Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale is fortunate to have two members, Ephraim and Erica Edelman, who have displayed a deep commitment and passion to the CSAIR community. It is no wonder why they are being honored with the Chai Award at this year's Spring Gala.

Ephraim and Erica came to Judaism in different ways, and to CSAIR almost accidentally. As a youth, Erica led junior services, spent summers at Camp Ramah and worked in the synagogue's Hebrew School. After attending public schools, Erica felt a need for more Jewish education, and therefore, she enrolled in List College where she received a degree in Tanach from JTS and a degree in Religion from Columbia University, followed by her Masters in Education from Hofstra University. Ephraim also went to Camp Ramah and spent Shabbat at shul surrounded by a small posse of friends, reading Torah and contributing to the service from the time he was ten years old. He went to Binghamton University and found his way into the Business School and received an MBA from Columbia University. Indeed, Camp Ramah brought Erica and Ephraim together. The two met on staff at Ramah while Erica was in college and Ephraim had already graduated. They married and moved to Riverdale in 2002, where they joined CSAIR.

The Edelmans' involvement in CSAIR, substantial from the start, has grown over the years. Ephraim served on the Ritual Committee and often volunteered to leyn or serve as shomer; Erica led the Young Family Children's Program, creating and illustrating one of her proudest accomplishments, the ``Siddur,'' which is still used today. Erica teaches Kindergarten at SAR Academy, where their three children, Avishai 13, Nadiv, 11, and Shefa, 8, attend. Ephraim joined the Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, and has served as CSAIR Treasurer for the last four years.

Few have done more or been more committed to CSAIR over the years than Erica and Ephraim. They are most deserving of this wonderful honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a very special community group that for 50 years has inspired and strengthened the community, the North Bronx Section of the National Council of Negro Women. The North Bronx Section's legacy of outstanding leadership and advocacy for social justice and change has had a transformative effect on countless lives, and I am truly fortunate to represent such a fine organization in Congress.

In early 1967, six women under the leadership of Daisy S. George met to see if it was feasible to form a section ofthe National Council of Negro Women. This small nucleus grew into a group of more than 50, the amount required to apply for a charter. By May of that year, with a charter drawn up and adopted with by-laws and a constitution, the North Bronx Section became official members of the Council.

By 1968, the Section had initiated a Consumer Education Program throughout the Bronx, and by 1970, operated a voter registration storefront on 225th Street. Throughout the 80's and 90's the Section was involved in all kinds of civic minded activities, from sponsoring day care and tutorial programs, to co-hosting health fairs and educational forums. They even began serving Thanksgiving Dinner in 1994, and still to this day serve over 100 meals every year to seniors, the homeless, and area residents.

All of this has been possible through strong leadership, including 14 amazing Presidents: Virdell Mills; Jayne Harris; Oneater Sinclair; Carmen Snaggs; Eva C. Daniels; Agnes Haywood; Juanita Miner; Olia Barrett; Burmadine Hind; Jessie Williams-Collins; Willie E.P. Bowman; Laura Rhodan; Jessie Davis Walls; and Patricia Kerr. These leaders have been instrumental in making the North Bronx Section the success it has been for 50 years. I want to congratulate them on this milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorable Justice Randall T. Eng, a man whose life and dedication to our legal system stands as an inspiration to all New Yorkers.

Originally from Canton, China, Judge Eng was raised in New York City where he attended city public schools. He received a B.A. degree from SUNY Buffalo in 1969 followed by his J.D. from St. John's University School of Law in 1972.

Following Law School, Justice Eng began his long and esteemed career in public service as an assistant district attorney in Queens, where he served from 1973 to 1980. He was the Deputy Inspector General of the New York City Correction Department from 1980 to 1981, and later became the Inspector General, a role in which he served from 1981 to 1983. Justice Eng first took the bench in the Criminal Court of the City of New York in 1983, and in 1991, he presided in Supreme Court, Queens County until being elevated to the Appellate Division in 2008. In 2012, Governor Cuomo appointed Justice Eng to lead the Second Department, where he became the first Asian American to serve as presiding Justice of an Appellate Division. Justice Eng oversees one of the busiest appellate courts in the country, helps to guide New York's judicial policy, and supervises the operation of the court's ancillary agencies, including the Office of Attorneys for Children, the Committee of Character and Fitness, and Mental Hygiene Legal Services.

