of Representatives is joining those voices. Ukraine's new government is confronting an economic and financial crisis brought on by years of mismanagement and corruption by previous government officials, and it is doing this while under military invasion and economic coercion by neighboring Russia.

The new government in Kiev cannot succeed without strong and rapid support by the international community. Last week, the House acted quickly on a loan guarantee provision. This is conditioned on Ukraine's undertaking fundamental economic reforms to stabilize its economy.

Addressing Ukraine's energy security must be part of our response here. While the United States recently became the world's largest producer of natural gas, Russia is still the largest exporter. Moscow freely uses its energy resources to advance its foreign policy goals, including by blackmailing countries which are dependent on Russia.

Russia has repeatedly used its natural gas to pressure Ukraine economically and politically. It recently announced that it will significantly hike its prices, a deliberate effort to squeeze Ukraine in order to worsen its current economic crisis and to control it politically.

Fortunately, we have a readily available option to help counter this threat, namely, reducing the current impediments to exports of American natural gas to Ukraine. While Vladimir Putin is selling oil and gas around the world, we still maintain major restrictions on selling our energy to all but a handful of countries.

We should end these self-imposed sanctions on our energy exports to Ukraine. This would undermine Putin's influence. It would bolster our allies throughout Europe and create jobs at home.

I urge all Members to support this important measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, March 7, 2014.

Hon. Ed Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rayburn House Office

Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce, I am writing with respect to H. Res.

499, ``Condemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,

independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of

the Russian Federation.'' As a result of your having

consulted with us on provisions in H. Res. 499 that fall

within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the

Judiciary, I agree to discharge our Committee from further

consideration of this resolution 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. Res. 499

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 resolution or similar legislation moves forward so that

we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction.

I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming

this understanding with respect to H. Res. 499, 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. Res. 499.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer).

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

Mr. Speaker, the new Prime Minister of Ukraine will visit Capitol Hill tomorrow, and this resolution is a strong show of support in the House. It shows we will support the people of Ukraine as they try to build a democratic country, a country that is more prosperous, a country that is free of illegitimate outside influence. It also sends a clear message to the leaders and elites in Russia that annexation of territory in a neighboring state will not extend Russia's influence but will instead lead to political and economic isolation.

Let me also speak to the issue of Russia's state-controlled gas company, Gazprom.

They have just threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine. This is not new. In the past, disputes over natural gas supplies and prices and debts have resulted in Russia shutting off the pipelines in Ukraine in January of 2006 and in January of 2009, not surprisingly, in the middle of the winter, when they would inflict the most damage.

These actions also hit several countries in Europe, which are heavily dependent on Russian gas that transits by pipeline through Ukraine. Those countries are Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Romania. This shortfall would reverberate throughout Europe.

I believe it is very important that we pass this resolution out today.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close.

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

I would like to begin by thanking the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating) for his work on this resolution, as well as our ranking member of the committee, Eliot Engel of New York, and also recognize the long, hard work that Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and Mr. Gerlach of Pennsylvania have put into their engagement on this issue with Ukraine.

I would also add that, if we do not recognize that Russia is using energy as a weapon, we are missing what is really going on in Eastern Europe and Central Europe. It was, in part, Ukraine's reliance on Russia's energy that pushed the now-deposed Ukraine President Yanukovych to abandon the trade deal with the European Union.

It was that attempt to pressure him, and he was tempted by promises of discounts on natural gas. He was pressured by the threat of turning off the valve on that gas. He was pressured to turn toward Russia instead of to the European Union. We believe that Ukraine should have the right to trade with Russia and with the European Union--to trade east and west and north to Poland and south to Moldova. This should be the decision of the Ukrainian people.

I believe the administration must do far more to isolate Russia diplomatically than it has to date and that the Treasury Department should also make clear that the U.S. is on the lookout for Russian enterprises, especially banks, that are involved in illicit activities such as the transfer of stolen Ukrainian assets.

We must remember that the purpose of our pressure on Russia is not simply to punish aggression and certainly not to escalate the confrontation but, instead, to move Putin toward a resolution that protects the independence and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. That is the goal that all of us share, and I urge all Members to support H. Res. 499 and to stand with the people of Ukraine.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding to me. I also thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), our chairman emeritus, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) the ranking member, for their working together to craft this bipartisan resolution, a resolution that is focused on supporting Venezuelans, supporting their right to free expression, their right to democracy, their right for those who yearn to return to the rule of law, and, frankly, not just democratic norms, but just the most basic respect for human beings.

In recent weeks, Venezuela has been rocked by nationwide protests against the government of the late Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro. I as I watched events unfold on CNN, they began as student protests. Students were going through the streets explaining that they were against rampant street crime, and they wanted the protections of the state rather than the predatory nature of what was happening with these armed gangs. Those protests have since evolved into a referendum on the government's statist policies, their destructive economic policies, the government's near elimination of civil society's freedoms in Venezuela.

Maduro's heavy-handed response, frankly, I think all of us see this now as having really worsened this crisis. We are in a situation now where more than a dozen Venezuelans have been killed, and many students have been grievously wounded. Even more than that have been jailed. The leading opposition figure right now is in prison.

These parliamentary gangs that we talked about that are so predatory, that roam the streets and commit these crimes, now they threaten civilians who are trying to peacefully express opposition. The President of the country has threatened to release, in his words, all of the military force of the country against those who oppose him, against the opposition. Even one sitting governor who had long allied himself with Hugo Chavez was driven to say that the government has gone too far. He took to the radio and said:

I am against putting down a peaceful protest with weapons.

Precisely. Precisely--and that, of course, is why the international community is concerned and we are concerned here today.

All of this, of course, is taking place in our own Western Hemisphere, just a 3-hour flight from the United States. As a major energy producer positioned along drug trafficking routes, Venezuela's instability harms the interests of all in the Western Hemisphere.

Venezuela once had a strong democratic tradition. We would like to see that democratic tradition returned. We think the right of free expression is an important human right. Speaking out in support of those who share this vision, as we are doing today, I think is an important step in realizing that goal, and that is why I again commend Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Engel for this resolution that they have brought forward.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 938) to strengthen the strategic alliance between the United States and Israel, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

I rise in strong support of this legislation. This is the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Declaration.

I want to begin by thanking the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros- Lehtinen) and thanking the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Ted Deutch, for their leadership in authoring this important measure.

Israel's strategic reality has been fundamentally transformed. As it looks to its borders and looks beyond those borders, the threats to Israel are changing, and they are growing. These threats challenge Israel's qualitative military edge and that is its ability to counter and defeat any credible conventional military threat. It challenges it in ways that have, perhaps, never been quite so daunting.

Myself, Eliot Engel, Ted Deutch, and others, had an opportunity last year to travel to Israel to see the effects, see the efforts, by Israel to counter the rocket attacks that come in from Gaza by Hamas.

I had an opportunity back during the second Lebanon war, during the war with Hezbollah, to actually see the effects in August of 2006 of what was happening with rockets firing into Haifa. On a daily basis, the city was under siege.

There were literally 600 Israelis--Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, Druze Israelis--who were victims of these attacks from the communities in Haifa who were in the trauma hospital, and every day, these rockets would rain down.

This was not just the handiwork of Hezbollah and of Hamas that we saw last year--no. This was with rockets provided by Iran--by Iran and Syria.

In the rocket attacks that I saw in 2006, those rockets--every one of them--the cone of those rockets had 80,000 ball bearings, and they would be fired on schools, on homes, on the hospital itself, that was a target. That was done to create the maximum number of civilian casualties.

Well, so it is, in terms of the challenges that Israel faces, again, those challenges now because Iran is supplying the weaponry.

In response, the Congress continues to do everything in our power to support Israel from its security to supporting its economy. That is the intention, Mr. Speaker, of this legislation that Mr. Ted Deutch and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen have brought before this body. It is a matter of shared values, shared experiences, and shared interests between the United States and Israel.

This legislation will not only expedite the provision of critical security assistance to Israel and require more frequent and detailed reporting on Israel's qualitative military edge, as well as a report on joint efforts to address the other threats--asymmetric threats that Israel faces, but it will also focus on expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest by supporting a range of joint activities from civil space cooperation to homeland security measures.

Finally, it will dramatically expand our cooperation with Israel on energy production. It will link the two economies in important ways, and that is why I, again, thank Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Ted Deutch for bringing this legislation before us.

I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC, January 22, 2014.

Hon. Ed Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of

Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing to you concerning the

jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Homeland Security

in matters being considered in H.R. 938, the United States-

Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013.

I recognize the importance of H.R. 938 and the need for the

legislation to move expeditiously. Therefore, while we have a

valid claim to jurisdiction over certain sections of the

bill, specifically, section 5(f), I do not intend to request

a sequential referral. This, of course, is conditional on our

mutual understanding that nothing in this legislation or my

decision to forego a sequential referral waives, reduces or

otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Committee on

Homeland Security, and that a copy of this letter and your

response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest will be

included in the Committee Report and as part of the

Congressional Record during consideration of this bill by the

House. I also ask that you support my request to name members

of this committee to any conference committee that is

established to consider such provisions.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chairman emeritus and Middle East Subcommittee chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and, of course, the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), an esteemed member of our committee but also one who has been extremely focused on ensuring Israel's qualitative military edge.

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

When we are speaking of this issue, I think Members should reflect that we are speaking of an Israel that faces from a regime in Iran that actually speaks of wiping Israel off of the map, a regime in Iran that seeks to acquire a nuclear weapons capability and the missiles to deliver nuclear weapons, a regime in Iran that has a proxy called Hezbollah.

I remember a Deputy Secretary of State calling that organization the ``A team'' of terrorism in the world, Hezbollah. Hezbollah is greatly expanding its size and its influence, and it is doing so not only in Lebanon but in Syria, which neighbors Israel. It is an organization that has, probably, some 70,000 rockets by now that are aimed at Israel's population centers. We think of an Israel challenged by the proliferation of al Qaeda-affiliated organizations throughout that region. We think of the ongoing threats from Hamas to the south and the Palestinian Islamic jihad.

Those are severe challenges, but Israel never has been as strong as it is now. Think of Israel's dynamic entrepreneurial culture there. For those who have been to Tel Aviv, it is inspiring--it is unbelievable-- the entrepreneurial spirit, the innovative culture. You get a better sense of why Israel is so strong but also a sense of why the bond between the United States and Israel is so great. It is that dynamic economy and society that are building blocks for Israel's qualitative military edge and its relationship with the United States.

The benefits that we get from U.S.-Israel relationships, like the development of the Iron Dome, is very strong. I think that was probably built for 10 percent the price or cost, and now all of our allies are interested in acquiring that Iron Dome; and at the same time, when you think about the Iron Dome, you think of something that we in the United States thought was impossible to develop, but in Israel, engineers did so.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation today stands by our values; it stands by our interests; and it stands by our ally Israel. It is legislation all Members of the House should support.

Seeing no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding my recent absence from the House on Monday, February 10. On this day, I was unavoidably detained in my district.

Because of this absence, I missed votes on the House floor. I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall Nos. 55, 56 and 57.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the retirement of Rudy Hanley. As a former State Senator and Congressman for the last 30 years, I have met many people along the way who are advocates for one cause or another, resources that I come to rely on for advice, supporters, and a few that become friends. But there are really very few, who become all of those things, and who are trusted confidents, respected advisors, and true friends. Rudy Hanley is all of those things to me.

I've known Rudy since my days as a California State Senator. I wasn't the Chair of any committees, I wasn't in leadership, but Rudy came to talk to me about something that he was passionate about--credit unions, and what they could do for their members, who were often low to middle income, and who sometimes needed a little extra help.

One of my favorite Rudy stories is that of his ``Turkey Loan.'' One year, Rudy noticed that some of his members were having a hard time buying the groceries for their Thanksgiving dinner, because they didn't get paid until the following week. So, Rudy offered them a ``Turkey Loan,'' where they could come into the credit union, sign a piece of paper, and walk out with a hundred dollars in cash to purchase their groceries. It wasn't a formal loan, but you know, Rudy told me that they never had anyone who didn't pay the loan back. And I think that was probably due in large part to the fact that they respected Rudy, and appreciated the fact that he respected them, and cared for them.

I also respect Rudy immensely. He is a man of great integrity, who works hard, studies hard, and who has been very successful in life. But despite that success, he has never forgotten who he works for--and that is his members. And he has continued to go above and beyond his job at the credit union, to advocate for them in Sacramento and in Washington, DC. He also has been my ``go to guy'' when it comes to policy questions that affect credit unions. Not only does he understand the issues better than anyone I know, he is honest and I know that he will always give it to me straight.

And so, I am really going to miss having Rudy at the helm of Schools First, and as an official advocate for credit unions in DC. But I also know that Rudy will always be fighting for credit unions, if even in an unofficial capacity.

And as a friend, I am happy for Rudy and for Catherine, who have earned this retirement. And I hope that it means that Marie and I will get to see more of them in the years to come.

God Bless you Rudy! And Congratulations!

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 1901) to authorize the President to extend the term of the nuclear energy agreement with the Republic of Korea until March 19, 2016, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the tremendous achievements that Korean Americans have made since the first Koreans arrived here in California, in the United States, on this day, on January 13, back in 1903.

In recognizing this special anniversary, we honor the rich cultural history, the wonderful contributions that those Korean Americans have made to the arts, to science, to commerce.

Korean Americans are leaders in business and government and in the community here. They serve bravely in our Nation's armed services and have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our Nation.

As chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I also see the positive impact of Korean Americans on the U.S. Republic of Korea relationship. Last year, I was honored to welcome President Park when she visited the U.S. and made a special stop in southern California to meet with Korean American leaders.

Next month, I will lead a bipartisan delegation to Seoul to meet with President Park to reinforce America's friendship with South Korea.

Having chaired the U.S.-Korea Interparliamentary Exchange, I know well the role that those members of the National Assembly and of our House of Representatives played in establishing the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.

So, in the months ahead, Congress will continue its work on issues that deepen the relationship, the special relationship, with U.S. and South Korea.

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday on January 11, people throughout our country here, people throughout the world will be observing Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The start of this new year I think is a fitting time to focus on the shameful fact that human slavery is not a relic of ancient history, that in fact it is with us today. It is a brutal reality. A reality faced by more than 20 million victims around the world, many of them trafficked for labor, but increasingly for underaged girls. For young women, this is a case where they are exploited in this trafficking as well.

Even in my work as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have learned that human trafficking is no longer just a problem ``over there.'' It is a problem in our communities here. It is a problem in developing economies, but also it is a problem in the United States and in Europe. It is a scourge even in the communities that we serve here and that we represent.

In my own community in the last two years, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force assisted 250 victims. Ninety-three percent were women, most of them underage, 80 of them from foreign countries. At our November field hearing in Fullerton, the Orange County district attorney testified that, shockingly--we are speaking now about trafficking, sexual trafficking--``shockingly the average age of a child being trafficked in this country is 12'' years of age. ``A little girl who has not even reached her teens.''

We also heard from one brave survivor, Angela Guanzon, who was trafficked from the Philippines into forced labor in Long Beach, California.

I have heard many other stories from the members of the Human Trafficking Congressional Advisory Committee that I established last year in my Los Angeles district office. The forum for communicating on trafficking between law enforcement, advocates, service organizations, and survivors has contributed profoundly to my own knowledge, my own understanding of this issue. I encourage my colleagues to get to know those on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking. Get to know them in their districts and know of their work. You are going to be informed, challenged, and inspired by what you learn.

This January designated as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month is a perfect time to shine a spotlight on the dark issue of trafficking, but awareness is only a first step. More needs to be done.

To that end, I would urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 3344, the Fraudulent Overseas Recruitment and Trafficking Elimination Act, to combat one critical form of recurring abuse: namely, that is unscrupulous recruiters. By targeting the recruiters we can do a lot--these recruiters who bait foreigners to travel to the United States with promises of good jobs, but trap them in sexual exploitation or forced labor once they arrive.

For example, in my home county, the Salvation Army's Network of Emergency Trafficking Services reports that a full one-third of their clients--33 percent of their clients--were recruited in a foreign country by a labor recruiter. They got here and found it was a very different job than the one they enlisted for. This represents not only an assault on the dignity of the victim but also a subversion of United States labor laws and our nonimmigrant visa system.

In response, this legislation requires that prospective foreign workers be given accurate information about the terms of employment and be given anti-trafficking protections by U.S. laws. It prohibits recruitment fees or hidden charges used as coercive leverage against workers. In other words, once you get here to the United States, you can't find out afterwards, because they didn't disclose to you, that there are fees that you owe. Those fees are no longer allowed. Up front the employer pays those fees.

It requires foreign labor recruiters to register and remain in good standing with the Department of Labor, and it provides new incentives and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that recruiters and employers follow these disclosure and registration requirements.

Members may contact the Foreign Affairs Committee to join this important anti-traffic initiative. I encourage you all to sign on to my legislation.

As people of goodwill around the world observe Human Trafficking Awareness Day this weekend, let us move beyond mere awareness, let us abolish this injustice, and protect and restore the dignity of those who have survived such exploitation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3509) to direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on the status of post-earthquake recovery and development efforts in Haiti, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume just to share with the Members here that on January 12, 2010, there was a massive earthquake that struck near the Haitian capital of Port-au- Prince, leaving some 220,000 people dead and 1.5 million people displaced. Since 2010, the United States has made a big commitment in humanitarian relief and a big commitment to reconstruction and development assistance in Haiti. A good bit of this was allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development to support an ambitious recovery plan that included housing and industrial development.

Last summer, the House Foreign Affairs Committee received a GAO report detailing a startling lack of progress on U.S.-funded reconstruction efforts in Haiti. The committee followed up by sending a bipartisan delegation of staff to investigate and then held an oversight hearing on Haiti reconstruction, where Members asked tough questions about USAID efforts.

One recommendation we heard over and over was that Congress needs improved and more frequent reporting to ensure that we are being kept up to date on reconstruction activities and so that Congress can provide tough oversight at a time when much of the funding for Haiti has yet to be spent. Wasted taxpayer funding is simply unacceptable here.

While we can help, Haitians must do better. As Haiti Special Coordinator Thomas Adams noted in his testimony before the committee:

The key to sustainable improvement in Haiti lies not in the

generosity of donors but, rather, in the creation of economic

opportunity.

I agree wholeheartedly with the special coordinator. But, unfortunately, Haiti currently lacks a clear and enforceable system of property rights, including effective property registry and titling, and struggles with high levels of corruption. These are serious problems which deter the kind of private sector investment that is the real future of Haiti's economy.

Without significant improvements to Haiti's business climate, no amount of donor assistance is going to help. We need to work with the Haitian Government to improve transparency, rule of law, and democracy so that we can, in turn, improve the lives and economic well-being of the country's citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman from California, Representative Barbara Lee, the author of this bill, who worked with Ranking Member Engel, Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, and Chairman Salmon to craft this strong, bipartisan oversight legislation that will improve relief efforts. And I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, just in closing, let me point out again the fact that we have a very strong bipartisan coalition of Members that have worked a long time on this issue of trying to forge a focus on repair in Haiti. We thank them for their efforts on the reconstruction.

It is important for the people of Haiti to know that our efforts are best being used to help get them on solid ground and to help them get the foundation they need to move forward. It is also important for those in the United States to feel that their money is being spent wisely and efficiently. I think that is the intent behind this legislation, H.R. 3509.

It extends and strengthens, I think, the critical oversight that we do in the committee over Haitian funding, and it promotes the holding of free, fair, and timely elections in Haiti.

I want to thank the gentlelady from California, Congresswoman Lee, for her perseverance in getting this bill to the floor today. I want to encourage my colleagues to support it. I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Engel of New York, also for his efforts to bring this bill up today.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 434, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3212) to ensure compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction by countries with which the United States enjoys reciprocal obligations, to establish procedures for the prompt return of children abducted to other countries, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, every year more than 1,000 American families are confronted with the nightmare of their child being abducted to a foreign country by one parent in violation of legal custody and access rights, beyond the reach of U.S. courts, beyond the court of law enforcement. This illegal break in the tie between the child and the left-behind American mother or father is a tragedy, and many of us personally have constituents facing these wrenching separations in the family.

More than 30 years ago, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was created to provide a simplified mechanism for returning children to their countries of habitual residence so that parental rights are determined by applicable laws rather than by the act of abduction of that child.

Today, the United States has agreements with more than 75 Hague partner countries, and that has helped to return many American children safely home. But unfortunately, agreeing to the Hague Convention and complying with it are not the same thing, and countries sometimes do not abide by their obligations under the Hague Convention. In those countries, there is a heightened risk that a child could be kept there with impunity. American parents need to know about this situation; and they need to know especially, before planning or permitting travel to such destinations, that this, in fact, could happen.

This bill will strengthen the incentives and the tools that the Department of State has to address these unresolved abduction cases. It will also require the United States to identify and take action concerning countries that demonstrate a pattern of noncompliance with the obligations to return American children; and its enhanced annual reporting will provide American parents and judges with a clearer picture of actual Hague compliance and the risks of nonreturn associated with travel to certain countries.

I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his tireless work on behalf of left-behind American parents over the last several years. His efforts have kept hope alive for hundreds of other American parents who only want to be reunited with their children.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 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 yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chairman emeritus of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

I yield the gentlelady an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me note again that the tragedy of international abduction affects thousands of children every year here in the United States.

When the Committee on Foreign Affairs considered this bill back on October 10, we heard from multiple members whose constituents were dealing with the nightmare of being illegally separated from their children, and our human rights subcommittee heard directly from several left-behind American parents in a May 9 hearing. H.R. 3212, by Mr. Smith, is a measured response to this pressing problem.

I want to again thank the gentleman from New Jersey for the vision and for the perseverance, frankly, reflected in his bill.

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. 1992) to amend the requirements relating to assessment of Israel's qualitative military edge over military threats, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Let me begin by thanking both the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) for their leadership and for their foresight in authoring this very important measure.

In shepherding this legislation through the committee, I was again reminded of the shared commitment of Members of both parties to come together to promote Israel's security. It is an example of bipartisanship at its best.

The United States' commitment to Israel rests on the assurance that the U.S., through a combination of Foreign Military Financing, the joint cooperative development of weapons systems and other measures, will ensure that Israel upholds its qualitative military edge. The standard definition of that is ensuring Israel's ability to counter and defeat credible military threats from any individual state or coalition of states or nonstate actors, and with the growing threat to Israel throughout the region--from the prospect of a nuclear Iran to an ascendant Hezbollah and widespread regional instability--Israel's retention of its QME is critical to its existence.

I had a chance to see this firsthand in 2006 during the second Lebanon war, which I, frankly, think should be called the ``Hezbollah war.'' Hezbollah was raining down rockets manufactured originally in Iran and Syria on a daily basis on Haifa. When I was in Haifa, I watched those rockets come in, and

they were being aimed at civilian neighborhoods. They were also being aimed at the hospital there. On one trip, I went down to the hospital to see the results.

Haifa is a very cosmopolitan city as one-third of Haifa is Israeli Jews, another third is Arab Israelis, another third is Druze and other minorities. The people in that city faced a constant bombardment for 30 days. While we were there, we had an opportunity to talk to some of the families, to some of the survivors--600 civilian victims from that attack in that trauma hospital. They told us how those missiles manufactured in Iran--this was before the invention of the Iron Dome, so there was no defense to this--would come into the civilian neighborhoods--90,000 ball bearings--and they would just go through the walls, through cars, through a shop. This is what led, basically, to a siege-like setting in which families were underground; but as they would try to come up at some point, they would be spotted from the other side, from the border, and once again, Hezbollah would try to hit that family, to hit that township.

This is what Haifa was going through. It is a reminder of the threat that Israel needs the best technology to combat these and other terrorist attacks. It is a relief that now Israel does have the Iron Dome, that there is warning, that there is the ability of some type of response other than the type of counterbattery work that we saw as they were trying to silence those rockets, which were never silenced, which came in for 30 days.

In 2008, Congress required the President to assess on an ongoing basis the extent to which Israel possesses a qualitative military edge over the threats that are arrayed against it. Those threats are all too real. Currently, the assessment is done every 4 years. Currently, it focuses only on the conventional military threats to Israel. This bill would require that Congress receive that assessment on a timely basis, at least every 2 years. It would also require the administration to specify a separate onetime report integrating cyber and asymmetric threats to Israel into this overall security assistance framework. This is very important given the new types of terror--suicide bombings and the rest of it and cyber warfare--that are being developed on either side of the border from Hamas to Hezbollah.

These provisions will provide Congress critical information that it requires in a timely manner to assess Israel's security requirements as Israel tries to deal with everything from the threat in Iran to all of the other terrorist organizations that are proxies for Iran. It also sends the right message at the right time to our mutual friends and foes alike that the United States and Israel stand together.

So I strongly support the immediate passage. I thank, again, Mr. Schneider and Mr. Collins for their good work.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the author of this bill, and we want to thank him for being such an active member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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

In closing, let me again stress the importance of the relationship with our ally Israel.

Let me thank Mr. Collins for his leadership in authoring this important measure and thank Mr. Schneider. I am a cosponsor of this bill as well, and let me say we have many common threats, especially Iran's nuclear program.

This measure, H.R. 1992, is a testament to the American people's enduring commitment to the security of Israel. I hope to see it passed today.

Mr. Speaker, 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 Senate bill (S. 1545) to extend authorities related to global HIV/AIDS and to promote oversight of United States programs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all of our Members have 5 legislative

days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous materials that they might wish to include on this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1545. They call this the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act of 2013.

It was just over a decade ago that AIDS threatened to decimate an entire generation of men and women and children around the world, and particularly in Africa. Without access to lifesaving treatment, there was then no incentive to get tested. Without testing, it was impossible to detect and prevent new infections.

In the hardest-hit countries, an estimated 35 percent of the population was HIV positive, and life expectancy in those countries dropped to as low as 34 years.

The global AIDS pandemic was a massive humanitarian challenge, but it also threatened our economic and national security. The pandemic struck down men and women in their most productive years. The economies of emerging trade partners contracted. Socioeconomic conditions deteriorated.

Tens of millions of orphaned children, forced to fend for themselves, became vulnerable to trafficking. They became vulnerable to criminality and recruitment by extremists.

Infections among security forces in southern Africa was disturbingly high.

It was against this backdrop that the United States mounted the most significant effort of any nation to combat a single disease in history. Authorized by Congress in 2004, and reauthorized in 2008, the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, as we call it today, was a game-changer, and has since become among the most successful U.S. foreign aid programs since the Marshall Plan. Like many of my colleagues, I have been to Africa and witnessed the saved lives.

Today, nearly 10 million people receive treatment supported by PEPFAR. Thirteen countries have reached a tipping point in their AIDS epidemic, the point where the number of adults on treatment exceeds the number of new infections. So across Africa, the new infections have declined by 33 percent.

There is now hope that an AIDS-free generation may be within reach. We should be proud of that effort. But the United States cannot and should not do this alone. It is in our interest to ensure that our bilateral programs, our programs like PEPFAR, are complemented by an effective, efficient, and accountable global fund to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

The PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act of 2013 provides a framework for the continuation of PEPFAR's success. Among other things, this legislation locks in important social values provisions mandated in the 2004 and 2008 bills that could be jettisoned if we don't move forward with this legislation.

It improves transparency and reporting in a way that reflects the current direction of the program, and it extends limitations on U.S. participation in the Global Fund, including a 33 percent limitation on U.S. contributions and a 20 percent withholding requirement linked to transparency and management reforms at the Global Fund.

So this bill is time-sensitive. During the week of December 1, the Global Fund will convene a donors' conference. Without the 33 percent cap and 20 percent withholding requirements firmly in place, which is what the bill does, the ability of the United States to leverage both our contributions and our reforms would be diminished.

So I urge my colleagues to support this important, timely measure.

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

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

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I do think Mr. Eliot Engel of New York should feel proud about this bill. He is the original author of the House- passed version.

I would say that, in the interest of expediting this measure, we on the Foreign Affairs Committee worked, frankly, not only across party lines but across Chambers in order to draft legislation that preserves congressional prerogatives, that advances U.S. interests, and, as Eliot Engel said so succinctly, that saves lives. This bill does that. It achieves these objectives. We worked in tandem with the Senate on Mr. Engel's original draft to get this done.

This bill does not affect direct spending. It doesn't affect revenues. It does not create new programs or include major new policy provisions. I want the Members to understand that.

It is a streamlined, bipartisan measure that does extend critical PEPFAR authorities that expired, and it maintains the gains achieved through the 2008 reauthorization process.

Besides the leadership of Mr. Engel on this bill, I would like to recognize the work of Representatives Ros-Lehtinen and Lee to shape this measure, as well as efforts by our leadership to ensure that we do not miss this narrow window of opportunity to send this bill to the President's desk without further delay.

I would also share with our Members that it helps get us on a path towards graduating countries from assistance. It conditions and limits assistance to the Global Fund.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a former member of my staff, Young Kim, who recently left my office to pursue her passion for public service. Young has had an exceptional career, representing Orange County through my office for over 20 years.

After graduating from the University of Southern California and a stint in the private sector, Young began working for me in 1990, while I was a California State Senator. She continued working with me when I was elected as a U.S. Representative in 1992.

As my congressional staff member, Young served as District Representative and Director of Asian Community Affairs. In her capacity, she was a liaison to the cities within my district, advised me on issues pertaining to the Asian community, and helped keep the community involved and informed about my legislative priorities.

Young also helped to establish the Asian Pacific Congressional Advisory Council (APCAC) to foster a better relationship between the Asian-American community and the U.S. Congress and served as the APCAC Coordinator.

She also assisted me with my work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She traveled to Washington, DC, and Asia to coordinate the activities of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Interparliamentary Exchange (USROKIE) and the International Parliamentarians Coalition on North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR). Through USROKIE and IPCNKR, Young played a key role in addressing the issues affecting U.S.-Korea relations, including human rights, comfort women and trade.

Outside of work, Young has always been very active in the local community. Young is most proud of her involvement with the Orange County Chapter of the Korean American Coalition (KAC-OC), having served as President, Treasurer, and a member of the Board of Directors. Young played an instrumental role in establishing KAC's presence in Orange County.

Young also is a well-known Television Talk Show Host, and radio commentator. She hosted Season 2 episodes of REAL TALK on Arirang-TV, produced and hosted LA Seoul on KSCI-TV Channel 18, and KTE Journal on Korean Television Enterprise. Since July 2007, Young has provided weekly commentaries on political and public affairs through the 24-hour Radio Seoul, 1650 AM.

Young's dedication to community service has earned her many honors, including the distinction of ``Rising Asian Woman'' by the World Affairs Council, and ``Community Bridge Builder'' by the Korean American Federation. She has been presented with the prestigious American Marshall Memorial Fellowship (AMMF) by the German Marshall Fund, the ``Advocate for Asians Dedicated to the Community through Political Empowerment'' Award from the Asian Business Association of Orange County, and the ``International Leadership'' Award by the International Leadership Foundation.

One of Young's greatest joys is her family. She is married to Charles Kim. They reside in Fullerton and have raised four wonderful children. On behalf of California's 39th Congressional District, thank you Young for your service, and best wishes in your future endeavors.