[House Hearing, 114 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
SUPPORTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE TO FREELY ELECT THEIR
GOVERNMENT AND DETERMINE THEIR FUTURE; AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF JEWISH
COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
H. Res. 348 and H. Res. 354
__________
OCTOBER 9, 2015
__________
Serial No. 114-109
__________
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Washington, DC 20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California
DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
TED POE, Texas BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
MATT SALMON, Arizona KAREN BASS, California
DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
MO BROOKS, Alabama AMI BERA, California
PAUL COOK, California ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas GRACE MENG, New York
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
RON DeSANTIS, Florida TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
TED S. YOHO, Florida ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
CURT CLAWSON, Florida BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin
DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan
LEE M. ZELDIN, New York
DANIEL DONOVAN, New York
Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Page
MARKUP OF:
H. Res. 348, Supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to
freely elect their government and determine their future....... 2
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 348 offered
by the Honorable David Cicilline, a Representative in
Congress from the State of Rhode Island...................... 6
Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to
H. Res. 348 offered by the Honorable David Cicilline..... 10
H. Res. 354, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives
regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities in
Europe......................................................... 11
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 354 offered
by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in
Congress from the State of New Jersey........................ 21
APPENDIX
Markup notice.................................................... 38
Markup minutes................................................... 39
Markup summary................................................... 41
The Honorable Eliot L. Engel, a Representative in Congress from
the State of New York: Prepared statement...................... 42
SUPPORTING THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE TO FREELY ELECT THEIR
GOVERNMENT AND DETERMINE THEIR FUTURE; AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF JEWISH
COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE
----------
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 11:24 a.m. in
room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Ed Royce
(chairman of the committee) presiding.
Chairman Royce. The committee will come to order.
Pursuant to notice, we meet today to mark up two bipartisan
resolutions. Without objection, all members may have 5 days to
submit statements for the record and any extraneous materials
on today's business that you want to include there.
As you were all notified yesterday, we intend to consider
today's measures en bloc. And so without objection, the
following items previously provided to members will be
considered en bloc, and are considered as read: House
Resolution 348, supporting the right of the people of Ukraine
to freely elect their government and determine their future.
And with it, Cicilline amendment 200 in the nature of a
substitute to House Resolution 348, and Cicilline second degree
amendment 58 to the ANS.
Then we have House Resolution 354, expressing the sense of
the House regarding the safety and security of Jewish
communities in Europe, and Smith amendment 201 in the nature of
a substitute to the House Resolution 354.
[The information referred to follows:]
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Chairman Royce. And after recognizing myself and the
ranking member, I will be pleased to recognize any member
seeking recognition to speak on either of these measures.
So first, I want to thank Representative Cicilline for
introducing this resolution and for his commitment to the
people of Ukraine. In 2014, Mr. Cicilline, along with Ranking
Member Engel and committee members Poe and Lowenthal and
Frankel and me, traveled to Ukraine. We traveled to as far east
as we could fly, to Dnipropetrovsk, which is the Russian-
speaking part of Ukraine, and we heard the stories from the
perspectives of the local Russian-speaking Ukranians about this
conflict.
And what they told us was that Russia was trying to recruit
every skinhead and malcontent and bring them there. But they
said the accent is different. So those with a Muscovite accent,
we are arresting them, we are holding them in the brig until
the cessation of hostilities.
But they said what we are really concerned about is not
these Russian interlopers, what we are worried about are the
Russian forces, when they take the patches off, and Russian
Army. So what we need are anti-tank weapons, what we need is
the ability to buy equipment that if they attack
Dnipropetrovsk, which is on the border of Luhansk, if they
attack us in the Donetsk region, then we will be able to
defend.
And today, Russian aggression against Ukraine remains a
daily reality along that border region. The ongoing conflict
has taken the lives of 8,000 Ukranians. Moscow continues to
provide weapons and support to the separatists who control
large areas of eastern Ukraine. They feel they can deal with
the separatists, but they feel that their problem is the
regular Russian Army that is in that theater.
