Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a Co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijani Caucus, to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan as it celebrates its 101st Republic Day on May 28, 2019. This important milestone marks the very first time a parliamentary democratic republic was established in any predominantly Muslim country.

Unfortunately, Azerbaijan's independence was short-lived, as it was soon occupied by the Soviets. Many Azerbaijanis lost their lives in 1920, trying to keep their independence alive and after years of living under Soviet rule re-gained their independence in 1991.

Since regaining its independence, Azerbaijan has become a key ally to the United States in a strategically important region. It is a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population that has been home to vibrant Christian and Jewish communities for over a millennium.

Azerbaijan continues to offer critical support for NATO operations in Afghanistan, particularly by enabling supplies to reach Coalition forces. Azerbaijan also provides vital support to U.S. nonproliferation efforts in a very tough neighborhood.

In addition to supporting U.S. security interests in the region, Azerbaijan plays an important role in contributing to the energy security of our European allies and Israel. It is very remarkable that roughly 40% of Israel's oil is provided by Azerbaijan.

I believe the U.S. should stand with Azerbaijan and work with them to strengthen their independence as our proven partner is subjected to substantial pressure from Russia and Iran.

It is my pleasure to encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring Azerbaijan on its 101st Republic Day and celebrate the robust U.S.- Azerbaijan partnership.

Madam Speaker, this week is National Police Week, a week the American people join hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers across the country to honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep our communities safe.

Words alone can never fully express our gratitude for the sacrifices that police officers and their families make to protect the rest of us. And too often, it takes a tragedy to realize just what is at stake, and what we owe to those who are willing to take that risk.

It's why I do all that I can as a Member of Congress to help give police officers the resources they need to do their job effectively and safely. For example, this week, we passed important legislation to reauthorize the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program. This important program helps protect the men and women who serve in law enforcement by giving states and localities the resources they need to ensure that all police officers have the proper equipment to keep them safe and help prevent line-of-duty deaths.

Every day and night, in cities and towns across America, the men and women who wear the uniform risk their lives to protect us as we go to school, to work, and spend time with our families.

And so, as we commemorate National Police Week, let's take a moment to thank those officers for their bravery, selfless dedication and tireless efforts to keep our communities safe.

To those who serve us, who wear the uniform, and the badge, and the gun, thank them for their service. I also thank them for their dedication and the sacrifices they and their families make to keep the rest of us safe. God bless them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 273, which reaffirms the United States commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act, or TRA.

As a longtime friend of the people of Taiwan, a founding co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and a cosponsor of this resolution, I want to thank Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul for their work to support our critical bilateral relationship with Taiwan.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, which together with President Reagan's Six Assurances, serve as the foundation for the relationship between our two countries, and I mean countries.

Since the TRA was signed in 1979, Taiwan has become a vibrant, consolidated democracy, one of our most important trading partners and a model in so many areas for the rest of Asia and the whole world, really.

Going forward, we must continue to implement the TRA and do better at fully appreciating the policy commitments it contains. With that in mind, I urge the President to immediately finalize an arms sales package with Taiwan as well as begin negotiations for a free trade agreement.

As China's influence grows, our commitment to Taiwan will be the bellwether of our commitment to democracy in Asia. We do not owe China a vote in how we treat Taiwan. If we are equivocal in our support for Taiwan in the face of Chinese pressure, how can we credibly support democracy and democratic values when they are threatened elsewhere?

I also want to voice my support for H.R. 2002, Ranking Member McCaul's Taiwan Assurance Act. This legislation takes important steps to advance our bilateral relationship, including support for arms sales and for Taiwan's participation in international organizations. It would also require a review of the State Department's, I believe, unreasonable guidelines for Taiwan's diplomatic staff here in the U.S.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I wish the legislation did not refer to the misguided U.S. One-China policy, but I understand that it was included as part of negotiations with the Senate.

Finally, the Taiwan Assurance Act requires a report on implementation of the Taiwan Travel Act, legislation that I introduced last Congress to increase high-level visits between U.S. and Taiwanese officials. Since the bill became law a little over a year ago, we have seen not enough action, and I believe that it is past time for full implementation of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, as we mark the TRA's 40th anniversary, H. Res. 273 and H.R. 2002 are critical to strengthening our enduring relationship with Taiwan as we look forward to the next 40 years, so I would urge my colleagues to support both of them.

