Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume, and I rise in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Mast of Florida, who authored this measure, and I want to, again, extend my thanks to Chairman Royce, particularly for his very kind and generous words.

We have worked for the last several years, so many years, on the Foreign Affairs Committee to try to bring peace to Syria. We have been frustrated in watching the dictator kill hundreds of thousands of his own people, innocent men, women, and children.

I think one of the most horrific days that I have ever spent in Washington was when we had Caesar, the photographer who was part of the regime but defected and escaped with his pictures of genocide and pictures of unbearable, unthinkable atrocities that kind of scarred my brain forever, and I know the same goes for the chairman. We will never forget it. And we will keep trying to fight for the people of Syria and try to bring the dictator and the people who allow him to do these horrific things to justice.

It has been very difficult, because the Russians have embraced Assad, but it is absolutely disgraceful.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Royce for his kind words. He has said a lot of things about what I did, but it couldn't have possibly been done without him as the chairman working side by side, the two of us, pushing these important issues, and Syria has certainly been a situation that needed our attention.

I just regret that we weren't able to do more to stop the slaughter in Syria, but I want to thank Chairman Royce, who has just been fantastic in terms of having a moral compass to say that what is going on should not stand and calling attention to the atrocities.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce and Mr. Mast.

Mr. Speaker, the crisis in Syria has gone on for far too long, a civil war that has killed at least half a million people, displaced more than 11 million Syrians, and stoked instability and extremism well beyond Syria's borders.

Iran and al-Qaida are on Israel's doorstep; refugees have overwhelmed Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan; and the human suffering inside Syria is still unimaginable.

Just 2 weeks ago, an American family learned the tragic news that their daughter was tortured and killed in Assad's prison. Leila was one of thousands of cases of enforced disappearance in Syria.

The Assad regime has had plenty of help, as this resolution points out. The Syrian regime was on the ropes earlier in the conflict when Iran sent thousands of fighters to defend its ally, Bashar al-Assad. Iranian-backed Hezbollah has been battle hardened, gaining fighting experience in Syria, displacing communities wholesale, and remaking Syrian society in their image.

The Russian Government came in to save the Assad regime when they again seemed to be losing the war, and the Russians sent fighter jets to target civilian populations and infrastructure, hospitals, schools, markets. We have heard from Syrian doctors who were delivering babies as air strikes threatened them from above, and then when civilian defense workers, the White Helmets showed up to clear the rubble, Russian bombs targeted the emergency workers, too. That is just shameful.

And it is not over. Idlib, a city of 2 million people, many of whom fled other conflict zones, is now under threat of annihilation. Truth be told, terrorists have a strong presence there, emboldened by the war crimes of the Syrian regime and their allies.

As Assad seeks to consolidate power and territory, millions of innocent people stand in the crosshairs.

There is no military solution to this conflict. Assad may believe that he can bomb his way out of this, but the regime's presence will continue to be a magnet for extremists.

Iran's permanent presence in Syria will only lead to further instability. And let me be very clear: we cannot and should not rely on Russian assurances to remove Iran from Syria.

You know the old adage, ``Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.'' The only thing that the Russians can be trusted to do in Syria is foment further instability on behalf of the regime.

This resolution comes at a critical time. It calls on the administration to work toward a political solution to this conflict and it seeks to build American leverage in negotiations by opposing international reconstruction funds that would support projects in Assad-controlled territory.

Lastly, I want to thank the many Syrian-American groups, which I have worked closely with, who have been doing whatever they can possibly do to stop the carnage and the evilness of the Assad regime. I will be continuing to work with the Syrian-American groups. Hopefully we can one day restore freedom and democracy to that beleaguered land.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

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

In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me say that this resolution reminds us of the importance of building leverage as we push for an end to the crisis in Syria. We can and we should do more to increase that leverage.

Congress, as Chairman Royce mentioned before, could do so today by passing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, my legislation to pressure the Assad regime to stop the violence, to sit down and negotiate an end to this conflict.

It really breaks my heart that it is being held in the other body, and we are hoping, before the end of the year, that we can shake it loose. It had tremendous support in this Chamber, bipartisan support, support on both sides

of the aisle. The House passed it twice; the administration strongly supports it; and the Syrian people desperately need it. The clock is running out in the other body, with one single Member opposing it.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Caesar bill and the resolution before us today, and 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.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Conaway of Texas for authoring this resolution, and, again, I thank Chairman Royce.

