[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MARKUP OF H.R. 6986, 7990, 7673,
8409, 4507, 8428, 8405, 8259, 4636,
4326, 7954, 8438, H.Res. 1012, 697,
1100, 751, 1077, 672, 17, 823, 996,
958, 825, 1121, 1115, 768, 1150, 1145
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
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OCTOBER 1, 2020
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Serial No. 116-110
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/, http://
docs.house.gov,
or http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
41-964PDF WASHINGTON : 2022
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York, Chairman
BRAD SHERMAN, California MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas, Ranking
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York Member
ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida JOE WILSON, South Carolina
KAREN BASS, California SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania
WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts TED S. YOHO, Florida
DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois
AMI BERA, California LEE ZELDIN, New York
JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas JIM SENSENBRENNER, Wisconsin
DINA TITUS, Nevada ANN WAGNER, Missouri
ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York BRIAN MAST, Florida
TED LIEU, California FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania BRIAN FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania
DEAN PHILLPS, Minnesota JOHN CURTIS, Utah
ILHAN OMAR, Minnesota KEN BUCK, Colorado
COLIN ALLRED, Texas RON WRIGHT, Texas
ANDY LEVIN, Michigan GUY RESCHENTHALER, Pennsylvania
ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, Virginia TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee
CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania GREG PENCE, Indiana
TOM MALINOWSKI, New Jersey STEVE WATKINS, Kansas
DAVID TRONE, Maryland MIKE GUEST, Mississippi
JIM COSTA, California
JUAN VARGAS, California
VICENTE GONZALEZ, Texas
Jason Steinbaum, Staff Director
Brendan Shields, Republican Staff Director
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C O N T E N T S
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Page
Bills and Amendments offered en bloc
H.R. 6986, Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act........... 4
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 6986 offered by
Mrs. Wagner.................................................... 23
H.R. 7990, FENTANYL Results Act.................................. 37
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 7990 offered by
Mr. Trone...................................................... 47
H. Res. 1012, Recognizing the 70th Anniversary of the Outbreak of
the Korean War and the Transformation of the United States-
Korea Alliance into a Mutually Beneficial, Global Partnership.. 57
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 1012 offered
by Mr. Bera.................................................... 62
Amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.
Res. 1012 offered by Mr. Bera.................................. 67
H. Res. 697, Recognizing the Significance of a Genuine Autonomy
of Tibet and the Tibetan People and the Work His Holiness the
14th Dalai Lama has Done to Promote Global Peace, Harmony, and
Understanding.................................................. 68
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 697 offered by
Mr. Yoho....................................................... 71
H. Res. 1100, Reaffirming the Strategic Relationship Between the
United States and Mongolia and Observing the 30th Anniversary
of Democracy in Mongolia....................................... 77
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 1100 offered
by Ms. Titus................................................... 84
H. Res. 751, Reaffirming the Partnership Between the United
States and the African Union and Recognizing the Importance of
Diplomatic, Security, and Trade Relations...................... 92
H. Res. 1077, Expressing the Sense of the House of
Representatives on the Continued Importance of the United
States-Lebanon Relationship.................................... 96
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 1077 offered
by Mr. Deutch.................................................. 101
H.R. 8409, Department of State Student Internship Program Act.... 107
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 8409 offered by
Mr. Castro...................................................108, 120
H.Res.672, Expressing Support of the Three Seas Initiative in its
Efforts to Increase Energy Independence and Infrastructure
Connectivity Thereby Strengthening the United States and
European National Security..................................... 127
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 672 offered by
Mr. Kinzinger.................................................. 131
H.Res.17, Expressing Concern Over the Detention of Austin Tice,
and for Other Purposes......................................... 136
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 17 offered by
Mr. McCaul..................................................... 140
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 17 offered by
Mr. Wilson..................................................... 145
H.Res.823, Condemning the Government of Iran's State-sponsored
Persecution of its Baha'i Minority and its Continued Violation
of the International Covenants on Human Rights................. 146
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 823 offered by
Mr. Deutch..................................................... 152
H.Res.996, Expressing the Sense of Congress That the Activities
of Russian National Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his Affiliated
Entities Pose a Threat to the National Interests and Security
of the United States and of its Allies and Partners............ 159
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 996 offered by
Mr. Engel...................................................... 165
H.Res.958, Condemning the Practice of Politically Motivated
Imprisonment and Calling for the Immediate Release of Political
Prisoners in the Russian Federation and Urging Action by the
U.S. Government to Impose Sanctions With Respect to Persons
Responsible for That Form of Human Rights Abuse................ 171
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 958 offered by
Mr. Engel...................................................... 177
Amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.
Res. 958 offered by Mr. Engel.................................. 183
H.R. 8428, Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act of 2020..... 184
H. R. , To Divert the Department of State to Ensure Persons
Representing the United States in International Athletic
Competitions in Certain Countries are Appropriately Informed,
and for Other Purposes......................................... 207
H.R. 8405, American Values and Security in International
Athletics Act.................................................. 207
H.R. 8259, To Prohibit Russian Participation in the G7, and for
Other Purposes................................................. 214
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 8259 offered by
Mr. Meeks...................................................... 219
H.Res.825, Recognizing the Importance of Entry Into Force of the
Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, NPT......... 224
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 825 offered by
Mr. Sherman.................................................... 230
H.R. 4636, Partnering and Leveraging Assistance to Stop Trash for
International Cleaner Seas Act................................. 235
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. R. 4636 offered by
Mr. McCaul..................................................... 244
Amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R.
4636 offered by Mr. Reschenthaler.............................. 252
H. Res.1121, Urging the Government of Burma to Hold Free, Fair,
Inclusive, Transparent, Participatory, and Credible Elections
on November 8th, 2020.......................................... 253
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 1121 offered
by Mr. Levin................................................... 261
H.Res. 1115, Calling for the Immediate Release of Trevor Reed, a
United States Citizen who was Unjustly Sentenced to 9 years in
a Russian Prison............................................... 262
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 1115 offered
by Mr. McCaul.................................................. 267
H.Res.768, Calling on African Governments to Protect and Promote
Human Rights Through Internet Freedom and Digital Integration
for all Citizens Across the Continent of Africa................ 271
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 768 offered by
Ms. Bass....................................................... 277
H.Res. 1150, Urging the Government of Cote d'Ivoire, Opposition
Leaders, and all Citizens to Tespect Democratic Principles,
Refrain From Violence, and Hold Free, Fair, Transparent, and
Peaceful Elections in October 2020............................. 282
H.Res. 1145, Condemning the Poisoning of Russian Opposition
Leader Alexei Navalny and Calling for a Robust United States
and International Response..................................... 287
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 1145 offered
by Mr. Malinowski.............................................. 293
H.R. 4236, Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act.................. 300
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 4326 offered by
Mrs. Wagner.................................................... 305
H.R. 7954, Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation
Reauthorization Act of 2020.................................... 309
H.R. 8438, to Reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004...... 311
H. R. 4507, to Protect Saudi Dissidents in the United States, and
for Other Purposes............................................. 337
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. R. 4507 offered by
Mr. Connolly................................................... 348
Amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute toH. R.
4507 offered by Mr. Connolly................................... 358
Amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. R.
4507 offered by Mr. McCaul..................................... 359
H.R. 7673, to Ensure the United States Diplomatic Workforce at
all Levels Reflects the Diverse Composition of the United
States......................................................... 402
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 7673 offered by
Ms. Bass....................................................... 414
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 7673 offered by
Mr. Zeldin..................................................... 434
APPENDIX
Hearing Notice................................................... 542
Hearing Minutes.................................................. 545
Hearing Attendance............................................... 546
STATEMENTS FOR THE RECORD
Statements for the record........................................ 547
INFORMATION FOR THE RECORD
Information for the record....................................... 554
SUMMARY
Markup summary................................................... 556
MARKUP OF H.R. 6986, 7990, 7673, 8409, 4507, 8428, 8405, 8259, 4636,
4326, 7954, 8438, H.Res. 1012, 697, 1100, 751, 1077, 672, 17, 823, 996,
958, 825, 1121, 1115, 768, 1150, 1145
Thursday, October 1, 2020
House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Washington, DC,
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:20 a.m., in
room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Eliot Engel
(chairman of the committee) presiding.
Mr. Engel. The Committee on Foreign Affairs will come to
order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a
recess of the committee at any point. Pursuant to Committee
Rule 4, the chair may postpone further proceedings on approving
any measure or matter or adopting an amendment.
Without objection, all members will have 5 days to submit
statements or extraneous material subject to the length
limitations in the rules on today's business. To insert
something into the record, please have your staff email the
previously mentioned address, or contact full committee staff.
As a reminder, the members, staff, and all others
physically present in this room, per guidance from the Office
of Attending Physician, masks must be worn at all times during
today's markup except when a member is speaking at a
microphone. Please also sanitize your seating area. The chair
views these measures as a safety issue and, therefore, an
important matter of order and decorum for this proceeding.
As a reminder to members joining remotely, please keep your
video function on at all times even when you are not recognized
by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and unmuting
themselves, and please remember to mute yourself after you
finish speaking. Consistent with H.Res. 965 and the
accompanying regulations, staff will only mute members, as
appropriate, when they are not under recognition, to eliminate
background noise.
I see that we have a quorum. As members were notified
yesterday, we intend to first consider 26 measures and their
amendments en bloc, then we will move on to consider the
remaining measures and their amendments. Any roll call votes
will be rolled to the end of the markup.
Pursuant to the notice, for purposes of markup, I now call
up the measures and their amendments that were previously
circulated to member offices, which, without objection, will be
considered en bloc and each measure is considered as read, and
the amendments to each are considered as read and are agreed
to.
Without objection, after remarks, the committee will vote
to order the measures favorably reported en bloc, as amended,
if amended, and each amendment on to each bill shall be
reported as a single amendment in the nature of a substitute.
The measures in the en bloc package are: H.R. 6986,
Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act; H.R. 7990,
FENTANYL Results Act; H.Res.1012, Recognizing the 70th
anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and the
transformation of the United States-Korea Alliance into a
mutually beneficial, global partnership.
H.Res.697, Recognizing the significance of a genuine
autonomy of Tibet and the Tibetan people and the work His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has done to promote global peace,
harmony, and understanding; H.Res.1100, Reaffirming the
strategic relationship between the United States and Mongolia
and observing the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia;
H.Res.751, Reaffirming the partnership between the United
States and the African Union and recognizing the importance of
diplomatic, security, and trade relations.
H.Res.1077, Expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives on the continued importance of the United
States-Lebanon relationship; H.R. 8409, Department of State
Student Internship Program Act; H.Res.672, Expressing support
of the Three Seas Initiative in its efforts to increase energy
independence and infrastructure connectivity thereby
strengthening the United States and European national security.
H.Res.17, Expressing concern over the detention of Austin
Tice, and for other purposes; H.Res.823, Condemning the
Government of Iran's State-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i
minority and its continued violation of the International
Covenants on Human Rights; H.Res.996, Expressing the sense of
Congress that the activities of Russian national Yevgeniy
Prigozhin and his affiliated entities pose a threat to the
national interests and security of the United States and of its
allies and partners.
H.Res.958, Condemning the practice of politically motivated
imprisonment and calling for the immediate release of political
prisoners in the Russian Federation and urging action by the
U.S. Government to impose sanctions with respect to persons
responsible for that form of human rights abuse; H.R. 8428,
Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act of 2020; H.R. 8405,
American Values and Security in International Athletics Act.
H.R. 8259, To prohibit Russian participation in the G7, and
for other purposes; H.Res.825, Recognizing the importance of
entry into force of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of
Nuclear Weapons, NPT; H.R. 4636, Partnering and Leveraging
Assistance to Stop Trash for International Cleaner Seas Act;
H.Res.1121, Urging the Government of Burma to hold free, fair,
inclusive, transparent, participatory, and credible elections
on November 8th, 2020.
H.Res.1115, Calling for the immediate release of Trevor
Reed, a United States citizen who was unjustly sentenced to 9
years in a Russian prison; H.Res.768, Calling on African
governments to protect and promote human rights through
internet freedom and digital integration for all citizens
across the continent of Africa; H.Res.1150, Urging the
Government of Cote d'Ivoire, opposition leaders, and all
citizens to respect democratic principles, refrain from
violence, and hold free, fair, transparent, and peaceful
elections in October 2020.
H.Res.1145, Condemning the poisoning of Russian opposition
leader Alexei Navalny and calling for a robust United States
and international response; H.R. 4236, Sex Trafficking Demand
Reduction Act; H.R. 7954, Tropical Forest and Coral Reef
Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2020; H.R. 8438, to
reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.
[The Bills and Amendments offered en bloc follow:]
bill en bloc
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mr. Engel. I recognize myself now to speak on the en bloc
package. I support all these bipartisan measures and am
grateful to all our members on both sides of the aisle for
their hard work. The legislation we are considering covers a
massive range of global concerns from Iran's persecution of
religious minorities to the challenge posed by fentanyl and
other synthetic drugs to cleaning up our oceans. I will mention
a few in particular.
Let me start with a bill introduced by Mr. Meeks, Mr.
Kinzinger, and others that would set a red line about our
expectations of Russian behavior. More than 6 years after
Russia was kicked out of the G8 for invading Ukraine, it has
only grown bolder and more aggressive. This bill would prohibit
any funding for Russian participation in the G7 or a
reconstituted G8 unless Russia, among other things, stops its
efforts to meddle in our elections--that is the U.S.
elections--and ends its occupations of sovereign Ukrainian and
Georgian territory. I strongly support this measure and hope
all my colleagues will do the same.
Next, I will turn to the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights,
and Sovereignty Act from Mr. Smith who has worked on these
issues for years and years. This timely bill updates existing
law to account for the most recent fraudulent elections and
violent crackdowns by the Lukashenko regime. This bill would
reauthorize assistance efforts, target offenders in the August
Presidential election with sanctions, and help ensure we have a
unified approach to Belarus with our partners and allies.
I am also proud to support these resolutions relating to
Russia's aggressive and abusive behavior inside Russia and
around the world. These condemn the poisoning of Russian
opposition leader Alexai Navalny, underscore the absolutely
rampant political imprisonments in Russia, and put the House on
record saying that Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliates,
individuals all closely linked to election interference
efforts, pose a threat to the United States and allied security
and interests. I am glad that we have so many bipartisan
measures today dealing with the serious challenge that Russia
poses.
We also have a resolution from Mr. LaHood and Ms. Shalala
recognizing the importance of the friendship between the United
States and Lebanon. And I am glad Mr. Deutch offered an
amendment that recognizes the tragic explosion in Beirut that
has left Lebanon in shambles. In the wake of this tragedy, the
Lebanese people are demanding greater accountability from their
government. I stand with them and I urge support for this
measure.
Next, Mr. Green's resolution calls attention to the
continued detention of American journalist Austin Tice and
American doctor Majd Kamalmaz. They have been gone from their
families for too long. Let me be clear, this resolution in no
way seeks to legitimize the brutal Assad regime in Syria or
their tactics of using American hostages as leverage. In fact,
it is the opposite. Any regime that holds innocent civilians
hostage for political purposes lacks any legitimacy whatsoever.
Let me thank Mr. Malinowski for this bill that would
provide Hongkongers fleeing oppression from the Chinese
Government the opportunity to participate in American society.
With China's passage of a national security law to undermine
Hong Kong's autonomy and put many Hongkongers in jeopardy, it
is vital that we not close our doors to those who may seek
refuge in our country.
I was glad to join as an original co-sponsor of Mr. Levin's
resolution urging the Government of Burma to ensure a free,
fair, inclusive, and credible election on November 8th. This is
another chance for Burma to move toward a democratic society in
which all citizens are equally protected and enfranchised. This
resolution calls on social media companies to make sure their
platforms are not used to spread disinformation or
misinformation or hate speech, and that is happening in Burma,
here in the United States, and everywhere else.
I am also glad to support Mr. Phillips' measure calling for
a free, fair, transparent, and peaceful election in Cote
d'Ivoire. There has been a history of violence surrounding
political transitions in Cote d'Ivoire. This measure reaffirms
the ties between our countries and underscores our support for
the Ivoirian people if they stand up for peace and democracy.
We also have a resolution from Chairwoman Bass and Mr.
Smith calling on African governments to promote human rights
through internet freedom. Too often, we have seen governments
use internet shutdowns as a way to stifle dissent, oftentimes
of unrest or around elections. In Africa, this problem has
gotten worse in recent years. This measure emphasizes the
importance of open and secure internet access as a way to
promote human rights and free speech.
I strongly support all the measures we are considering
today and I urge all members to do the same. And I will now
recognize our ranking member, my friend Mr. McCaul of Texas,
for his remarks.
Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for having this
markup. Today--over the last 21 months I have been proud to
work with you on countless measures including those we will
consider here today. I know this will not be my last
opportunity, but I want to say thank you, Chairman Engel, for
advancing so many important bipartisan measures and for your
personal friendship.
And I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that
you will be missed. I just hope the next Congress can work as
bipartisan as this one has, because if we do not, we do not get
anything done. That is the one thing I have learned in eight
terms of Congress, if you do not work across the aisle
effectively, it is really hard to get good things done for the
American people and that is what the American people really
want. And you have been a shining example of that, sir, and it
has been an honor to serve with you.
Mr. Engel. Thank you.
[Applause.]
Mr. Engel. Thank you.
Mr. McCaul. I would like to start by discussing an issue
very close to my heart, an issue close to the heart of many
Texans and Americans. Today, we are considering a resolution
introduced by Mr. Conaway and myself, calling for the release
of Trevor Reed, a Texan and former U.S. Marine, who is being
held as a political prisoner in Russia.