Mr. Speaker, when I was reading the Cincinnati Enquirer online this morning, an article headline grabbed my attention: ``Last WW II Doolittle Raider dies.'' Lieutenant Colonel Dick Cole was 103 when he passed away Tuesday in Texas.

There were 80 Raiders, and the fifth last to survive was Tom Griffin, from my Cincinnati, Ohio, district, who was 96 when he died a couple of years ago. I had the honor of getting to know Tom well over the years. He was a wonderful guy, and, yes, he was a hero.

That is a term that gets used quite frequently nowadays; but Tom Griffin, and Dick Cole, and the other 78 brave Americans who took off that night from the USS Hornet truly were heroes.

Only months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, their daring feat gave America a much-needed shot in the arm that was a first and major step in winning that war.

Now these 80 courageous, gallant, patriotic Doolittle Raiders are all gone, but they will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act, legislation which protects the sanctity of life for the unborn by ensuring that infants who are born alive receive proper medical care, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the majority leader to immediately schedule consideration of the Born-Alive bill so we can stand up and protect the sanctity of human life, and I would ask all of my colleagues in this body to join in my request.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the historic March 19 announcement by former Kazakhstan President, Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, who voluntarily and peacefully resigned from his position as President and as the Head of State.

Kazakhstan's Constitution was prepared for such a scenario and calls for the Chairperson of the Senate of the Parliament to step in and take on the roles and responsibilities for the remainder of the President's term. This transition process, which will usher in the Chairman of the Senate, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as Head of State, is moving forward peacefully and with little to no disruption, as all parties involved remain committed to Kazakhstan's further development and prosperity, as well as serving as a stabilizing force in the region. Additionally, I call on President Tokayev to carry out the reforms necessary to hold free and fair elections in 2020, so that the people of Kazakhstan can continue to strengthen their democratic institutions.

For almost 30 years, Kazakhstan and the United States have worked diligently to build a strategic partnership based on mutual trust and cooperation on important issues such as economic investment, security, and cultural exchanges. Both Kazakhstan and the United States have made clear that this strategic partnership and friendship will continue to grow and expand under a new Head of State.

I applaud President Nazarbayev for his work to create a strong and lasting relationship with the United States. In 2018, the U.S. and Kazakhstan signed numerous economic agreements that have paved the way for more than 700 American companies to invest over $3.7 million in the last year alone. These investments support jobs and provide an economic boost for both of our economies. In partnership with American companies, Kazakhstan launched the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) in 2018, which serves as a trading and financing platform for foreign and domestic investors, allowing Kazakhstan to grow as a major financial hub in the region.

Kazakhstan and the United States have also been constructive partners in promoting security and stability around the world. Our two nations work together closely to support peace in Afghanistan and Central Asia through the Strategic Partnership Dialogue, joint-military efforts, and the C5+1 multilateral meetings. Additionally, President Nazarbayev was instrumental in Kazakhstan being the first Central Asian country to be elected to the United Nations National Security Council, providing a voice for the people of the region on a global stage.

The United States welcomes this peaceful transition of power in Kazakhstan as it remains a reliable and trusted partner in Central Asia and I congratulate Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on his new role.

Madam Speaker, the Cincinnati Moeller Crusaders have done it again, back-to-back Ohio Division I basketball champs 2 years in a row.

The Crusaders defeated the strong Akron Saint Vincent-Saint Mary team over the weekend, 52-44, to take the championship.

Moeller was undefeated this season going 29-0. In fact, going back to last season, it is their 49th win in a row in a league and a State known for great high school basketball teams.

As a graduate of a Greater Catholic League rival school, La Salle, I have to acknowledge that Moeller is strong in just about everything. In fact, my senior year at La Salle, Moeller was the only team to beat us in football, even with me anchoring the La Salle defensive line.

To Moeller's players, especially the seniors who will be graduating, the coaches, parents, teachers, and fans, congratulations. I wish them all the best in the future--unless, of course, they are playing my alma mater, La Salle.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address an issue that impacts all our congressional districts and communities: the opioid crisis.

For years now, it seems that the only news about it has been bad news: 70,000 overdose deaths in 2017, widespread importation of deadly drugs like fentanyl, families devastated, lives wasted.