The so-called Minsk agreement lays out a series of steps to
bring peace to the region, including holding local elections in
Ukraine. The Ukrainian Government has scheduled those elections
for October 25. But they will not be held in those areas of
eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Russian-led separatists
because free and fair elections are not possible in Luhansk and
Donetsk.
However, the elections will go forward in the rest of the
country with independent observers to ensure they meet
international standards, and this resolution strongly supports
the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their
government, urges the administration to expedite assistance for
reforms to promote free and fair elections, and condemns
efforts by outside forces, especially the Russian Government,
from interfering in those elections.
And lastly, we turn to House Resolution 354, regarding the
safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe. Anti-
Semitism in Europe has been on the rise. The horrific loss of
life that occurred in the Paris and Copenhagen attacks
highlights the urgent need for European governments to better
protect their Jewish communities.
This timely resolution urges those governments in Europe to
consider several commonsense steps aimed at improving the
safety of Jewish citizens there, such as establishing
partnerships between law enforcement and Jewish community
groups in order to improve security plans, and including
training and the law enforcement response to anti-Semitic
violence.
The measure also encourages European nations to improve
communications among themselves, as well as with the U.S., and
to analyze trends in anti-Semitic crimes, and to share best
practices in combating extremism.
And I thank Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey for
authoring this important measure and for his long-time
commitment to promoting religious freedom around the world.
I now recognize the ranking member for his remarks.
Mr. Engel. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for
calling this markup. Let me say that I agree with every word
you said. I want to put my thoughts with yours. I know we are
short on time, so I will enter my full statement into the
record and issue it to the press.
But I fully support these measures, and am particularly
happy that our committee once again is advancing good
bipartisan legislation, as we have done so often. So I ask
unanimous consent that my statement be part of the record. I
wish everyone a happy holiday weekend, and I yield back.
Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Engel. We go now to Mr.
Smith of New Jersey.
Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I thank
you for bringing H. Res. 354 before the committee for markup
and for your leadership on human rights issues in general and
on combating anti-Semitism in particular.
Mr. Chairman, violent anti-Semitic attacks between 2013 and
2014 doubled, and in some European countries actually
quadrupled. H. Res. 354 focuses on essential actions needed to
prevent, mitigate, and respond to deadly anti-Semitic attacks
like those in Paris, Copenhagen, and Brussels.
Specifically, it urges the U.S. Government to encourage our
European allies to ensure they formally recognize, partner
with, and exchange information with Jewish community security
groups in their countries. There are excellent examples of this
in the United States, the United Kingdom, and in France. So
these best practices need to be replicated.
The resolution highlights the importance of European
governments supporting several key assessments and adjusting
their strategies and efforts to combat anti-Semitism
accordingly. It emphasizes the importance of European
governments developing public awareness and suspicious activity
campaigns like ``if you see something, say something''
initiatives, helping Jewish communities developing baseline
safety standards, and integrating efforts to combat violent
extremism and ones to combat anti-Semitism as appropriate.
H. Res. 354 stresses relevant training for law enforcement,
implementing declarations, decisions, and commitments related
to anti-Semitism in the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, and ensuring European
governments have mandated and resourced senior officials to
lead their anti-Semitism efforts.
Finally, the resolution affirms support for the mandate of
the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, a
position that I actually authored the amendment to create some
years ago, and urges the Secretary of State to continue strong
U.S. reporting on anti-Semitism.
H. Res. 354 is a blueprint for actions that are critical
for the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe and
for our government's engagement with our European allies to
combat anti-Semitism. The specific actions recommended here are
based on consultations with leading security experts who work
closely with European Jewish communities.