In addition to his prolific legal career, Justice Eng has also proudly served his country in other distinguished ways. From 1970 to 2004, he was a member of the New York Army National Guard, retiring as State Judge Advocate with the rank of colonel.

Throughout his career, Justice Eng has been a trailblazer. In almost every legal position he has ever held, he has been the first Asian American in that position. This year, the Westchester Black Bar Association is honoring Justice Eng at their annual Spring Gala. He is most deserving of this recognition. Congratulations to Justice Eng on this wonderful honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a member of the community who has been an instrumental force for good at the Riverdale Temple, Mr. Steven Rosenfeld.

Steven resides in Westchester County with his wife, Lori, and dog, Griffin. He is a member of Riverdale Temple, where he is President of the Men's Club. He has been actively involved in the sales and marketing of consumer products most of his adult life. Steven

is also a one-time White House Fellowship candidate.

Locally, Steven has been involved in various community groups and efforts, including serving as a founding Director of the Westchester Shakespeare Festival.

A recipient of the Consumer Electronic Industry's Design and Engineering Award, and author of numerous articles, Mr. Rosenfeld is also a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Mr. Rosenfeld is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Entertainment, and Who's Who in Business. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Long Island University, and he was a Master's Degree candidate at St. Francis College. In addition, Steven was previously a member of the board of advisors of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Steven has been dedicated to the longevity of The Riverdale Temple and the community. This year, the Riverdale Temple is honoring him at their 2017 Student Sponsorship Breakfast for all of the support he has shown to the Temple and its members. The honor is well-deserved. I want to congratulate Steven on this wonderful occasion and thank him for all he has done in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of the finest charitable organization's operating not just in my district, but across the entire State of New York. For two centuries, the Sisters of Charity of New York has met the challenges of the times and ministered to the needs of the poor. It is my honor to recognize their incredible work as they celebrate their 200th anniversary.

The history of the Sisters of Charity begins with its foundress, Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was later canonized as the first American-born saint. Elizabeth was born in 1774, into an upper class, well educated, Episcopalian family in New York City. A well-educated, talented young lady, she and other young prominent women in New York society served the poor, particularly widows and orphans. Ironically, Elizabeth became a penniless widow within 10 years of marrying her husband, William Magee Seton, with whom she had five children. Influenced by the kindness of her husband's friends and her attraction to the Eucharist, Elizabeth converted to Catholicism.

In 1817, after Elizabeth had opened several Catholic Schools with a small community of women concentrated on a defined lifestyle for their religious congregation, and founded the first American congregation of women religious, she sent three of her sisters to New York City to open an orphanage, establishing the foundation of the Sisters of Charity in New York.

The SCNY mission is simple: to share in the ongoing mission of Jesus by responding to the signs of the times in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, by revealing the Father's love in our lives and in our varied ministries with and for all in need, especially the poor. Their work speaks for itself. There are 250 Sisters of Charity of New York and 121 Associates; seven sisters and 33 Associates live in Guatemala. In their 200-year history, the Congregation opened and/or staffed 185 schools, 28 hospitals, 23 childcare institutions, and other ministries to care for people on the margins of society. SCNY also sponsors ministries across the State aimed at helping others, including on the campuses of the College of Mount Saint Vincent and St. Joseph's Medical Center. From housing to anti-human trafficking programs, the breadth of SCNY's reach is truly inspiring.

All of this could only be achieved and sustained by individuals who are truly dedicated to their mission, and who care deeply for people from all walks of life. I am proud the Sisters of Charity of New York is based in my district, and I want to say thank you to its leadership and all of its members for their remarkable dedication and hard work.