Mr. Speaker, in Europe's far eastern reaches, construction has begun on a new pipeline to move natural gas, the Nord Stream II. If this project reaches completion, it will represent much more than a way to move fuel from point A to point B. It will, in fact, be a new tool for Russia to interfere in European politics, to pit ally against ally and neighbor against neighbor, to put down deeper roots in the heart of the European Union, and to weaken efforts to confront Russia for a range of aggressive behaviors.

Russia has already shown the way it uses its gas resources as a weapon, choking off supplies to Ukraine and inflating prices. If the Nord Stream II

goes forward, this dangerous practice could increase a hundredfold.

We want to see a Europe that has access to a range of energy sources. The last thing European countries should do is become more dependent on Russian gas. There are plenty of other options, whether from the Caspian basin or from right here in the United States.

This measure calls on European governments to reject this clear threat to stability and security. It is an appeal to our allies not to allow Russia another avenue to undermine European unity and involve itself in European politics.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, Russia is already enough of a problem for our European friends. Putin's efforts to undermine democracy and stoke instability are a constant threat to European peace and unity. In 6 months' time, Russia could have another way to exert even more leverage on Europe, and that is if its development of the Nord Stream II pipeline goes forward. Today we are going on record to say that that is a terrible idea, and we hope our allies and partners in Europe see it the same way.

So I again thank the authors of this measure, and 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 start by thanking Chairman Royce for bringing this measure forward. He and I introduced this resolution a few weeks ago after the latest flare-up of Russian aggression in Ukraine.

I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida, who has always, through the years, time and time again, been standing up with us for what is right and really showing a great moral compass.

I am glad that, as we wrap up this Congress and as Chairman Royce wraps up a distinguished career as a Member of the House, we are again working together, working across the aisle with a bipartisan commitment to American leadership and American values. That has been the hallmark of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the 6 years Mr. Royce has been chairman and I have been ranking member. I am grateful that we are going out of this Congress on the same, positive, good note.

Mr. Speaker, this measure is another opportunity for the House to go on record condemning the aggressive and destructive behavior of Russia under Vladimir Putin. Russia had shredded international norms and laws with its illegal occupation of Crimea, its violent campaign in eastern Ukraine, the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17, and Russia's ceaseless shirking of its obligations under the Minsk II peace agreement, all at a cost of thousands of lives.

Most recently, Russia has blockaded the Kerch Strait and militarized the Sea of Azov. A few weeks ago, Russian forces fired on Ukrainian vessels attempting to pass through the strait, ultimately seizing the vessels and their crews as well.

What is remarkable about this latest action, Mr. Speaker, is just how brazen it is. Typically, Putin has always made sure that there is some veil of deniability over his dirty work so that he can say up is down and cast blame somewhere else.

But this time, Russian forces are operating out in the open. It is almost as though Putin thinks he can turn the international order on its head and there won't be any consequences. I cannot imagine where he got that idea.

My measure that we are now considering says that Russia's latest aggression cannot stand. It calls upon the

Kremlin to immediately return the captured vessels and crews and to end its violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. It reaffirms our support for Ukrainian independence, democracy, and prosperity, and it calls on the Trump administration to hold Russia accountable, to make sure there will be consequences for this sort of behavior.

We hope the administration hears us and acts accordingly, and we hope the people of Ukraine and the thugs running Russia hear us and know that Congress won't stay silent in the face of Moscow's outrageous behavior.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), who has been a Member of this House for many years and has done wonderful work.

(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I am worried that Vladimir Putin is becoming emboldened because he has faced no real consequences for his ongoing violations of international law. I am glad we are considering this resolution today, saying that he should face consequences.

I wish we had more time in this Congress to work on legislation that could make those consequences real. I am committed to staying focused on this issue when we come back in January.

For now, I am glad we are sending this message, and I am glad to stand shoulder to shoulder as I have so many times over the past 6 years with my friend, Ed Royce, as we pass this measure.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, Ileana Ros- Lehtinen. I ask all Members to support this, and 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. I am proud to have authored this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I thank Chairman Royce for his leadership in bringing it to the floor. I also want to thank Congressmen Poe, McCaul, Keating, and Adam Smith for joining me as original cosponsors.