But now, finally, some good news to report. In my district, specifically, in

Hamilton County, we have had a 20 percent decrease in opioid deaths in the first half of 2018.

The decline is the result of multiple prevention efforts, a task force of first responders, law enforcement, health officials, and community leaders all working together to tackle this deadly epidemic. Their efforts are truly saving lives in our community.

Most importantly, their successes can be used as a model to help save thousands and thousands of lives across the country. And I can't think of any better news than that.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 596, the Crimea Annexation Non-recognition Act, and I thank my good friend from Virginia, Representative Gerry Connolly, for his work and his leadership on this legislation and many other pieces of legislation that we have worked on in a bipartisan manner in this House.

They say there is no bipartisanship here, whether it is under Democratic or Republican control, and we found a way to make that happen on the Foreign Affairs Committee over the years.

As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the principal Republican cosponsor of this legislation, let me state clearly and emphatically that the United States--and the world, for that matter--must never recognize Vladimir Putin's reckless Crimean land grab, which is all too reminiscent of Soviet Cold War tactics.

This bill not only definitively sets out U.S. policy that we will not recognize Putin's bogus claims of sovereignty over Crimea, but it will also prohibit our government from taking any actions that might imply our recognition of Russian claims.

Representative Connolly and I first introduced this legislation back in 2014, shortly after Putin seized Crimea. Despite the intervening years, we must never grow accustomed to Russian control over the peninsula. That is one reason that makes this legislation even more vitally necessary, because over time, the world sometimes does grow accustomed to things. We must never let that happen with Putin's grab of Crimea.

Last May, Putin opened a bridge over the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from Crimea, in an attempt to better link it, to grab it and keep it. The bridge is too low for many large vessels, which has reduced economic activity at Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, thus further harming Ukraine. Even more concerning, in November, Putin's thugs illegally seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crews at the entrance to the Kerch Strait.

Plain and simple, Putin's illegal annexation of Crimea, as well as his adventures around the Kerch Strait and in Eastern Ukraine, have no place in a modern, democratic Europe. We must

not abandon Ukraine to Putin's bullying.

That is why I am pleased to cosponsor this legislation along with my friend, Mr. Connolly, which is but a step toward a once-again free Crimea.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we will never recognize Russian domination over the Crimean peninsula.

Madam Speaker, I rise in observance of the victims of the Khojaly Massacre, a barbarous atrocity committed against innocent Azerbaijani civilians. Tuesday, February 26, marked the 27th anniversary of this bloody episode.

The story is all too tragic. Khojaly, in the region of Nagorno- Karabakh, was surrounded by Armenian and Soviet troops in the fall of 1991. After bombarding the city these troops attacked on the night of February 25 and 26, killing 600 innocent Azerbaijanis, including elderly people, women, and children. Hundreds more were left severely disabled from the attacks. Over fifty people were killed with wanton brutality, many children lost parents, and eight whole families were wiped out.

Human Rights Watch described these attacks as a ``massacre'' and in a 1992 report stated that the attacks by Armenian and Soviet forces, ``deliberately disregarded [the] customary law restraint on attacks.'' This massacre remains the darkest chapter in the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict.

Unfortunately, the dispute over Nagorno Karabakh is still ongoing, despite the United States and the international community not recognizing the independent rule of the region and supporting a negotiated settlement. I call on all parties involved to find a peaceful resolution to this decades old conflict.

I encourage my colleagues to join with me and the Azerbaijani people as they remember this tragedy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in observance of the 29th anniversary of Black January, January 20, a historic and tragic day in the history of the country of Azerbaijan and to remember the lives lost at the hands of Soviet brutality 29 years ago.

On the night of January 20, 1990, 26,000 Soviet troops invaded the capital city of Baku and surrounding areas. As a result of this violent crackdown on the Azerbaijani people, more than 147 innocent civilians died, around 800 people were injured, and hundreds were arrested. This event has remained embedded in Azerbaijan's national history and in the minds of its citizens as ``Black January.'' This tragic event is seen as the rebirth of the Azerbaijan Republic.

This attack was a desperate attempt to squelch the independence movement that was gaining momentum in Azerbaijan and to rescue the totalitarian regime, the rule of Communist Party, and the whole Soviet Union. This attack, however, produced opposite results, further inflaming the independence movement in Azerbaijan as well as those in other Republics of the former Soviet Union.