This resolution has broad bipartisan support. It is
cosponsored by 84 Members of Congress, including 23 members of
this committee. All of my fellow co-chairs of the bipartisan
Task Force on Combating anti-Semitism are original cosponsors,
including Ranking Member Eliot Engel, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ted
Deutch, who are members of this committee, and Nita Lowey, Kay
Granger, Peter Roskam, and Steve Israel. It also has the strong
support from many of the Jewish organizations.
I yield back, and again, I thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Smith. Mr. Cicilline of
Rhode Island.
Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank
you, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, for your strong
support and cosponsorship of House Resolution 348, and thank
you for scheduling a markup on both of these bills today.
House Res. 348 signals strong congressional support for
free elections in Ukraine. I thank my many colleagues on the
committee who have signed on as cosponsors as well. The
democratic and economic development of Ukraine in the face of
Russian aggression remains one of the most vital efforts the
United States could undertake to combat Russian intransigence
and show our unwavering commitment to promoting democracy and
human rights around the world.
The illegal and forceful occupation of Crimea and the
ongoing Russian support for separatists in eastern Ukraine are
an affront to international law and diplomacy. The Minsk II
agreement was an historic step toward potentially ending the
violence and unrest in the country. And it is now upon the
governments of Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and our
European allies as implementing partners to ensure its
successful execution.
A vital part of that implementation will be to hold free
and fair elections throughout Ukraine, including under the
terms of the agreement eventually in the Donbas region
controlled by Russian-led separatists. Ukraine has local
elections scheduled for most of the country except some
separatist-controlled areas for October 25.
This resolution demonstrates this Congress's unwavering
commitment to supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to
freely elect their government and determine their future. It
condemns any Russian attempts to interfere in Ukraine's
elections in any way, including through intimidation, violence,
or coercion.
During Ukraine's last elections, these tactics were used to
prevent Ukranians from voting in certain regions. This cannot
happen again. And any actions undermining these elections must
be met with swift and certain international condemnation. At
this delicate juncture in Ukraine's history, it is essential
that the United States and our European allies continue to
demonstrate steadfast support for Ukranian territorial
integrity, sovereignty, and the right of the Ukranian people to
participate in a free and fair electoral process.
Again, I thank my colleagues for their support and urge
them to support this resolution. And with that, I yield back.
Chairman Royce. Thank you. Mr. Chabot of Ohio.
Mr. Chabot. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to commend you
for bringing this legislation before the committee today.
Russian aggression continues to violate Ukraine's political and
economic sovereignty. And unfortunately, it has gone largely
unrebuked around the world. If stability and peace is ever to
be reestablished in Ukraine, it is vital that the people of
Ukraine have the freedom to choose their own representatives,
as well as take the necessary steps to ensure that their own
future, without the coercion and vicious tactics orchestrated
by Putin, is possible.
As the shining example of freedom and democracy, America
has a duty to support the Ukranians seeking constitutional
reform and free and fair elections. This measure recognizes
those realities and reasserts our support for the Ukranian
people to freely elect their own government. It is a timely
measure. I urge its adoption, and I yield back.
Chairman Royce. We go to Mr. Gerry Connolly of Virginia.
Mr. Connolly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to thank
you and the ranking member for adding H. Res. 348 to this
markup. And I want to thank the authors of the resolution. This
committee has spoken loudly about not only Ukraine, but about
Crimea as an integral part of the Ukraine, and that we are not
conceding. And I am glad to say that the nonrecognition act on
the Ukraine has in fact been incorporated into the defense
authorization bill.
It is vital that we speak firmly and we back it up with
sanctions and other measures so that Vladimir Putin never gets
the wrong impression about our acquiescence in a violent
military action that subverted the sovereignty of another
country. We will not accept that. Ever. And I think it is
really important this committee continues to speak with one
voice and as firmly as possible on a bipartisan basis. And
indeed we have.
So I thank Mr. Cicilline in particular for his leadership
on this resolution, and look forward to voting for it. And
thank you, Mr. Chairman, and you, Mr. Engel, the ranking
member, for your leadership as well.