Earlier this month, I was joined by Trevor's mother, Paula,
when we introduced the resolution. She told me about her son,
an Eagle Scout and former U.S. Marine who had served his
country with distinction. She told me how he was pursuing the
American dream and that the Putin regime had taken that away
from him when he sentenced Trevor to 9 years in a Russian labor
camp on baseless charges.
Passing this resolution will show that we in the Congress
are committing to standing with Trevor, Paula, and his entire
family every day until we can finally bring Trevor home and
give him back his future. This resolution will also send a
strong message to the Putin regime that America will not stand
idly by as Putin and his cronies hold U.S. citizens as
political pawns.
I will also be offering an amendment today on a resolution
calling for the release of Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz, two
Texans who have been wrongfully detained in Syria for many,
many years. I have met with Austin Tice's parents many times
and have seen the pain in their eyes as they describe the 8
years they have spent trying to bring their son home while he
sits in a Syrian prison in the worst conditions.
I want to thank the administration for doing everything
they have done to bring home Trevor, Austin, Majd, and all the
Americans detained abroad. Congress will not rest and I will
not rest until they have been safely reunited with their
families.
Today, we will be considering 28 measures, total. And while
we, unfortunately, could not agree on all of them, even the
bills where we disagree on the details, we agree on the
problems we face. And while I cannot highlight all the good
bills we will be considering, I want to thank some of my
Republican colleagues for working on several bills for the
markup. Specifically, Ms. Wagner for her work on the Sex
Trafficking Demand Reduction Act; Mr. Chabot for his work on
the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation and
Reauthorization Act; and Mr. Smith for his work on
reauthorizing the Belarus Democracy Act.
I am also pleased that we will be considering two bills I
introduced with Chairman Engel, the PLASTICS Act and the
American Values and Security in International Athletics Act.
The Partnering and Leveraging Assistance to Stop Trash for
International Cleaner Seas or PLASTICS Act would authorize the
State Department and USAID to prioritize efforts to improve
waste management systems and prevent and reduce plastic waste
in developing countries.
Every year, eight million metric tons of plastic enter the
oceans through the rivers. China contributes the largest share
of this mismanaged waste, followed by other developing
countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and
Vietnam. This bill prioritizes U.S. leadership and supports
partnerships with the private sector in order to support
market-based solutions and leverage private capital. Our work
to combat plastic waste is an investment in future generations
and the health of our oceans and communities.
The American Values and Securities in International
Athletics Act would direct the State Department to establish a
briefing program for American athletic delegations on human
rights and privacy concerns in certain countries. The Chinese
Communist Party used the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics to
whitewash its image and now is set to host the 2022 Winter
Olympics. Ensuring Team USA is appropriately informed about
human rights issues and intrusive surveillance will help
prevent the CCP from using the Olympics to generate undeserved
positive publicity.
The Chinese Communist Party is the greatest long-term
national security threat to the interests of the United States
of America. The American people have woken up to their malign
influence, and yesterday Republicans released our policy
blueprint to address their harmful behavior, two-thirds of
which, Mr. Chairman, are bipartisan bills. And I look forward
to working with my friends across the aisle to help address
this generational challenge.
So with that, Chairman Engel, I again want to thank you for
holding this markup and for your leadership and also your
friendship. I ask unanimous consent, also, to enter into the
record a statement by Mr. Conaway on the Trevor Reed
resolution.
Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. McCaul.
Because of the hybrid, virtual format of this markup, I
will recognize members by committee seniority, alternating
between Democrats and Republicans for the purpose of speaking
on the en bloc package. If you miss your turn to speak on the
en bloc, please let our staff know and we will circle back to
you. If you seek recognition, you must unmute your microphone
and address the chair verbally.
Does anyone wish to speak on the en bloc?
Mr. Sherman.
Mr. Sherman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you
for bringing forward an impressive group of bipartisan measures
for the committee to consider, for working behind the scenes to
make sure that those measures were bipartisan and that the
committee will do a tremendous amount of work today. But I
especially want to join the ranking member in praising you for
your decades of service to this House and for your last 2 years
of leadership of this committee.
I support all the measures that we are considering today. I
have co-sponsored most of them. I particularly want to thank
the chairman for bringing forward so many of my bills this
Congress, and in particular H.Res.825 urging the United States
to continue to be a leader on the Nonproliferation Treaty and
the entire global nonproliferation regime.
This is the 50th anniversary of the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty, the NPT, going into effect. Certainly,
in the years after World War II, most political scientists and
theorists would have thought we would have fought several
nuclear wars by now. But, in fact, I believe the NPT has been
the most important diplomatic accomplishment in our lifetimes.
And while there are nine nuclear countries, without the NPT
there would be scores of nuclear countries.
There are a number of pressing nonproliferation challenges
today and U.S. leadership will continue to be indispensable.
This resolution calls for the U.S. to continue leading on
issues of nonproliferation, including encouraging full
compliance, promoting universal adoption of the additional
protocol, discouraging the unlawful spread of uranium
enrichment and reprocessing technologies, preventing a
withdrawal of additional States, maintaining global moratoria
on nuclear explosive testing, and building toward a 2021 NPT
Review Conference.
I have enjoyed working with Mr. Chabot and joining with him
on the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation
Reauthorization Act. This debt-for-nature program has been a
critical tool to protect tropical rainforests and coral reefs.
This will extend the program through 2025. Our climate crisis
is real and this is part of a response to that crisis.
A number of us have thought that the full committee should
focus more on Africa and we begin to do that today by
considering four pieces of legislation, three from the chair of
the African Subcommittee, and I commend Karen Bass for the
three bills that she has brought forward today.
I also want to thank Dean Phillips for his important
resolution addressing the upcoming election in Cote d'Ivoire,
H.Res.1150. It is important for the government there to
publicly commit itself to free, fair, peaceful, and transparent
elections, elections which upon the conclusion will lead to the
winner assuming peacefully the reins of government. I believe
it is outside the jurisdiction of this committee to pass a
resolution saying the same thing about the United States, but
let me take this opportunity to say that fair, free, peaceful
elections and peaceful transfers of power are to be admired
everywhere in the world.
I want to commend Dina Titus for her work on H.Res.1100,
affirming the strategic partnership with Mongolia, and Tom
Malinowski for his important bill, the Hong Kong People's
Freedom and Choice Act. And we have heard from activists Nathan
Law and Brian Leung testify about the crackdown in China's new
security law. I believe this important measure along with my
Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was signed into law last month,
is an appropriate response to China's violation of its
commitments under the ``one country, two systems`` agreement.
Finally, I want to thank Andy Levin for H.Res.1121 urging
the Government of Burma to hold fair, free, inclusive,
transparent, participatory, and credible elections, and I would
point out that this could be done only--it would fully be met
only if the Rohingya people, whether they be in Burma/Myanmar
or whether they be in refugee camps, be given a chance to
participate.
So I thank the chairman for not only bringing these
bipartisan bills forward, but for your work behind the scenes
in designing a package of bills that have such universal
support. I thank you for your service to this committee. I
yield back.
Mr. Engel. Thank you very much, Mr. Sherman. Mrs. Wagner.
Mrs. Wagner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership,
for your service to this committee and to this Congress. We are
grateful to you. I want to thank the ranking member too for all
the work that he has done on all of our behalf to advance this
bipartisan piece of legislation, so many of them at this
markup, including my Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act and
the Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act, which I am
proud to co-lead with Representative McGovern.
I introduced H.R. 4326, the Sex Trafficking Demand
Reduction Act to improve U.S. efforts to end demand for
trafficked persons worldwide, a key element in preventing human
trafficking. The international community, NGO's, international
organizations, and human trafficking experts agree that ending
the scourge of modern-day slavery requires countries to
prioritize reducing the demand for trafficked persons.
The United Nations and the European Union have established
protocols and directives expressly addressing the need to
prevent human trafficking by reducing demand that fosters
exploitation. These protocols are founded in a body of research
demonstrating the correlation between the adoption of policies
that reduce or prohibit demand for commercial sex acts and
advancements in the fight to end trafficking.
The United States is also committed to reducing the demand
for victims of trafficking, and I have been proud to work with
the State Department's Trafficking in Persons Office to ensure
the annual TIP reports address a country's laws and policies
around demand. The TIP reports have the power to encourage
foreign countries to bolster their anti-trafficking measures
and coordinate international work to end trafficking.
My bill requires the TIP Office to consider a country's
work to reduce demand for commercial sex acts, discourage
participation in sex tourism, and educate people on the
exploitation involved in sex trafficking in its annual report
and country tier rankings. I am gratified by the strong
bipartisan support for this bill, and I thank in particular my
co-lead, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, for his work to end
demand for victims of trafficking. I also thank fantastic
advocates like Exodus Cry, Shared Hope, Coalition Against
Trafficking in Women, Rights4Girls, and the National Center on
Sexual Exploitation for their efforts in advancing my bill and
legislation.
I also urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6986, the
Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act, which will improve
the United States' ability to prevent human rights violations
connected to the pandemic and improve its response to the
future of public health catastrophes. As countries around the
world have sought to contain the virus and protect their
citizens, some bad actors are using coronavirus response
efforts as a pretext to chip away at the rights of their
citizens, stifle protests, and limit the freedom of speech and
of the press.
We must hold accountable the authoritarians who see COVID-
19 as an opportunity to suppress dissent. The Protecting Human
Rights During Pandemic Act directs the United States to use a
robust toolkit including reporting foreign assistance
programming and guidance to protect basic human rights during
this time of uncertainty. I urge this committee to pass the Sex
Trafficking Demand Reduction Act and the Protecting Human
Rights During Pandemic Act, and I again thank the chairman and
ranking member for including these important bills in today's
markup. I yield back.
Mr. Engel. Thank you very much, Ms. Wagner. Mr. Meeks.
Mr. Meeks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And let me first join
with what Ranking Member McCaul and Congressman Sherman said
about your leadership and your service. You are a great New
Yorker, and your service to our country has been magnificent.
You are indeed a true patriot and an individual that
understands the significance of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
And your presence here and your--will be missed, but I will not
allow our friendship to be missed because we will stay close,
and I look forward to that. But thank you for your years of
service.
Let me first say thank you to Rep. Kinzinger and Rep.
McCaul for your cooperation in supporting the passing of H.R.
8259. Here, again, is where we put aside differences to work
together. H.R. 8259 prohibits the use of Federal funds to bring
Russia back into the G7 before they end their occupations of
Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and stop interfering in elections
here and across Europe, none of which will happen during the
U.S. presidency of the G7 which ends on January 2021.
The G7 is organized on shared values, and unfortunately we
do not share the same approach to freedom, rule of law, and
democracy as Russia. Congress should not--Congress should be on
the record on this position, which is identical to the position
of our allies in the G7. The U.K., for example, said that
unless Russia ceases its aggressive and destabilizing activity,
U.K. ``would not support the country's readmission to the
group.`` The bill calls for reporting from the DNI on what the
Administration knows about Russia incentivizing the harm and
killing of American soldiers by the Taliban, and I am proud
that we came together on this because we are one America.
I also want to strongly support H.Res.751 by Rep. Bass
which reaffirms the partnership between the United States and
the African Union. I commend her on her work which reaffirms
that partnership, and we should all encourage Africa
cooperation to address the largest socioeconomic and local
problems of the continent. Whether it be climate change, water
management, peace and security, or sustainable development, a
multilateral approach will be needed to come up with lasting
solutions.
Also I would like to voice my support for two pieces of
legislation designed to make sure the State Department doubles
down on its commitment to diversity and hiring in the
workplace. So thank you again to Rep. Bass and Rep. Castro for
those efforts on H.R. 7673 and 8409 which address entry in mid-
level positions. A diplomatic corps that reflects the diversity
of this country is better placed to represent and espouse our
values abroad. These are piecemeal but important steps in
addressing forms of discrimination in hiring practices and at
the workplace at State. I look forward to continuing our work
on these issues.
Resolution 1145 which condemns the poisoning of Alexai
Nevalny, who only recently was able to leave the hospital bed
in Germany, the poisoning of one of Putin's fearless critics
using a powerful nerve agent is more than deeply concerning as
was said by Secretary Pompeo. It underscores the reason why we
cannot welcome today's Russian leadership into the G7 grouping.
And last, H.R. 8438, I speak up, which was Rep. Smith and
Kaptur, and I want to speak up in support of the
reauthorization of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004. With a
deep commitment to preserving and strengthening liberty and
democracy and human rights in Europe, the international
community has condemned Belarus' August 9th Presidential
election as illegitimate. In response, the Belarusian people
took to the streets demanding dignity and an election that
reflects the will of the people.
More to come, and I look forward to continuing to shine a
light on the brave people in the streets of Belarus and
compliment Congressmen Smith and Kaptur. With that I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr. Meeks.
Mr. Smith.
Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me first
of all join my colleague Michael McCaul and others in thanking
you for your extraordinary leadership as chairman. You and I
have worked on so many issues from Northern Ireland to Kosovo,
so many places in the world that have been hard-pressed with
human rights abuses, and I just want to thank you for that
friendship, your bipartisanship. You have been a class act, and
we will miss you deeply. So thank you, Chairman Engel, for your
leadership.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you as well for
bringing the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty
Act of 2020, and thank you to Ranking Member McCaul for his
leadership on this, and Chairman Keating and Mr. Kinzinger for
their leadership as well, and Marcy Kaptur who is also one of
the co-sponsors, originals, of this bill.
Belarus is perhaps the Nation most mired in its Soviet
past, with an inefficient economy and a strongman autocrat in
charge for over two and a half decades. Yet the irrepressible
spirit of freedom stirred among the people of Belarus and when
a patently false election result was announced on August 9th
declaring Alexander Lukashenko the winner, the people took to
the streets. Now the world continues to recognize what the
people of Belarus have been saying loud and clear for over two
and a half decades, but especially since August 9th with their
massive rallies that the recent election was so fraudulent and
lacked no credibility with anybody except Lukashenko and
perhaps Russia.
I was reading over a hearing last night that I had chaired
10 years ago after another fraudulent election with Alexander
Lukashenko, and he resorted to the same tactics but on a
smaller scale. There weren't as many people out in the streets,
but he just busted heads, tortured people, threw them in
prison, and his bullies had their way with women and sexually
abused them. Horrible stuff. The problem then was that the
international community was strong at first, and then that
fervor began to dissipate and business as usual began to
reemerge.
We are now approaching almost 2 months since the fraudulent
poll, and the people of Belarus, despite the brutal crackdown,
are still organizing rallies of 100,000 people or more
demanding that Lukashenko leave power and leave Belarus to the
people to whom it belongs. I would note to my colleagues that
according to the U.N. Special Rapporteur, more than 10,000
peaceful protestors have been detained as of September 18th,
and they need our help. Recent reports indicate that the police
are using now, today, increasingly violent tactics against
these peaceful demonstrators.
We do have a window of opportunity, and we need to seize it
with everything that we have. As my colleagues know, the
leading opposition Presidential candidate, Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya, who won the election by most accounts--of
course, there is not access to the ballots, but it seems clear
that she won the election--formed the Coordination Council.
Sviatlana is an incredibly brave woman. She ran a brilliant
campaign, but today she is in exile in Lithuania where she
continues to rally the Belarusian people and the world.
I want to thank Mr. Keating for putting together that Webex
of a few weeks ago with her and some of the coordination
leaders from the Council. We all saw anew and afresh just how
important it is that we stand behind her and behind all of the
people of Belarus who have aspirations for free and fair
elections and for democracy.
This bill today updates the Belarus Democracy Acts of 2004,
2006, and 2011 that I authored and renews the personal economic
sanctions on an expanded list of bad actors in the Belarusian
Government and--this is new--Russian individuals complicit in
the crackdown. It calls for new elections. It recognizes the
Coordination Council as a legitimate institution to participate
in a dialog on a peaceful transition of power.
It calls for the release of all political prisoners. It
supports the aspirations of the people of Belarus to exercise
their religious freedom. It authorizes assistance to promote
democracy and civil society in Belarus. It unequivocally states
that it is the policy of the United States ``not to recognize
any incorporation of Belarus into a union State with Russia.``
It requires a U.S. strategy to promote broadcasting, internet
freedom, and access to information.
It requires a report on the personal assets of Alexander
Lukashenko. We know he has acquired wealth. We need to know how
much it is, and the people of his country who have been
repressed by him for so long need to know what a kleptocrat he
has been. In addition, it also gives much-needed support to the
Belarusian media and the IT sector.
So I just want to thank my colleagues. It is a totally
bipartisan bill. I want to thank Katie Earle for her work on
the bill. I want to thank Jackie Ramos, Pierre Totsi, Patrick
to Doug Anderson. There are just many who have worked together
fast, quickly, and effectively, and members, to put together
this bipartisan legislation. We need to stand in solidarity
with the great people of Belarus.
And I yield back and I thank my good friend for
recognizing.
Mr. Engel. Well thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Smith,
and thank you for those kind words. And of course, I thank
everyone for those kind words, people who spoke before.
Mr. Sires.
Mr. Sires. Hello, Mr. Chairman. I want to say kind words
about you also. I want to thank you for your friendship. I want
to thank you for always being there for me, working with me,
letting me be part of the committee and always being very
helpful to me on issues that are important to me. So I thank
you, and I wish you nothing but the best.
Mr. Engel. Thank you.
Mr. Sires. I want to speak briefly about H.R. 8259 which
would prohibit Russian participation in the G7. I would also
like to thank my colleague, Congressman Meeks, for introducing
this important legislation. Last year, this committee and the
House of Representatives passed the bipartisan resolution I
sponsored that would disapprove Russia's future inclusion in G7
summits until it respects the territorial integrity of its
neighbors and adheres to the standards of democratic societies.