Mr. Speaker, it is vitally important that we recognize those who strengthen our communities through their involvement. For the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel in Riverdale, two of those individuals are Elisa Marcus and Dror Bikel, who are being honored this year with CSAIR's Kehillah Award at their annual Spring Gala.

Elisa grew up in Dayton, Ohio, where participating in shul life was a given and Shabbat meant going to synagogue and being with family and friends. Dror took a different path to Jewish involvement. Born in Berkeley, California to Israeli parents, then living in Brookline, Massachusetts, Dror was not particularly involved in formal Jewish life. While he was studying at Brandeis University, his interest in Israel and Jewish life awakened. Both Elisa and Dror spent formative years studying in Israel. They later found themselves and each other on the Upper West Side, where their friendships and involvement in the community of young Jews brought them together.

Fast forward to Riverdale and CSAIR. Through Mason Voit, CSAIR Director of Education and Family Life, Elisa was drawn to serve the shul. For three years she led the Young Children's Family Program and joined the Board of Trustees. She played an important role in a three- year review of the synagogue's mission statement and currently serves as the Vice President for Education.

Dror's passion for Krav Maga first led him to teaching evening classes in the synagogue, then to answering a call by CSAIR president Abby Pitkowsky and Rabbi Katz to lead CSAIR's security program. His work led to the hiring of a security consultant to help with the acquisition and implementation of $100,000 in grants to improve the building's access control, physical structure, and communication system.

The character of the community is something Dror and Elisa care deeply about. Their children, Ariel, 9, and Liat, 7 love being in the building, attending services, and have developed great friendships. From the beginning of their involvement, Elisa and Dror have been struck by the degree to which people care about CSAIR and want to be involved, and it shows through their dedication and service. Congratulations to them both on receiving this great honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a leader in the community who for three decades has left a positive and lasting mark on the Bronx.

Reverend Delroy A. Reid-Salmon PhD., is the Pastor of Grace Baptist Chapel, located at 3355 Boller Avenue. This year marks Reverend Reid- Salmon's 30th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Christian Ministry, and he is being recognized for his outstanding commitment, leadership, and service to the community. Rev. Reid-Salmon has served as a positive role model for our young people, motivating and encouraging them to pursue their education while becoming active, responsible citizens. His efforts have been particularly fruitful, as the overwhelming majority of those he has mentored have obtained college degrees.

As the organizing Pastor of Grace Baptist, Reverend Reid-Salmon saw his congregation come together from modest beginnings. The Chapel started with minimal funds and only eight members on August 1, 1987. Today, they now serve over 200 members and parishioners. Reverend Reid- Salmon's exemplary service to the church and his community has never wavered; his commitment never in question.

Of course, Reverend Reid-Salmon's greatest passion is for his wife and partner in ministry, Elaine. As constituents in my district they have shown a deep affinity for helping those around them, through their work at Grace Baptist and beyond.

Grace Baptist Chapel has been fortunate to have such a caring and devoted leader for 30 years. Here's to 30 more just like it. Congratulations to Reverend Delroy A. Reid-Salmon on this joyous occasion. The honor and recognition is well-deserved.

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

I rise in support of this measure. Let me thank Chairman Royce, because here again is another piece of legislation from the Foreign Affairs Committee that we have shown we can work together within a bipartisan manner; so I am pleased to stand with the chairman.

I am also pleased to stand with the gentlewoman from Florida, former chairman, and my good friend as well, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She is now chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, along with the resolution's other lead sponsors, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee's ranking member, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

We are here today to talk about Americans illegally detained by the Iranian regime, and those Americans have had no stronger champions than the Members I have mentioned before through the years.

Mr. Speaker, it is just outrageous that the Government of Iran continues to hold American citizens and residents on trumped-up charges.

Siamak Namazi and his 80-year-old father, a former UNICEF official in poor health; Baquer Namazi; Karan Vafadari, an American citizen, and his wife, Afarin Niasari; Nizar Zakka, who was detained after attending a conference at Iran's invitation; another American citizen who has been kept anonymous by family for fear of that person's well-being; and, of course, Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran more than 10 years ago. How cruel--10 years. His family doesn't know where he is. His family doesn't know how he is.