Chairman Royce. And we go now to Mr. Dana Rohrabacher of
California.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Well, I hate to be the skunk at the lawn
party here, but let me just note that I do support the basic
goal of this legislation, which is to reaffirm that we believe
as Americans that the democratic process should be followed in
Ukraine, and that we are upset, and we know the great challenge
there that they have.
And certainly the first two whereases, ``strongly support
the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their
government and determine their future.'' Yes. Of course.
``Urges the administration to expedite assistance to Ukraine to
facilitate the political, economic, and social reforms
necessary for free and fair elections that meet international
standards.'' Yes. And there is no doubt about that. We want to
end the conflict and upheaval that is going on that is so
detrimental to all of the people of Ukraine and destabilizing
to Europe. And so this puts us on record.
Unfortunately, we can't seem to go on record doing that
without again giving Russia a kick in the pants, and basically
ignoring what started the destabilization of Ukraine in the
first place. Basically, we blame it, yes, Yanukovych was
president, whereas he fled the country. It doesn't say--it
doesn't start there. It doesn't start with Yanukovych fleeing
the country.
This whole episode that has destabilized Ukraine started
when violence, instigated by internal Ukranian opposition, as
well--and they were in coordination and consultation with other
foreign powers, meaning our European friends--created violence,
a violent situation that led to the destabilization of an
elected government.
We can close our eyes all we want, we can pretend this is
all Russia. Yanukovych was an elected government. There was
huge violence that was caused when he made a major policy
decision. Instead of letting the election take care of it, they
had massive, not just demonstrations, but we are talking about
massive violence.
And I know that there has been an effort to try to make,
oh, no, that was just Yanukovych attacking the demonstrators.
That was not what happened. We now have every evidence, I met
with a group of Ukranians just a couple nights ago, clearly,
what we have was violence against an elected government. And
Mr. Smith was there to see that Yanukovych was elected in a
fair election. And instead of waiting for the next election,
our European friends had to collude with forces inside of
Ukraine to create a destabilization of an elected government.
Now, the bottom line is that has not even been touched on
here. Everything is Russia's fault. Well, yes, when Yanukovych
fled and the elected government was overthrown, the fact is the
Russians did act, and I opposed that. I think when the Russians
sent troops in that was wrong. We have every reason to condemn
that. The Russians should not have sent troops in.
And yes, we need to call upon--what we have here is to make
sure that we are on the side of free elections, and that we
want to help the Ukranians. But then we condemn the part of
outside forces, specifically the Government of Russia, ignoring
the fact that other governments have been involved in
overthrowing an elected government.
Either we should leave that out or we should just say
``attempts by outside forces'' and leave out this little jab at
Russia. We are not going to make anything better by continuing
to jab Russia rather than looking at ways we can cooperate to
end the conflict in Ukraine.
Again, let's reach out--that is what happened in the Minsk
agreement, which the chairman already mentioned. The Minsk
agreement sets out a plan. And Russians agreed to it. Let's
work with them to see how we implement the plan rather than
kicking them in the pants.
Well, I am going to be opposing this, but I do think the
actual goal of this, which is to try to say we are behind free
elections and want Ukraine to come out of it, that certainly is
a worthy goal.
This, you know, doesn't--it is not going to achieve that.
It is going to actually achieve the opposite, because in Russia
it will be looked at as a slap in the face. Why should we ever
cooperate with these bums who are blaming it all on us and
forgetting the fact that an elected government in Ukraine was
overthrown?
So with that said, I stand in opposition, and I stand in
favor of the spirit of what you are trying to accomplish, but
this will not achieve your goal and go in the opposite
direction.
Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher. We go now to
Lois Frankel of Florida.
Ms. Frankel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a little change
of pace here. So Mr. Chairman, thank you. I am a cosponsor, a
proud cosponsor of both resolutions. I thank the authors.
And first, I want to just say in terms of House Resolution
348, that I found our trip to Ukraine was very enlightening,
and really highlighted the necessity for the free and fair
elections in order for Ukraine to regain its civility.
