[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 17, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H5564-H5567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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PROVIDING FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL ENVOY
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 301) to provide for the establishment of the Special Envoy to
Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and
South Central Asia, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 301
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) More than 500 Baha'is in Iran have been arbitrarily
arrested since 2005. Roughly 100 Baha'is are presently
imprisoned because of their religious beliefs.
(2) In May 2010, suspected terrorists attacked two mosques
in Pakistan belonging to the Ahmaddiya minority Muslim sect,
killing at least 80 people. Ahmadis consider themselves
Muslim, but Pakistani law does not recognize them as such.
(3) Said Musa, an Afghan Christian convert, was arrested in
May 2010 on charges of apostasy, a crime which can carry the
death sentence, and was released in February 2011 only after
sustained international pressure.
(4) On October 31, 2010, gunmen laid siege on Our Lady of
Salvation Church in Baghdad, Iraq, killing at least 52 police
and worshipers, including two priests, making it the worst
massacre of Iraqi Christians since 2003.
(5) Iraq's ancient and once vibrant Christian population
that numbered an estimated 1,500,000 out of a total
population in Iraq of 30,000,000 in 2003 has been reduced by
at least one half, due in significant part to Christians
fleeing the violence.
(6) In November 2010, a Pakistani court sentenced Aasia
Bibi, a Christian mother of five, to death under the
country's blasphemy law for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
(7) Since early 2011, violent sectarian attacks targeting
Coptic Orthodox Christians and their property increased
significantly, resulting in nearly 100 deaths, mostly Coptic
Christians, surpassing the death toll of the 10 previous
years combined.
(8) In Egypt, with the ascent of the Muslim Brotherhood,
Coptic Christians, numbering 8 to 10 million, have been under
increased threat and many are reported to have fled the
country during former President Mohamed Morsi's rule.
(9) On March 2, 2011, Pakistani Federal Minorities Minister
Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of the Cabinet, who
was outspoken in his opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws
was assassinated by extremists.
(10) The former Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-
Semitism, Hannah Rosenthal, has noted that Holocaust
glorification ``is especially virulent in Middle Eastern
media, some of which is state-owned and operated, which calls
for a new Holocaust to finish the job''.
(11) In the midst of a devastating civil war, Syrian
Christians and other religious minorities, which comprise
roughly 10 percent of the population, are particularly
vulnerable lacking their own militias and regional
protectors.
(12) Many of these ancient faith communities are being
forced to flee the lands which they have inhabited for
centuries.
(13) The United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom has recommended that Egypt, Tajikistan,
Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan be designated by the Department of State as
Countries of Particular Concern in accordance with the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
(14) The situation on the ground in the region continues to
develop rapidly and the United States Government needs an
individual who can respond in kind and focus on the critical
situation of religious minorities in these countries.
(15) There are historical precedents, including the Special
Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, the Special Envoy
for North Korea Human Rights Issues, and the South Sudan and
Sudan Special Envoy, for the Department of State, either as a
result of legislative mandate or initiative of the Secretary
of State, to create positions with a targeted focus on an
area or issue of recognized import.
SEC. 2. SPECIAL ENVOY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN THE NEAR EAST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL ASIA.
(a) Appointment.--The President shall appoint a Special
Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in
the Near East and South Central Asia (in this Act referred to
as the ``Special Envoy'') within the Department of State.
(b) Qualifications.--The Special Envoy should be a person
of recognized distinction in the field of human rights and
religious freedom and with expertise in the Near East and
South Central Asia regions. The Special Envoy shall have the
rank of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure
of the President.
(c) Prohibition.--The person appointed as Special Envoy may
not hold any other position of Federal employment for the
period of time during which the person holds the position of
Special Envoy.
SEC. 3. DUTIES.
(a) In General.--The Special Envoy shall carry out the
following duties:
(1) Promote the right of religious freedom of religious
minorities in the countries of the Near East and the
countries of South Central Asia, denounce the violation of
such right, and recommend appropriate responses by the United
States Government when such right is violated.
(2) Monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and
incitement targeted against religious minorities in the
countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central
Asia.
(3) Work to ensure that the unique needs of religious
minority communities in the countries of the Near East and
the countries of South Central Asia are addressed, including
the economic and security needs of such communities to the
extent that such needs are directly tied to religious-based
discrimination and persecution.
(4) Work with foreign governments of the countries of the
Near East and the countries of South Central Asia to address
laws that are inherently discriminatory toward religious
minority communities in such countries.
(5) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that
portion of the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b)
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and
2304(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious
freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near
East and the countries of South Central Asia.
(6) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that
portion of the report required by section 102(b) of the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C.
6412(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious
freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near
East and the countries of South Central Asia.
(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties under
subsection (a), the Special Envoy shall, to the maximum
extent practicable, coordinate with the Bureau of Population,
Refugees and Migration of the Department of State, the
Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, the
United
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States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and
other relevant Federal agencies and officials.
SEC. 4. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.
Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary
of State, the Special Envoy is authorized to represent the
United States in matters and cases relevant to religious
freedom in the countries of the Near East and the countries
of South Central Asia in--
(1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental
organizations, and specialized agencies of the United
Nations, the Organization of Security and Cooperation in
Europe, and other international organizations of which the
United States is a member; and
(2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to
religious freedom in the countries of the Near East and the
countries of South Central Asia.
SEC. 5. PRIORITY COUNTRIES AND CONSULTATION.
(a) Priority Countries.--In carrying out this Act, the
Special Envoy shall give priority to programs, projects, and
activities for Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
(b) Consultation.--The Special Envoy shall consult with
domestic and international nongovernmental organizations and
multilateral organizations and institutions, as the Special
Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes of this
Act.
SEC. 6. FUNDING.
(a) In General.--Of the amounts made available for
``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' for fiscal years 2014
through 2018, $1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for
each such fiscal year to carry out the provisions of this
Act.
(b) Funding Offset.--To offset the costs to be incurred by
the Department of State to carry out the provisions of this
Act for fiscal years 2014 through 2018, the Secretary of
State shall eliminate such positions within the Department of
State, unless otherwise authorized or required by law, as the
Secretary determines to be necessary to fully offset such
costs.
(c) Limitation.--No additional funds are authorized to be
appropriated for ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' to
carry out the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 7. SUNSET.
This Act shall cease to be effective beginning on October
1, 2018.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and that they
also might have the ability to include extraneous material on this
resolution in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this legislation because this legislation
provides for a very needed Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom
of Religious Minorities in the Near East and in South Central Asia.
This bill, introduced by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), is
substantially identical to one which we brought up last year and tried
to get out of both bodies; it was H.R. 440. This body passed that
legislation by more than 400 votes.
Sadly, in the 2 years that have elapsed since then, the dangers
motivating this bill have only grown more acute. In many areas of the
Middle East, the first freedom, as we called it, the freedom of
religious liberty, is disregarded.
Minority communities are not merely under threat; those communities
are now under attack. From Afghanistan, to Iran, to Syria, to Egypt and
elsewhere in these regions, religious minorities have been increasingly
subjected to unconscionable--often violent--persecution. These alarming
trends are occurring in the midst of growing regional instability as
brutal regimes and terrorists and insurgents seek to assert control
over populations and seek to enforce their ideologies by use of fear,
by use of brute force.
As the bloody civil war rages in Syria, ancient Christian communities
are being forced to flee the lands they have inhabited for centuries in
the midst of this bloody civil conflict.
In Egypt, Coptic Christians have experienced unspeakable abuses at
the hands of radical Muslim groups and have been fleeing their country
in droves to escape further violence. I have met with many from the
vibrant Coptic Christian community in southern California.
In Iran, more than 500 Baha'is have been arbitrarily arrested since
2005 by the Iranian Government. In Pakistan, 80 members of the Muslim
Ahmadiyya sect were killed by terrorists in their places of worship in
2010, in addition to consistent incidents of violence and even judicial
persecution of Christians there. Many of us are aware of the violations
of the rights and the deaths of the Shi'a minority there as well.
For all of these alarming reasons, this legislation is at least as
timely as it was 2 years ago. I commend our colleague, the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), for bringing it to our attention.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and yield
myself such time as I may consume.
This bipartisan legislation creates a Special Envoy to Promote
Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South
Central Asia. Housed at the State Department, the Special Envoy would
be responsible for monitoring and combating acts of religious
intolerance, engaging with foreign governments to address laws that
discriminate against religious minorities, and working to ensure that
the unique needs of religious minority communities are being addressed.
This bill is important because religious minority communities all
around the world--particularly in the Near East and South Central
Asia--are facing increased attacks and persecution. For example,
Egypt's recent governments have failed to prevent, investigate, or
prosecute crimes against members of religious minority groups,
especially Coptic Christians. Churches have been burned to the ground
and numerous Christians murdered.
Iraq used to have a significant number of religious minorities. These
groups have been subject to escalating violence, persecution, and
discrimination for their religious beliefs, and today they comprise
only about 3 percent of Iraq's population. By some estimates, half of
Iraq's Christian population has fled since 2003.
In Iran, the arrest and harassment of members of religious
minorities, including Sunni Muslims and Christians, continues to rise.
In one notable case last year, an Iranian-American Christian pastor was
imprisoned for threatening Iranian national security. And what was his
crime? Helping to set up small churches in people's homes. Iran's
minority Baha'i community is particularly harassed, punished,
imprisoned, and even killed simply because of their religion.
This past August, a Baha'i community leader in Bandar Abbas, Iran--
Mr. Ataollah Rezvani--was found murdered in his car on the outskirts of
the city, shot in the back of the head. He had been the subject of
threats and pressure from agents of the Ministry of Intelligence, and
until shortly before his death he had been receiving menacing phone
calls from unidentified persons. There is little doubt that his murder
was religiously motivated. Until now, the Iranian Government has not
begun a formal investigation into his murder or the murder of many
other Baha'is that have been killed in recent years. It is past time
for the Iranian Government to move immediately to seek justice for the
cruel deaths of its Baha'i citizens. I wish these were isolated cases,
but countless other examples exist, from Afghanistan to India to Saudi
Arabia.
We indeed are fortunate to live in a country that was founded by
religious refugees on principles of tolerance. But it is important that
we do everything we can to ensure that religious minorities elsewhere
in the world enjoy the freedoms and protections they deserve--the
freedoms and protections enjoyed by all Americans. Appointing this
Special Envoy would be an important step in that direction, and I urge
my colleagues to support this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Wolf), chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, and Science, cochairman of the Tom Lantos Human
Rights Commission, author of this bill, and long a spokesman for
religious freedom for those of all creeds.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking Chairman Royce for
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swiftly moving the bill and for his comments today. I also thank the
Republican leadership for recognizing that this simple but critical
legislation is worthy of making it a priority by this Congress, even as
there are other issues that face us at this time.
In January 2011, following a spate of attacks against Christians in
Iraq and ongoing persecution in Egypt, I convened a Tom Lantos Human
Rights Commission hearing focusing on the plight of religious
minorities in Egypt and Iraq. Among the witnesses was Representative
Anna Eshoo, who ultimately became the lead Democrat on this bill for
two consecutive Congresses.
During the hearing we heard sobering testimony about the challenges
facing these communities. A resounding theme emerged: Chaldo-Assyrian
Christians and Coptic Christians were being marginalized and targeted
for violence. These realities were all the more troubling given the
historic roots of the faith communities in these two countries--
amazingly, many Iraqi Christians today still speak Aramaic, the
language of Jesus.
Not only were these communities being threatened in the lands they
had inhabited for centuries, their plight was largely unknown and
seemingly unimportant within the broader foreign policy apparatus.
Notably, at the time of the hearing, the post of the U.S. Ambassador
for International Religious Freedom had been vacant for 2 years.
While the hearing predated the so-called ``Arab Spring,'' without
question the dramatic changes in the region have only further
jeopardized these communities. I was convinced then and remain
convinced today that religious minorities in the Middle East and in key
countries in South Central Asia, such as Pakistan--as the chairman
mentioned--and Afghanistan need someone who can be their voice both
within the halls of Foggy Bottom and abroad with foreign governments.
Last Congress, this legislation overwhelmingly passed the House only
to stall in the Senate in the face of opposition by the State
Department--the same State Department which to date has failed to
designate any Countries of Particular Concern for egregious religious
freedom violations since August of 2011.
The administration's opposition is shortsighted and, frankly,
indefensible. As we debate this legislation, Coptic Christians are
leaving Egypt in droves. As we debate this legislation, several Baha'i
leaders languish unjustly in an Iranian prison, as does American
citizen Saeed Abedini.
As we debate this legislation, Ahmadi Muslims, as the chairman said,
in Pakistan are prohibited from voting and their graves are desecrated.
As we debate this legislation, Syrian Christians fear they too will be
caught in a crossfire like Iraqi Christians, or worse yet, like the
Iraqi Jewish community. I am told only a single Jewish person remains
in the country today where once a vibrant Jewish community flourished.
This legislation is supported by such diverse groups as faith-based
organizations, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, United
Methodist Church, The Ahmadi Muslim community, Southern Baptist
Convention, and Christians United for Israel, among others, as well as
a multitude of diaspora organizations which are directly linked with
the very people the Special Envoy would serve.
Will a Special Envoy guarantee these communities' survival--and even
flourishing? I do not know. But I am certain that to do nothing is not
an option--lest on this administration's and this Congress' watch we
witness a Middle East emptied of ancient faith communities, foremost
among them the ``Sunday People.''
German Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, faced with the tyranny of
and horror of Nazism, famously said: ``Silence in the face of evil is
itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.''
I want to thank the chairman again, Mr. Royce, and urge my colleagues
to join me in sending an undeniable message to persecuted people of
faith the world over--and just as importantly to the forces that
oppress them--that America, this shining city on the hill as envisioned
by our Founders, will not be silent in the face of evil.
Please vote ``yes'' on H.R. 301.
Mr. MEEK. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am happy to yield 3 minutes to
the coauthor of this bill, the gentlelady from California (Ms. Eshoo).
Ms. ESHOO. I want to begin by thanking the ranking member. I also
want to thank the chairman of the committee, and most especially my
colleague and friend, Congressman Wolf.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 301, a bill that
will create a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious
Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia.
This legislation responds, as has been said so eloquently by those
that spoke before me, to the urgent needs of Christians and other
religious minorities who are really under siege in the Middle East
precisely because they are Christians and because they are minorities.
In light of the ongoing events in Syria, this legislation could not
be more timely. I commend Representative Frank Wolf, whom I have worked
closely with as cochair of the Religious Minorities Caucus, for his
partnership in this effort. Most importantly, I thank him for his
conscience.
We first introduced this legislation in 2011 after Congressman Wolf
chaired a hearing to review the violence and the hardship faced by
Middle Eastern religious minorities. I testified that day about the
plight of who I am descended from, the Assyrians--the world's oldest
Christians who have fled and continue to flee Iraq.
We agreed to press forward with this legislation to create a Special
Envoy at the State Department, the ambassador level, to elevate this
issue for the attention that it deserves. The United States of America
needs a high-level official dedicated to religious freedom in the
region and committed to addressing the concerns of minority
communities.
Appropriately, H.R. 301 has attracted solid bipartisan support, with
68 cosponsors calling for the State Department to elevate religious
freedom in the Middle East as a diplomatic priority of our country.
{time} 1715
Just as Senator John Danforth served our Nation as Special Envoy to
Sudan and Senator George Mitchell Special Envoy to Northern Ireland,
religious minorities in the Middle East require and deserve a high-
level authoritative voice to address their situation.
The history of violence against Christians in the Middle East must
not be allowed to repeat itself, and it is. Notably, Syria's ancient
Christian population, which makes up 10 percent of the country, has
been forced to flee their ancestral homeland, as noted in today's New
York Times in a lengthy article.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlelady an additional 2
minutes.
Ms. ESHOO. Churches have been, and continue to be, attacked and
sacred objects ransacked, and the very lives of those that stand
against this are being threatened.
The Christians of Syria, as well as Iraq, Iran, Israel, and Egypt,
are the oldest in the world. Christianity was from the beginning a
Middle Eastern religion. The Assyrian Christians, the Chaldeans,
actually celebrate mass in Aramaic, which is the language Jesus spoke.
For more than 2,000 years, Christians have been a key part of the
Middle Eastern community.
From the founding of our Nation, religious freedom has been a pillar
of our democracy, and it remains one of the great hallmarks of our
country.
I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical
legislation to create a Special Envoy focused on the freedom and
survival of these ancient faith communities, and I thank Representative
Wolf most especially for his tireless advocacy.
I also thank the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for supporting
this legislation and for writing to every Member of the House urging
their full support, as well as the honor roll of faith-based
organizations who support the legislation.
Let us go forward and send a very clear message, not only to the
other legislative body, but also to people
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around the world, that we remain the beacon of hope and light and that
we uphold this pillar of religious freedom, not only in our own Nation
but in countries around the world where people of faith are under
siege.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
In closing, let me thank the authors of this bill, Mr. Wolf and Ms.
Eshoo, for your dedication, your focus, and your hard work.
It would seem that in the year of our Lord 2013 we would learn
religious tolerance by now all over the world, we would have learned
that it is the right thing to do to be patient with individuals who
might believe different than we do, to allow them their way of life so
that they can prosper and grow and pray in their own beliefs.
Unfortunately, that's not true. For all of us, we should be concerned
wherever religious tolerance is not adhered to.
I recall the words--and why it concerns us--Dr. King said once that
``injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' If we allow
minorities who believe differently than we do anywhere to think that it
is okay, and we are not going to use whatever diplomatic or other forms
of relationships that we have to try to have religious freedoms,
they're mistaken. We must not allow our voices to be silent, we must
speak aloud in clear language, and I urge my colleagues to support this
bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit that Mr. Meeks articulated
there, we Americans who cherish religious liberty and all people of
goodwill who value the rights of conscience cannot remain silent in the
face of this rising regional intolerance. I think, as he put it, and as
Mr. Wolf and Ms. Anna Eshoo put so eloquently, I think it is time to
bring about this Special Envoy to deploy in the Middle East. I thank
Mr. Wolf for his leadership and certainly urge passage of H.R. 301.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 301,
legislation to provide for the establishment of the Special Envoy to
Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and
South Central Asia. I want to thank my colleagues Congressman Wolf and
Congresswoman Eshoo for introducing this important legislation, which I
am proud to cosponsor.
Ethno-religious minorities face serious threats in many countries in
the Middle East, and it is critical that U.S. policy is sensitive to
the needs and concerns of those endangered communities. Years of
warfare, as well as specific persecution and targeting minority groups,
has taken a serious toll on once-vibrant communities. While there were
once over 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, today there are less than
400,000.
In October 2010, an attack on the Our Lady of Salvation Assyrian
Catholic Church in Baghdad left more than 50 clergy, worshipers and
police dead. This brutal massacre, just one of many in recent years,
drew international outrage and condemnation. We need a clear strategy
for the protection of targeted minority communities.
My district in the Chicagoland area has a large and vibrant Assyrian
population. In recent years, they have been extremely active in calling
for greater attention to the ongoing persecution and targeting of their
brothers and sisters in the Middle East, including a large march in
Chicago in the wake of the 2010 Baghdad massacre. I am proud to work
with them on this issue and to push to see H.R. 301 enacted into law.
Today's legislation will ensure that this serious issue is given the
high-level attention it deserves within the State Department. A Special
Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near
East and South Central Asia will be a voice for persecuted communities,
ensuring that U.S. policy is responsive to their needs. It is a
critical step toward protecting these ancient and vibrant communities,
and toward ensuring a peaceful and secure future for all residents of
the region.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor of H.R. 301, a
bill to establish a Special Envoy to promote religious freedom for
minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia and to applaud
Representative Frank Wolf for his leadership on this timely and
important issue.
No one should be made to feel that the practice of their religion is
a crime or a source of shame. When people are persecuted in the name of
one religion against another, such persecution violates their
inalienable right to worship as they choose and promotes political
instability. Around the world, many conflicts are rooted in sectarian
differences and rivalries. Today in Syria, Christians and other
religious minorities are in direct peril and are the target of abuse
and persecution as a result of the civil war. On April 22, 2013, Greek
Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo Boulose Yazigi and the Syriac Archbishop
of Aleppo, Yohanna Ibrahim were kidnapped by a faction of rebel
extremists while carrying out humanitarian work in the area around the
city. To this day they remain missing.
To the extent the United States can promote religious tolerance, we
advance the cause of human rights, justice and peace around the globe.
This bill creates a special envoy in order to monitor and combat acts
of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious
minorities and to work with foreign governments to address laws that
are inherently discriminatory toward religious minority communities.
I encourage my colleagues to support of H.R. 301. By helping protect
minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia, we contribute to
the safety of minorities all over the world who live in fear for their
lives merely because they practice a different religion than those
around them.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 301, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________