Around the world, levels of violence are at a 25-year high, driving massive instability. This is a global security threat, as fragile, unstable states are breeding grounds for criminals and terrorists.

There is a significant economic toll as well. Violence and instability undercut American investment and development efforts, and cost the global economy nearly $15 trillion a year.

But probably worst of all, this violence and instability has created a humanitarian catastrophe. The world now faces an unprecedented refugee crisis: 68.5 million people have left their homes. This is the highest level ever recorded.

Naturally, we need to do more to end this violence and instability, and prevent it from happening in the first place. Over the years, we have learned a lot about what works to stabilize conflicts and prevent violence from breaking out. We need to update our government policies to implement those lessons.

This bill does just that by establishing an initiative to reduce fragility and violence, and to align American policy and programs with best practices. It will require the State Department, USAID, and the Department of Defense to coordinate their diplomatic, development, and security activities, with a focus on at least six priority countries or regions. It also requires innovative approaches to coordinate our work with partners, measure results, and adapt to changing conditions. Finally, it mandates robust oversight to ensure our efforts are implemented effectively.

The Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act is an important step in thwarting many of the most devastating crises facing the world right

now and preventing new ones from emerging in the future. I am very happy to have authored this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in passing it today.

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

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) who just spoke, I think it is very appropriate now, as the Congress is moving to an end, to thank him for his hard work and for his good friendship. He really is a Member's Member and is really indicative of the bipartisan showing that we had for many, many years on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

We are going to miss the gentleman on the committee, and we hope he will continue to watch us and call us and keep in touch with us because he truly is a fine Member and someone whom I am really proud to call my friend. And if I may so say, and that is just the way it is.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers who worked with me on this bill--Mr. Poe, Mr. McCaul--and I thank Chairman Royce for his leadership, as always.

After 17 years of war with no end in sight, we should all be able to understand the value of preventing conflicts before they start. We have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't when it comes to stabilizing conflicts and preventing violence from breaking out. This bill applies those lessons to American policy. By addressing the root causes of violence, we get closer to a safer and more stable, prosperous world.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the passage of this measure. I encourage my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. This is a good bill. I

thank its authors and Chairman Royce for bringing it forward.

I will discuss its merits in a moment because I can't, in good conscience, stand on the House floor and talk about our economic partnership with Mexico and not speak for a moment on what is happening right now on our southern border.

The President tweeted that the migrants seeking asylum in our country are stone-cold criminals. I have seen the images, and I don't see stone-cold criminals. I see children with bare feet. I see hungry mothers. I see toddlers in diapers. I see desperate fathers. And I see tear gas being lobbed from the United States into Mexico.

The President says not to worry. He says it is a very safe sort of tear gas. The American people aren't stupid. The American people know what this country stands for. They know we are a nation of immigrants. They know that America doesn't kick people when they are down or slam the door on those fleeing poverty and violence.

I hope the President gets the message.

Now, the measure before us deals with our incredibly important relationship with our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Mexico is our close friend and ally, our third largest trading partner, and a country with which we share extraordinarily close cultural and person-to-person ties.

This bill builds on the Obama administration's 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative by requiring the Secretary of State to expand the exchange programs that allow our students and business leaders to share and learn from each other.

There is no better way to advance the future of our bilateral ties than by allowing young people and professionals to experience what makes each of our countries unique.

It is also critical that we send a strong message to the Mexican people that the United States Congress will not walk away from them, despite any damage done to our relationship over the past several years.

As I have said many times in the Foreign Affairs Committee and on the House floor, the United States should be in the business of building bridges, not walls, to our friends in Mexico. The timing of this legislation could not be more ideal.

Mr. Speaker, 4 days from now, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will be sworn in as President of Mexico. By passing this measure today, the House of Representatives is recommitting itself to our bilateral relationship. We are sending a loud and clear message that the prosperity of our countries' futures depends on an enduring U.S.-Mexico relationship.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the author of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I close by again emphasizing the importance of the U.S.- Mexico relationship. For so many years, this relationship was characterized by mistrust. That has changed over the past two decades.

As just one example, bilateral cooperation on counternarcotics is now the norm and led to the extradition of drug kingpin El Chapo Guzman to the United States in the last hours of the Obama administration. He is on trial now in an American court.

Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, it would have been hard to imagine coming to the House floor in support of a bipartisan bill on educational exchanges with Mexico. Now a bill like this will glide through the House with little opposition.

But we cannot take this cooperation for granted. Far too much is at stake to allow the bilateral relationship between the United States and Mexico to deteriorate. There is a new government, a new leader of Mexico coming in, and I hope we can very swiftly establish the good relationship that our two countries have and not dwell on some of the recent discussions and problems involving a wall or anything else.

So I thank my colleagues for joining me in supporting this legislation to double down on the successes in the U.S.-Mexico partnership. I thank Chairman Royce, I thank the sponsors of this bill, I thank Mr. Cuellar, and I thank all our colleagues for supporting this bill. I urge its immediate passage.

The U.S.-Mexico partnership is one of our most important partnerships, and the House of Representatives ought to be doing everything it can to enhance that relationship, and that is one of the things we are doing by passing this bill today.

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 bill, and I thank Representatives Kinzinger, Poe, and Suozzi for their bipartisan leadership on this legislation. And, of course, I thank Chairman Royce for working with me to get this legislation into shape for the floor.

The vision that Democrats and Republicans have for Iraq is very similar. We all want to see Iraqis work together to provide for a more prosperous future for their country. We want the greatest number of Iraqis to access the wealth of their country's natural resources. We want to see Iraqis focus more on what unites them than what divides them. We want to prevent the resurgence of ISIS and the next generation of ISIS or al-Qaida. We want to protect religious minorities.

That is why it is so important to bring this legislation to the floor today. That is why Republicans and Democrats worked together to find common ground on American policies in Iraq. Especially after the Iraqi election, when it remains unclear which path Iraq will choose, we want to demonstrate to the Iraqi people that we support their efforts to build a better country.

This bill penalizes those who want to exploit Iraq's sectarian differences and those who use violence toward those ends. It also establishes a separate watch list to help keep track of proxy groups in Iraq that are doing the bidding of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It sends the message that those in power must prioritize answering to the Iraqi people and not to Iran. We hope that this legislation will empower those who seek a better future for Iraq and its people.

I am glad to support H.R. 4591, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), an original cosponsor of the bill.

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

This is both a happy and sad moment for me. I am happy because, in the new Congress, I will be in the majority. But I am sad because so many of my friends are retiring, not coming back.

I mentioned my good friend Mr. Poe before, and I just want to mention our now Speaker up here, my good friend, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. We have been working together for more than 25 years in passing all kinds of important legislation involving people's support around the world, making lives a little bit better for people, and working here to promote democracy at home.

I want to have the opportunity to say that this Congress will be missing you. I know I will be missing you, and I know we will be in touch. You are the kind of Member that we need more of, someone who always reached across the aisle, someone who always worked in a bipartisan manner, and someone who was effective and intelligent. I am just proud to call you my friend. I had to say that.

So I am going to close and say that Iraq is at a crossroads.

We have another speaker? I am sorry. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Madam Speaker, it seems like we are playing revolving or musical chairs, but it is so good, because I get to see all my friends from different angles.

Madam Speaker, Iraq is at a crossroads. And as someone who wants to see Iraq succeed in promoting pluralism and tolerance, I support this legislation because it will help Iraqis build a better future.

This bill makes it clear that the United States will not side with those who continue to foment sectarian strife. No matter where you are from, if you undermine the democratic process in Iraq, if you threaten peace and stability there, if you prevent the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, you will be penalized. That is why this bill is so important.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 4591 and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the lead Democrat on this bill and the ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our staff members who made this bill possible, particularly Lesley Warner of my staff. We traveled to the Congo in 2016 with Chairman Royce and had very important meetings there, frustrating but important meetings.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this measure.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, borders nine other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and positive or negative events there often impact the entire region. This is why stability in the DRC is a priority not for that country's people, but for many other countries, including the United States. That is why Chairman Royce and I led a codel there and why so many of our other members on the Foreign Affairs Committee--Mr. Smith and Ms. Bass--have been there and have really cared about the region.

For years, the DRC has been on the brink of crisis. More than 13 million people need humanitarian support, including 7.8 million children. Across the country, violent conflicts have intensified, including near the city of Beni, where health workers are battling a deadly Ebola outbreak.

The current government, as my colleagues mentioned before, has shown a concerning disregard for democracy and the country's constitution, with troubling restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly and disturbing reports of Congolese security forces violating the human rights of peaceful protestors.