As to House Resolution 354, and Mr. Smith, I do thank you
again for that, and I do want to make a few remarks. Because I
want to add my concern for the safety and security of Jewish
communities in Europe. The rise of anti-Semitic incidents
throughout Europe in recent years is deeply troubling. In the
past 2 years, terrorists have murdered Jews in the capital
cities of Belgium, Denmark, and France. Jews and Jewish
institutions, synagogues, and schools across Europe have
suffered numerous violent attacks.
As a result of this threatening environment, according to
polls done by the ADL and other reputable organizations, more
than 40 percent of Jews in Belgium, France, and Hungary are
considering emigration. Journalists, scholars, and politicians
are debating whether there can be a future for the Jewish
community in Europe, where Jews are afraid to attend events in
holy sites, and where again, according to ADL, 20 percent of
European Jews have experienced at least one incident of anti-
Semitic physical attack or harassment.
Fortunately, educated observers believe that today's events
in Europe are not analogous to the 1930s Germany. Then, the
hatred, the persecution and extermination of Jews was state-
sponsored. In contrast, today's leaders across Europe are
working to stem the tide of anti-Semitism, and key European
leaders have spoken out against anti-Semitism and have taken
concrete actions to fight it.
With that said, however, I agree with those who believe
that this is a defining moment for Europe. Our European
partners' and allies' ability to confront anti-Semitism will
ultimately impact the very essence of the character of their
nations. And as the French prime minister stated, if Jews flee
in large numbers, the soul of the French Republic is at risk.
France will no longer be France.
And that is one of the reasons, of course, why House
Resolution 354 is so important. We must support European
governments, law enforcement agencies, and other entities to
bolster Jewish security and preparedness, tighten
communications with Jewish communities, and combat violent
extremism broadly with counterradicalization and education.
And ultimately, helping Europe stem the rising tide of
anti-Semitism means helping European nations to fulfill the
principles of democracy, human dignity, openness, and
pluralism, and the noble principals upon which these nations
were founded. I yield back.
Chairman Royce. Thank you. We go now to Congressman Poe.
Mr. Poe. I thank the chairman. I appreciate the words of my
friend from California, Mr. Rohrabacher, but I see this
completely different. The Russian bear invaded Georgia, gobbled
up one-third of the territory, and it is still in Georgia.
Still hungry for more land, it went into Crimea, took it,
claimed it as its own, and then still on the move, the bear
went into eastern Ukraine, where it is now. And we all know
that Russia now is in Syria, based on some faulty excuse.
Ukranians have the right to self-determination. This
resolution says the Ukranians will decide what their government
is going to be, not the Russians. Contrary to what Putin said,
the Napoleon of Siberia, Ukraine should decide about Ukraine,
not him.
So I think it is a good thing that the United States, a
country that believes in self-determination and democracy,
support the Ukraine and the Ukranians in their quest for really
not just elections, but to be rid of the invaders from Russia.
I think we ought to do more for Ukraine than the United States
has done. Besides sending them meals ready to eat, we ought to
help them defend their own sovereignty against Russia, which is
another issue.
This resolution is a good idea. America stands for
democracy and self-determination even for Ukranians. So I
totally support it, I am glad I am a cosponsor, and I
appreciate the chair and ranking member bringing this up before
the committee for a vote. I yield back.
Chairman Royce. Thank you, Judge. We go now to Mr. Brad
Sherman of California.
Mr. Sherman. I want to comment about both bills. I disagree
with a portion of what Dana Rohrabacher had to say for reasons
everybody else has already expressed. I agree with a portion of
what he said. He is right on the history, and that is a
democratic elected government reneged on a giant promise, and
instead of distributing campaign leaflets there was a regime-
threatening presence of large numbers of people. Woe be to our
state and Federal Governments if 1 million people will demand
extraconstitutional governmental changes each time politicians
renege on a promise. It has happened here, I am told.