This is a regime, the Iranian regime, which talks about piety and religion, and they don't have any feeling of humankind from one person to another.

The detainment and disappearance of these people, and citizens of America's friends and allies, the pain and suffering and uncertainty that their families endure every single day, and the lack of cooperation and information coming out of Tehran, are a pretty clear indication of how this regime operates and what its values are.

The measure we are considering today underscores what Congress has said before: This behavior is unacceptable, and it must stop. We call on the government in Iran to release these men and women immediately, without precondition.

The people of Iran are the real captives of this regime, but these American citizens are our citizens, and we demand their release. The Government of Iran must do what it has long promised by providing information on the disappearance of Robert Levinson, and we urge the Trump administration to make resolving this issue a top priority.

So I am glad to stand with my colleagues on both sides to support this measure. I, again, thank my friend from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for, as always, outstanding, stellar, and heartfelt work on these issues.

I thank Chairman Royce again, and all the people I mentioned before.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), my esteemed colleague, friend, and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. We have districts that are adjoining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), who has worked tirelessly to free his constituent from the Iranian regime.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday this House spoke in no uncertain terms, in a bipartisan fashion, about what we think of Iran's dangerous and destabilizing

behavior. An overwhelming bipartisan majority voted to slap tough new sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program, for the regime's support for terrorism, and for the awful record of human rights abuses against the Iranian people.

Tehran should know that we mean business. We will not back down on any of these issues, and we certainly will not forget that Americans are being wrongfully held.

I am glad to go on record once again, along with my colleagues, Chairman Royce, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Nita Lowey, everyone who has spoken today, shining a line on this abuse, to put it front and center in our foreign policy, to call on Iran's leaders to release these people, and to say they will not be forgiven as long as these people are unlawfully held.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' I am happy that we are bringing this important issue to the fore, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. I want to, first of all, thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for all the hard work that has gone into this legislation so far. I want to especially thank our chairman, Ed Royce, who has been my partner on this committee for nearly 5 years. We have passed excellent legislation. The legislation today just adds to it, and it shows what you can do when you work in a bipartisan way, so I want to thank the chairman for all his hard work and all his courtesies.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I certainly plan to vote for it, but it seems we may be on the floor before we have ironed out all the differences with the other body. I hope that is not the case.

In particular, there have been issues with the North Korea sanctions. It was another Royce-Engel bill, which already passed in the House and, frankly, should have been taken up by the other body on a separate track; instead, it is now put into this bill. I hope we don't face further delays when this bill gets back to the other House.

Our job isn't done, obviously, until we get this thing across the finish line; and we need to do that because this bill is critical to our national security.

It does far more than just send a message to leaders in Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It exacts a heavy price for their aggressive and destabilizing behavior.

Just like the bill we already passed, this legislation would update and expand our sanctions on North Korea, closing loopholes that have allowed money to flow to the Kim regime, funding its illegal weapons program. It would crack down on the trading partners, banks, and shipping vessels that enable the regime, and go after the regime's most lucrative enterprises, whether exported goods or the pilfered wages of North Korean laborers sent abroad to work.

With respect to Iran, this bill would go after so many of the things Iran's leaders do to drive violence and instability, from Tehran's ballistic missile program and its support for terrorism to the regime's abhorrent human rights record and efforts to build up its military. I have said this again and again, that we need to hold the regime's feet to the fire on all these issues. This bill does exactly that.

Finally, on Russia, this bill is a strong, direct response to Vladimir Putin's efforts to undermine American democracy. It imposes new sanctions on those who want to do business with Putin's cronies or with Russia's military or intelligence. It strengthens existing sanctions for Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and armed intervention in eastern Ukraine. It pushes back against Russia's cybercrimes, including the hacking of our election to help Donald Trump--a story which Congress and the special counsel are still trying to get to the bottom of--as well as Putin's support for the murderous Assad regime in Syria. And it gives Congress a strong oversight role in making sure that these Russian sanctions are not lifted prematurely.