Next month, the DRC will hold elections, as my colleagues have mentioned, that were supposed to be held back in December of 2016. It is a critical time for the United States to show that we are committed to the DRC having a peaceful political transition and moving toward accountable, democratic governance.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act, this bill, asks the administration to continue providing robust humanitarian and development assistance to the people of the DRC. It also requires the President to submit a report to Congress detailing the extent to which Congolese Government officials are involved in human rights abuses against civilians and codifies previous executive orders that target the property and interests of any persons responsible for actions that threaten the stability of the DRC.

It is important that we continue leading the international community to address the many challenges in the DRC. That is why this bill asks the administration to keep the DRC on the U.N. Security Council agenda and work to ensure the U.N. peacekeeping mission there has sufficient means to operate effectively.

After decades of conflict and instability, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo deserve a peaceful democratic transition. By passing this bill today, we show that the House is committed to supporting that process.

Mr. Speaker, it is in the national security interest of the United States to support a peaceful political transition and accountable governance in the DRC. With elections scheduled for next month, this bill comes at a critical time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this measure. A huge amount of work has gone into this bill. I especially thank Representative Smith of New Jersey, who has been a tireless advocate on behalf of victims of genocide. He always has been, and he always will be.

His efforts have helped to ensure that religious minorities still have a place in Iraq and Syria, that their presence remains part of the fabric of the Middle East.

ISIS sought to eliminate religious minorities. That is why Congress fought to designate the crimes against them genocide.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has heard hours upon hours of testimony from genocide victims: a Yazidi man recounting the beheading of thousands of Yazidi fighters, women who detailed gang rape and sex slavery. We heard from a number of survivors that international assistance was not moving quickly enough to get people resettled in their homes and communities of origin.

This bill would help to ease those people's suffering and bring to justice those who are responsible. It would authorize assistance for groups investigating and prosecuting crimes against humanity and war crimes. And it would require our government to identify those who are vulnerable to genocide and war crimes, to help with their recovery and stability in the future.

This bill will be an important tool in reaching our goal in Iraq and Syria, preventing the resurgence of ISIS. We cannot allow this barbaric group to take over territory or control people ever again.

In Iraq, this means addressing the root causes of conflict that motivated people to join an extremist organization like ISIS in the first place.

It also means pushing back on Iranian influence because Iran envisions an Iraq overcome by sectarian strife and intolerance.

In Syria, that means finding a political solution that does not include Assad.

Bashar al-Assad is a magnet for extremism, and he continues to employ the worst violence against his own people. Since Assad's thugs took the life of the first protester in Syria, more than half a million more Syrians have been killed, and more than 11 million people have lost their homes.

I remain convinced and concerned about what our military is doing in Syria. In the waning days of ISIS in Syria, how do we intend to justify the presence of our military? This is a slippery slope to perpetual American boots on the ground, and we have to be careful.

In addition, if my legislation, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, becomes law, we can provide the administration the leverage it needs to

push for a political solution to provide justice to Assad's many victims and to prevent the United States from getting further mired into another war in the Middle East.

The only solution to the crisis in Syria is a political solution, and the Caesar Act would help pave a path toward that sustainable, political solution.

I urge the other body to pass the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act so we can get it to the President's desk. I believe the other body would pass my bill, but for a single member of that body who is holding it up for reasons which members of both parties don't understand. I urge him to lift that hold so that this bill can become law.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge my colleagues to pass the bill before us today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me again thank Mr. Smith and Chairman Royce for their hard work and leadership. The violence and suffering that has overtaken Syria and Iraq in recent years is heartbreaking, and it is infuriating, but we cannot allow the magnitude of the problem to discourage us from trying to work toward a solution step by step.

This bill puts a focus on some of the most vulnerable groups caught up in this crisis. It will help to ease their plight, and it will help to provide them a measure of justice.

Before I close, Mr. Speaker, I again thank you, Mr. Poe, for your friendship and for your hard work, and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for her friendship and her hard work.

Chairman Royce just stepped out, but I want to say that we always talk about the bipartisan work that we have done on the Foreign Affairs Committee. We always say that the Foreign Affairs Committee is the most bipartisan committee in Congress, and it should be. It has to be because partisanship really should stop at the water's edge. When we are talking about global interests, we have the same interests.

