Eliot L. Engel

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2615) to support the people of Central America and strengthen United States national security by addressing the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2615.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure, and I want to start by thanking Mr. McCaul for his partnership in authoring this legislation. Through our close, bipartisan collaboration, we have before us today legislation that supports the people of Central America and strengthens our national security by addressing the root causes of child and family migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

I was leading a congressional delegation to El Salvador with Mr. McCaul in March when the Trump administration decided to cut off foreign assistance in the region, a decision that I view as misguided and counterproductive.

In San Salvador, we saw up close the direct, meaningful impact of our USAID investments. Our delegation visited with an incredible group of young people who were being trained in computer programming and offered a path to a better life.

The United States is helping to provide opportunities for a better future for the people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras so children and families are able to build prosperous lives for themselves, and they aren't forced to make the dangerous journey to our southern border.

But it is not just development assistance we are providing. In San Salvador, we met with FBI agents leading our transnational antigang task force. With State Department funding, the FBI established these task forces in the Northern Triangle over the past decade to counter the growth of MS-13, the 18th Street gang, and other violent criminals.

These units train Salvadorian police officers and work closely with them to dismantle gang leadership structures in the United States and Central America. They make our communities and constituents safer.

So I was pleased to return to Washington and partner with Mr. McCaul to draft this legislation authorizing our assistance to Central America for fiscal year 2020. The bill also includes strong conditions on any assistance that goes to the central governments of the Northern Triangle countries.

In addition, it lays out a series of actions to be taken by the Secretary of State, the USAID Administrator, and other U.S. Government officials to promote inclusive economic growth and development, combat corruption, strengthen domestic institutions, and improve security conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Lastly, it puts in place targeted visa bans and asset freezes for corrupt individuals from the Northern Triangle countries.

Endemic corruption by government and nongovernment actors in Central America is hurting the region's poor and most vulnerable people, and we should do whatever we can to stop it. Today, the House of Representatives must stand together to pass this commonsense piece of legislation that helps the United States and families and children in the Northern Triangle.

So, I again thank Mr. McCaul for his partnership and for working with me to address the root causes of migration to the U.S. from Central America. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, June 5, 2019.

Hon. Jerrold Nadler,

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

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

2615, the United States-Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement

Act.

I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this

legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions

that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on the

Judiciary. I acknowledge that the Committee will not seek a

referral of or formally consider H.R. 2615 and agree that the

inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not

waive any future jurisdictional claim over the matters

contained in H.R. 2615 which fall within your Committee's

Rule X jurisdiction.

I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in

the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the

bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this

legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you

as this measure moves through the legislative process.

Sincerely,

Eliot L. Engel,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank Mr. McCaul, and it is a pleasure to work with him on matters like this.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

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

Providing opportunities for the most vulnerable individuals from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras is common sense, and working to address the root causes of child and family migration is a long-term solution that we should all be able to agree on. It is the right thing to do, but it is also in our own interest.

And while U.S. foreign assistance is crucial, it is not a gift. It must come with strong conditions. Our legislation puts in place such conditions for our assistance to the Northern Triangle and includes tough, smart, targeted sanctions to combat corruption.

By passing this bill today, Congress can send, and will send, a loud and clear message that we stand with the people of the Northern Triangle countries to make their countries safer and more prosperous so they aren't forced to make the dangerous trek here. We can also send a message to China and Russia that the U.S. will not abandon our friends and partners in Central America.

Let me conclude by thanking Mr. McCaul for his partnership on this measure. We truly worked on this together. We were together in Central America when we got the word of the potential cutoff of funding, and we worked closely together in a bipartisan way to make sure that that wouldn't be the case.

So I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I thank Mr. McCaul again, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2744) to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs of the agency are identified overseas, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2744.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking my friend from Texas once again, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul, for his hard work on this measure. I am glad to be a cosponsor.

Mr. Speaker, our development efforts around the world accomplish so much.

Whether it is helping build a road that links a small village to a trade hub, working with governments to make their justice systems more transparent and accountable, assisting communities to get clean drinking water, or expanding access to broadband internet in rural areas, American development work is making differences you can see in people's lives. It is also projecting our country's character of compassion and generosity.

So when I travel around the world and I see the USAID logo--it is that recognizable seal of two hands clasped in friendship--on the front door of a new school or a wastewater treatment facility or a pallet of food on its way to refugees, it makes me proud. It really does.

The people benefiting from that assistance should know where it is coming from, too. We should signal to the world our commitment to development is a core pillar of America's global engagement.

This legislation reaffirms the obligation to brand our foreign assistance while continuing to provide needed flexibility to ensure we are not putting our partners or aid recipients at risk. It requires a long overdue audit to ensure that USAID projects are appropriately branded in the field.

This is something Mr. McCaul and I have been working on closely together.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter on this issue that Mr. McCaul and I wrote to the USAID administrator, our former House colleague, Mark Green.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.

Mr. Mark Green,

Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development,

Washington, DC.