This administration has shown over and over that they are willing to cozy up to Putin, but here is the truth: Russia is not our ally. Putin wants to harm the United States, splinter our alliances, and undermine Western democracy. This Congress will not allow him to succeed, so I am glad to support this bipartisan bill.

I thank the chairman once again. We need to keep working to make sure this bill gets to the President's desk.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), my colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro), our colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the Intelligence Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), who was instrumental in putting this bill forward, who has been with us every step of the way and so invaluable to this finished product, the distinguished Democratic whip.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), one of my senior colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee, the ranking member of the Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), one of our senior members on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters), the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema), my friend on the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), my friend on the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), a respected member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from North Carolina.

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

On Vladimir Putin's orders, Russia attacked American democracy last year. That makes Russia a threat to this country, just like Iran, just like North Korea.

When the United States faces a real threat, we have an obligation to respond. So far, a response to Russia has fallen far short. That ends with this legislation.

Along with Pyongyang and Tehran, Moscow needs to understand that if you violate international law, you threaten the security of the United States and our allies, there will be consequences.

Now, I wish we were going to pass this incentive to the President's desk today. So after we vote today, leaders in both houses have an obligation to clear away any remaining issues and get this bill signed into law as soon as possible.

So long as Russia remains a threat, so long as Iran and North Korea defy global norms with their destructive agendas, none of us are off the hook.

I want to also thank the Democratic leader, Ms. Pelosi, for her advice and counsel on this bill. Let's pass this bill and keep pressing this bill forward.

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

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, since 1968, oil pipelines that cross international borders have been reviewed and authorized by the Department of State. That is nearly 50 years. This is common sense. After all, the State Department handles diplomacy, the State Department manages treaties related to our international boundaries, and the State Department is responsible for the security of pathways for our pipelines.

But the bill we are considering today would shift decisionmaking authority for those pipelines from the State Department, which is equipped to handle all aspects of this issue, to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which isn't equipped.

So it just doesn't make any sense to me, Mr. Chairman. It seems quite arbitrary and quite foolish and moving in the wrong direction. This is change for change's sake, and it wouldn't improve the process.

My amendment would prevent this mistake. It would simply ensure that permitting authority for cross-border oil pipelines remains with the Department of State. That is the permitting authority for cross-border oil pipelines to remain with the Department of State.

In each of the past two Congresses, my friends in the majority agreed. They passed substantially similar legislation to change the cross-border pipeline permitting process, but they kept the final approval authority where it belongs, with the Department of State.

Cross-border oil pipelines are matters of international diplomacy and national security, and oversight should remain with the State Department. The old adage, ``If it ain't broke, don't fix it,'' I don't know what we are trying to do here. So I urge support for my amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Armed Services Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith for their support of my amendment to direct the Secretary of Defense to report on military cooperation between Serbia and Russia. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Aderholt, for cosponsoring the amendment.

Countries of the Balkans are a part of Europe. Period. From the former Yugoslavia, three have already entered NATO and two are now part of the European Union. In the wider Balkans, even more countries have joined NATO and the EU and others want to be part of both . . . . all, except for Serbia, that is, which is unwilling to put itself on a path to future NATO membership.

Frankly, Serbia is not only keeping NATO at arms' length. As we speak, it is continuing to rearm with Russian weapons. In a deal reached on December 21 of last year, Russia agreed to give Serbia six surplus MiG-29 `Fulcrum' fighter aircraft, 30 T-72 tanks, and 30 BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles. Rather than forcing Belgrade to pay for these items worth more than $600 million on the open market, the Kremlin just gave them to Belgrade. And, now Serbia is seeking Russian- made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. If I were sitting in one of Serbia's neighbors, most of which are NATO members, I don't think I would be comfortable with Belgrade's tilt toward Moscow.