That is one of the wonderful things about the Foreign Affairs Committee. I don't know if I will have a chance to say this again in this Congress, so that is why I want to say it now: Ed Royce has been a magnificent chairman and a magnificent friend. He has led this committee into bipartisanship on virtually all matters involving the global stage, and we have become a more effective committee because of his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for a job well done. It has been a pleasure serving with him and all the members on the committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of House Resolution 1138, and I wholeheartedly support its passage.

H. Res. 1138 condemns the heinous anti-Semitic attack on the building housing three congregations, Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that resulted in the deaths of 11 innocent people. The resolution honors the memory of the victims of the attack, as well as offers condolences to and expresses support for their families, friends, and community.

I am saddened and outraged by this hateful act. Unfortunately, anti- Semitic incidents have been on the rise--increasing 57 percent in 2017. This horrific shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue is yet another manifestation of this ancient hatred.

Congress stands united in condemning the deadly attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, remembering all who were taken from us on that fateful day, and wishing speedy recovery for those who survived. Last week, Members of Congress passed this bill, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans who oppose intolerance.

The freedom to worship is a core principle of this nation--one that our forefathers enshrined in our Constitution to protect us all from undue prosecution. As a Jewish Member of Congress, I stand ready to fiercely defend the right of all Americans to freely exercise their religious beliefs. With anti-Semitism on the rise, we must redouble our efforts to eradicate it at home and abroad.

I pray for the victims of the Tree of Life shooting and their families, and I know that our community will work to promote religious tolerance and freedom everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of this measure.

Let me, first of all, as I have so many times before, thank Chairman Royce for his leadership in advancing this lifesaving legislation, as well as Representative Smith, the bill's author.

I also want to acknowledge my friend from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, one of the lead sponsors not just of this bill, but of the 2003 legislation that originally authorized PEPFAR. She is the chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus and a tireless champion in the fight to end HIV/AIDS, and I salute her tremendous leadership. She was talking about this when very few people were, and look at what we have accomplished.

Fifteen years ago, the idea that we would one day talk about an ``AIDS-free generation'' would have seemed like fantasy. At the time, this disease had killed more than 20 million people,

another 42 million were infected, and a mere 50,000 people in Africa had access to lifesaving treatments that were still relatively new.

Enter PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the largest commitment by any country in the world to combat a single disease. Today, thanks to PEPFAR, 14 million men, women, and children are receiving treatment. More than 85 million people were tested for HIV last year. New diagnoses among young women and girls, a particularly vulnerable population, have dropped dramatically. And more than 2 million babies have been born HIV-free to mothers living with

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), one of the lead sponsors of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from California an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), who is a great advocate for those living with

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

Let me close and let me say that, as the sponsor of the last PEPFAR reauthorization in 2013, I am proud to be a part of this effort. And I again thank Chairman Royce; Congresswoman Lee; the chair and ranking member of our Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee, Representatives Smith and Bass; and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen as well.

I also thank Ambassador Deborah Birx, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, for her tireless work to ensure PEPFAR's success.

Mr. Speaker, over the last 15 years, PEPFAR has been nothing short of revolutionary. It is a humanitarian and global health triumph, with very few rivals across history, but it is still a work in progress.

An AIDS-free generation remains aspirational, certainly more within reach than it was a few years ago, but still a vision that we need to keep working for. If we reverse course, if we slash funding for these efforts, it would undermine our own efforts with foolish policies. We stand to lose so much of what has been achieved.

I am glad to support this bipartisan measure which would keep us on the right course, and I again urge the administration to agree with what Congress has done, not to cut funding in this much-needed help. I am pleased to support the bill. I ask all Members to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Donovan for his work on this resolution which reaffirms America's relationship with Liberia and calls for the Government of Liberia to hold accountable those who carried out mass violence and atrocities during the country's civil war in the 1990s. That war resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people and was marked by gross human rights violations.

In the wake of this conflict, the Liberian Government started working to investigate the horrific crimes committed during the war. In 2005, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission put forward recommendations to follow through on those efforts. But now, 10 years later, the Government of Liberia still hasn't fully implemented those recommendations.

Liberia, as the chairman pointed out, and the United States share close historical, political, and economic ties. We in the United States are committed to helping Liberia prosper as a stable democracy.