In the months since my resolution was passed, Russia has
not stopped its aggressive behavior and continues to undermine
democratic institutions around the world. This legislation
builds on the House's disapproval of Russian inclusion in the
G7, and it makes it clear that the United States does not
accept Russia's blatant effort to influence elections.
Protecting the integrity of our electoral system should be
a bipartisan priority, and we must show that there are
consequences for foreign interferences. I urge my colleagues to
support this legislation, and I yield back.
Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Sires. Mr. Chabot.
Mr. Chabot. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And before I get into
the bills, I too would like to say some nice things about you
and they are very heartfelt. I have been on this committee for
24 years now. You have been here a little longer than that, but
you have been an inspiration to a lot of us. We do not agree on
everything obviously, we are different parties, but you have
always treated us with the utmost respect in the majority as
you are now and when you were in the minority as well.
You were able to accomplish great things because of the
person you are. You literally are one of the nicest people in
this institution on either side, and that goes a long way I
think. You know, you are just a very kind and decent person,
and it matters to a lot of us and it lets us get things done.
And you have accomplished great things, you really have.
You could probably move to Albania and become the leader of
that nation. So and there may be other countries around the
globe where that is the case. Kosovo, absolutely. So I would
encourage you perhaps to consider that, but you deserve a rest
after what you have been put through over the years, especially
over the last year. But thank you so much for that. Thank you
for working with us, both in the majority and the minority.
That is one of the great things about this committee. We
tend to work together. I am the ranking member of the Small
Business Committee. That is another committee we actually have
a very good working--Nydia Velazquez and I work together
closely. You know, some committees it is better than others,
but just thanks for everything you have done for our country
and the world really, you know, thanks for being who you are.
Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Chabot. I appreciate it very
much. Thank you.
Mr. Chabot. I do not know if I have any time to talk about
the bills now, but I am going to try. We have quite a few good
bills in the en bloc package, 26 might be a record.
First, I would like to focus on my bill, quickly, here, the
H.R. 7954, the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation
Reauthorization Act of 2020. It is bipartisan legislation that
I introduced along with my friend, Mr. Sherman, who is a really
nice guy too. Not as nice as Mr. Engel, but pretty damn--pretty
nice.
And earlier this summer, we introduced, it is a companion
bill to legislation led by Senator Portman in the Senate. Some
of the most endangered and biologically diverse tropical
forests and coral reefs are in developing countries, and it is
in the interests of the whole world to protect and responsibly
manage these resources so that they are there for our children
and our grandchildren.
Today's legislation simply extends the act that set up a
debt forgiveness program under which developing nations can
have debt they owe the United States forgiven in exchange--and
I want to emphasize ``in exchange``--for investing in local
conservation work to sustain their critical ecosystems.
Agreements under this program not only support conservation,
but also strengthen local economies and responsibly use these
resources as well as civil society groups and partner nations
that conduct conservation work.
Essentially the program follows the old adage of teaching a
man to fish by helping developing countries learn how to better
manage their natural resources. Further, many developing
countries are no doubt considering Chinese investment. This
program gives the State Department one more tool as it tries to
counter Chinese investment and its often nefarious
consequences.
I would next like to briefly turn to three resolutions
quickly that I am also co-sponsoring. H.Res.1121 calls for
free, fair, and inclusive elections in Burma. And I want to
thank Mr. Levin for asking me to be the lead Republican on this
measure. Due to its civil war and ethnic divisions, Burma has a
long way to go to consolidate its fledgling democracy. Holding
a credible election that includes all ethnic groups as well as
those like the Rohingya who have fled the country is a critical
step toward that goal.
Second, we have H.Res.1077 which reaffirms our support for
the U.S.-Lebanon relationship. Lebanon is suffering right now
after the horrific explosion in Beirut this summer and under
terrible economic conditions brought on by the chronic
mismanagement of the country by leadership that is beholden to
Hezbollah. We need to continue to support the Lebanese people
and help to see them through these tough times.
And finally H.Res.823 which condemns the Iranian
Government's persecution of the Baha'i minority. The Baha'i
faith espouses the virtues of peace and unity, cooperation,
service and education, and an end to prejudice. The Iranian
people therefore have nothing to fear from the Baha'i, and the
Iranian Government's hatred of the Baha'i shows their true
colors. I am pleased to support this legislation.
So with these considerations in mind, I would urge my
colleagues to support the en bloc package, and I yield back.
Mr. Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr.
Chabot, and thank you again for those kind words. They are very
much appreciated. Mr. Connolly.
Mr. Connolly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, of course, you
are not leaving us yet, but thank you for such a long and
distinguished career and for the spirit in which you have
managed this committee both as the ranking member and as now
the chairman, in empowering members and seeing that their
substantive work comes to fruition. And that is not an easy
job. I look around this room and I see the portraits of past
chairs and I have known every one of them going back to Clem
Zablocki who is over there. And I hope it makes your heart full
to be in that distinguished company. And as somebody once said,
losing, like winning, is a passing phenomenon in politics, so
be comforted. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I am going to be brief. Thank you for
bringing all of these, you and Mr. McCaul, for bringing the en
bloc bills before us. We cover a lot of waterfront. I
particularly want to commend the H.R. 1012, Ami Bera's bill, on
recognizing the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean
War. We had one colleague left who served in the Korean War,
Charlie Rangel, and, you know, this relationship has come a
long way and Korea has gone from being an absolutely bottom of
the pile poor country to being a star among Asian tigers and a
lot of that has to do with this alliance and this relationship.
I also want to commend Mr. Yoho for H.Res.697 on Tibet. I
led the first congressional staff delegation to Tibet in 1986
and saw firsthand some of the ravages of the Cultural
Revolution and other depredations inflicted on the Tibetan
culture and people, especially in the exercise of their worship
in Tibet, at the hands of the Chinese. I also had the privilege
of meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala,
India, where he is living, last year, and was really struck
with the spirit of peaceful reconciliation with which he still
tries to approach his Chinese adversaries, and it is very
admirable.
I also want to thank you for bringing up H.R. 8489, the
Department of State's Student Internship Program, because
internships in the Federal Government are spotty. They are not
systematic and they are not well-used for recruitment of new
employees like the private sector. So I think this bill helps
move at least the State Department in that direction and I know
that my assignment in my other committee, we are going to
continue to pursue that.
Finally, I want to thank Mr. Meeks for his leadership on
making sure that Russia is not invited to any G7 meeting until
we see Russia's behavior significantly improve and that they,
as Mr. Chabot and I have said year in and year out, and until
they leave Crimea. That is an illegal annexation and we are not
going to recognize it.
So I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank all of my colleagues
for a set of really very useful bills that are going to move
forward our foreign policy agenda and I wish you well. With
that I yield back.
Mr. Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr.
Connolly.
Now my traveling partner to North Korea, Mr. Wilson.
Mr. Wilson. Thank you very much, Chairman Eliot Engel and
lead Republican Michael McCaul, for calling this markup today.
There are many measures before us today due to the dedicated
bipartisan leadership of Chairman Eliot Engel who my family,
particularly led by my wife Roxanne, knows as a Statesman. And,
indeed, I appreciate you raising that, that you and I are the
only two Members of Congress who have been to Pyongyang, the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
And that is why the first resolution I mention is so
significant, the 70th anniversary, and to see the contrast of
North Korea to South Korea. There could not be a greater
contrast of the difference between freedom and democracy and
totalitarian existence in the Korean Peninsula. So again,
congratulations on your success.
First, I would like to thank the committee for bringing
House Resolution 1012 recognizing the 70th anniversary of the
outbreak of the Korean War and the transformation of the United
States-Korea alliance into a mutually beneficial global
partnership. Based on our mutual sacrifices, the United States
and South Korea have laid a foundation of freedom, democracy,
and extraordinary economic prosperity. I am grateful to serve
as co-chair of the congressional Korea Caucus and encourage my
colleagues to support this important measure.
I am also grateful for Chairman Engel's leadership on the
two resolutions dealing with Putin, House Resolution 958 and
House Resolution 996. By making these two resolutions today,
the committee is shedding much needed light on the growing
crisis with political prisoners in Putin's Russia as well as
the malign proxy wars in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and beyond.
I would also like to commend the chairman of the Middle
East Subcommittee, Ted Deutch, for his leadership on human
rights in Iran with House Resolution 823 condemning Iran's
State-sponsored persecution of the Baha'i minority. I was
grateful to serve as the Republican lead for this resolution
and I hope today's meeting will highlight Iran's long history
of violations to the international covenants on human rights.
We in Congress will never cease to advocate for the liberty of
the freedom-loving and deserving people of Iran who have been
hijacked and oppressed by the terrorist regime in Tehran.
Last, I would like to comment on House Resolution 17
regarding the illegally detained Austin Tice. We as the U.S.
Congress always will support efforts to free Americans held
abroad by terrorist groups and rogue regimes. But I am
concerned that this approach here today of publicly endorsing
engagement with Assad, a mass murderer and war criminal, is
misguided. Assad has presided over the genocide of his own
people by gassing his people, and he has butchered innocent
Syrians and holding thousands as we speak today. We should
never take a public stance of legitimizing such a regime.
Now this bill is just a resolution, but I want to make it
clear to the Assad regime today that the U.S. Congress will
never legitimize you. We will never give you diplomatic
recognition. And we will always call for you to be held
accountable for the atrocities committed and continue to commit
against humanity and your citizens.
Chairman Engel, in your landmark Caesar Syrian Civilian
Protection Act, you have made clear that sanctions relief for
the Syrian regime should not be on the table until all
political prisoners in Syria are free. I wholeheartedly agree
with that sentiment. I hope that all members of this committee
will stand to ensure that it is indeed what happens.
My amendment today reiterates the Caesar bill's call to the
criminal Assad regime to release all political prisoners and
allow international human rights organizations access to the
prisons. Thank you, Chairman and Republican leader, for
including the amendment today. With that I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr.
Wilson, for those kind words.
Ms. Bass.
Ms. Bass. Thank you, Chairman Engel and Ranking Member
McCaul, for bringing these important bills to the committee
today. And you know, of course, Mr. Chairman, I have to join in
with all of my other colleagues in thanking you for your
service. And I know this is not our last meeting, but I look
forward to celebrating your leadership in future meetings. I
know that there is still a few more months for you to serve,
but I have really enjoyed your friendship, your openness and
your leadership, and your bipartisan way that you have run this
committee.
I would like to speak in favor of H.Res.751, 768, 7673,
1150, and 8409. I will begin with our need to reaffirm our
support to the African Union as proposed in H.R. 751 that I am
doing in conjunction with Ranking Member Chris Smith. This bill
recognizes the important role of the African Union and
expresses bipartisan support for the AU so that this
institution can take the lead in diplomacy, security, health,
and trade across Africa. I also look forward to, in the future,
looking to other ways that we can strengthen the African Union
and our relationship with the AU.
I now turn to H.Res.768, which I am also doing with Ranking
Member Smith, which calls on African governments to protect and
promote human rights through internet freedom and digital
integration for all citizens across the continent of Africa.
Some African governments suppress internet freedoms and digital
integration by blocking internet sites, censorship of content,
onerous licensing requirements, and illicit monitoring and
surveillance.
Information and freedom of expression are pillars of an
open, free, and democratic society, and this bill encourages
governments to actively pursue laws and policies that protect
and promote human rights online and offline. The bill also
highlights how China and Russia's digital activity across
Africa exposes individuals to greater monitoring, surveillance
and disinformation, and encourages countries and technology
companies to resist contracts with authoritarian States like
China and work closely with technology companies and social
media services to prevent or take down disinformation by Russia
and other actors.
Additionally, I encourage you to support Mr. Phillips'
bill, H.Res.1150, to encourage the Government of Cote d'Ivoire,
the opposition, and its citizens to respect democratic
principles and hold free, fair, transparent, and peaceful
elections.
I also urge you to support H.R. 8409, the Department of
State Student Internship Program. The State Department
currently offers paid and unpaid internships through the
academic year and over the summer. Unpaid internships, however,
limit the pool of candidates to those who have the financial
means to participate. The bill authorizes the Department to pay
all participants in its Student Internship Program as well as
provide housing and travel assistance under certain
circumstances.
The bill makes it possible for students from all parts of
the country, all socioeconomic levels, and all backgrounds to
participate in internship programs, thereby diversifying our
Foreign Service and national security work force. I urge you to
support this bill and all the other bills en bloc. And I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. Engel. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Bass.
Mr. Yoho.
Mr. Yoho. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I too stand with
everybody else and ditto what everybody else says. You have
been a great friend and New York is going to lose a great
representative.
Today, I rise in support of H.Res.697, a bill I introduced
1 year ago to recognize the work of the Dalai Lama who has done
much to promote peace and understanding and to further
strengthen U.S.-Tibet relationships. As many of you know, the
people of Tibet have faced harsh and oppressive treatment at
the hands of the Chinese Communist Party in the Tibet
Autonomous Region since 1959 when the Dalai Lama had to flee
for his life. Most recently, reports have emerged that the CCP,
the Chinese Communist Party, is also building forced labor
camps and reeducation centers in Tibet, similar to the ones
found across Xinjiang where the Uyghurs and other ethnic
populations like the East Turkestans, are subject to
brainwashing, slave labor, torture, rape, and even death.
And if you think about brainwashing, basically, it is
renouncing one's beliefs through intimidation. It is changing
the way people look at their politics and forces them to change
their personal attire or how they dress, how they talk. It
changes how you educate your children and one's personal
religious beliefs, a right in this country our Founding Fathers
felt so strongly about they put it in our First Amendment.
We must not let the fate of the Tibetan people mirror that
of the people of Xinjiang. Congress stands united here today in
support of the Tibet struggle for autonomy, freedom, and
religious freedom while the Chinese Communist Party works to
destroy over an estimated two-thirds of its people's temples
and mosques to cancel or erase their existence.
Although I do not wholly support all the pieces of
legislation in this en bloc amendment process and the markup, I
am reminded of the great British philosopher, Sir Mick Jagger,
who says you cannot always get what you want, but if you try
real hard you get what you need. And so I support this and am
proud to do that. Thank you and I yield back.
Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Yoho.
Mr. Keating.
Mr. Keating. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank for
holding this markup today. I want to thank you personally on
our work we have done together, sometimes abroad, having fun
exchanging good humor and good work around the world, and I
want to thank you for your decades of leadership and commitment
here in Congress where you have worked so hard to preserve
democracy here at home and advance it significantly throughout
the world. You have definitely made your mark.
Now I wanted to take up a number of measures that we are
dealing with today that affect the region that we have
addressed in our Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and
the Environment including improving sustainability of energy
diversification, Russian malign activities, and upholding
democracy. Most of the bills I have co-sponsored. Many of them
I have been an original sponsor of including the PLASTICS Act.
I represent what is considered the largest coastal district in
the House and my constituents know that the ocean health is
vital to our community and our interconnected ecosystems, and
marine debris must be addressed both at home and abroad. Also
included is H.Res.672 which supports energy independence and
the Three Seas Initiative for which the U.S. support is
critical.
Several bills today also focus on those imprisoned,
poisoned, or killed supporting democracy and speaking out
against authoritarianism. One condemns political prisoners in
Russia. One condemns the recent poisoning of Russian opposition
leader Alexai Navalny. And still another stands alongside
political dissidents like the murdered Jamal Khashoggi.
We also have under consideration today, resolutions
expressing our concern for ongoing detention of Austin Tice and
Trevor Reed. Also included is Paul Whelan, who is the brother
of one of my constituents, and a recent 16-year prison sentence
he received is just one example of the harsh punishment given
to those unjustly imprisoned in Russia.
And I also am an original co-sponsor of additional efforts
to stand up against Putin and authoritarian leaders in the
region. H.R. 8259 prohibits Russia's participation in the G7
until it ends its illegal occupation of its neighbors and
financing murder abroad, including American troops. And
H.Res.996 condemns the malign activities of Yevgeniy Prigozhin,
including attempts to sow discourse in the U.S. and allied
countries. And we have addressed these critical issues in
multiple hearings in my subcommittee and it is important we
take up these measures today.
I want to thank Representative Smith for his work, the
committee chair, the ranking member, and my ranking member
Representative Kinzinger as well as Congressman Kaptur, whose
work on the committee even though she is not a member is always
present. That bill reauthorizes the Belarus Democracy Act of
2004, and in light of the illegitimate August 19th elections
and the brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators across
Belarus is extremely important.
We recently had a briefing, an international briefing, with
opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and we also held a
hearing on the situation there and on further erosion of
democratic norms in the region during this pandemic, which is
why I am so glad to join colleagues as a co-sponsor of 6986,
the Protecting Human Rights During Pandemic Act, because
democratic backsliding is occurring around the world related to
this pandemic and it is important that we stand up for
democratic ideals and institutions here and abroad.
There are many important issues under consideration
including the work I joined with Representative Trone on with
the FENTANYL Results Act. That is a scourge that is killing too
many Americans today and this is an effort to deal with that on
an international basis. So I want to congratulate the chair
again, continue looking forward to working with you the rest of
this year, and hopefully as friends beyond that. And with that
I yield back.
Mr. Engel. Thank you very much, Mr. Keating.
Mr. Kinzinger.
Mr. Kinzinger. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And at the
behest of reiterating reiterations, I want to say to you how
much I have enjoyed our friendship and working with you. I have
often tried to jealously guard the, you know, water's edge
theory when it comes to foreign policy, and I know you have
too. And your service to this country, to this committee will
never be forgotten and I know you are going to continue to do
great things. So I just want to say thank you for that, Mr.