There is one part of the resolution that I think we can all
agree on, and it may mean more if read in an American context.
We say we strongly support the right of the people of Ukraine
to freely elect their government. I turn to the gentleman from
Texas, Mr. Poe, and would say, as a Texan, would you think that
Texans were free to elect their government if your governor was
appointed by President Barack Obama rather than elected by the
residents of Texas? Would that be unpopular with the people in
your district?
Mr. Poe. It would be unpopular. It would be against the law
in our State. So we would follow what our law is. We need to
let the Ukranians make up their mind what their law is.
Mr. Sherman. I would say that. And at the same time, we
have a Federal system here in which people are free to elect
their own governor. And that has served us well, and perhaps
would serve as a model for the Ukraine. And certainly when
Americans say in a resolution ``free to elect their own
government,'' most ordinary Americans would think that that
would include electing your own governor.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Would the gentleman yield for a question?
Mr. Sherman. I will yield for a question.
Mr. Rohrabacher. So I understand they are going to have
their election and they have not agreed to permit their
governors to be elected. The local government will now be
appointed?
Mr. Sherman. I am not sure that that has been determined.
But there are certainly some in Kiev who think that the local
governor should be appointed. And I have urged our Ukranian
friends, especially in a country with such regional
differences, just as our country has regional differences. But
you are going to have to turn to other experts.
Mr. Rohrabacher. That should be in this bill. Mr. Chairman,
that should be in this bill.
Mr. Sherman. I will reclaim my time because I want to talk
about the anti-Semitism resolution. We would have more
credibility talking to the world about anti-Semitism if it
wasn't so prevalent on at least a few American campuses. On
some of our campuses, federally funded in large part, you are
told that you are not qualified to serve in student government
unless you agree that Israel should be abolished and the Middle
East should be ethnically cleansed of Jews.
Now, we do have a civil rights law, and Title VI requires
that those on campus not face anti-Semitism. But for anti-
Semitism to be fought, you need a definition of anti-Semitism.
The State Department has a definition of anti-Semitism. When we
criticize other countries for allowing anti-Semitic behavior or
engaging in anti-Semitic behavior, that is the definition we
use.
And I would hope that members of this committee would join
me in writing to the U.S. Department of Education and saying it
certainly undercuts our foreign policy when we tell other
countries this is the definition of anti-Semitism, you should
not allow--or you should protect Jews from this anti-Semitic
behavior, if we can't get the U.S. Department of Education to
agree with the same definition.
For us to have any credibility in the world on this issue,
the U.S. Department of Education needs to enforce the law. And
the first step in enforcing the law is defining the law. So I
hope to have a few cosigners for a letter. And I yield back.
Chairman Royce. Do any other members seek recognition?
Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question
occurs--oh, Mr. Trott.
Mr. Trott. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
Engel, for bringing these two resolutions forward.
I support H. Res. 348. The Cold War is back. The President
is largely insouciant toward Russian aggression. Someone has to
stand for freedom. And I hope that Russia is irritated by this
resolution, but I suspect they will be just largely amused.
I also support H. Res. 354. Anti-Semitism is rampant. Mr.
Sherman, I will be happy to sign that letter. It is a problem
on our college campuses. And I think calling attention to the
problem of Jewish safety and security is necessary. And I just
want to go on the record as also strongly supporting H. Res.
354. I yield back.
Chairman Royce. Any other member seeking recognition?
Hearing no further requests, the question occurs on the
items considered en bloc.
All those in favor, say aye.
All opposed, no.
In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the
measures considered en bloc are agreed to. And without
objection, House Resolution 348 and House Resolution 354 are
ordered favorably reported, as amended. And the staff is
directed to make any technical and conforming changes.
Also, without objection, the Chair is authorized to seek
House consideration of those measures under suspension of the
rules.
And that concludes our business for today. I thank Ranking
Member Engel and all of our committee members for their
contributions and assistance to today's markup. The committee
is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:55 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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