Even more, only last month, Serbia joined Russia and Belarus in what the countries' called `Slavic Brotherhood' drills very close to NATO- member Poland. This is only the latest in a series of military exercises where Serbian forces are training with Russian troops. According to RFE/RL, ``The first were held in 2015 in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, which is close to Western-leaning Georgia and Ukraine's Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula. The second were held in November 2016 in Serbia, while NATO was staging a civil emergency drill in neighboring Montenegro.''

If Serbia wants to become part of the West, this isn't the way to get there. Frankly, I'm growing increasingly concerned with the choices Belgrade is making on military and security matters. This is why I wrote today's amendment. We need to take a closer look at Russian- Serbian military ties and judge their implications for US national security policy, Serbia's membership in NATO's Partnership for Peace, and the impact on Serbia's neighbors.

I know that Vice President Pence is meeting with Serbian President Vucic on Monday. This occasion represents a good opportunity to present our U.S. concerns about Belgrade's direction on security policy and a variety of other matters.

Mr. Chair, again, I thank the Chairman and Ranking member for their support, and I look forward to seeing the report required by the amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. Let me start by thanking the leaders on both sides of the aisle who worked to bring this measure forward: Speaker Ryan and Leader Pelosi; the majority leader, Mr. McCarthy; the minority whip, Mr. Hoyer; and my friend from California (Mr. Royce), our chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, NATO has been the most effective alliance of the 20th and 21st centuries. It stood as a bulwark against communist aggression during the Cold War. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, it has played a critical role in building an integrated Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.

At the heart of the alliance is the value enshrined in article 5: An attack on any ally is an attack on all allies. That commitment has been so strong across the decades, that the alliance never once invoked article 5 during the long standoff between East and West during the Cold War.

In fact, article 5 has only been invoked one time in NATO's history, when the ruins of the World Trade Center were smouldering in New York City as the world rallied around the United States. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, NATO allies did what we always knew they would: they said the attack on us was an attack on all of them as well. Since then, for nearly 16 years, American troops have fought and shed blood and died alongside men and women serving in the uniforms of our NATO allies.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't a commitment we as Americans can take lightly. While I am glad President Trump finally affirmed the commitment of the United States to article 5, I think it is important for Congress to do it as well.

The administration's hot-and-cold approach to the alliance caused a lot of unneeded heartburn for our allies and caused even the best of friends to question our commitment.

NATO is not a thing that can just be thrown in with everything else. It is very important to us, and we should allow our allies to meet their commitments laid out at the NATO summit in Wales. It is very important that we do that.

Right now, especially, we need to be clear on our commitment to NATO. The danger that Russia poses to the alliance, to Western democracy and an integrated, unified Europe, is the greatest test in a generation. If there are cracks in the surface, you can bet that Vladimir Putin will do all he can to exploit them. Fracturing Western unity is his top goal, and the United States needs to be strong in our commitment to

Mr. Speaker, recently, I was in Brussels, and we met with NATO officials on a codel led by the Democratic leader, Ms. Pelosi.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip, who is an original cosponsor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, we should be clear that Vladimir Putin is testing us. He attacked our democracy in last year's election, he is working to create divisions among our allies, and he would love nothing more than to see NATO fail.

If the United States offers anything less than our full-throated support for the alliance, and our ironclad commitments to article 5, Moscow will see that as an invitation to undercut transatlantic unity and fracture our critical bond with Europe.

I am glad the House is coming together to ensure that it doesn't happen. I hope we can continue to work in a bipartisan way to shore up our alliances and push back on Russian aggregation. This is a real threat. Russia is not our ally.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this measure, and I urge all Members to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure. Let me first thank my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee, particularly Ms. Ros- Lehtinen from Florida, and Mr. Cicilline from Rhode Island, for their work on this measure, and for their leadership supporting LGBT communities around the world. I also thank Chairman Royce for support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, day after day, we hear new reports of abuse of LGBT individuals in Chechnya. This spring, authorities rounded up hundreds of gay men. Some were tortured, some were murdered. Reports from civil society and activists tell us that Chechen authorities have rounded up LGBT individuals, beaten them, tortured them with electric shocks, and outed them to their families in the perverse hope of provoking so- called ``honor killings.'' This is horrific.