Chairman, and thank you for the markup today.
I support many of the bills before us and I would like to
take some time to focus on four of my bipartisan measures. I
introduced H.Res.672 with Representative Kaptur to express
Congress's support for the Three Seas Initiative. This
important collaboration between Eastern European countries will
help to strengthen their regional interconnectivity with the
hopes of pushing back on Russia's use of energy as a weapon.
Representative Kaptur and I introduced this legislation
last year to show our allies that we stand with them in their
push to diversify and protect their energy sources. That is why
I am proud to see this ambitious project has received
bipartisan support, transatlantic support, and overwhelming
support from the administration and the secretary, Secretary
Pompeo.
Earlier this year, Secretary Pompeo announced that the
United States was providing one billion in financing for the
Three Seas Initiative, which further demonstrates our
commitment to the transatlantic partnership. I commend the
Three Seas partner States, the State Department, and Congress
for their support. I also want to thank my chairman on the
committee, Chairman Keating, for that.
Next, I would like to talk about H.R. 8259, legislation I
introduced with Representative Meeks to bar Russia from joining
the G7 until the Kremlin changes their ways. We have seen
Vladimir Putin invade allies, interfere in democratic
elections, support genocide in Syria, and attempt to
destabilize the Middle East.
It is clear that Vladimir Putin believes these actions make
him look strong. In reality, all they have led to is crippling
sanctions from the United States and the EU, a drop in his
popularity among Russian voters, and an economy that could
contract by almost 10 percent this year. Until our diplomatic
and intelligence community can ensure us that the Kremlin is no
longer working to undermine and stifle freedom around the
world, they should not have a seat at the grownup table.
Vladimir Putin is the reason his country is being held back;
the Russian people deserve better.
And, quickly, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting
the Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act. It became clear
as the peaceful protests unraveled in Hong Kong that the
Chinese Communist Party would stop at nothing to maintain their
grip on power. This bipartisan legislation which I introduced
with Representative Malinowski would provide those Hongkongers
most in need of protection safe passage to the United States.
And, finally, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8438
which would reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.
Following the fraudulent elections in Belarus, I had hoped the
Lukashenko would hear the calls from his people and resign
peacefully. Unfortunately, he doubled down and with the backing
from Vladimir Putin was sworn in as President during a secret
ceremony last week.
While there remains hope that Lukashenko will step down, we
must act to protect the freedoms of the Belarusian people. By
reauthorizing the Belarus Democracy Act we will be providing
much needed assistance to the Belarusian people to counter
internet censorship while sanctioning those responsible for the
fraudulent election and ensuing crackdown.
I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation and I
thank the committee for their hard work. So with that, Mr.
Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Kinzinger. Appreciate the words.
The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Cicilline.
Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I, too, would
like to begin by thanking you for your extraordinary leadership
of this committee, your wonderful friendship, and your decades
of ensuring that American foreign policy reflect our values,
and for that I am in your debt, as the entire nation is. So
thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I want to thank you and the ranking member for holding
this markup today as we consider important legislation that
will protect human rights as we battle COVID, hold Russia
accountable for its nefarious behavior on the world stage, and
support Belarusian fighting hard for democracy.
I am proud to support and co-sponsor each of these bills
and would like to speak about three in particular.
We are seeing the impact of Russia's malign behavior
everywhere. They have meddled in the 2016 Presidential election
and U.S. intelligence agencies report that they are actively
engaged in promoting chaos as we go into the 2020 Presidential
elections.
Around the world Vladimir Putin is continuing his long
history of sowing discord, wreaking havoc, and turning citizens
against each other to increase his power and destabilize the
Western world.
The United States has an important role in promoting
democracy around the world and standing firm and unwavering in
our support of international law and against foreign
aggression.
H.R. 8259, to prohibit Russian participation in the G-7,
offered by our colleague, Gregory Meeks, is this House's
response to Russia's continued flouting of international law in
their attempt to create chaos across the globe.
Their attempted annexation of Crimea, occupation of South
Ossetia, and denying citizens of these regions the same rights
and freedoms that other people enjoy cannot be ignored.
As if invading other countries was not enough, Russia has
had the audacity to pay Taliban--linked militants to attack
U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers
are an absolute outrage.
At every turn, sadly, this administration has fawned over
the President Putin. On the campaign trail repeatedly
complimenting him, in 2016 denying that Russia meddled in the
election, in 2017 when Bill O'Reilly said Putin is a killer,
the president responded, ``There are a lot of killers. Do you
think our country is so innocent?''
And in 2018 at the Helsinki Summit, the president,
incredibly, sided with Putin over his own intelligence
community about Russian interference with the election.
The time of the United States allowing Russia to run
roughshod over international law and undermining the national
security interests of the United States must end. We must stop
their effort to confuse, terrorize, and oppress American voters
and people in their own region.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8259.
I would also like to express my support for Congressman
Smith's bill, H.R. 8438 to reauthorize the Belarus Democracy
Act of 2004.
Progress toward democracy comes with the efforts of
citizens willing to fight for it over time, sometimes over
generations. The people of Belarus are well aware of that fact
and have been advocating for and fighting for democracy for
years.
They have been risking their lives to advance the cause of
freedom and democracy, recently facing Lukashenko government's
violent crackdown after the fraudulent election in August.
This bill would address that crackdown by reauthorizing
previous assistance measures to counter internet censorship and
surveillance and support the work of those advocating for
democracy and human rights.
When leaders break the law to preserve their own power and
lash out and violently attack their own citizens, we must act.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8438 to reauthorize the
Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.
Finally, I would like to thank Chairman McGovern for
introducing H.R. 6986, the Protecting Human Rights During
Pandemic Act. Authoritarian leaders are using the COVID-19
pandemic as an excuse for greater crackdowns, more
surveillance, and the targeting of opposition.
Democratic institutions that were already weak or under
threat are facing even greater stress and significant decline.
We need to devote more resources and consistent programming
designed to preserve democratic institutions, civil society,
privacy, and the free press.
This bill would serve as a critical backstop to human
rights at a time when authoritarian governments are using every
tool at their disposal, including this terrible pandemic, to
harm their opposition and weaken civil society.
I urge support of all of these measures including the en
bloc package this morning and, with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield
back.
Chairman Engel. Thank you very much.
Mr. Zeldin.
Mr. Zeldin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the
committee's consideration of these measures in the en bloc
package today. I would like to express my support for the
Department of State Student Internship Program Act.
The vast majority of Federal Government internships are
unpaid. One of the best ways to increase diversity at the State
Department is to provide economic opportunities for lower and
middle income Americans from beyond the Washington, DC. beltway
to participate in these internships.
This bill would provide paid internships at the State
Department with no additional funding needed. Instead, it is a
program to be phased in and paid through existing unobligated
balances to cover the cost.
Any student in a higher education institution program who
can hold a security clearance and has an interest in foreign
affairs will be eligible. The program will be advertised widely
and outreach targeted universities including minority-serving
institutions.
We all remember our first internship or entry level job and
the impact that opportunity, or lack thereof, can have on our
future aspirations. To represent the United States to the
world, the State Department should have a work force that
reflects the diversity of our country.
By providing paid internships, more students from across
the country will be able to afford the opportunity to pursue
their interest in foreign affairs and, hopefully, return to
serve.
I am proud to have worked with Chairman Castro on this
bill, which is a result of bipartisan efforts on the Oversight
Investigation Subcommittee to improve diversity at the State
Department.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Bera.
Mr. Bera. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I also too want to
associate myself with the comments on both sides of the aisle
for your leadership and your friendship.
And I do not want this to be like a eulogy because I hope
you are not leaving the scene and you will continue to be a
resource for all of us and continue your strong advocacy for
U.S. global leadership.
I would like to, you know, take a moment and commend both
Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul for this markup on
many bipartisan measures.
In particular, I would like to speak to my measure, H. Res.
1012, which honors the U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance. I would
also like to thank my ranking member on the Asia Subcommittee,
Mr. Yoho, for introducing this important resolution with me.
As co-chair of the Korea Caucus and as co-chair of the
congressional Study Group on Korea, I do travel to Korea fairly
frequently and meet with their parliamentarians and so forth.
The friendship on the people-to-people relationship or
legislator-to-legislator relationship is one of our finest
alliances and, as Mr. Connolly mentioned earlier, the Korean
Miracle, you know, 40 years ago was one of the most
impoverished countries in the world, and when you look at them
today it is one of the most advanced economies and, you know,
is doing remarkable things.
And, in fact, I want to thank our friends in the Republic
of Korea during this pandemic for helping our State in
California with resources, PPE, testing ability, et cetera.
So this is a very important friendship.
I also want to speak to H. Res. 1121. I applaud Mr. Levin
for his resolution urging the government of Burma to hold free,
fair, and inclusive elections in November.
Now, earlier my subcommittee had a hearing on what is
happening with the Rohingya, et cetera, and, you know, it is
quite devastating, and, you know, it is up to us as the leaders
of the free world to continue to push Burma to recognize its
democratic principles, to understand that the Rohingya are part
of Burma.
And, again, I applaud Mr. Levin for that resolution.
I would also like to speak to H. Res. 825, recognizing the
importance of the entry into force, or the NPT. I really want
to recognize my good friend from California, Mr. Sherman, for
his long work on advancing nonproliferation and trying to make
the world a safer place.
I also want to recognize our nonproliferation fellow,
Shervin Taheran, who was working on this bill for Mr. Sherman
and, you know, I understand there has been a lot of work into
this bill.
So this is incredibly important. Mr. Deutch and I had a
joint hearing earlier this year, recognizing the importance of
the NPT and understanding the 75 years that have passed since
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Working together, we have been able to make the world a
safer place but we still have work to do. So, again, I applaud
Mr. Sherman.
And, last, I would like to speak to H.R. 7673, the
Represent America Abroad Act, by Ms. Bass. I recognize that we
are not considering the facts in the en bloc but would like to
touch briefly on Ms. Bass's bill.
Diversity is incredibly important to the State Department
and this bill offers an important pathway for minorities to
join the State Department.
We know our strength is--you know, making sure that our
agencies in the State Department look like the United States
because the United States looks like the rest of the world.
So, again, I appreciate Ms. Bass's leadership on this, and
with that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Curtis.
Mr. Curtis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I am only hopeful
that somebody who is not paying close attention might think
that they are watching your funeral today, and I, with my
colleagues, want to thank you for friendship but, particularly,
to me and my wife. We have traveled together. I certainly
understand your kindness and goodness.
I wish to speak in support of the Hong Kong People's
Freedom and Choice Act. The unified text includes portions of
my bill, the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act.
Similar to the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, this bill would
designate Hongkongers as refugees, streamlining the refugee
admission process and instructs the Secretary of State to work
with like-minded allied countries to accept refugees from Hong
Kong.
From the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, it gives emphasis to
supporting those who had a significant role in the Hong Kong
protest including those who had an organizational role, acted
as first responders, covered the protests as journalists,
provided legal services to individuals arrested, and those who
were formally charged, detained, or convicted for his or her
participation in these protests.
Since the passage of the national security law, we have had
and seen arbitrary and intimidating detentions of activists and
crackdowns on the free press. This bill addresses the
humanitarian crisis and shows Hongkongers that the United
States has their backs in the struggle for basic freedoms and
dignity.
I commend my colleague, Representative Malinowski, for
working with all sides so hard. I know, personally, how hard he
has worked to get this bill and its unified support, and I urge
my colleagues to support this bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr.
Curtis.
Ms. Titus.
Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for all
that you have done to lead this committee with intelligence,
compassion, and grace. We, certainly, must learn from your
example.
I support all of the measures before us and I am a co-
sponsor of several of them, but I want to speak specifically on
the resolution concerning Mongolia.
I appreciate the committee including my resolution, which
reaffirms the strategic partnership between the United States
and Mongolia and as part of this en bloc package.
I am proud to serve as the co-chair of the Mongolian Caucus
and as a member of House Democracy partnership, which has given
me an opportunity to visit Mongolia and meet parliamentarians
and young leaders committed to advancing democratic principles
in their country.
This year marks the 30-year anniversary since Mongolia
declared an end to one-party authoritarian political system and
adopted democratic and free market reforms. Now Mongolia boasts
one of the highest Freedom House scores for political rights
and civil liberties in all of Asia.
At a time when countries are struggling with how to safety
manage the coronavirus pandemic and at the same time hold fair
and free elections, Mongolia sets a good example. They were
able to successfully organize parliamentary elections this June
with a record turnout of 73 percent, and they have not had a
single death from COVID-19.
It is an important and strategic democratic partner in a
challenging neighborhood. Mongolia shares land that borders
only with Russia and China, both countries eagerly working to
spread their influence beyond their borders and into Mongolia.
Mongolia considers the United States, though, its third
neighbor and has shown its commitment to this relationship by
sending troops to support U.S. operations in both Iraq and
Afghanistan, and has a strong record of troop contributions to
international peacekeeping missions.
But, unfortunately, the country continues to face real
pressures from those neighbors I mentioned that threaten its
sovereignty through economic measures, political influence, and
even attempts to promote corruption in the country to undermine
democracy.
This resolution before you today is an opportunity to show
Mongolia that we are committed to further cooperation, building
off the strategic partnership that was announced between the
United States and Mongolia in July 2019.
Especially in a time when we are witnessing democratic
backsliding around the world exacerbated by the pandemic, it is
crucial that we bolster collaboration with countries that have
committed to safeguarding and promoting democratic values and
human rights, including the freedoms of religion, expression,
assembly, and association, anti-corruption and fiscal
transparency, and doing all this they are encouraging youth and
emerging leadership development, as Mongolia has declared in
that partnership--strategic partnership statement declaration
signed with us last year.
The resolution also further supports economic development
in Mongolia by urging the U.S. Government to help Mongolia
through trade programs and urging the Development Finance
Corporation to expand activities there to help diversify its
economy and support women-owned, small, and medium sized
enterprises like in textiles.
As the State Department has announced, Secretary Pompeo
will be traveling to Mongolia next week. So committee passage
of this resolution would signify United Support for the U.S.-
Mongolia Strategic Partnership from both Congress and the
administration. So it comes at a perfect time.
I urge your vote in favor of this resolution to recognize
and strengthen our ties with an important ally in a dangerous
neighborhood and send that strong messages to Mongolia.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentlewoman yields back. Thank you, Ms.
Titus.
Ms. Wild.
Ms. Wild. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the
last word. But, first, I have to join in my colleagues in
thanking you for your service and, even more so, thanking you
for allowing me and asking me, as a freshman Member of
Congress, to serve on this committee.
I consider it to be one of my great privileges that I came
to Congress in time to serve with you, and thank you so much.
I also would like to thank the committee for convening this
markup and Chairwoman Bass for her leadership on the Africa
Subcommittee of which I am proud to serve as vice chair.
I would also like to thank Representative Bass and the
committee for introducing two important resolutions, H. Res.
751, which reaffirms the importance of the U.S.-African Union
Partnership, and H. Res. 768, which urges African governments
to protect internet freedom on the continent.
In 2006, the United States became the first non-African
country to dedicate a diplomatic mission to the African Union.
We recognized early on that there existed a shared benefit
in peace, security, economic growth, trade, and investment. I
am glad we will be passing a resolution applauding those
efforts and urging greater collaboration in the future.
I thank Chairwoman Bass for taking the gavel and reframing
how we look at U.S. relationships in the continent.
Humanitarian assistance where needed is certainly important.
But it is equally important to consider our partnership with
the AU as dealings between equals.
Failure to make additional business and trade investments
with the African Union and the continent as a whole is
misguided and it creates a vacuum through which our adversaries
can attempt to exploit the continent, its people, and its
riches.
I urge a yes vote on H. Res. 751 because the AU deserves to
know that the House of Representatives and this committee have
prioritized this relationship and that we hold it in high
regard.
As part of that ongoing relationship, I also support H.
Res. 768 and urge a yes vote because telecommunication
providers and businesses operating in Africa should facilitate
open and secure internet access on the continent.
In an increasingly interconnected world, our relationship
cannot reach its full potential if there are regular, partial,
or total internet shut downs, shut downs that have,
unfortunately, become more common since 2016, and certainly
politically motivated internet shut downs that are aimed at
stifling dissent frustrate the shared purpose that the U.S. is
trying to cultivate on the continent, and it hurts people both
living in African countries and living here in the United
States.
I hope that others will see this markup as important
relationship maintenance that will benefit African countries,
the United States, and the world.
Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentlewoman yields back. Thank you, Ms.
Wild.
Mr. Deutch.
Mr. Deutch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Engel, I will add my voice to the list of
colleagues of yours who are so proud of the work that you have
done and so thrilled to have had the opportunity to serve. But
I look forward to a future opportunity when we can extol you
greatly.
Thanks also to the ranking member for holding this markup
and I am glad that we have such a full agenda, and I am
appreciative that we are advancing so many important bills this
morning, soon to be this afternoon.
H. Res 823, a resolution that I introduced, condemns the
Iranian government's persecution of the Baha'i. Since the
Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Iranian government has executed
hundreds of Baha'i leaders and dismissed thousands from jobs.
The systematic oppression of the Baha'i is continuing and
it is accelerating, and this resolution puts Congress for the
twentieth time since 1982 on record deploring the persecution
of Iran's Baha'i community and other religious minorities, and
holding the Iranian government responsible for upholding the
rights of all Iranians including members of the Baha'i faith.
I would also like to express my support for two other
resolutions related to the Middle East. The first, H. Res. 1077
emphasizes the continued importance of the U.S.-Lebanon
relationship. Lebanon is facing terrible changes from economic
meltdowns from COVID-19 to the horrific August 4th blast at the
port of Beirut that left over 200 dead.
