Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation for Joan O'Donnell Condon, a Senior Professional Staff Member who has served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs for more than 18 years.

I first came to know Joan while I was chairing the Africa Subcommittee, during which time she helped me advance key initiatives to promote security, rule of law, and economic opportunity across the continent. She worked tirelessly to bring attention to the atrocities of the Lord's Resistance Army, genocide in Darfur, and the rise of al Qaeda-aligned terrorist organizations in East Africa and the Maghreb. In recognition for her efforts to support the peace processes in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d'Ivoire, she was invited to attend the opening arguments against Liberian warlords Charles Taylor before the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and then joined me in celebrating as he was sentenced to life in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

As Chairman of the Committee, I knew I wanted Joan on my team. When I asked her where she would travel if she could go anywhere in the world--and she responded with a list of disaster zones--I knew I had made the right choice. She now serves as one of my trusted senior staff, covering the U.S. foreign assistance portfolio. Her diligence, commitment, and integrity have earned her the respect of her colleagues. She has helped bring nearly two dozen Public Laws across the finish line, including four bills to authorize and extend the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the first bill to authorize International Disaster Assistance in 30 years. I look forward to seeing what she does next as I depart the chairmanship. I know she will continue her excellent work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the work of Andy Taylor, who has been the lead staffer for global economic competitiveness on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Andy has worked tirelessly to advance America's international economic interests abroad, leading bipartisan staff delegations overseas, conducting rigorous oversight of the executive branch, and advancing a robust legislative agenda.

I thank Andy for his service to me and our committee and for his professionalism as a staffer. He is creative and collaborative in his approach to developing legislation and dogged in his advocacy for our committee members' bills.

Andy came to Capitol Hill in 2010 and has worked on a wide range of policy issues, from biomedical research and drug development for patients with rare diseases, to energy and financial services policy, and Puerto Rico's public debt crisis. On the Foreign Affairs Committee, Andy ushered legislation to boost American leadership in cyberspace, advance women's entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, modernize our anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime, and bolster U.S. energy diplomacy.

In October, the President signed the BUILD Act into law, major legislation Andy was critical to creating a $60 billion U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This new entity will mobilize private capital in support of broad-based economic growth and provide countries a robust alternative to state-directed investments by authoritarian governments.

I am grateful to Andy for his service promoting American foreign policy and U.S. engagements overseas.

Mr. Speaker, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Foreign Affairs Committee's Communications Director, Audra McGeorge, for her nearly 13 years of service to my team. Her honesty, intelligence, dedication and humor have been tremendous assets to my office.

While serving in my personal office, Audra's tireless hard work was consistently recognized and applauded by peers, constituents and congressional liaison offices. Starting as a staff associate and working her way into a senior staff position as my communications director, Audra excelled in the Hill's challenging and demanding work environment. She helped me navigate the new opportunities provided by digital media, including telephone town halls and website redesigns. It was also her creativity and hard work that started my first annual women's conference and made following conferences a success. While excelling at her demanding work duties, Audra concurrently earned a master's degree in national security.

When I became Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee six years ago, I knew Audra would provide critical insight, so I had her bring her talents to the Committee. From demanding CODELs to high profile hearings to prominent foreign dignitary meetings to landmark legislation, Audra has handled her duties with expertise and a charming spirit. She has been a critical part of the Committee's many accomplishments--reforming food aid, combating the significant obstacles facing women and girls worldwide, and tackling wildlife trafficking.

I cannot thank Audra enough--especially for all of the laughs we've shared over the years.

It is without question that she will succeed in her future endeavors. Best wishes, Audra.

Mr. Speaker, the headlines are pretty clear:

``Hurricanes Bigger and Costlier than Ever Before'';

``2.3 Billion People Affected by Flooding Disasters in 20 Years'';

``Rising Sea Levels Could Cost the U.S. Trillions.''

Yet, somehow, Congress fails to act.

I share with you that Mr. Duffy has articulated this problem very well. We are here again for the 40th time. Forty times since 1998 we have passed an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program, but without the needed reforms. Four months have passed since the last vote. We still have nothing to show for it.

No one has been a greater advocate for reform than our colleague, Mr. Blumenauer of Oregon. Together, he and I have authored a number of bills that would better prepare Americans for rising floodwaters, as had Mr. Duffy, reforms that would address the fact that fewer than 2 percent of 5 million policies have absorbed more than $80 billion in payments.