Dear Administrator Green: We write to you today to

reiterate the Congressional intent behind HR 2744, the USAID

Branding Modernization Act, which we have introduced in the

116th Congress.

Providing foreign assistance around the world demonstrates

the generosity of Americans, and furthers our foreign policy

objectives. Branding foreign assistance is always the first

preference, to ensure that those receiving assistance know

that support comes from the American people. As such, the

Congress believes, and has affirmed, that in general, foreign

assistance provided using U.S. taxpayer dollars should be

branded, as appropriate. This demonstrates U.S. commitment to

assisting those in need, be it through food aid after a

drought, job training to empower women entrepreneurs, or

life-saving vaccines to eradicate polio.

That said, Congress acknowledges the need for discretion

and flexibility in branding in some instances to ensure the

safety and security of both implementing partners and

beneficiaries. This bill in no way amends that understanding,

or any authorities, which would impact the ability or need

for USAID to provide branding waivers or exemptions as

appropriate, with input from and ongoing communication with

implementing partners. As referenced in the legislation, 22

USC 2401 asserts that programs ``shall be identified

appropriately overseas''. Federal Register rules and

regulations under 2 CFR Part 700 provide waivers to ensure

that branding does not put partners or beneficiaries at risk,

and USAID internal guidance regarding marking and branding

policies remain at the discretion of the Agency.

Finally, this bill requires an audit, conducted by the

Inspector General for USAID, on the compliance with relevant

branding and marking requirements. This is not intended to

re-litigate branding decisions regarding waivers or

exemptions that are already in place. Rather, this audit is

intended to provide a more comprehensive picture for USAID,

its implementing partners, and Congress, of the challenges to

successful branding and marking, and how to better

communicate, provide guidance, and implement, branding and

marking requirements.

We appreciate USAID's ongoing efforts to save lives, reduce

poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people

emerge from humanitarian crises, to advance a free, peaceful,

and prosperous world. We look forward to continuing to work

with USAID on effective foreign assistance.

Sincerely,

Eliot L. Engel,

Chairman.

Michael T. McCaul,

Ranking Member.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad we will be moving ahead with this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, let me again thank my friend, Ranking Member McCaul, for his leadership on this bill.

One of the things that makes American foreign policy unique is that when we are at our best, our values are at the center of everything we do. I think one of the most important American values is that we are a generous and big-hearted country. We invest in development because development and security go hand-in-hand, but also because it is the right thing to do. It allows more people to live fuller, healthier, more prosperous lives.

We should take credit for that. We should let people know it is the United States extending a hand of friendship and assistance. That is the goal that this bill is pursuing.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to support this bill, I encourage all Members to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 441) a resolution condemning the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July 1994 and expressing the concern of the United States regarding the continuing, 25-year-long delay in the resolution of this case and encouraging accountability for the attack.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 441, a resolution condemning the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July 1994, 25 years ago this month.

I have been to that community center. It is a vibrant community center.

It was a horrific bombing that happened 25 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Mr. Deutch for authoring this resolution and for his years of leadership advocating for justice for the victims of the AMIA bombing.

In July of 1994, the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires was bombed. Eighty-five innocent people were killed and at least 300 people were wounded. Almost 25 years later, this heartbreaking tragedy and vicious act of anti-Semitism still is an open wound. Justice has not been served.

This hits close to my heart. I have visited AMIA twice to meet with the community there and pay my respects to the victims and the Argentine Jewish community.

For 25 years, the Argentine people have been waiting for the perpetrators of this horrific act of violence and hate to be brought to justice.

So, I am glad we are considering this resolution today to keep this issue on the front burner and to continue to show solidarity with the victims.

The measure before us condemns the AMIA attack and expresses the United States' condolences to the families of the 85 victims.

This resolution also makes it clear that those responsible for the murder of innocent civilians must be held accountable. Years of investigation have found that the perpetrators of this attack were Hezbollah operatives with strong links to Iranian Government officials.

Despite the international outcry and a stack of Interpol red notices demanding that these individuals be brought to justice, Iran refuses to hold the perpetrators accountable. Par for the course for the Government of Iran.

It is the duty of all of us here in Congress to stand with the Argentine people as they demand that those responsible face consequences for their crimes.

I hope our friends in the Argentine Government and justice system will do everything they can to finally provide closure for the victims' families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 441.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, it is an outrage that, after all these years, there still hasn't been justice for the AMIA bombing victims and their families.

This resolution today is a message to the Argentine Jewish community, and to marginalized, victimized communities around the world, that the United States will not forget them and will continue to push for justice.

I am glad my colleague mentioned the prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, because what happened to him, to be murdered a day before he was to present his work, is absolutely a disgrace. Some in the government even

tried to say that it was a suicide, but we know it was not.

I hope that we get to the bottom of the truth and that Mr. Nisman is honored, which he should be. It is just an absolute disgrace that he was murdered.

Again, I thank Mr. Deutch for authorizing this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it, and I yield back the balance of my time