The United States stands with the people of Lebanon as they
rebuild following the explosion and U.S. officials must
continue to engage the Lebanese government, reject Hezbollah,
and encourage much needed reforms that will benefit Lebanese
stability, the economy, and public.
The second is H. Res. 17, which expresses concern over the
detention of Austin Tice. It has been more than 8 years since
Austin, a Marine officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan,
was detained at a checkpoint in Syria where he was working as a
journalist.
Austin represents the best of our country and this
resolution reiterates that Congress remains committed to
bringing him home and bringing all other Americans unjustly
detained abroad home as well.
And I am glad that we are considering H.R. 4507, the
Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act, and I thank Mr. Connolly
for his tireless advocacy for justice for Jamal Khashoggi.
As we all know, it has been nearly 2 years since Jamal's
horrific murder. His death sparked bipartisan outrage in the
United States and led many to reassess our relationship with
Saudi Arabia.
We must lead with our values, not only because of the
inhumanity of his killing but also because of everything he
worked for and everything that he continues to represent:
accountability, freedom of speech, and other fundamental human
rights. All of them are particularly important to us as
Americans.
Similarly, today we will advance H. Res. 1145, which
condemns the poisoning of Russian opposition leader, Alexei
Navalny. His poisoning, unfortunately, is the latest in a long
line of similar Kremlin efforts that have targeted political
opponents, dissidents and others who challenge the power of
Vladimir Putin.
America has historically been the global leader and the
moral authority on basic freedoms and human rights, and we cede
that leadership every day when we fail to denounce abuses
abroad, whether the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the poisoning
of Alexei Navalny, or any other atrocities that we do not speak
out against.
And as a member of this committee, I am committed to honor
Jamal and Alexei and other activists who have been imprisoned,
poisoned or killed, and advocating for accountability, the rule
of law, and human rights abroad.
I am proud to support all the measures that will advance
today. I thank my colleagues for their work and, again, I thank
the chairman and the ranking member and their staffs for their
tireless efforts.
And I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Castro.
Mr. Castro. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and also thank you to
the ranking member, Mr. McCaul, for bringing these measures
before us today and for your leadership on this committee.
I want to congratulate all the members whose bills are
being considered here today. We have a significant number of
bills and resolutions today, a testament to the hard work of
the members of this committee and also the members of their
staff.
While these are all important measures, there are a few
that I would like to mention in particular. Around the world,
we see democracy in retreat as authoritarians crack down on
civil liberties and human rights.
The situation in Hong Kong today is one of the most
pernicious examples, where the Chinese government passed a
draconian national security law that restricts freedoms in Hong
Kong in violation of their own commitments to the international
community.
This committee held an important hearing on this subject
and one product of that hearing is Representative Malinowski's
Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act of 2020, which I
support.
I was proud to work with Representative Curtis on similar
legislation earlier this year and am proud to support
Representative Malinowski's bipartisan bill.
I also speak in support of the two resolutions introduced
by my colleagues from Texas, Representative Conaway and
Representative Green, that highlight the detention of Texan
Marine Trevor Reed in Russia and the abduction of Texan
journalist Austin Tice in Syria.
Mr. Reed faces an extraordinarily long sentence of 9 years
in prison in Russia under allegations of a crime that fall far
short of that sentence. His trial has been a farce and,
clearly, politically motivated.
Congress must speak up to secure his release so he can be
reunited with his family.
Mr. Tice, a Houston native and a journalist who was
covering the Syrian civil war, has been missing for years after
being kidnapped. This resolution is an important show of
support from this committee to his family that we have not
forgotten him and we are working to bring him home.
I also want to thank the members of the committee for
considering my bill, the State Department Student Internship
Act, and Representative Lee Zeldin, my counterpart on the
Oversight Subcommittee.
Representative Zeldin has worked with me on a number of
hearings and meetings on the issue of representation at the
State Department and also has worked with me on this
legislation.
These programs are an important way for students interested
in public service or foreign policy to learn more about what
such a career would look like.
But for too long they have been inaccessible to many who
cannot afford to work for months without pay. As we all know,
that is also a problem and has been a problem in the
legislative branch.
This bill would ensure that the department provides
compensation and assistance for travel and housing so that
students of all backgrounds and means can start on their path
to public service and advancing our Nation's foreign policy.
I urge you to support these measures, all of these measures
considered today, and I yield back, Chairman.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Phillips.
Mr. Phillips. Thank you, Chairman Engel and Ranking Member
McCaul, for bringing this slate of overwhelmingly bipartisan
measures up for consideration by our entire committee today.
And as Representative Chabot so eloquently expressed
earlier in this hearing, the leadership of our chairman and
ranking member, and the unique spirit of cooperation by members
of our committee is, surely, a model to our entire Congress.
And while each of the measures being considered today is of
great importance, I wish to focus my time on H. Res. 1150
urging the government of Cote D'Ivoire, its opposition leaders,
its citizens, and all to respect democratic principles, refrain
from violence, and hold free, fair, transparent, and peaceful
elections next month.
Cote d'Ivoire is at a consequential crossroads. It can
continue to enjoy a relative peace or regress to the ethnic
violence that is a stain on its recent past.
Every political transition in the country's history has
been accompanied by violence against civilians, most recently
during the 2010 elections, and although such atrocities are not
yet occurring in Cote d'Ivoire, the early warning signs surely
are.
Despite a constitutional limit of two terms, President
Ouattara's decision to run for a third term has led to violence
protests resulting in deaths, injuries, and countless arrests.
It is imperative that we call attention to this dangerous
situation and urge action to prevent violence and save lives.
My resolution, H. Res. 1150, does just that. By reaffirming
the relationship between the United States and Cote D'Ivoire
while raising concerns about the likelihood of instability
stemming from the upcoming election.
The resolution calls on the Ivoirian government and all
political parties to commit to free, fair, and peaceful
elections, protect and support citizens and their access to
valid information, and to combat disinformation, hate speech,
and violence.
Finally, the resolution States that the United States will
stand with the Ivoirian people in support of peace, democracy,
religious and ethnic tolerance and stability.
I urge my colleagues to support this very time sensitive
and important resolution, and the entire en bloc package.
And with that, I yield the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr.
Phillips.
Mr. Levin.
Mr. Levin. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I want to start
by adding voice to the avalanche of appreciation for you. We
will have other opportunities to do that at greater length.
But I--from the first day I courted you to join the
committee it has just been such a pleasure working with you. I
have learned so much from you and you have been so kind to me,
and I just deeply appreciate your leadership.
And, you know, I appreciate this markup and the incredible
work of you and Mr. McCaul working together and so many of my
colleagues, from Mr. Phillips with Cote d'Ivoire to Hong Kong
to Tibet, all around this world the members of this committee
are standing up for human rights and democracy, and I am proud
to play a part in it.
And I really want to thank you specifically for considering
Mr. Chabot's and my resolution urging the Burmese government to
allow for free, fair, inclusive, transparent, participatory,
and credible elections in Burma next month, this November.
When we pass this resolution today we will send a strong
signal to the Burmese people that we are with you as you
continue the often dangerous but absolutely essential work of
democratizing Burma and achieving sustainable peace and human
rights for all there.
The past few years have been marred by terrible tragedy,
none more devastating than the genocide of the Rohingya people.
At the same time, the government has oppressed other
religious and ethnic minorities, restricted civil society and
freedom of the press, silenced government critics, cutoff
internet services. The list goes on and on.
These elections can be a chance to start turning the tide
in Burma. Today, with one voice, we make clear that this body
is united in its commitment and our commitment to seeing that
tide turn.
I hope the administration will join us in supporting the
Burmese people and work hard to see that these upcoming
elections are free, fair, inclusive, transparent,
participatory, and really credible.
We have to support the right to vote for communities that
have been disenfranchised. We have to see to it that conflict
is not used as an excuse to deny people the right to vote and
we have to make sure U.S.-based social media companies do not
allow their platforms--sound familiar? To be used as vehicles
for spreading misinformation or advocating violence or voter
intimidation.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I want to note that 1 year ago today
I was on my way to Bangladesh where I visited Rohingya refugees
in Cox's Bazar.
I have talked about this before, and let me just say it is
so important that Burma create conditions for the voluntary
return of the Rohingya people. That means freedom of movement,
provision of civil documentation, and a transparent pathway to
the restoration of full citizenship.
I heard one thing over and over again from the people I met
last year, that they want to go home. For their sake, for all
the Burmese people, I hope the elections in November are a step
forward on the path of true democracy and real human rights for
all.
I thank Mr. Chabot again for partnering with me on this,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you very
much, Mr. Levin.
Ms. Omar.
[No response.]
Chairman Engel. Okay. We will move on to Mr. Malinowski.
Mr. Malinowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member McCaul, first, I just want
to join all of my colleagues in thanking you for the
cooperation and hard work that has enabled us to come together
again and again in a bipartisan way to speak for America to the
world, and we are doing that today in a number of respects,
particularly on the issue of promoting human rights around the
world.
There are several bills that I am particularly happy to see
moving, the first of which has been mentioned by a number of my
colleagues, the Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act of
2020.
We have discussed this before in committee and since then
our worst predictions about the implications of Hong Kong's new
national security legislation has started to come true.
Pro-democracy candidates have been banned from running for
office. Protestors are being locked up, journalists imprisoned.
Even today, thousands of police have been stopping and
searching people en masse as demonstrators took to the streets
on China's national day.
What this bill does is to simply take up the mantle of
leadership that the United States has long held as a refuge for
people fleeing some of the most repressive regimes of our time,
from Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union to Cuba to the Arab
dictatorships to Assad's Syria, and many more.
It says that those being persecuted in Hong Kong can have
expedited access to the United States as refugees. Those
already in the United States, Hongkongers who fear going back,
will have protection here.
This is a good thing. It is a first step. I hope we
continue to take further steps in this direction, including by
opening our doors to a much wider range of people in Hong Kong
who may want to make their lives in the United States and
contribute their talents to us.
The message to Beijing is very, very simple, that if you
continue your efforts to crush the people of Hong Kong you are
going to lose the wealth and talent and energy of this
extraordinary place to the United States and your loss will be
very much America's gain.
Turning to Russia, I am also happy to offer the amendment
in the nature of a substitute today for the McGovern resolution
decrying Putin's attempted assassination of Alexei Navalny.
This is not the first attempt at poisoning by Putin. It is
a preferred method of his, allowing him some plausible
deniability for his actions while at the same time striking
fear into the hearts of his opponent.
There have been numerous such attempts, some successful,
some not. Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, Boris Berezovsky in
2013, Vladimir Kara-Murza 2015, and again in 2017 several
others.
When you do not stand up to this kind of stuff it
encourages even more or worse, and our resolution says enough.
We are going to work with our allies to seek accountability for
Putin's actions.
There are a lot of other really great bills. I want to
particularly thank some of the folks we have worked with on the
Hong Kong bill, which has been fully bipartisan--Mr. Curtis,
Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Castro--for their leadership on this issue.
I also want to thank some of the staff who have been deeply
involved--Jen Hendrickson White on Mr. Engel's staff, Ami Shah
on the Judiciary Committee, Troy Dougal with Mr. Curtis's
office, Sid Ravishankar in Mr. Castro's office--for the long
hours they spent developing the best possible legislative
solutions for dealing with the crisis in Hong Kong.
And, of course, all the members who have joined on the
Navalny resolution, the resolution that Mrs. Wagner offered as
well--really, really important, expressing our interest in
protecting human rights in countries that are taking advantage
of the pandemic to crack down on their people.
All in all, I think we are sending some extraordinarily
important messages today and I am very, very happy to work with
you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member McCaul, to move these
forward.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr.
Malinowski.
Ms. Omar.
Ms. Omar. Thank you, Chairman.
First, I would like to speak to House Resolution 1012,
recognizing the importance of our alliance with South Korea. I
support this resolution, but I also feel that we, as a
committee, have missed a real opportunity today.
The best way to truly demonstrate our commitment to our
partnership with South Korea and with the Korean people is to
call for a formal end to war, a war that even today keeps
Korean families separated.
I hope this committee will take action soon.
I would also like to speak a little about sanctions. By my
account, today's markup includes seven different pieces of
legislation that authorize, encourage, and otherwise refer to
sanctions.
And this is not unusual. I think in almost every markup we
have held we have included some sanction legislation. But we
have not taken a moment to consider the use of sanctions in a
thoughtful way.
It is easy to justify each individual sanction. Yes, there
must be consequences for election interference, for human
rights violations, and for subverting democracy, though we need
to ask ourselves are sanctions always the correct answer.
I am afraid that Congress has become too reliant on
sanctions. We reach for them as the easiest solution to
whatever problem we face.
But they are often not a solution at all. They are often
deeply painful for the populations of the countries we
sanction, the very people we are trying to help. They drive bad
actors into the black market by cutting them off from
international financial institutions.
They are extremely easy to implement but extremely
difficult to remove. They put extra burdens on human rights
organizations, peace building organizations, and people trying
to do good and productive work in violent and repressive
places.
We can say it is different when they are targeted. But I am
not sure it is true. Above all, we do not even know if they
work. I doubt they do in most cases.
If sanctions on a country would help lead them to democracy
and human rights, North Korea would have been a thriving
democracy in the 1960's. We all share the goal of
accountability and justice. I just do not believe sanctions
help us toward that goal most of the time.
I encourage this committee to think more deeply about what
tools are available to us and to think more about the long-term
consequences of our actions.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. Mr. Trone.
Mr. Trone. Thank you, Chairman Engel, for your leadership
of this committee and for scheduling today's markup.
The last 2 years it has been a real honor and a pleasure
working with you and your team. So thank you so much.
We are considering a number of important pieces of
legislation today and I am proud to co-sponsor many of them,
like the Represent America Abroad Act introduced by Chairwoman
Karen Bass.
But I would like to primarily speak about a bill I
introduced with Ranking Member Michael McCaul, H.R. 7990, the
FENTANYL Results Act. Right now, millions of Americans are
suffering from addiction.
I know this pain all too well. I watched and tried to help
as my nephew battled addiction for 5 years before losing his
life to Fentanyl overdose in 2016.
Unfortunately, this story is an all too common reality in
America. Since his passing, we have seen dramatic and alarming
increase in Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids across our
country. This threat has only increased in connection with the
COVID-19 pandemic.
In parts of my district in Maryland, opioid overdose are up
50-plus percent this time over last year. To put it even more
starkly, this year Fentanyl has been involved in 93 percent of
all opioid-related deaths in Maryland.
We need to tackle this opioid crisis from every angle and
that includes working with our international partners to curb
drug trafficking.
That is why I introduced the Fighting Emerging Narcotics
Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting Results, or the
FENTANYL Results Act, with Ranking Member McCaul. This bill
will authorize two programs through the State Department to
build foreign law enforcement capacity to detect synthetic
drugs.
The FENTANYL Results Act is a serious step in the fight
against global synthetic drug trade. I would like to thank
Ranking Member McCaul for partnering with me on this important
legislation and Chairman Engel for helping us get this bill
where it is today.
It has been a privilege to be appointed by the speaker to
the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking.
There, I will work with my fellow commissioners to continue to
develop bipartisan solutions to stop the flow of illicit
opioids into America.
To put it simply, we have got to get it done. Lives are at
stake. Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Are any other members seeking recognition?
[No response.]
Chairman Engel. Hearing no further requests for
recognition, the committee will proceed.
[Pause.]
Chairman Engel. Okay. I am told there is a technical issue.
So we are going to wait a couple of minutes to resolve it.
[Pause.]
Chairman Engel. Okay. We are going to take a brief recess
for a few minutes until we get this straightened out. So the
committee is now in recess.
[Brief recess.]
Chairman Engel. We now call the committee back in order. I
understand our difficulties--technical difficulties--have been
taken care of.
So hearing no further requests for recognition, are there
any further requests for recognition?
[No response.]
Chairman Engel. Okay. Having no further requests, the
committee will proceed to consider the noticed items en bloc.
Pursuant to the previous order, the question occurs on the
measures en bloc as amended if amended. We will take a vote by
voice. All members please unmute your microphones.
All right. All those in favor say aye.
All those opposed, say no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
The measures considered en bloc are agreed to, and pursuant
to the previous order of the committee, each members is ordered
favorably reported as amended if amended, and each amendment to
each bill shall be reported as a single amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
Without objection, staff is authorized to make any
technical and conforming changes.
Now on to the next item of business, consideration of H.R.
7673. Pursuant to notice for purposes of markup, I now call up
H.R. 7673, the Represent America Abroad Act.
The clerk will report the bill.
Ms. Alexander. H.R. 7673, to ensure the United States
diplomatic work force at all levels reflects the diverse
composition of the United States. Be it enacted by the Senate
and the House of Representatives of the United States of
America and Congress assembled.
Chairman Engel. Without objection, the first reading of the
bill is dispensed with. Without objection, the bill shall be
considered as read and open to amendment at any point.
[The Bill H.R. 7673 follows:]
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Chairman Engel. I now offer the Bass amendment in the
nature of a substitute that was noticed as base text. The clerk
will please report the amendment.
Ms. Alexander. Bass Amendment 106. Amendment in the nature
of a substitute to H.R. 7673. Strike all after the enacting
clause and insert the following: Section 1 short title. This
act may be cited as the Represent America Abroad Act of 2020.
Section 2----
Chairman Engel. Without objection, the reading of the
amendment will be dispensed with. Without objection, the
amendment in the nature of a substitute will be considered
original text for purposes of further amendment.
[The Amendment offered by Ms. Bass follows:]
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Chairman Engel. At this time, I recognize Ms. Bass to speak
on the measure.