So, are we here today to talk about reforms? No. We are here to support a program that tells Americans that, if you buy flood insurance from Uncle Sam, no matter how many times your house floods, we will give you money to rebuild it without requiring mitigation; a program that currently makes it more difficult for people to move than to rebuild, that fails to encourage communities to mitigate flood risk, that promotes continued construction in the highest risk areas.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this 1-week extension absent reforms, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude to Doug Anderson, and to commend his outstanding service as General Counsel and Parliamentarian to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Twenty-two years into his Capitol Hill career, Doug is a cherished Committee institution. Sharp-eyed observers will note that whenever I preside over a Committee markup or manage Floor debate, Doug is sitting right there next to me. His notes have assisted numerous victories, and avoided a few disasters. But that is just a tiny part of what he does.

Day in and day out, for years, Doug has provided wise counsel to me, to my predecessor Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and to her predecessor, the late Henry Hyde. He has helped to draft and negotiate hundreds of successful bills and resolutions on key foreign policy issues--from North Korea, to State Department authorities, to the fight against modern slavery. You can see his commitment to human dignity not only in his legislative work, but also in the way he treats all of his colleagues, on both sides of the aisle. He is a man of uncommon judgment, even temperament, and genuine good humor.

Even more than his issues, Doug loves his family. I want to thank his wife Rebecca and their children--Sarah, Emily, Ian, and Chloe--for sharing him during the many hours that he has dedicated to the work of this House. They can be proud of his service, as I am proud of what we have accomplished together during these past six years

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Major Sindi Anne Connell of the United States Army for her extraordinary dedication and service to our Nation. Major Connell will soon transition from her current assignment as an Army Congressional Liaison in the House of Representatives to attend Army Intermediate Level Education and return to duty as an Army Military Intelligence Officer.

With an impressive and proven record of leadership, including a combat tour in Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division and company command in the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade in the Republic of Korea, Sindi was chosen to serve as a Defense Fellow in a Congressional Office in 2016.

Major Connell's outstanding work there led her to be selected as a Congressional Liaison in the United States Army House Liaison Division. Her first-hand knowledge of the military,

its culture, and traditions was a tremendous benefit to Congressional offices. Sindi was especially effective in her service to Members and staff as she escorted them on fact-finding and oversight delegations within the United States and around the world. I traveled with Sindi on multiple occasions. Her expert planning, attention to detail, and love of travel enabled exceptional visits for my fellow Members of Congress and myself. I found her to be a thoughtful, intelligent, and professional soldier in the best traditions of America's Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, it has been a pleasure to work with Sindi during her time as an Army Congressional Liaison Officer in the House of Representatives. On behalf of a grateful Nation, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service and sacrifice of Major Sindi Anne Connell, and her husband, Joshua Hengst. I wish them the very best.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Leah Campos, an Arizona native and Senior Advisor for the Western Hemisphere on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Throughout my time as Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Leah has advised me on matters pertaining to Latin America and the Caribbean. This region is critical to our country's national interests, and our Committee would not have been able to engage successfully with this part of the world without Leah's advice and counsel.

Before coming to Capitol Hill, Leah served in the foreign field as an Operations Officer in the Clandestine Service of the Central Intelligence Agency. Her Congressional achievements aside, for this work alone, Leah has earned my gratitude and admiration. Leah's time serving in the field informs her understanding of what constitutes vital U.S. interests, and how best to leverage our country's strength in pursuit of those interests. Believing as she does in the value of diplomacy, Leah forged important relationships with the region's diplomatic community in Washington and abroad, keeping Committee members apprised of key issues. Her free-market instincts kept her focused on our ever-important relationship with Mexico, and the commercial benefits of that interconnection to Americans across the country--including in Leah's home state ofArizona.

Leah is the proud mother of four children--Christian, Isabela, Soledad and Xavier--a life-long conservative, and strong believer in the principles of economic liberty and limited government. I am grateful for her work on the Committee, and wish her the very best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5273) to reduce global fragility and violence by improving the capacity of the United States to reduce and address the causes of violence, violent conflict, and fragility in pilot countries, 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 include extraneous material in the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, since the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has committed lives and treasure to help stabilize countries plagued by conflict and insecurity. We undertake these efforts because unchecked instability abroad threatens our economic, humanitarian, and security interests here at home.