Popular pressure led the country to break away from Soviet rule and declare its independence. On August 30, 1991, Azerbaijan's Parliament adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and on October 18, 1991, the Constitutional Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan was approved.

November 1991 marked the beginning of international recognition of Azerbaijan's independence. The United States was among the first nations to recognize the young country's independence when we established diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992 and opened an embassy in Baku in March.

Today, the U.S. and Azerbaijan share many interests and objectives for the region as we cooperate on a broad range of issues, especially energy development and security concerns.

I encourage my colleagues to join with me and the Azerbaijani people as they remember this tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 498, the Clean Up the Code Act of 2019. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for his support and his leadership in making this legislation possible.

Back in 2008, the Heritage Foundation published a report estimating that there were nearly 4,500 different Federal crimes in the U.S. Code. Five years later, the Judiciary Committee asked the Congressional Research Service to review the foundation's findings only to be told that it did not have the resources to fulfill our request. This is a clear indication that there are too many criminal laws on the books and the code needs to be cleaned up.

H.R. 498 eliminates nine provisions in Title 18, a good start, that in some instances have never been prosecuted since their enactment. For example, as has already been mentioned, the unauthorized use of the Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl will no longer be subject to criminal penalty if this bill is enacted.

This bipartisan legislation is aimed at doing exactly what the bill title says--clean up the code. If there were too many criminal laws for the CRS to count back in 2013, let's help them get rid of the easy ones by enacting this legislation. As I say, it is a good start. It isn't going to solve the whole problem, but it is a good start, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding, and I rise in support of H.R. 353, which would direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization.

I thank Mr. Yoho for his leadership on this important issue, and I thank Mr. Engel as well as my colleague from Texas (Mr. McCaul) for this as well. They have both been leaders on this for a long time.

As a long-time friend of Taiwan and strong supporter of our bilateral relationship, I believe it is essential that they be allowed to participate in the World Health Organization.

Taiwan has been routinely marginalized and barred from participation in multilateral organizations, despite being a model participant in the global community and routinely contributing to global health advancement.

Between 2008 and 2015, Taiwan was invited to participate as an observer at the annual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the governing body of WHO. Unfortunately, in its efforts to isolate President Tsai, China has effectively blocked Taipei from receiving an invitation for the past 3 years by erroneously tying Taiwan's participation to the so-called One China policy.

Beijing is playing politics with not only the health of Taiwan's people, but with the health of the entire international community because, as Mr. McCaul mentioned, the health of the world is linked, and so the PRC is essentially putting all our health at risk by being belligerent in this particular area.

This is particularly ridiculous because being an observer of WHA is not limited to countries, and so participation does not imply Taiwanese independence.

Furthermore, Taiwan should be allowed to participate on its own merits. It is a de facto country and should be treated as such, and it would be if it weren't for China's bullying. The sooner the world stops participating in Beijing's fiction that Taiwan is part of China, the better.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 353.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much. I appreciate him yielding. I just want to make sure that we recognize his leadership on this issue for such a long time. When I first came to the House, Henry Hyde was still here, and he was known as the father of the pro-life movement, at least in Congress, and Mr. Smith has taken that mantle from him, because he clearly is the leader amongst all of us here that have been trying to protect innocent unborn lives for many years now, so I thank the gentleman for that. He does a great job for the people of his district, but particularly on the pro-life issue on a national basis, so I thank him for that.

Madam Speaker, our colleague, Mr. Fortenberry, just mentioned he wanted to thank Mr. Smith also for always advocating on behalf of women, which he does.

I just wanted to make the point clearly that when there is an abortion, there are two victims, obviously the unborn child's life who is snuffed out before they really have an opportunity to come and experience life as we all do--they are alive, but they aren't necessarily conscious, obviously, and so miss out on 60, 70, 80, 90, maybe, plus years of life--but the mother is also a victim.

I have had many women who have had abortions, and ultimately later on, because of so much trauma they have had over their lives in dealing with it psychologically, have become strongly pro-life themselves, and I have met them at many, many different pro-life events.

Madam Speaker, I also want to thank all those students and teachers and parents and clergy who will be once again here this year marching for the cause of life.