Ms. Bass. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
H.R. 7673, Represent America Abroad Act, is a partnership
with my friend and colleague, Representative Chabot. We have
worked together on bipartisan issues for many years.
H.R. 7673 addresses foreign policy areas that U.S.
diplomats work on daily. However, that work cannot be realized
without those who implement our goals abroad are Foreign
Service Officers.
These diplomats are America's face to the world and, as
such, its work force must represent the full spectrum of
American society in order to effectively advance American
values, including diversity and inclusion.
Earlier this year, the GAO office released two reports that
found barriers to a diverse and inclusive work force within the
Foreign Service, particularly at mid-career and senior levels.
But those findings are not new. A 1989 GAO report found
that minorities and women were under represented at the mid and
senior level, and the State Department has not addressed the
issue nor did they have a plan to do so.
They also had no plan for addressing possible barriers to
hiring or promoting under represented groups. Unfortunately, we
find ourselves in the same place 30 years later. To highlight
the point, according to the American Academy of Diplomacy, out
of 189 Ambassadors serving overseas today, only three are
African American. Just four are Hispanic.
In 2018, Asian career diplomats were represented at the
senior levels at just 3 percent, and Native Hawaiian, Pacific
Islander, American Indian, Alaska Natives were represented at
less than 2 percent.
These are unacceptable statistics which undermine our
foreign policy objectives and must be overcome.
Think about it. All of us travel overseas. All of us go to
embassies. All of us meet with the company teams. What type of
diversity do you see when you travel?
I share the sentiments of former Ambassadors, Williams
Burns, who served as deputy secretary of State, and Linda
Thomas-Greenfield, who served as director general of the
Foreign Service, essentially the chief human resource officers.
In a recent article in Foreign Affairs, they argue the lack
of diversity in the diplomatic corps should be treated as a
national security crisis. It not only undermines the powers of
the U.S. example, it also suffocates the potential of the
country's diplomacy.
They argue that State will have to incorporate ideas that
in the past seemed unacceptable to the department and its
career staff, but that today are inescapable. They call for the
creation of mid-career pathways into the Foreign Service,
including for Americans with unique skills and experience.
Additionally, in a letter to the secretary of State dated
July 13th, 2020, AAD expressed support for efforts to make the
Foreign Service more representative of the American people.
In response, H.R. 7673 proposes to assist the State
Department to diversify the Foreign Service in critical skill
sets at the mid-level career in H. Res. 7673, the Represent
America Abroad Act.
This diversification and inclusion program would target
educated--educated--and experienced Americans who represent the
full spectrum of American society. We believe these efforts
would boost recruitment, retention, and promotion of a diverse
education Foreign Service that represents the full composition
of America.
For those who are concerned that this sounds like an
affirmative action program, I assure you that it is not. There
are no number requirements, no quotas. There are no differing
standards for entry.
This is a recruitment program like the highly--regarded
Rangel and Pickering Fellowships that are widely praised and
highlighted by the State Department.
The State Department has known about the lack of diversity
and barriers to promotion for more than 30 years. There is a
lot of evidence that African American, Latino, Asian, Pacific
Islander diplomats who have the same experience, the same
education, are not promoted in the same level, which is why the
State Department also experiences numerous lawsuits.
Diplomats of color who represent and serve their countries
abroad have had a glass ceiling over their heads. I know that
we can do better. This is the time to do better.
Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to enter in the record
an article about the State Department being sued on bias
charges. This article was written 33 years ago. But, yet, the
situation is the same.
I look forward to your support----
Chairman Engel. Without--excuse me, Ms. Bass. Without
objection, so ordered.
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Ms. Bass. Thank you. We look forward to your support and I
yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentlewoman yields back.
Mr. McCaul, do you seek recognition?
Mr. McCaul. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. I think everyone here supports the goal of
increasing diversity at the Department of State and that is why
I supported our robust diversity and inclusion title in the
State authorization bill and why I am an original co-sponsor
for Mr. Castro's internship bill that we are marking up today.
And I agree with Ms. Bass that we need to do better job at
recruitment, collecting viewpoints from under represented
groups and analyzing data so that the Foreign Service looks
more like the face of America.
However, I think an immediate, permanent, and mandatory
expansion of the Foreign Service into the mid ranks tries to
solve a problem without first understanding the cause.
It will also have a tremendous downstream effect on morale,
placement, hiring, promotion, and budget, which is why the
Foreign Service Association has voiced both its concern and
opposition to this bill as currently written.
I know Ms. Bass cares deeply about this issue and I have
tremendous respect for her, and I share her desire to make the
department a more diverse and inclusive place.
Given the Foreign Service Association's opposition, though,
I do think that the approach would be better as offered by Mr.
Zeldin. It would be a more effective tool in the long run and
address the acute issue in the short term.
And for that reason, Mr. Chairman, I plan to support the
Zeldin amendment as the appropriate way forward on this issue.
I want to thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. Thank you, Mr. McCaul.
I now recognize myself.
In this committee, we spend a lot of time talking about the
importance of diplomacy as a foreign policy tool. Our diplomats
build bridges of friendship with governments and peoples. They
represent our country's character and compassion in our conduct
of foreign policy.
They are, in many ways, America's face to the world. That
representation should reflect what our country actually looks
like.
But despite a focus on this issue in recent years, there
remains a troubling lack of diversity in the mid and senior
levels of the Foreign Service.
In January, the Government Accountability Office produced a
report that I requested, along with other colleagues, and made
it clear that there exists serious barriers to diversity in the
State Department.
GAO found that racial or ethnic minorities were less likely
to be promoted than their white co-workers with similar
education, occupation, or years of Federal service.
There was another GAO report that--there was another GAO
report that dealt with this issue. It was titled ``State
Department Minorities and Women are Underrepresented in the
Foreign Service'' and it was published in 1989. It is really
disheartening--my first year in Congress, by the way--it is
really disheartening that over three decades we have made so
little progress grappling with this challenge.
We need to do better, and Chairwoman Bass's bill is a step
in the right direction. It would direct those in charge of the
Foreign Service to establish a lateral entry program for people
who belong to traditionally under represented groups in order
to attract more members of minority groups into the Foreign
Service and address the under representation at the mid and
senior levels.
This is a good bill. I want to thank Ms. Bass for her hard
work. More than a quarter of House members have signed on as
co-sponsors.
I look--let us see. These are real problems and ignoring
them will not make them go away. We can do our part by trying
to build a more diverse inclusive work force among those who
serve our country and represent us overseas.
I am glad to support this measure and I urge all members to
do the same.
I realize members wish to speak on the bill and that some
members have amendments to offer. I will now recognize any
other members by committee seniority, alternating between
Democrats and Republicans for the purpose of speaking on the
bill first.
If you miss your turn, please let our staff know and we
will circle back to you. If you seek recognition, you must
unmute your microphone and address the chair verbally. Then we
will move on to amendments.
Do any other members wish to speak on the bill?
Mr. Meeks. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Engel. Mr. Meeks.
Mr. Meeks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank Chairwoman Bass for this amendment. This is
really important, and I heard Mr. McCaul's statement. But it is
time--the studies really have been done already. Mr. Zeldin's
bill is primarily talking about doing another study.
We have seen the studies. GAO has come out with a study. In
fact, for most of us that are on this committee and who have
traveled, all you got to do is travel and go look at the State
Department and who represents us, who is in the Foreign
Services. Just travel. The numbers are there.
So what this bill just says that we have seen the studies.
We know that there is a problem. Now let us address the
problem. It is not just good for the State Department. It is
good for America.
We need to have this addressed. So when I think about how
we fixed and addressed some issues before, say, like, in the
armed services, there is actual recruitment from the armed
services that go into Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. They go
into the local schools. They go into colleges. They go to other
institutions, trying to make sure that they get them to enlist
in the military.
And that is a good thing. That is not a bad thing. But we
should do the same thing in the State Department, because we
know that diplomacy is just as important as the armed services.
And we need to go out and recruit folks because too often--
I know in communities like mine--now, I got a good--what I
think is a great public education.
I saw individuals coming into my schools to recruit for the
armed services. But I had no idea at the time about the State
Department and diplomacy and opportunities that were therein.
So all that Ms. Bass is saying is we need to go out. There
is talent there. And make sure the State Department looks like
America. So when we are out there our diplomats look like
America, and that gives us greater credibility to lead, to
show.
I mean, I often say that what makes our country the
greatest country that this planet has ever seen is our
diversity, people from all different parts of the world and
people of different colors. But you got to open those doors.
You cannot keep the doors closed and say we need another study.
The doors have been closed because we have not recruited,
and the people say, oh, we cannot find anybody or we do not
know anybody, when we never looked for anybody. We never
trained anybody, and then we never made sure that within a
culture that they could grow and elevate within that
organization.
We should be doing it in the State Department and leading
everybody else, and proud of what we are doing because that is
what makes us America. We have overcome a lot.
We have got a lot more to overcome, and the State
Department and the ever closing world where we have got to be
more interconnected than ever should be representative of our
country and diversity, and having people of color therein.
I wish I knew then--maybe that is why I love this committee
so much because I love foreign affairs. Maybe I would not be in
Congress now. Maybe I'd be in the State Department had those
doors been open or had I knew such existed in my community at
the time that I was growing up.
So let us be active. Let us support 7673. Let us be
proactive and not just talk about another study. Let us resolve
the problem and the issue, and I think that this bill takes us
in the right direction and I ask all of us to support H.R.
7873.
And, again, I compliment Congresswoman Bass for this great
fantastic bill that takes us to make the State Department
representative of our great country.
And I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. Thank you very much, Mr. Meeks. The
gentleman yields back his time.
Mr. Sires.
Mr. Sires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am running out of
juice here on my iPad, but I think we have enough. Thank you
very much.
I want to thank my colleague from California, Congresswoman
Karen Bass, for introducing an important bill to ensure that
our diplomats reflect the diversity of our country. I am proud
to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 7673, the Represent America
Abroad Act of 2020.
As an immigrant who came here at the age of 11 and has made
this country my home, I believe diversity is one of America's
greatest strengths. I have also observed through my work on
this committee and my trips abroad that our diplomats do
essentially work to advance the interest of the United States.
I think it is fair to say that many citizens and government
officials in other countries draw conclusions about who we are
as a country based on the people who represent us at our
embassies around the globe.
This bill is about ensuring that we put our best foot
forward. What message are we sending the world by having a
State Department that is far more white and far more male than
our country's actual population? More importantly, how many
times are diplomats, or future diplomats, being passed over or
denied the opportunity to promote our interests abroad due to
the structural barriers that persist in our State Department?
It is time that those who represent us abroad fully reflect
our commitment to inclusion and diversity. This bill takes a
big step in that direction by making it easier for people of
color to join the Foreign Service as mid-level officers. It
also provides a necessary nudge to ensure that the State
Department takes tangible steps to recruit and retain talented
candidates of color. The lack of adequate progress over the
last two decades shows that we must be purposeful in our
efforts to recruit a more diverse Foreign Service work force.
I thank Congresswoman Bass for her leadership, and I urge
my colleagues to support this measure. And I yield back. Thank
you.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Connolly.
Mr. Connolly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I support this bill because it is needed. One of the sort
of dirty little secrets in the Nation's capital is how little
diversity there actually has been historically in our Foreign
Service ranks. Qualified, competent, good men and women, but it
doesn't always reflect, and certainly usually hasn't, the face
of America, the diversity of America. And in fact, we are
experiencing right now a depletion in the ranks of minority
personnel in the Foreign Service. There has to be an aggressive
recruitment. There has be an aggressive commitment to making
the Foreign Service so that it looks like America. That is good
for American diplomacy, but it is, more importantly, a clear
and clarion statement about who we are and who we want to be.
And so, promoting diversity is very important.
There are two studies underway, Mr. Chairman, one by the
Council on Foreign Relations, the other by Harvard University
Kennedy School, both looking at this subject and coming up with
recommendations, which I am sure this committee will want to
look at and hold hearings about probably next year. But this
needed now.
And I fully support Ms. Bass' efforts in this bill and hope
our colleagues will as well. I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Cicilline.
Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I want to thank my colleague and friend, Congresswoman
Karen Bass, for introducing H.R. 7673, the Represent America
Abroad Act.
Americans around the country are protesting or standing
with protestors who demand an end to systemic racism keeping
black and brown Americans from equality. At the same time, our
State Department faces deep challenges in hiring and retaining
people of color and women in the Foreign Service. And there was
a recent hearing that was chaired by Chairman Castro that
really underscored the urgency of this work and how serious
this challenge is. We must work together to do what the Foreign
Service Act set out to do, to create a work force at the State
Department that is representative of America.
In order to reach that goal, H.R. 7673 takes the advice of
many very senior current and former members of the Foreign
Service and Civil Service and authorizes immediate career entry
into the Foreign Service for candidates of color. I and many of
my colleagues have been in discussions with senior and retired
members of the Foreign Service, Ambassadors and storied civil
servants who have lamented the lack of diversity at the State
Department and particularly note how little progress has been
made outside the Pickering and Rangel Fellowships, important
programs to increase the number of outstanding young people of
color entering the Foreign Service. They note that, above and
beyond getting new recruits of color and retaining the
professionals that we already have in the Foreign Service, much
more work will need to be done to make the State Department's
culture welcoming to all.
This is work that the committee must commit to. This
committee has provided oversight to the State Department's
diversity since at least 1973. We have made too little progress
and we have to commit to working together to make much more
progress.
As Americans around the country bravely and fiercely stand
up for racial justice in their communities, let us stand up for
a Foreign Service that harnesses the rich experiences of all
Americans and represents the brilliant and beautiful diversity
of our great country.
I urge my colleagues to support the Represent America
Abroad Act and thank my colleague, Congressman Bass, for its
introduction. I am proud to be an original cosponsor and urge
all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.
And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Chairman Engel. Thank you, Cicilline.
Mr. Lieu.
Mr. Lieu. Thank you, Chairman Engel.
Let me first start off by joining the other members of this
committee in praising you for your many decades of service and
for your leadership on this committee. It is an honor to serve
with you on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
I rise in support of this important legislation by
Representative Bass. And let me tell you a story. First of all,
this issue of the lack of diversity is a bipartisan issue. It
has occurred in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
And in my first term in Congress, I was on a CODEL with Nancy
Pelosi and other Members and we were going to China. And we had
a briefing by multiple agencies prior to our trip. We visited
different places and met with very high-ranking officials in
China. At the briefings that we had here in the U.S. prior to
the trip, there were about a dozen people in the room from
these different agencies. Not a single one of them was Asian-
American. And it occurred to me halfway through the meeting
that this is probably not good when you have the top-level
people in our Federal Government working on the issue of China
and everybody looks exactly the same. I think there might be
some expertise that does not occur when that happens that the
U.S. loses on.
And so, I wholeheartedly support Representative Bass'
diversify by the State Department. After this bill becomes law,
I think we also need to simply change the culture at the State
Department and change some other rules and regulations. There
was an important hearing done last week where we had two State
Department officials. This was a hearing that Representative
Castro chaired and Representative Cicilline mentioned. And what
we do know is, from surveys done by, for example, the Asian-
American group at the State Department, assignment restrictions
hamper our Foreign Service Officers. And so, some of them, for
example, simply will not be assigned to different countries or
high-profile countries just because of who they are.
And so, I asked a very simple question of these two State
Department officials. I said, ``If you are Russian-American,
does that mean you are not allowed to work in Russia or work on
Russian issues? Or if you are Chinese-American, are you barred
from working on issues related to China?'' They could not
answer that question.
First of all, it is illegal. You cannot do that. You cannot
discriminate against any Federal employee based purely on their
ethnicity. So, the State Department has to stop doing that. And
if there are assignment restrictions based on factors that may
cause, for example, a national security risk, they have got to
be valid.
So, I think there needs to be a wholesale change to the
State Department. This has been going on for far too long in
both Democrat and Republican administrations.
I, for example, am no less American than Chairman Engel. I
am also no more American than Chairman Engel. We are all
Americans. And the State Department needs to treat its Foreign
Service exactly the same way. We are all Americans and should
be treated that way. I wholeheartedly support Representative
Bass' comments.
And I just have to end tonight saying how last night's
comments by the President of the United States were utterly
disgraceful when he somehow said an immigrant Member of
Congress, how she was running our country. Well, guess what? We
are all Americans. We are all trying to run our country the
best that we can.
I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Ms. Titus.
Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am a cosponsor of this bill, and I strongly support it
and thank our colleague, Ms. Bass, for bringing it forward.
I know that this particular bill has to do with racial and
ethnic representation in the State Department, and I know it is
certainly needed to make us look more like the face of America.
But I would just like to put on the record that, as we turn to
the State Department to diversify its ranks, let's not forget
about those with disabilities. I am sure if you pulled up
statistics of how many people working in the State Department
were in a wheelchair or had some other kind of disability, it
would be far less even than those with racial or ethnic
identifications. For the record, as we move in this direction,
let's keep that in mind and see if we cannot make some
improvements in that area as well.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. Thank you, Ms. Titus.
Do any other members wish to speak on the bill?
Hearing no further requests, we will move on to amendments.
For what purpose does Mr. Zeldin seek recognition?
Mr. Zeldin. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk
and I ask for its consideration at this time.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman is recognized for that
purpose.
The clerk shall distribute the amendment. It has been done,
I am told. For members currently in the hearing room, a member
of the staff will bring a copy to you. Let's pause briefly to
give all members enough time to review the amendment.
Has everyone received a copy of the amendment? Okay. They
have.
The clerk will please report the amendment.