Of course, the United States cannot achieve its objectives alone. We need to coordinate with willing and able partners. We need to engage local leaders, empower civil society, and work with the private sector. We need to improve coordination among our own national security agencies to ensure they are working together to advance clearly defined objectives and eliminate duplication and waste. Through this process, they learn and adapt.

Last June, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Defense released a security assistance review that set out a framework to improve U.S. security assistance programs, including stabilization. The legislation we are considering today builds on that effort.

This legislation requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of USAID, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to develop a comprehensive initiative to address global violence and instability.

Within 6 months, the Secretary of State will submit to Congress an implementation plan that sets out clear goals and objectives, identifies priority countries and regions, defines the roles and responsibilities of each U.S. department and agency, and describes efforts to improve coordination and private sector engagement.

Then, building off that initial survey, the Secretary will submit to Congress a 10-year implementation plan for each identified priority country and region that aligns the diplomatic, development, and security activities of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, this is a timely bill that will help ensure the effective use of U.S. foreign assistance, reduce violence and insecurity abroad, and keep America safe. It enjoys bipartisan support. And it just makes sense.

I would like to thank the sponsors--Ranking Member Eliot Engel; the chairman of the Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade Subcommittee, Ted Poe; the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mike McCaul; Bill Keating of Massachusetts--and their bipartisan cosponsors for their work on this bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking Mr. Engel, the author of this measure, and I express my deep appreciation for his help in all that we have undertaken with our committee.

There are, as Eliot knows, 70 million men, women, and children who have been displaced by conflict around this globe. While the United States is the most generous provider of humanitarian assistance, it is really true that no amount of tents and sheeting will stop the suffering and the misery that these people feel.

We need solutions to get at the roots of these problems, and the legislation we are considering today helps us down the right path to do that. While it does not obligate the United States to take on stabilization efforts, it does provide the framework for improved coordination so that we can be more strategic, more efficient, and more effective with our diplomatic development and security assistance.

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 bill (H.R. 1567) to promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which 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 want to thank Representative Cuellar and Representative Castro as well as the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, and the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mike McCaul, for their work on the legislation that we are considering here today.

The United States and Mexico share strong economic and cultural ties. As our neighbor to the south, a strong, stable Mexico benefits the United States. Realizing this, we already have many professional and educational exchanges between our two countries to help see that young people in Mexico graduate from school and enter the workforce with the skills, the credentials, and the experience that they need in the 21st century.

In the 2015-2016 school year, 5,000 U.S. students studied abroad in Mexico while 16,000 Mexican students studied in the U.S. They did this through various exchange programs.

These are good numbers, true, but more can be done to ensure that our young people are taking advantage of existing opportunities to study in both countries, and this bill builds on existing programs to expand and strengthen these exchanges.

In particular, the bill focuses on exchanges in four important areas, and these are higher education, medical school, entrepreneurship, and the energy sector. These are all areas from which the U.S. and Mexico stand to mutually benefit from greater cooperation.

There are, of course, areas in which the U.S.-Mexico relationship can improve. For example, Mexico needs to do more to combat the rampant corruption that has taken its toll on its citizens' trust.

But this does not mean that our two countries cannot work together to ensure a brighter, more successful future for young people in both of our countries. Educational and professional exchanges are key to that goal, so I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to again stress that this is one of America's most important relationships.

I would also like to stress my appreciation for the work of Congressman Henry Cuellar not just on this bill, but on the overall relationship with Mexico. I have had the opportunity to work with him in the past. I know his passion on this, and I appreciate his effectiveness.

I thank Representative Castro as well, and, of course, the ranking member of this committee, Mr. Engel. And I should mention the work, also, of the chairman of our Homeland Security Committee, Mike McCaul. They all worked on the legislation we are considering today.

I think that educational and professional exchanges really allow young American and Mexican students and young professionals the chance to not only experience a new culture for them, but also to ensure that our young people graduate from school and enter the workforce with the skills, the credentials, the experience, and the knowledge also about our neighbors, the knowledge they need in the 21st century.

I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting 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. 4591) to impose sanctions with respect to Iranian persons that threaten the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this past September, thousands of Iraqis protested throughout the south of the country calling for Iran to stop meddling in their democracy. Yet, as these protesters shouted out, ``Iran out,'' their pleas were met with bullets by militias funded by and commanded by Iranians.