Let's not forget that Chechnya is part of Russia, as the chairman said. These crimes--this disregard for human rights and human dignity lie at the feet of Vladimir Putin and his crony in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.

No one anywhere should face violence, persecution, or death because of who they love. ``Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,'' as Hillary Clinton said when she was Secretary of State. But under Putin's rule, those rights are a myth.

So I was disappointed when Secretary Tillerson testified before the Foreign Affairs Committee about whether those atrocities were on the agenda with his Russian counterparts. ``These are on the pending list,'' he told us.

The United States should never put basic human rights on the ``pending list.'' Unless we shed a light on these abuses and demand that they be stopped, we are betraying our most fundamental values. So today I am glad the House, in a bipartisan way, is speaking out to condemn this violence and persecution, to stand up for the freedoms of assembly and expression, and to say that we believe that LGBT rights are human rights that must be protected around the world.

I am glad to support this measure. Again, I thank Chairman Ed Royce, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and David Cicilline.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a coauthor of this resolution and someone who is fighting for human rights all the time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), a valued member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Let me, first of all, again thank Representative Ros-Lehtinen, who is always working really hard and is on top of issues that are so important. We really appreciate her leadership and everything she does in the committee; Mr. Cicilline, who has fought for LGBT rights; and, of course, my partner on the committee, Chairman Royce. Things like this show the bipartisanship of our committee, which I think is really important.

Occasionally we hear talk about Vladimir Putin that implies some sort of moral equivalency between the way he runs Russia and American policies. If you want to know how false that comparison is, take a look at what is happening in Chechnya. Take a look at the violence that Putin's thugs are waging against innocent citizens. That is how Putin regards the rights of his own people. That is what we are here to condemn today.

The United States should continue to make advancing and protecting human rights a foreign policy priority, including the rights of LGBT communities.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this measure. I thank Chairman Royce, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, after Hurricane Sandy, thousands of homeowners throughout the New York region learned that they were ineligible for federal disaster assistance because they lived in a co- op or a condo; not in a single family home.

According to the FEMA's policy, co-ops and condo associations are ``business entities''--not eligible for federal assistance that can reach up to $30,000 per household.

As a result, community associations are often faced with the daunting task of cleaning up and rebuilding after a major natural disaster-- without the help or resources that other homeowners receive from the federal government.

To help bring fairness to the federal disaster relief process, my colleague Jerry Nadler and I introduced H.R. 1684, the Disaster Assistance Support for Communities and Homeowners Act.

Our bill directs FEMA to provide technical assistance to help community associations qualify for disaster assistance grants.

It also directs FEMA to provide recommendations to Congress, within 12 months, on additional ways that co-ops and condos can become eligible for assistance.

I encourage swift passage of H.R. 1684 to help ensure that all community association

homeowners have access to federal disaster benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I join Chairman Royce and all of my colleagues in welcoming President Moon of the Republic of Korea as he travels to Washington this week.

Across 135 years of diplomatic ties, the United States and the Republic of Korea have forged a strong and unshakable relationship. Our countries have sacrificed together in war--from the Korean war to Vietnam, to the Persian Gulf, to Afghanistan--and we have prospered together in peace.

Our alliance, enshrined in the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1953, has been a pillar of stability and security for both of our countries. That alliance is especially important in light of the grave threat just 35 miles from Seoul: the dangerous regime controlled by dictator Kim Jung- un in North Korea.

America grieves with the Warmbier family over the tragic death of their young son, Otto. His unjust detention, abuse, and death haunts all of us. We must do all we can to secure the safe return of the three Americans still detained in North Korea.

I trust that President Moon's visit will deepen an understanding between Washington and Seoul in these trying times so that we may face this challenge as we have others: in lockstep, side by side.