Ms. Stiles. ``Zeldin Amendment No. 1. An amendment in the
nature of a substitute to H.R. 7673.
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
Section 1, Short Title. This Act may be cited as the
Represent America Abroad Act of 2020.''
Chairman Engel. Without objection, the further reading of
the amendment will be dispensed with.
[The amendment offered by Mr. Zeldin follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Engel. A point of order is reserved.
The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes in support his
the amendment.
Mr. Zeldin. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My amendment would strengthen and revamp a lateral entry
program into the Foreign Service that has been law since
December 2016, but has not yet been implemented. This gives us
a unique opportunity to refocus our objectives. The lateral
entry program would require outreach and inclusion of
minorities and mandate recruitment and reporting of progress to
Congress. This amendment recognizes the importance of diversity
and the need to do more in the mid-level and senior ranks of
the Foreign Service without harming the structure of the
Foreign Service.
Ms. Bass' bill would disrupt the multi-step process of the
Foreign Service by artificially elevating candidates who enter
into a lateral entry program into mid-level status. The
American Foreign Service Association, which represents over
28,000 active and retired Foreign Service employees, opposes
that bill. I would request unanimous consent to enter a letter
into the record from the American Foreign Service Association
regarding the Bass bill.
[The information referred to follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mr. Zeldin. The American Foreign Service Association
offered to work with the majority to improve the language
because they are rightfully concerned that the way the language
is currently drafted would be unfair to those Foreign Service
Officers who have worked for many years to reach mid-level
status.
The Foreign Service is similar to the Army in that you
gradually rise through the ranks. You do not just skip steps.
The original bill would permit participants of the lateral
entry program to bypass years of service. These years of
service are necessary to provide expertise on managing
embassies abroad. That bill was drafted without input from the
State Department and without working with the minority on
changes.
I helped lead the effort on another bill in the en bloc
package that was drafted with bipartisan input to create a paid
internship program at State without drastically changing the
structure of the Foreign Service, but organically increasing
diversity. And I appreciate Chairman Castro's work on that
bill.
Diversity and inclusion should play a central role in
improving recruitment, retention, and career development
efforts. However, we must be responsible about creating
programs that unfairly impact current Foreign Service Officers
who have spent years rising through the ranks.
To summarize, my amendment identifies the importance of
attracting and maintaining a diverse Foreign Service through
the mid and senior ranks. This amendment would revamp a
preexisting mandated lateral entry pilot program project by
adding additional requirements for minority outreach and
inclusion and require the State Department to report to
Congress on those efforts.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Bass for her
passion and leadership on this issue. She genuinely is working
hard on this cause, and I appreciate that.
I want to respond to one comment one of my colleagues made
a little while ago. Mr. Meeks said that the amendment was just
a study, and it is important to note that there is actually
nothing at all in the bill that references a study. It does
have a mandate for a new recruitment guideline, and it is also
not just some reporting requirement, but certainly nothing in
the text with regards to a study.
I also want to take this opportunity to echo the praise and
gratitude of my colleagues, as we have done throughout this
day, for Chairman Engel. I have got to say, personally, even
though I am on the other side of the aisle, I was saddened to
learn the news that he is going to be moving on to other
pursuits. Chairman Engel has worked hard throughout his career
on many incredibly important issues related to strengthening
U.S. foreign policy in our country, strengthening relationships
with our allies like Israel, and is someone who will definitely
be greatly missed in this chamber. So, I thank Chairman Engel
for his friendship, his years of service, his chairmanship here
on the committee, and I wish him the best of luck and fortune
in everything that is still ahead in his life.
I yield back.
Chairman Engel. I thank the gentleman for his kind words.
Thank you very much.
Ms. Bass.
Ms. Bass. Thank you. Thank you very much.
While we appreciate the amendment offered that seeks to
amend the lateral entry program into the Foreign Service that
was passed into law in 2017, I must let you know that it does
not tackle the issue head-on. The use of the words, quote,
``should be an avenue for the Foreign Service to diversify'' is
no different from current recruitment into Foreign Service.
What we have learned is that traditional recruitment has
been unsuccessful in recruiting historically underrepresented
groups into the Foreign Service. And while my colleagues are
concerned about the fact that this is skipping steps, and
people who have been in the ranks for a while move up, the
problem is that people in the Foreign Service who represent
underrepresented groups who have the same qualifications, the
same years of service, are not promoted. So, there is a problem
within the Foreign Service.
I think that it is sad when we think about people being
demoralized when we are talking about diversity, because the
fact of the matter is, even when there are people of color in
the Foreign Service, they do not stay long. They are not
retained because of the glass ceiling. So, when we are
concerned about the moral challenges at the State Department,
we need to be concerned about the fact that people who face a
glass ceiling in a building that is supposed to be a
meritocracy do not receive the same treatment.
The more the national security work force reflects America,
the more effectively it can advance American values on a global
stage. Diversity and inclusion is a priority for all of us. It
makes us safer as a country and it is the right thing to do.
The legislation that was passed in 2017, you are talking
about the Foreign Service Association, they actually opposed
that as well. And so, I think that there are not many times in
history when we talk about diversion, I mean when we talk about
diversity and inclusion, whether it is a trade union or other
professional associations, when they have not opposed it. They
oppose it, and then, they oppose it because they feel as
though, when you say word ``diversity,'' that somebody is going
to lose; people who are already in power are going to lose some
of that power.
And so, there is a knee-jerk reaction to oppose it, as
opposed to viewing that there is enough room for everyone,
especially in the State Department right now. Because the fact
of the matter is over the last few years the State Department
has lost many, many people, and it is going to be a need to
recruit people in the future. And so, there needs to be
attention, a specific attention, to diversity when we are
talking about that.
I also understand that there are concerns about potential
litigation, but new legislation often faces these concerns. The
legislation risk I am worried about is the committee's failing
to act, to not address the lack of diversity at the mid and
senior ranks.
When the GAO--the GAO--finds that racial and ethnic
minorities are promoted at lower levels than their white
counterparts, when you control for language and education and
other things, this strikes me as a potential vulnerability to
the State Department. So, the risk I am worried about is what
happens if we do nothing.
And as I mentioned before, all of us travel the world. All
of us go to embassies. Who do you see when you go to embassies?
I travel a lot in Africa and it is a rare occasion that I see
an African-American or a person of color in those embassies.
And when they do see me, they rush over to spend time with me
to talk to me, and privately will tell me about what it is
like, the discrimination that they face, the way they have a
glass ceiling and they are not able to move up. And frankly, I
have talked to many Foreign Service Officers that I had to
convince to stay in the Foreign Service because they were so
demoralized. So, just having programs that encourage and do not
do anything specific is not a way to resolve this problem.
I yield back my time.
Chairman Engel. The gentlewoman yields back.
Is there further debate on the amendment?
Hearing no further requests to speak, the question is on
the amendment. We are going to take a vote by voice. All
Members, please unmute your microphones.
All those in favor, say aye.
All those opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the noes have it and the
amendment is not agreed to.
Do any other member seek recognition?
Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question
is to report H.R. 7673, the Represent America Abroad Act, to
the House with the recommendation that the bill do pass.
We are going to take a vote by voice. All Members, please
unmute your microphones.
All those in favor, say aye.
All opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The measure
is ordered favorably reported.
Without objection, staff is authorized to make technical
and conforming changes.
OK. Pursuant to notice, for purposes of markup, I now call
up H.R. 4507, the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act. The clerk
will report the bill.
Ms. Stiles. ``H.R. 4507, to protect Saudi dissidents in the
United States, and for other purposes.''
Chairman Engel. Without objection, the first reading of the
bill is dispensed with. Without objection, the bill shall be
considered as read and open to amendment at any point.
[The Bill H.R. 4507 follows:]
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Chairman Engel. I now offer the Connolly amendment in the
nature of the substitute that was noticed as base text. The
clerk will please report the amendment.
Ms. Stiles. ``Connolly Amendment No. 86. Amendment in the
nature of a substitute to H.R. 4507.
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
Section 1, Short Title. This Act may be cited as the
Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act of 2020.
Section 2''----
Chairman Engel. Without objection, the reading of the
amendment will be dispensed with. Without objection, the
amendment in the nature of a substitute will be considered
original text for purposes of further amendment.
[The amendment offered by Mr. Connolly follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Engel. And at this time, I recognize Mr. Connolly
to speak on the measure.
Mr. Connolly. I thank the chair.
I want to remind my colleagues that tomorrow is the second
anniversary of the brutal murder and dismemberment of my
constituent, Jamal Khashoggi. And to this day, the Saudi
government that preplanned in a calculated and bloody way Mr.
Khashoggi's death has yet to be held to account. This bill
seeks to focus on that accountability.
The Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act bans the sale of
U.S. weapons to Saudi intelligence, law enforcement, or
internal security until and unless the Secretary of State can
certify that these agencies are not involved in forced
repatriation, silencing, or the killing of Saudi dissidents in
other countries, including our own.
It enhances congressional oversight whether the government
of Saudi Arabia was engaged in a consistent pattern of acts of
intimidation or harassment directed against Jamal Khashoggi or
any individual in the United States, and whether any U.S.-
origin defense articles were used in those activities.
It requires the President to close at least one Saudi
diplomatic facility in the U.S. if--if--Saudi diplomats are
using diplomatic credentials, visas, or diplomatic facilities,
as they did in Istanbul, to facilitate monitoring, tracking,
surveillance, harassment, or harm to other nationals of Saudi
Arabia living here in the United States.
And finally, it improves congressional oversight of the
intelligence community regarding the extent to which the
intelligence community fulfilled its duty to warn Jamal
Khashoggi of threats to his life and liberty.
The bill, Mr. Chairman, has the support of numerous, well
over a dozen, prestigious outside groups that care about human
rights and advocate for them, including the Committee to
Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, PEN America,
the Project on Middle East Democracy, Freedom House, Freedom
Initiative, Human Rights First, Freedom Forward, the Friends
Committee on National Legislation, the Saudi American Justice
Project, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom Now, among a number.
And I would ask unanimous consent that statements and
letters of support from those organizations be entered into the
record.
Chairman Engel. Without objection.
[The information referred to follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mr. Connolly. I thank the chair.
Now the facts of the case. Two years ago tomorrow, my
constituent and lawful U.S. resident, a journalist, mild critic
of the Saudi regime--he wanted to see reform, not revolution--
Jamal Khashoggi, was lured into a Saudi consulate in Istanbul,
Turkey, because he needed paperwork to remarry. He was lured
into that consulate under false assurances of his own personal
security, where he was murdered in cold blood and dismembered
by agents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reportedly, by our
own intelligence community and Turkey's intelligence community,
at the direction of the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman
himself. And with, as I said, false assurances of safety given
to him by the Saudi Ambassador here in the United States at
that time.
The U.S. intelligence community assessed that the Crown
Prince ordered Mr. Khashoggi's murder. The U.N. Special
Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Killings
concluded that Mr. Khashoggi has been the victim of a
deliberate premeditated execution and extrajudicial killing for
which the State of Saudi Arabia is responsible. That was the
finding of the United Nations Special Investigator on this
case.
And we know Jamal Khashoggi was neither the lone nor last
victim of Saudi Arabia's international campaign of
intimidation, disappearances, and assassinations. Dr. Saad
Aljabri and Loujain al-Hathloul, these are too all-familiar
names on the long list of dissidents persecuted while overseas.
I would also ask at this point, Mr. Chairman, to enter into
the record a series of articles, including New York Times
article ``Saudi Official Hid Abroad, His Family Became a Target
at Home'' by way of retaliation; a May 2019 New York Times
article, ``It wasn't just Khashoggi: A Saudi Prince's Brutal
Drive to Crush Dissent;'' a January 2019 New York article,
``The Saudi Government's Global Campaign to Silence Its
Critics;'' an October 2018 New York Times article, ``Our Hands
Can Reach You: Khashoggi Case Shakes Saudi Dissidents Abroad,''
and a June 2019 report on Jamal Khashoggi's killing by the U.N.
Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary
Killings, at this point in the record.
Chairman Engel. Without objection.
[The information referred to follows:]
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Mr. Connolly. I thank the chair.
It is important to note that this amendment in the nature
of a substitute represents a sincere effort on my part to meet
the request of the minority. So, the AINS reflects Republican-
recommended changes.
We illuminated findings perceived by them as unduly
critical of the Trump administration. We narrowed the purview
of the bill to focus on the Saudi intimidation campaign abroad.
We amended the immediate ban on arms sales to accommodate a
120-day period of oversight, review, and engagement with Saudi
Arabia, in the hopes concerns can be addressed. That is 4
months. We included--reluctantly, but we included--a national
security waiver in Section 3 dealing with arms sales
limitations. And by the way, this bill does not address
military sales to the Saudi military. That is not encompassed
in this bill.
We had hoped to have support on the other side of the aisle
with those changes, and I still hope we could. But the support
of the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act would serve as a very
strong and clear statement by this committee, representing the
Congress of the United States, that the United States opposes
the forced repatriation, intimidation, or killing of Saudi
dissidents and critics abroad.
It would also reaffirm and ensure that the United States is
in no way enabling human rights violations. Silence can be
consent. We cannot afford to be silent, nor can we ever allow
this kind of gross human rights violation to be seen as
something in which we are complicit by our silence.
I think it is important, 2 years to the day tomorrow, that
we honor a brave dissident who simply wanted reform in his home
country, for which he was brutally murdered and dismembered.
And it is time that we let the Saudi government know there is
no place for that, as we look at international diplomacy within
our purview.
I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Does Mr. McCaul seek recognition to speak on the underlying
bill before we turn to other members and amendments?
Mr. McCaul. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I do.
Let me just first say at the outset that the killing of
Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist, was an
outrageous and gruesome crime, as Mr. Connolly pointed out. And
I am in complete agreement with him on that. And tomorrow is
the 2-year anniversary of his killing. He should have lived
these past 2 years and many more. We will continue to pursue
justice for him. Intimidation and violence by any government
against peaceful dissent must be strongly condemned by
responsible nations. And if we do not respond forcefully, we
invite future abuses.
And that is why I supported and worked with Mr. Malinowski
on his Saudi Arabia Human Rights and Accountability Act, to
ensure that those responsible for the savage killing of Mr.
Khashoggi are held accountable. That balanced bill vindicated
our strong support for human rights, as well as our critical
national security interests.
I am concerned that today's bill, while well-intentioned,
strikes a different balance. It proposes the solution is to ban
arms sales outright. We have spent many hours in this committee
and on the floor relitigating the issue of arms sales to Saudi
Arabia. My concern for Saudi Arabia's human rights record is
well-known, but our relationship with the Saudis covers many
strategic interests as well, including the very real and deadly
threat of Iran. Limiting arms sales to Saudi Arabia hurts our
shared capacity to counter Iran, the world's leading State
sponsor of terrorism.
Early this year, Iran attacked our embassy in Baghdad. Just
over a year ago, Iran launched a major attack on Saudi oil
facilities. Importantly, Congress already has this authority.
We have the oversight over arms sales to Saudi Arabia on a
case-by-case basis. Mr. Engel and I sign off on all foreign
weapons sales or we deny them. If we have concerns about a
sale, we hold that sale and voice our concerns to the
administration. So, my point is there is already a process in
place for this.
But I think a legislative ban outright does not give us the
ability or flexibility to respond to this evolving lethal
threat from the largest State sponsor of terror, and I would
also be remiss if I did not mention at a time when we are
having great success with peace talks with the Arab Gulf States
on the Arabian Peninsula.
I appreciate the concessions Mr. Connolly has made.
However, there are several that were declined, and I have
proposals for elevating the issue of harassment of dissidents
by Saudi Arabia while continuing to balance our strategic
interest. And I think that is the right responsible approach,
as we look at both human rights and our national security
interests. Nothing is simple in the Middle East, and certainly
this issue is not a simple one, either. But I think the
committee, through the chairman and myself, have this authority
on a case-by-case basis to review the sale of weapons, which
gives us the flexibility without an outright ban being passed
by this committee.
And so, while I agree with the well-intentioned sentiment
of the gentleman from Virginia, and I think we agree on the
problems, maybe just not the best tools to fix them. And I
believe that is why I am offering this amendment in the nature
of a substitute. I think it does strike the right balance here.
But we must be mindful on the 2-year anniversary that
America will not sit by idly when American journalists are
tortured and dismembered in such a grotesque fashion as was
done to Mr. Khashoggi. My thoughts and prayers are with him and
his family, and all the journalists out there who were close to
him, many friends of mine, like Larry Wright from Austin,
Texas. He knew Mr. Khashoggi very well. They were very good
friends, and I know every day he wakes up and thinks about this
brutal killing.
And so, it goes with a heavy heart as we have this debate.
We will never forget what happened. We want those accountable
to be held accountable. So, I think we share the same goal,
just a different way to do.
And so, Mr. Chairman, with that, I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields.
Mr. Connolly. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman Engel. For what purpose does the gentleman seek
recognition?
Mr. Connolly. Just a clarification, and I know my friend
from Texas would not mean to distort the intent of my bill.
When he said ``a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia,'' he means,
I hope, what the bill addresses. After 120 days of opportunity
to try to fix cooperation, the ban on military sales would be
to the intelligence and national security systems. I explicitly
made it clear it would not affect military sales military-to-
military. And I just want to make sure that Mr. McCaul meant
what I meant. I thank my friend.
Mr. McCaul. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman Engel. I now recognize myself.
We are considering this measure as we approach the second
anniversary, as was mentioned before, of the murder of Jamal
Khashoggi. Unfortunately, we have not held Saudi Arabia
accountable for this horrendous crime, and that sends a
message. It sends a message to the Saudis and to other
governments around the world that they can act with impunity,
that the United States will not stand up for justice.