This latest bout of violence in Iraq is not surprising. Iran has used the fight against ISIS as an excuse to expand its footprint inside Iraq and to fund tens of thousands of militia forces. Even as ISIS has receded in Iraq, Iranian-backed militias have continued to expand throughout the country and to expand into Syria, where these militias have helped the brutal Assad regime commit countless war crimes.

These Iranian-backed militias not only threaten the Syrian and Iraqi people, they also pose a serious threat to U.S. personnel serving overseas, and I will tell you why.

Mr. Speaker, 2 months ago, one of these militias launched mortars at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, prompting a stern warning from the administration that the U.S. will hold the Iranian regime accountable for any attack by these militias against any U.S. personnel or U.S. Government facility.

These militias also pose a direct threat to Israel. Some have formed a so-called Golan Liberation Brigade, with the explicit intent to attack Israel. The U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley, has cited reports alleging that Iran has begun transferring ballistic missiles to these militias that are in Iraq.

Despite all this, many of these Iranian-backed militias have not been designated as terrorist organizations nor are they otherwise subject to U.S. sanctions, despite being affiliates of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. This oversight could allow these militias to access the U.S. financial system.

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation will allow support and it will bring that support to democracy in Iraq, and it will counter Iran's deadly influence there. This bill is narrowly tailored to go after those militias directly funded and commanded by the IRGC--the same militias that have attacked our soldiers; the same militias that continue to threaten those in the region.

I am pleased that this bill also includes provisions to establish a watch list of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, which will allow Congress to continually monitor Iran's activity in the country, including new militias which may emerge in the future.

The Iraqi people deserve and want genuine political reform and democracy, and above all else, they want peace. This cannot happen so long as Iran continues to fund and command militias within Iraq.

Empowering Iranian militias is a step backwards for Iraq. Instead, it would introduce the Hezbollah model and all the chaos that goes along with it. Iranian influence will only perpetuate the cycle of violence and increase the sectarian polarization, once again creating the conditions for the reemergence of ISIS, al-Qaida, and other radical Islamist groups.

For all these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, November 27, 2018.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce: I write with respect to H.R. 4591, the

``Preventing Iranian Destabilization of Iraq Act.'' As a

result of your having consulted with us on provisions within

H.R. 4591 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. 4591 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. 4591 and would ask

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

included in the Congressional Record during floor

consideration of the bill.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger). A member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, he is the author of this bill, and his service to our Nation includes the time he spent as an Air Force pilot serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman emeritus of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who chairs the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Ted 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, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues for their bipartisan work on this important legislation. This measure will send a clear message to the Iraqi people that the U.S. supports them in their quest for peace and stability and democracy.

Still recovering from the atrocities and desolation left by ISIS, the Iraqi people deserve a chance to establish a stable democracy free of Iranian meddling.

To be clear, these Iranian-backed militias are not just a threat to the Iraqi people. These same militias have launched mortars at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and continue to threaten Israel. It is well past the time that these militias face justice and accountability for their war crimes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6207) to support democracy and accountability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by recognizing the efforts of Mr. Smith, Chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights, and Ranking Member Engel for their strong leadership on this critical issue.

Mr. Speaker, for seven years, the world has watched the brutal dictator Assad inflict untold suffering on the Syrian people. Since the beginning of the conflict, half a million people have been killed and 13 million--largely women and children--remain in dire need of basic humanitarian assistance in Syria.

Over the course of this deadly conflict, we have seen Assad and his backers--Russia in the air, and Iran on the ground--commit atrocious war crimes, including using chemical weapons on civilians. I am sure I am not the only one who will never forget the footage shown before our Committee of a Syrian doctor trying to revive two young children, foaming at the mouth, after chlorine bombs rained down on their village; or the testimony of Caesar, a former regime police photographer, who bravely smuggled thousands of images cataloguing the gruesome and methodical torture in Assad's prisons out of Syria.

But the brutal Assad regime is not the only terror the Syrian people have had to endure--his brutality paved the way for ISIS to expand in the country as well. Exploiting the chaos created by the conflict in Syria, ISIS burst onto the scene in 2014 by declaring themselves and their supposed ``caliphate''--and committing obscene, horrific acts in an effort to spread their nihilistic, death-filled ideology.

Today, thanks to the service of our brave men and women in uniform, ISIS is receding. But we cannot forget the incredible evil they unleashed--while in power, they committed unfathomable violence against Christians and Yezidis in Syria and Iraq, and terrorized the Muslim communities unlucky enough to fall under their ``caliphate.''