This happens every year. It doesn't get a lot of attention by the media, unfortunately. Oftentimes there will be a dozen or a couple of dozen protesters, and they will have equal coverage to the 100,000 or more pro-life folks that will be here. It is a disgrace that that happens, but I have seen it literally over the years happen.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Brad Wenstrup. He and I together will be joining with those pro-life folks tomorrow, and we will have at least 1,000 or so from our area. Our folks will be coming from Cincinnati and from Hamilton and Warren Counties back in Ohio. I want to thank them for coming.

As Mr. Smith mentioned, I was involved and have been involved in my 23 years here in Congress. In fact, I wanted to get on the Judiciary Committee because I knew that was the committee where a lot of pro-life legislation originates.

So working my way up on that committee, I chaired the Constitution Subcommittee and introduced two pieces of pro-life legislation that became law. One was the Born Alive Infant Protection Act.

We had people who have worked in abortion mills who would come in, and they would say they saw instances where a baby would be unexpectedly born alive, a later-term abortion, and they were found in a sink, in a closet, in a soiled utility area and weren't getting any kind of what we would basically give as humane treatment to animals. Human beings at an early stage of life were just being left there.

Now, as a result of that bill, which President Bush signed into law, they have to at least get dignity. They don't have to take extraordinary measures to keep them alive, but they at least have some human dignity.

Then following up from that was the bill that we mentioned, the ban on partial-birth abortion, a particularly gruesome form of abortion, which is now banned. We think 30,000 or so a year doesn't happen. That is the good news.

The bad news is all abortions are pretty horrific, whether they use some salt solution or whether they are literally dismembered and pulled out piece by piece. They are all horrible, whatever stage they are, because they are snuffing out that life.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank some of my colleagues for promoting additional legislation, for example, the Pain-Capable, which essentially says that if the baby can experience pain, which we think is around 20 weeks, that you can't go beyond that; most of us say not at earlier stages as well, but at least by that stage; or when there is a heartbeat, that we should also, if you detect a heartbeat, protect that child. And we ought to protect all these children.

I will just conclude with this. Roe v. Wade happened on January 22, 1973. That was the date that decision came out. January 22 is always kind of a special date, and that is when people are coming up for that date. That is the day I was born. My birthday is January 22. That was my 20th birthday in 1973, because I was born in 1953, but every day when my birthday comes around, I always think of all of those millions of children, we think about 61 million now, whose mothers made a different decision, and so they have not experienced the life that we all have been given the opportunity to experience.

So let's do everything we can to protect those innocent unborn lives.

Madam Speaker, I again thank Congressman Smith very much for his hard work in this area, and all the other Members involved.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 116, the Investing in Main Street Act of 2019.

Small businesses across the country are reporting increased confidence and heightened optimism. Despite these improving economic conditions for the Nation's true job creators, many of them are still facing hurdles when it comes to accessing capital to grow and expand their operations.

To assist small businesses with their financing needs, the SBA, Small Business Administration, offers the Small Business Investment Company program, also known as the SBIC program.

While currently running on a zero-cost subsidy to the American taxpayer, the SBIC program increases access to long-term capital through a private equity financing model. SBICs are privately owned but licensed and regulated by the SBA.

The Investing in Main Street Act of 2019 provides a simple and commonsense solution to a limitation that is holding back growth within the SBIC program.

Currently, financial institutions and savings associations are prohibited from investing more than 5 percent of capital or surplus in an SBIC. In order to assist small businesses as they seek capital, H.R. 116 increases the 5 percent limitation to 15 percent, subject to the approval of the financial institution's regulator.

In the 115th Congress, an identical bill was favorably reported out of the Small Business Committee, unanimously, and passed on the House floor via voice vote.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for continuing their work on this legislation. As always, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) the now-chairman of the Small Business Committee, for advancing this bipartisan bill that will further improve the SBIC program.

Small businesses, from Ohio to Texas to California, are transforming towns and communities across the country. They are building the Nation's newest products and offering the newest services, all while constantly innovating. They are nimble, swift, and often very flexible. We must work together to create an environment where they are free to grow and create jobs.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, the Investing in Main Street Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentlewoman for working with us on this. The SBIC program invests in small firms across the country, providing them with the working capital they need to create and innovate new products and new technologies.

This bipartisan legislation passed the House, as we mentioned before, unanimously last Congress, and it removes a restriction that has hindered the growth of the SBIC program. It will allow it to grow and support more firms all across America, from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon.

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