And since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, we have learned
that the killing was no anomaly. It was part of a larger plan
to silence dissent abroad. Sadly, it is apparent that the
Saudis will not abandon that plan if they know they won't face
any consequences.
So, this legislation that Mr. Connolly is offering seeks to
change that. This bill says that, if Saudi internal security
forces want to continue using U.S.-made weapons, they need to
stop attacking dissidents. It says that, if Saudi officials use
diplomatic cover or diplomatic facilities in the United States
to kidnap or assassinate dissidents, the United States is
required to put a stop to it.
Look, Saudi Arabia is an important partner in the region,
and we work with them on a host of counterterrorism issues and
humanitarian challenges in the region. They have made recent
important steps toward Israel that I want to recognize, but
these matters dealing with human rights and the persecution of
Saudi dissidents is separate and apart, and we cannot simply
ignore them while we continue to engage the Saudis on other
matters.
I thank Mr. Connolly for his leadership and tenacity on
behalf of his late constituent Jamal Khashoggi, and I urge
passage of this legislation. I realize some other members may
wish to speak on the bill and that some members may have
amendments to offer.
I will now recognize members by committee seniority,
alternating between Democrats and Republicans, for the purpose
of speaking on the bill first. If you miss your turn, please
let our staff know and we will circle back to you. If you seek
recognition, you must unmute your microphone and address the
chair verbally. Then, we will move on to amendments.
Do any other members wish to speak on this legislation.
Mr. Chabot.
Mr. Meeks. Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Chabot. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman Engel. Mr. Chabot?
Mr. Chabot. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
As co-chair of the Freedom of the Press Caucus, along with
my Democratic colleague Adam Schiff, we have worked together in
a bipartisan manner on a slew of media freedom issues over the
years. Journalists speak truth to power. And unfortunately, too
often those in power rely on force, instead of argument or
reform, to shut down that criticism. Some like Jamal Khashoggi
pay for their truth-telling and their opinions with their very
lives.
So, I want to thank my good friend, Mr. Connolly, the
gentleman from Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia. And Mr.
Connolly and I have worked on a whole range of issues over the
years, from Crimea to Turkey to the Global Health Security Act,
and a whole lot of other things. So, I want to thank him for
keeping the issue of Jamal Khashoggi on the front burner.
Saudi Arabia, and by extension the whole world, needs to
know that America is willing to back up our rhetoric about
First Amendment rights with consequences. As they say, however,
the devil is in the details, which is why I am supportive of
Mr. McCaul's substitute amendment.
Targeted sanction seems to me to be the right tool rather
than a cessation of arms sales to hold human rights abusers
accountable. The Middle East is a tough neighborhood, and most
of our partners there have human rights issues. We have to be
able to fight for our values without jeopardizing other
priorities, which is why I do not think I can support this
legislation today.
I am disappointed that we were unable to come to a
bipartisan agreement on text. It is always better that we do.
But I appreciate Mr. Connolly's effort on this and I know it is
heartfelt.
And I was on the floor on a previous bill that we took up
that just passed. The PPP Extension Act is my bill, and we have
been trying to work by the discharge petition method to
actually get a vote on this to save even more small businesses
across the country who really need it. So, I wasn't here to
comment on Ms. Bass' legislation.
So, I am going to very briefly just mention that, as a
cosponsor of the Represent America Abroad Act, I would like to
voice my support for that legislation which was introduced by
my good friend, Karen Bass. We may not see eye to eye on a
range of issues, but we are often able to work together, as I
am with Mr. Connolly, like this bill. I appreciate her
collegiality and her hard work and bipartisanship. That is why
she gets so many things on this committee near done, just as
Mr. Connolly does.
The Represent America Abroad Act seeks to fix a long-
running problem at the State Department of low minority
representation at the mid and upper echelons of the
organization. That bill sets up a program similar to the highly
regarded Rangel and Pickering Fellowships, but for mid-level
positions. In doing so, it builds on the good work that we have
done elsewhere, specifically that done by the Ranking Member,
Mr. McCaul, and Chairman Engel in the diversity title in the
State Department reauthorization bill that we passed earlier
this year.
The United States was founded on the principle of the
equality of every citizen. This idea has been practiced
imperfectly over time, but it, nevertheless, defines Americans'
views of themselves and serves as a basis for our engagement
with the rest of the world and the values we advocate through
that engagement.
We can all agree that the State Department should reflect
that principle. The men and women of the State Department who
are responsible for representing U.S. interests abroad serve as
America's face to the world. That Department should be able to
show the world that, as a diverse country, which we certainly
are, our representatives overseas reflect the entire country.
That legislation that already passed here just a little while
ago helps make that a reality. And so, I appreciate its
passage.
And with that, I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back. Thank you, Mr.
Chabot.
Mr. Sherman.
Mr. Sherman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I want to thank Mr. Connolly for bringing forth this
legislation. As he points out, 2 years ago, Jamal Khashoggi, a
U.S. resident, a journalist for The Washington Post, was
brutally murdered in the Istanbul consulate. And so far, our
response has been virtually nothing.
We have identified 17 thugs engaged who were actually
hands-on in this brutal crime. And we have told them they
cannot visit the United States. They will never see Disneyland.
That is not sufficient. Mr. Khashoggi will not be forgotten,
not only because of your efforts, but because of the brutal
crime that Prince bin Salman commissioned.
I introduced legislation, also inspired by Mr. Khashoggi's
brutal murder, to require that any nuclear cooperation
agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia must meet
the gold standard which Saudi Arabia is trying to avoid; must
provide for international inspections by the IAEA, which Saudi
Arabia is trying to avoid. And you can guess why. And that
provision is now in the NDAA which is pending in conference.
I am going to say something a little bit gruesome, but it
is not my language that is gruesome; it is the action of the
Saudi government. If you cannot trust a regime with a bone saw,
you should not trust them with nuclear weapons. And we should
have no illusions. The reason that Saudi Arabia wants a nuclear
program is not to lower the price of energy in Saudi Arabia. It
is to give themselves the option to develop nuclear weapons.
This bill is an important step. One part of it requires
reports on the efforts of Saudi diplomats to spy on and to
intimidate Saudi citizens and Saudi-Americans here in the
United States.
A second part, and the more controversial part, deals with
the sale of certain military and lethal materials to certain
Saudi agencies. The ranking member says, well, we already have
a process to involve Congress in the sale of military items to
Saudi Arabia. That is the very process that failed. That is the
process that the Inspector General identified was violated
criminally by the State Department through a phony declaration.
So, certainly, it would behoove us to have better control.
But, second, as the gentleman from Virginia points out, his
bill does not prohibit the sale of arms to the Saudi defense
ministry. It deals only with selling military items to
intelligence and police officials. I am not thrilled to see
military items and tanks, and whatever, entrusted to American
law enforcement authorities. That is a separate controversy.
But, having seen the actions of the intel and law enforcement
authorities of Saudi Arabia, I see no reason for them to have
items that we identify as appropriate for the military.
So, Mr. Khashoggi is not forgotten. This bill is an
appropriate remembrance of him roughly 2 years after his death.
And certainly, the intelligence agencies of Saudi Arabia should
not be getting military items from the United States.
And even with that, I would point out that the gentleman
has added a waiver position to his bill, further undercutting
the argument that it constitutes an undue restriction on sales
of certain items to certain Saudi agencies.
I urge a yes vote, and I yield back.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Meeks.
Mr. Meeks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia,
Representative Connolly, for his tireless work on this issue,
especially since it has been 2 years since Jamal Khashoggi's
murder at the hands of the Saudi government. And as he
indicated, this bill is about honoring his death and ensuring
U.S. weapons do not get into the hands of those responsible for
such brutal suppression.
I am often reminded, and I was reminded by a former
colleague and a mentor of mine, former Member of this House
Charles B. Rangel. He told me of the story when he was
traveling abroad and there were individuals and families that
were killed because they disagreed with the government of that
country. And he said that, as he engaged one of those members
of someone's family, he says, ``We are here. I am here, my
friend, and we want to help you.'' He says the individual then
took him over to a pile of spent munitions and said, ``Let me
show you something, Mr. Rangel.'' And he showed him a sign that
said, ``Made in the USofA.'' And then, he asked Mr. Rangel,
``You're my friend, but are you made in the USofA?''
One of the things that Mr. Connolly is doing in this bill
is trying to make sure that there is a message to the
dissidents in Saudi Arabia, the dissidents in other countries
around this world, that we are not going to go and allow folks
to utilize lethal weapons against them. And Mr. Connolly has
put in provisions to try to make sure that its focus, as he
said, is not a broad military ban, but it is trying to make
sure that our standards, our morals, our concerns are taken
care of and are produced, and we lead in that regard.
To this day, 2 years later, it still hurts me when I think
of the hurt that the Khashoggi family and what his murder
symbolizes. Therefore, it is important for Congress, a separate
branch of government, to act where the administration has
refused to. I think it is important for the others to know
where the legislative branch of government stands.
And we have a duty to do this as an equal branch of
government. We must demonstrate commitment to the dissidents
around the world who want to look to America as they bravely
seek democratic progress at home. It is a message of who we are
and what we stand for to the dissidents of the world, as well
as to the governments who commit these egregious crimes in
killing individuals like a reporter who happens to be a citizen
of the United States, and the devastation to the Khashoggi
family that has occurred.
So, I urge all of my colleagues, this is something we
should stand together on. We all, from what I have listened to
thus far, know how wrong the death was of Mr. Khashoggi. We
know because of our intelligence who authorized the murder.
Street language would say ``the hit'' on Mr. Khashoggi.
We cannot stand idly by, and Mr. Connolly has come up with
a well-thought-out bill to prevent that from happening in the
future. And I think all of us need to think about what that end
is and support this bill. And I ask that we do just that.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Engel. Thank you, Mr. Meeks. The gentleman yields
back.
Mr. Connolly. Mr. Chairman, I have a unanimous consent
request.
Chairman Engel. Yes, you are recognized.
Mr. Connolly. Thank you.
I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a
statement in favor of the bill by Mr. Cicilline.
Chairman Engel. Without objection, so ordered.
[The information referred to follows:]
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Mr. Connolly. And I also have letters from other Saudi
families in the West, primarily here in the United States, who
have been subject to harassment, surveillance, and death
threats, including Saudi teams that have transited through the
United States itself. And I ask now that those statements be
entered into the record.
Chairman Engel. Without objection, so ordered.
[The information referred to follows:]
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Mr. Connolly. I thank the chair.
Chairman Engel. I thank the gentleman.
Ms. Omar.
Ms. Omar. Thank you, Chairman.
It is quite strange to me that we talk about Saudi Arabia
as a partner in peace and stability in the Middle East. Here is
a country that exports its dictatorship and uses its diplomatic
facilities to harass, intimidate, kidnap, disappear, and murder
its nationals abroad.
Jamal Khashoggi is the most egregious example, but far from
the only one. As we recognize the second anniversary of his
murder at the Saudi diplomatic facility in Istanbul, I think
Mr. Connolly's bill is an extremely appropriate response from
this
[audio interference] as a consequence of Jamal's murder,
but to prevent ourselves from being complicit in the next one.
A country that dismembers journalists because it doesn't
like what they write is not a country that should see a single
dime of American taxpayer money. If an embassy or a consulate
is used as a base of operation for forced disappearances and
murder of its own nationals, it loses its status as an embassy
or a consulate.
I should also mention that the Saudi Ambassador has refused
to meet with myself and several other Members of Congress,
including members of this committee, Mr. Trone, Mr. Levin, and
the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Mr. Schiff. So, it
seems that the Saudi embassy is not even being used for
diplomacy if that means having difficult conversations with its
critics.
But we will not stop our criticism. We must stand in
absolute solidarity with the Saudi dissidents who are being
terrorized by the Saudi government and who can cross no border
to finally reach safety.
I strongly recommend Mr. Connolly's bill for us to support,
and I am grateful to have the opportunity to help move it
through committee. I am looking forward to voting for it on the
floor.
Thank you.
Chairman Engel. Thank you.
Do any other members wish to speak on the legislation?
Hearing no further requests, let's move on to amendments.
For what purpose does the ranking member seek recognition?
Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at
the desk.
Chairman Engel. The gentleman is recognized for that
purpose. The clerk shall distribute the amendment to staff
virtually.
For members currently in the hearing room, a member of the
staff will bring a copy to you.
Let's pause briefly to give all members enough time to
review the amendment.
[Pause.]
Chairman Engel. Has everyone received a copy of the
amendment? Anyone who has not received one?
Okay. The clerk will please report the amendment.
Ms. Stiles. McCaul Amendment No. 79. Amendment to the
amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4507. Strike
all after the enacting clause and insert the following:
Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as the Protection of Saudi Dissidents
Act of 2020.
Section 2. Findings.
Congress finds the following:
1. Jamal Khashoggi, a United States resident, Saudi
journalist, and Washington Post columnist was killed and
dismembered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on
October 2, 2019----
[The Amendment of Mr. McCaul follows:]
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Chairman Engel. Without objection, further reading of the
amendment will be dispensed with. A point of order is reserved.
The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes to explain his
amendment.
Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
You know, all of us agree that the intimidation and
harassment of dissidents anywhere is a grave offense. As
discussed earlier, I have been adamant in seeking
accountability for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
I supported Mr. Malinowski's bill to impose sanctions on
those who are guilty of his heinous murder.
My amendment to today's bill speaks directly to the heart
of the matter. It would impose sanctions on the Saudi
government officials responsible for abuses against dissidents
like Jamal Khashoggi. The United States must take significant
steps to ensure that no other dissident of any nationality is a
victim of such brutality.
This committee has shown the ability to address difficult
challenges, even when they come from our partners. And we must
remember that Saudi Arabia is an important partner when it
comes to countering Iran. Just this week Saudi's internal
security services broke up an IRG cell in Saudi Arabia.
Today's bill would also force the closure of diplomatic
facilities if there is harassment of dissidents in the United
States. Any actions against dissidents in the United States is
unacceptable and must be punished.
Closing diplomatic facilities may be an appropriate
punishment, but I have serious concerns that mandating it could
be harmful to Americans and U.S. interests overseas. Instead,
my amendment calls for the President to take appropriate action
in response to these offenses. We need to give the executive
branch some discretion in the handling of these troubling and
yet delicate situations.
So, I urge my colleagues to support the strategic and
diplomatic approach to addressing this serious human rights
issue without at the same impairing our national security
interests.
And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Connolly. Would my friend just yield.
Mr. McCaul. I yield back.
Mr. Connolly. Mr. McCaul, would you----
Mr. McCaul. I just yielded back.
Chairman Engel. Mr. Connolly.
Mr. Connolly. All right. I am recognized?
Chairman Engel. Yes.
Mr. Connolly. All right. I just wanted to say I appreciate
what Mr. McCaul had to say. But what led to this bill was a
lack of action by the Administration.
You know, Mr. McCaul talked about how this committee has
purview and review of arms sales. But the fact of the matter
is, the Administration overrode that purview and review by
declaring an emergency to justify arms sales going forward to
Saudi Arabia without interruption.
The fact of the matter is, the Administration refused to
invoke the Magnitsky Act to hold Saudi individuals accountable.
The fact of the matter is, Secretary Pompeo, despite giving
this committee assurances that this would be the highest
priority and that we would hold Saudis to account for the
murder of Mr. Khashoggi, no matter how high it went--and that
was in direct response to my question to Secretary Pompeo--
nothing has happened.
And as Mr. Sherman colorfully said, the worst that has
happened is apparently some individuals involved or alleged to
have been involved in the murder and the scheming of the murder
have been banned from Walt Disney.
I just think that is--we have waited 2 years. And the death
of this Saudi patriot and U.S. resident is not just distasteful
or unpleasant, it is murder. And people cannot be allowed to
use that kind of tragic incident, tactic, to further their
diplomacy by silencing critics in the most extreme way
possible.
And at some point, I would ask rhetorically, when does
Congress assert itself? When do we say, that goes so far we are
not going to put up with it; you will pay a heavy price?
As I said, I tried to respond to Republican concerns to
tailor and refine the bill so that there was flexibility, it is
not an absolute ban but it has some teeth in it. And I think,
frankly, after 2 years some teeth are required.
I yield back. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Engel. Thank you, Mr. Connolly.
I recognize myself to make a point of order that the
amendment is not germane. The chair--is there any debate?
Hearing none, the chair is prepared to rule.
And I find, again, that the amendment is not germane on a
number of grounds.
Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question
is to report H.R. 4507, the Protection of Saudi Dissidents Act,
to the House with an amendment and a recommendation that the
bill be passed.
We are going to take a vote by voice. All members please
unmute your microphones.
All those in favor, say aye.
All opposed, no.
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
The question is to report H.R. 4507, the Protection of
Saudi Dissidents Act, to the House, with the recommendation
that the bill do pass.
All members, please turn on your video so you are visible
to the chair, and wait to unmute your microphone until your
name is called.
It passed by voice. The ayes have it. We do not have to do
it again. So, so disregard what you heard me say.
OK. And now, Mr. McCaul, guess what, this concludes our
business today.
Mr. McCaul. Fantastic.
Chairman Engel. I thank Ranking Member McCaul, as usual,
and all of the committee members for their contributions and
assistance at today's markup.
Where is the gavel? Right here.
OK, let's make it official. Thank you very much, those who
have stayed throughout the entire proceedings. Thank you very
much.
[Whereupon, at 1:49 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]
APPENDIX
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STATEMENTS FOR THE RECORD
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INFORMATION FOR THE RECORD
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POMPEO
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SUMMARY
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