Congress played a critical role in calling these atrocities by their correct name--genocide. This was a very important first step--allowing for assistance to get to minority communities desperately in need. Even now, there is still an urgent need for assistance to these vulnerable communities, which have been devastated by ISIS' efforts to wipe them out. These ancient communities, whose roots go back centuries, include Christians, Yezidis, Assyrians, Syriacs, Turkomens, and many others. Their presence in Iraq and Syria is crucial to the social fabric of these nations.

H.R. 390 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 and send it straight to the President so that the possibility of justice and accountability for these atrocities can give hope to those suffering today.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6651) to extend certain authorities relating to United Sates efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria globally, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which 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.R. 6651, the PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018.

Twenty years ago, I was honored to serve as the chairman of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. During my tenure, everywhere I went, particularly in southern Africa, hospitals were full and classrooms sat empty as teachers fell ill. Life expectancy plummeted, and economies deteriorated across the continent. Tens of millions of children were orphaned across Africa when mothers, fathers, teachers, soldiers, factory workers, and health professionals died.

The AIDS pandemic that ravaged sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia was so bad that, in 2000, the U.S. intelligence community identified HIV/AIDS as a major threat to U.S. economic and national security.

To address this, a diverse, bipartisan coalition of administration officials, Members of Congress, faith leaders, advocates, and NGOs joined with President Bush to launch the most significant global response to a single disease in our history. Authorized by Congress in 2003, and later reauthorized in 2008 and 2013, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known today as PEPFAR, quickly became the most successful U.S. foreign aid program since the Marshall Plan.

Today, through PEPFAR, the U.S. is supporting 14 million people with lifesaving treatment, which helps stabilize societies and shrink the pool of new infections. More than 85 million people have received voluntary testing and counseling, while more than 2 million babies born to HIV-positive mothers have been born AIDS-free.

By strategically targeting resources and holding partners accountable, PEPFAR has helped reduce new infections among the most vulnerable groups, particularly young women and adolescent girls. It has done so by as much as 40 percent.

Just last month, I returned to southern Africa and witnessed the impact of PEPFAR for myself. Parents are surviving; the workforce is recovering; and health systems are becoming stronger. This is tremendous progress for which we all should be extremely proud.

But now is not the time for retreat. There remains more to be done.

The PEPFAR Extension Act of 2018 provides a framework for PEPFAR's continued success while addressing new challenges. Among other improvements, this act extends a requirement for the inspectors general for the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct joint oversight and joint audit plans. It also extends annual reporting requirements, which contributes to continued and effective congressional oversight.

The United States cannot and should not fight this fight alone. That is why this act ensures that our programs are complemented by an effective, efficient, and accountable Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. That fund is accountable.

This is a sensible, bipartisan approach that will enable the United States, through PEPFAR, to continue to help partner countries expand access to treatment, prevent new infections, and achieve epidemic control.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this timely, important, lifesaving measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). Mr. Chris Smith is chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, and he is the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen). She is the chairwoman emeritus of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, an original cosponsor of this bill, and the co-chair of the HIV/AIDS Caucus here in the House.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, with the help of our ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel, has worked across both Chambers of Congress. We have worked across party lines. We have worked to craft a bill that preserves congressional prerogatives and advances U.S. interests and helps save lives.

I again thank Mr. Chris Smith, because H.R. 6651 does all of that. It does not contain new authorized appropriations, nor does it affect direct spending or revenues. It does not create new programs or include major new policy provisions. It is, in other words, a noncontroversial bipartisan measure that extends critical PEPFAR authorities and the transparency requirements that expired on September 30 of 2018.

Congress has reauthorized, now, this program twice before, and I thank the U.S. Global Aids coordinator, Ambassador Birx, for her steadfast commitment to making PEPFAR as efficient and effective as possible.

And, of course, I want to again thank all of the sponsors-- Representatives Smith, Ros-Lehtinen, Engel, and Lee--for championing this effort and doing so from the very start.

And, finally, I thank Joan Condon on my staff, who has been instrumental in seeing this important legislation over the finish line and who has long worked for effective U.S. assistance programs that both save lives and reinforce the moral stature of the United States around this globe.

The success of these efforts, the success of this program will forever be measured by the lives it has saved. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1055) to affirm strong United States- Liberia ties and support for democratic principles, and call for full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations, including the establishment of an Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal for Liberia.