The 2017 elections were an important turning point. This was the country's first peaceful democratic transition of power since 1944. Today's measure rightly congratulates Liberia for this achievement.

For Liberia to fully move forward, it must deal with its past. So this resolution urges Liberia to implement the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There must be justice and accountability for the atrocities committed during Liberia's Civil War.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is a very important step to continue our strong relationship with Liberia, and I am happy to support it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I yield myself the balance of my time.

I again want to thank Mr. Donovan and Chairman Royce for their work on this effort. We want to ensure that the U.S. continues to enjoy its centuries-long relationship with Liberia.

The measure puts the United States on record again, once again, encouraging Liberia in the right direction toward democratic stability and accountability. So I urge all Members to support this resolution, and 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 resolution.

Let me thank Mr. Castro for introducing this measure underscoring the importance of U.S.-Australia bilateral cooperation in space. I am grateful for his leadership in bringing this next-generation issue to our attention in the House.

The United States and Australia already share deep bonds of cooperation:

We are treaty allies;

We share intelligence as Five Eyes partners;

We are engaged on a range of issues around the world, from defense, to trade, to development;

We share a deep cultural connection rooted in our common values of democracy and openness;

And, of course, this is a friendship quite literally forged in blood. Americans and Australians have fought and perished side by side in every war since World War I.

In July, the U.S.-Australia relationship entered its 100th year, and we celebrated together ``100 Years of Mateship.'' We are already thinking about our cooperation over the next 100 years, and the U.S.- Australia partnership in space research, exploration, and utilization will surely be a key area.

The days are gone when human activity in space was limited to great powers competing with one another. Today, with telecommunication and weather satellites floating overhead, space plays a major role in the day-to-day lives of people all over the world.

Of course, not all countries interested in space exploration share our interests and values when it comes to space. That is why we want to ensure that the values that have underpinned the U.S.-Australia partnership are also carried into our collaboration in the space domain.

This resolution reaffirms those values and the importance of this forward-looking partnership. I am pleased to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro), the author of this bill and a valuable member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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

Let me again thank Mr. Castro for putting forward this timely and important resolution. He has been a valued leader on policy on Asia and policy in Australia.

As we look to the future of U.S.-Australia relations over the next 100 years, I am confident that our countries will be able to expand our close collaboration in the critical domain of space exploration and research.

This resolution commends the Government of Australia for constituting the Australian Space Agency, which lays the foundation for our bilateral cooperation in space. It also underscores America's interests in prioritizing space cooperation in the years to come and in doing it with a good friend in Australia.

I support the passage of this resolution. I encourage my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Mr. McCaul for putting forward this important bill, which would authorize the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership. I want to also thank Congressman Keating for his hard work on this bill as well.

This interagency program was established in 2005 to help America's partners in the Sahel and Maghreb counter terrorism and violent extremism.

In places where instability leads to terrorism and conflict, it is important that we collaborate with our allies and that our policy is driven by united interagency effort. That is why this bill is so critical.

It requires the Secretary of State to work with the Secretary of Defense and the USAID administrator to create a comprehensive strategy. By coordinating our diplomatic, military, and development efforts at home and with partners abroad, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act strengthens our response to the international security threats facing these regions of Africa.

Mr. Speaker, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership is an important program that will enhance our international security efforts in an area that demands attention.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I, again, want to thank Mr. McCaul for his hard work on this measure and to Chairman Royce for moving it forward.

This bill authorizes a very important program that strengthens our efforts to assist partners in the Sahel and Maghreb to counter terrorism and violent extremism.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from New York, the Honorable Joseph D. Morelle, be permitted to take the oath of office today.

His certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to his election.

Mr. Speaker, as co-dean of the New York delegation, along with my colleague Congresswoman Lowey, the New York delegation is pleased to welcome our newest colleague, Joe Morelle, representing New York's 25th District in upstate New York.

Joe has been elected to the seat of our beloved and departed colleague Louise Slaughter. Joe hails from Irondequoit and, like myself, served in the New York State Assembly. He was elected to that body in 1990 and became majority leader in 2013.

He graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a bachelor's degree in political science and began his political career at age 28 as a Monroe County legislator. Congressman Morelle and his wife, Mary Beth, are well known and well loved, and we are so happy to have Joe Morelle as one of our colleagues.

Congratulations, Joe.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle).