[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 153 (Tuesday, October 20, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H7007-H7009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
   SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE TO FREELY ELECT THEIR GOVERNMENT

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 348) supporting the right of the people of Ukraine 
to freely elect their government and determine their future, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 348

       Whereas after President Yanukovych had fled Kyiv, Russian 
     President Vladimir Putin ordered the forcible and illegal 
     occupation of Crimea in March 2014;
       Whereas Russian-led separatists have forcibly seized large 
     areas of Ukraine and continue their attacks on Ukraine's 
     forces;
       Whereas the Russian Federation has continued to engage in 
     relentless political, economic, and military aggression to 
     subvert the independence and violate the territorial 
     integrity of Ukraine;
       Whereas the United States has supported the democratically 
     elected Government of Ukraine, which represents the will of 
     the people of Ukraine, and Congress has passed multiple 
     pieces of legislation to provide support to Ukraine;
       Whereas Congress passed the Sovereignty, Integrity, 
     Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014 
     (Public Law 113-95), which authorized loan guarantees for the 
     Government of Ukraine;
       Whereas Congress passed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 
     2014 (Public Law 113-272), which authorized the 
     Administration to provide Ukraine's Government with support 
     to facilitate necessary reforms, and stated that it is United 
     States policy to assist the Government of Ukraine in 
     restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity;
       Whereas in September 2014, a cease-fire agreement was 
     brokered between Ukraine, Russia, and Russian-led 
     separatists, but the agreement was never fully implemented;
       Whereas in February 2015, an additional cease-fire, known 
     as the Minsk Implementation Agreement or Minsk 2, was agreed 
     upon;
       Whereas the United States has assisted in many elections 
     around the world, including Ukraine's Presidential election 
     in May 25, 2014, to ensure that international election 
     standards are upheld;
       Whereas early parliamentary elections were held on October 
     26, 2014, but 29 of the 450 seats in parliament were not 
     filled due to the inability to hold elections in areas 
     controlled by separatists;
       Whereas, despite the disenfranchisement of people living in 
     separatist-controlled areas, international election observers 
     declared the parliamentary elections in the rest of the 
     country to have met international standards;
       Whereas Ukraine and Russia are participating States of the 
     Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and party 
     to its commitments, including the 1990 Copenhagen Document 
     which states that States ``will respect each other's right 
     freely to choose and develop, in accordance with 
     international human rights standards, their political, 
     social, economic and cultural systems'' and that ``free 
     elections that will be held at reasonable intervals by secret 
     ballot or by equivalent free voting procedure, under 
     conditions which ensure in practice the free expression of 
     the opinion of the electors in the choice of their 
     representatives'';
       Whereas the next local elections are scheduled to take 
     place in Ukraine on October 25, 2015;
       Whereas these elections are critical to continued 
     legislative and constitutional reform in Ukraine;
       Whereas the Russian-led separatists in eastern Ukraine 
     continue to refuse to implement Ukrainian law and to permit 
     Ukrainian authorities to conduct elections in the areas they 
     control and have therefore made free and fair elections in 
     those areas impossible;
       Whereas Ukraine's government has therefore been forced to 
     postpone the local elections in those areas; and
       Whereas the United States is supporting efforts to promote 
     citizen engagement in the constitutional reform process, 
     educating voters, and election monitoring: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) strongly supports the right of the people of Ukraine to 
     freely elect their government and determine their future;
       (2) urges the Administration to expedite assistance to 
     Ukraine to facilitate the political, economic, and social 
     reforms necessary for free and fair elections that meet 
     international standards; and
       (3) condemns attempts on the part of outside forces, 
     specifically the Government of Russia, its agents and 
     supporters, to interfere in Ukraine's elections, including 
     through intimidation, violence, or coercion.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) 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 may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material 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.
  Mr. Speaker, almost 2 years after the conflict in Ukraine began, 
Russian aggression there remains almost a daily regular occurrence. The 
fighting has taken over 8,000 Ukrainian lives, and that number is 
growing as Russia continues to provide weapons and support to 
separatists in eastern Ukraine.
  Last year, along with Ranking Member Eliot Engel and several other 
members of the Foreign Affairs Committee--there were eight of us, as I 
recall, including the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), who 
is the author of this resolution before us today--we traveled to 
Ukraine to see the situation on the ground. We traveled to Kyiv and we 
traveled to Dnepropetrovsk in the east, and we spoke with local 
officials. We spoke with representatives from civil society, women's 
groups, lawyers' groups, local government, different minority groups, a 
broad range of individuals--leaders of the Tatar community, leaders of 
the Jewish community there, and even former supporters of President 
Yanukovych, among many, many others.
  We heard that same message from everyone, namely, that they were 
committed to building a peaceful, united Ukraine that is free to 
determine its own future, and that they want to do it without outside 
interference.
  Now there is a new effort to bring peace to this war-torn region 
under the so-called Minsk agreements. These specify a number of 
measures that must be implemented by all sides, one of which is to hold 
local elections by the end of this year. The Ukrainian Government has 
scheduled these for October 25, which is this Sunday.
  Unfortunately, they cannot be held in the areas controlled by 
Russian-led separatists because intimidation and manipulation make free 
and fair elections impossible in these regions. But they will take 
place in the rest of the country where independent observers will 
ensure that they meet international standards, and this is to be 
welcomed.
  Their hoped-for success will be a real-world demonstration that 
Ukraine is continuing to implement the democratic reforms that 
Ukrainian people are determined to bring peace into their country with.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan resolution and 
reaffirm that America's commitment to Ukraine's independence and to the 
right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future is strong 
and it is enduring.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of this measure.
  First of all, I want to thank Mr. Cicilline for drafting this 
resolution. With its passage, we will again be signaling that the 
United States stands

[[Page H7008]]

with the people of Ukraine, that we want them to chart the future for 
their own country, and that we reject the aggression and unlawfulness 
of Russia's actions under President Putin.
  Let me also thank our chairman, Ed Royce. The hallmark of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee is our success in advancing good, bipartisan 
legislation, and this resolution is a prime example of business as 
usual for our committee. I am very proud of it.
  Our interest in Ukraine is nothing new. Over the past year, our 
committee has focused a great deal on this crisis. We have passed 
legislation aimed at assisting Ukraine. We want to see a successful 
democratic transition, we want Ukraine's territorial integrity to be 
restored, and we want to deter Russia from further aggression.
  The cease-fire in Ukraine finally seems to be holding. That is good 
news, but I still have deep concerns.
  First of all, while the upcoming elections are important, not all of 
Ukraine's citizens will have their voices heard. Only areas under 
Kyiv's control will be casting ballots--and Russia has a history of 
sticking its nose in Ukraine's elections. Putin has said that he won't 
interfere with this vote. But I am not holding my breath, nor should 
anyone else.
  So we will be looking for some specific benchmarks. For instance, the 
agreement in Minsk requires that elections in Donetsk and Luhansk be 
held after Russia draws down its forces there. Not just Russian 
personnel, but all military equipment, all mercenaries, all support for 
proxies must be out of these areas before elections. It is critical 
that the OSCE mount a full-scale observation mission and be permitted 
to monitor every stage of the process. We will be keeping a close eye 
on this as well.
  Yet, even if Minsk is followed to the letter--a cease-fire, followed 
by elections, followed by restoration of Kyiv's control over its own 
eastern border--the international order will remain compromised. This 
agreement does not address Crimea, nor does it hold the force of 
international law.
  And as much as we talk about Minsk, we shouldn't forget prior and far 
more important agreements, such as the Helsinki Final Act and the 
Budapest Memorandum, which reaffirmed the core principle of the Final 
Act: that the territorial integrity of states is inviolable.
  Ukraine was part of the former Soviet Union; and when the Soviet 
Union collapsed, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons. As part of giving 
that up, Ukraine was guaranteed its territorial integrity--guaranteed 
by the United States, by Russia, and by others. Certainly they are 
being betrayed right now, and we should not stand for it.

  Lastly, we should have no illusions that this agreement will deter 
President Putin's aggression. Indeed, as Moscow dials up its 
intervention in the Middle East in Syria, Ukraine is looking more and 
more like just one element of a much larger scheme by President Putin 
to destabilize countries on Russia's borders. That is what Putin wants 
to do. He wants to keep Ukraine unstable and destabilized.
  So, with this resolution, we reaffirm our support for Ukraine, we 
express our hope that Minsk will keep the peace, and we make clear that 
we are keeping a watchful eye on Russia and that we are ready to 
continue assisting Ukraine to consolidate its democratic gains and 
restore its territorial integrity.
  Ukraine wants to be democratic. Ukraine wants to look toward the 
West. Ukraine does not want to be dominated by Russia. We should give 
them all the support that they deserve. That is what the United States 
does, that is what the United States is all about, and that is what 
this resolution does. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to 
the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), the author of this 
resolution.
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I rise to support H. Res. 348, supporting free elections in Ukraine.
  I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their 
strong support and cosponsorship of this legislation, which I was proud 
to introduce and which affirms Congress' unwavering support for free 
elections in Ukraine. I thank my many colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle who have signed on as cosponsors and contributed to the final 
language of the bill.
  Support of the democratic and economic development of Ukraine in the 
face of Russian aggression remains one of the most vital efforts the 
United States can undertake to combat Russian belligerence and 
demonstrates our unwavering commitment to promoting democracy and human 
rights around the world.
  Next week--next Sunday, in fact--the people of Ukraine will head to 
the polls to exercise their right to choose their own government. 
However, because of the continued defiance of Russian-led separatists, 
not every region of Ukraine will be able to participate in these 
elections.
  The illegal and forcible occupation of Crimea and the ongoing Russian 
support for separatists in eastern Ukraine are a clear violation of 
international law and diplomacy. The Minsk II agreement was a historic 
step toward potentially ending the violence and unrest in the country, 
and it is now upon the Governments of Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. and 
our European allies as implementing partners to ensure its successful 
execution. The existing cease-fire is a positive development, but one 
that must be accompanied by free elections and restoration of Ukraine's 
territorial integrity.
  Ukraine has local elections scheduled for most of the country--except 
some separatist-controlled areas--for this Sunday, October 25. This 
resolution demonstrates this Congress' steadfast commitment to 
supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their 
government and determine their future. It condemns any Russian attempts 
to interfere in Ukraine's elections in any way, including through 
intimidation, violence, or coercion. During Ukraine's last elections, 
these tactics were used to prevent Ukrainians from voting in certain 
regions. This cannot happen again, and any actions undermining these 
elections must be met with swift and uncertain international 
condemnation.
  At this delicate juncture in Ukraine's history, it is essential that 
the United States and our European allies continue to demonstrate firm 
support for Ukrainian territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the right 
of Ukrainian people to participate in free and fair elections. America 
has a long history of supporting free and fair elections and the right 
of people to decide their own future.
  This resolution was passed by the Committee on Foreign Affairs with 
overwhelming bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues to support 
its passage today.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly).
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from New York and, 
of course, the distinguished chairman of the committee.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 348. The people of Ukraine have the 
right to hold free and fair elections within the sovereign territory of 
their own country. The ruthless tyranny of Russian military aggression 
in Ukraine must end, and we must never agree to a settlement that even 
hints to President Vladimir Putin that the borders of Europe are up for 
sale.

  The resolution notes: the forcible and illegal occupation of Crimea. 
The United States must make it clear in both our words and our deeds 
that Crimea is within the sovereign territory of Ukraine, and we will 
not recognize its forcible and illegal annexation by Russia--ever. This 
resolution is clear on that account, and I thank the author, Mr. 
Cicilline, for it.
  The Senate and House of Representatives recently passed the fiscal 
year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act conference report. That 
text included an amendment I authored to prohibit the authorization of 
funds to be obligated or expended in order to implement any activity 
that could be construed as recognizing the sovereignty of the Russian 
Federation over Ukraine's Crimea. Crimea is not

[[Page H7009]]

an issue we can allow to fade into the background--ever. As the 
resolution notes in just its second clause, this was Putin's original 
sin in Ukraine.
  If we are to deter, Mr. Speaker, further Russian separatist and 
revanchist moves in eastern Ukraine, we must never yield on Crimea.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, once again, I want to voice my strong support for this 
resolution. I again thank Mr. Cicilline for authoring this measure and 
his leadership, and I thank our chairman once again.
  Even with a cease-fire in place, the crisis in Ukraine is a major 
threat to the international order. The United States stands with the 
people of Ukraine as they try to chart the path forward for their 
country and restore their territorial integrity. So long as President 
Putin's aggression continues, we need to stay focused on this serious 
challenge. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me again thank Eliot Engel, along with 
Mr. Cicilline and Mr. Connolly--cosponsors of this resolution with 
myself and other members of that committee--but mention in particular 
the decision we made to go as far east in Ukraine as we could. We 
traveled to the border of Luhansk and Donetsk, actually, because 
Dnipropetrovsk was where we flew in. To the south is Donetsk. To the 
east is Luhansk.
  One of the great advantages of having with us the ranking member--an 
individual who knows the country well and knows the people well, Mr. 
Eliot Engel--is the fact that both of his grandparents on his mother's 
side are from Ukraine and both of his grandparents on his father's side 
are from Ukraine.
  It is a reminder to us of the long struggle, the long, ardent effort, 
for independence, for some modicum of freedom, that the people of 
Ukraine have struggled for all of these years, a dream that finally 
seemed realized; and now, in the wake of that, you have the occupation 
of the eastern and southern parts of the country.
  I think it is a reminder to all of us of how we can be surprised on 
the world stage. The United States, in my opinion, could do more in 
this particular case to end the aggression. As people told us in 
Dnipropetrovsk--and we were there, actually. We had a service in the 
synagogue where Mr. Engel spoke during Passover. People asked us in 
each of these groups--the city council, the governor, the women's 
groups, the different civil society groups--they said: We can handle 
the fact that every skin-headed malcontent that Putin can recruit, that 
he radicalizes, and he trains--then they send them here, and we capture 
them, and we hold them in our brig until the end of hostilities--but 
what is a real challenge is the Russian armor, that Russian equipment 
out there. We can't match that. We need anti-tank missiles.
  Now, anti-tank weapons is what they have asked for. Many of us in 
Congress, myself included, have asked that we more forcefully oppose 
Russian aggression by giving those people on those frontlines the 
armaments they need to defend themselves, and the House has gone on 
record as taking this position.
  I think it would be a deterrent against Russian aggression that has 
brought so much suffering, and my hope is that, as we go forward, we 
convince the administration as well.
  The local elections scheduled for this Sunday are a concrete example 
that Ukrainians are determined to do all that they can to achieve peace 
throughout the entirety of that country. By overwhelmingly adopting 
this bipartisan resolution, I believe the House will send a clear 
message to the Ukrainian people that the United States remains 
committed to their right to have Ukrainians choose their own government 
and choose their own destiny.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Rhode Island for authoring this 
particular bill, and I urge its passage.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 348 to 
support the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their 
government and determine their future, which was introduced by my 
friend, Representative David Cicilline.
  Citizens everywhere should be afforded the right to freely choose 
their leaders--and the people of Ukraine are no different. It is 
imperative that the American people stand with Ukrainians to ensure 
that the future of their government is determined freely and fairly.
  Russian troops began an illegal occupation of Crimea following the 
resignation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in March 2014. In 
spite of economic sanctions, diplomatic efforts and successive 
ceasefires, we have tragically seen over 6,500 people killed in eastern 
Ukraine since Russia annexed Crimea. Russia's continued violations of 
the Minsk agreement by ignoring the ceasefire is simply unacceptable. 
Their actions betray their previous commitments and have derailed good 
faith efforts to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine. Russia's continued 
military aggression in Ukraine threatens peace and security in the 
region. Russia's aggression has also hindered the electoral process and 
disenfranchised voters in the troubled region. I support Ukraine's 
right to determine their own future, protect their territorial 
integrity and we must do all we can to prevent the slaughter of 
innocent lives.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage the passage of 
H. Res. 348, supporting the right of Ukrainian citizens to freely elect 
their officials and determine their future. I would like to emphasize 
the importance of protecting democracy around the world. In 2015, it is 
essential that we ensure people at home and abroad are able to elect 
their government representatives by exercising this basic right.
  This issue is of particular importance to me as the Congressional 
Representative for the 14th District of Michigan, which is home to a 
large population of women and minorities who fought hard to gain the 
right to vote. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Voting 
Rights Act, which is of critical importance in protecting every 
citizen's right to participate in free and fair elections. However, 
fair elections are also vital to democracies across the globe. 
Therefore, we must act appropriately when those rights are infringed 
upon.
  This resolution demonstrates the federal government's commitment to 
protect Ukraine's critical elections. Ukraine's next local elections 
are scheduled to take place on October 25, 2015 and are essential for 
the continuation of legislative and constitutional reform. We cannot 
allow Russia or other outside forces to interfere with Ukraine's 
elections, especially through intimidation, violence, or coercion. By 
supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their 
government and have a say in their future, we are working toward 
ensuring all people around the world benefit from these basic yet 
profoundly critical rights.
  I am grateful that our chamber is continuing with our legacy of 
safeguarding democracy. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle for supporting America's commitment to defending these 
important freedoms around the world.
  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 agree to the resolution, H. Res. 348, 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. ROYCE. 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.

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