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 rise in support of H. Res. 1055, which affirms the strong ties between the United States and Liberia and calls for full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations.

I want to thank Representative Donovan and Representative Johnson for their work on this resolution.

During my time as chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, we held hearings and we pressed legislation to bring attention to the brutal civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone that killed 200,000 people and that displaced more than 1 million, one of whom was also an orphan, orphaned by this conflict, and he worked in my own office here in Congress.

We heard testimony, for example, also, from a young girl no more than 10 years old who recounted the atrocities she, herself, endured during the war, a gruesome illustration of the horrific and lasting impact this conflict had on the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee worked across party lines and alongside the international community and alongside the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone to apprehend the notorious warlord Charles Taylor, and I would like to thank our staff director, Tom Sheehy, for his help in this regard. Today, Charles Taylor remains behind bars.

In 2003, the Government of Liberia, rebel groups, and political parties signed a comprehensive peace agreement. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission was created, which recommended the establishment of a war crimes tribunal to ensure justice for the people of Liberia. This would be along the same lines of what we had worked to effectively establish for the people of Sierra Leone in terms of their special court.

Unfortunately, however, this war crimes tribunal for Liberia has never been established, although Liberian Government figures and Liberian activists alike have continued to call for one. This resolution repeats this important call.

We have turned the page on this horrific chapter in Liberia's history. In March, the U.N. peacekeeping mission there officially ended. It is not often we get to celebrate the successful end of a mission, and we remember the 202 peacekeepers that lost their lives to bring peace and to bring stability to the region.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was democratically elected in 2005 and reelected in 2011 before stepping down from power. Last year, the country experienced its first democratic transition of power since November of 1944. This further strengthened democratic institutions, and it set an important precedent for future leaders.

Much more needs to be done to crack down on corruption and create a more conducive environment for trade and economic investment. The government must ensure the policies are in place to encourage business to invest and grow and create jobs, but this resolution affirms the U.S. commitment to continue to partner with Liberia to support civil society, rule of law, and good governance. We stand by the Liberian people in their continued efforts for a more prosperous and a more democratic Liberia.

The United States and Liberia share close historical, political, and economic ties over the course of our nearly 200-year relationship. The United States is home to 80,000 people of Liberian ancestry. This resolution commends this diaspora population, which has been instrumental in America's efforts to build a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous Liberia.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim the time I previously yielded back.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan), an esteemed Member from the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the author of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank my colleagues. I thank Representatives Dan Donovan and Hank Johnson for their work on this legislation, as well as Chris Smith, Eliot Engel, and Karen Bass for their support.

The U.S. stands by the Liberian people, those living in Liberia, and the diaspora in their continued efforts for a more prosperous and a more democratic Liberia.

Reconciliation from the atrocities of the past is an important step in this process and will ensure peace, and it will ensure that the stability remains. The U.S. must continue to support civil society, rule of law, and good governance to strengthen democratic institutions.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1052) affirming United States- Australia cooperation on space research, exploration, and utilization.

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 want to thank my colleague, Representative Castro from Texas, for sponsoring this measure, which affirms the longstanding strategic alliance between the United States and Australia, and especially our extensive cooperation on space-related activities.

Australia has long played a key role in the U.S. space program. It hosts several facilities that are crucial for maintaining communications with our manned and robotic missions. These facilities also support U.S. satellites and spacecraft, including those related to military and intelligence-related activities.

The establishment of the Australian Space Agency, which was just announced this past year, will only add to this long history and will promote more mutually beneficial cooperation as advanced technologies create new opportunities for jobs in both countries.

This increased cooperation is especially timely, as Australia's importance to the U.S. national security is enhanced by the ongoing militarization of space that is being undertaken by both Beijing and Moscow. This resolution highlights the growing importance of our two countries' cooperation in this vital area and looks forward to even closer ties in the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, I continue to 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.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Representative Castro of Texas, for sponsoring this measure.

Our cooperation with Australia in space-related activities is a key element of our broader strategic relationship. Those ties will become increasingly important as new technologies create expanded opportunities for peaceful endeavors and as Beijing and Moscow and others increasingly challenge U.S. national security in space.

Expanding our joint efforts in this area will enhance the interests of both countries and further strengthen our longstanding strategic alliance.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this timely, bipartisan measure.

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