[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 57 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2605-H2609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING NORTH KOREA'S DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIPLE INTERCONTINENTAL
BALLISTIC MISSILES
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 92) condemning North Korea's
development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 92
Whereas the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),
also known as North Korea, possesses a ballistic missile and
nuclear weapons development program that poses a grave threat
to the United States, United States allies South Korea and
Japan, and to regional and global security;
Whereas North Korea's ballistic missile program has
demonstrated an increasing ability to reach the United
States, which constitutes a credible and growing threat to
the security of the American people;
Whereas North Korea has demonstrated a willingness and
ability to proliferate its ballistic missile and nuclear
weapons technology to a variety of countries, including the
Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic, which
the United States has designated as state sponsors of
terrorism;
Whereas, on January 6, 2016, North Korea detonated a
nuclear device, marking its fourth nuclear test to date;
Whereas, on February 7, 2016, North Korea, utilizing a
modified version of the Taepodong-2 ballistic missile,
launched a ``satellite'' into space;
Whereas according to the U.S. Intelligence Community's 2016
Worldwide Threat Assessment, North Korea is ``committed to
developing a long-range, nuclear-armed missile that is
capable of posing a direct threat to the United States; it
has publicly displayed its KN08 road-mobile ICBM on multiple
occasions'';
Whereas, on April 28, 2016, Deputy Secretary of State
Antony Blinken, in a hearing before the Foreign Affairs
Committee of the House of Representatives, testified ``the
benefits of [the trilateral] relationship are crystal clear
in the face of the region's most acute challenge--the
challenge from North Korea and its provocative acts in the
nuclear missile domain'';
Whereas, on August 24, 2016, North Korea successfully
tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile, firing the
missile over 300 miles from a submerged submarine;
Whereas, on September 9, 2016, North Korea conducted its
fifth nuclear test, which it claimed was a warhead that could
be miniaturized for its ballistic missiles;
Whereas, on September 15, 2016, Admiral Harry Harris,
Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, stated ``Combining nuclear
warheads with ballistic missile technology in the hands of a
volatile leader like Kim Jong-un, is a recipe for
disaster.'';
Whereas, on September 16, 2016, Secretary of Defense Ashton
Carter stated ``Everyone can see that North Korea is
determined to try to expand its missile threat to the
peninsula, to the region, and to the United States.'';
Whereas in 2016 North Korea willfully and repeatedly
violated multiple United Nations Security Council
resolutions, through its nuclear tests, missile tests, and
satellite launch;
Whereas, on January 6, 2017, Deputy Secretary of State
Antony Blinken stated that North Korea had conducted 24
missile tests in the past year, as well as two nuclear tests
and ``in our assessment, we have a qualitative improvement in
their capabilities in the past year as a result of this
unprecedented level of activity'';
Whereas, on January 8, 2017, North Korea declared that it
is ready to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile
(ICBM);
Whereas, on February 11, 2017, North Korea launched an
intermediate-range ballistic missile off its eastern coast
while President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe on an official visit to the United States;
Whereas, on February 18, 2017, the People's Republic of
China announced that it would suspend all coal imports from
North Korea, a significant source of revenue to the North
Korean regime;
Whereas, on February 27, 2017, the United Nations Panel of
Experts on North Korea determined that ``The Democratic
People's Republic of Korea is flouting sanctions through
trade in prohibited goods, with evasion techniques that are
increasing in scale, scope and sophistication.'';
Whereas, on March 6, 2017, North Korea launched four
intermediate range missiles, three of which landed
approximately 200 miles off the coast of Japan;
Whereas South Korea and the United States have made an
alliance decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area
Defense (THAAD) system as a self-defensive measure to ensure
the security of South Korea and its people, and to protect
alliance military forces from the growing threat of North
Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program; and
Whereas a nuclear North Korea with a functional and
operational intercontinental ballistic missile program would
pose a direct threat to the United States and United States
interests: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns North Korea's development of multiple
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs);
(2) welcomes the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude
Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to counter North
Korea's missile threat, which supports an alliance security
decision;
(3) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to immediately cease its diplomatic intimidation and economic
coercion against South Korea in an attempt to block the THAAD
deployment;
(4) reaffirms the United States support for a layered,
integrated, multi-tier missile defense system to protect
Americans and allies in Northeast Asia;
(5) supports continued bilateral security cooperation
between the United States and South Korea and the
consideration of additional measures to strengthen the
alliance, including expanded foreign military sales, joint
exercises, and other actions as appropriate;
(6) reaffirms, in view of the ICBM threat by North Korea,
the commitment of the United States to its alliances and to
trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, which is
critical for the preservation of peace and stability in
Northeast Asia and throughout the world;
(7) supports and urges the full implementation of the
intelligence sharing agreement between Japan and South Korea
signed on November 23, 2016, concerning the direct exchange
of intelligence on North Korean threats;
(8) calls upon the People's Republic of China to use its
considerable leverage to pressure North Korean leaders to
cease their provocative behavior and abandon and dismantle
their nuclear and missile programs, and comply with all
relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions;
(9) calls on the United States to fully enforce all
existing economic sanctions on North Korea and to seek to
continuously adapt the sanctions regime to address evasive
techniques employed by the North Korean regime; and
(10) calls on the Secretary of State to undertake a
comprehensive and rigorous diplomatic effort to urge allies
and other countries to fully enforce, and build upon,
existing international sanctions on North Korea.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
[[Page H2606]]
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and to include any 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 of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me begin here by thanking Mr. Wilson for his
leadership on H. Res. 92. What this resolution does is to describe in
alarming detail the growing sophistication of North Korea's missile and
nuclear weapons program. This, of course, poses a direct threat to the
United States as well as to our allies.
Last year alone, North Korea, as we will recall, conducted more than
20 missile tests, including one from a submarine, and they are doing
this in pursuit of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of
striking the United States. Kim Jong-un has detonated two separate
nuclear devices in the same year, a first for this rogue regime. Today,
the Kim regime's aggression continues, and recent satellite imagery
indicates that Pyongyang is now prepared to detonate its sixth nuclear
device.
With every test, North Korea gains valuable knowledge that has
enabled it to make significant improvements to this developing arsenal.
Bear in mind that North Korea has cooperated on its program with these
countries, and I would like the Members to think on this: they have
cooperated with Iran, they have cooperated with Syria on a nuclear
program, and they have cooperated with Pakistan. This, of course, is
undermining U.S. security, but, frankly, it undermines the security of
the entire global counter-proliferation system.
That is why I strongly support the passage of this resolution. I have
been in North Korea, and let me tell you, this resolution, which
condemns North Korea's development of an ICBM and calls for the United
States and others to immediately address this urgent threat, is very
necessary at this time.
Fortunately, the new administration already has several tools at its
disposal. One of those is a bill that we wrote up in the committee, a
bill authored by myself and Eliot Engel, the North Korea Sanctions and
Policy Enhancement Act. It was signed last year, and it was also taken
up at the U.N. Security Council and passed at the Security Council
office. This resolution, among other things, empowers the President to
ramp up pressure on the North Korean regime by sanctioning foreign
companies that do business with--and therefore enable--the regime.
The deployment of the anti-missile defense system THAAD to the Korean
Peninsula must also continue as quickly as possible, and China should
end its economic intimidation of our ally South Korea in response to
this deployment. THAAD will serve as a vital first line of defense
protecting U.S. personnel in the region and protecting our allies from
Kim Jong-un.
As this resolution notes, China needs to do its part to implement the
sanctions contained in multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.
President Trump should press this issue with President Xi when the two
meet this week. With these steps, I believe the United States can again
exert effective pressure on the Kim regime.
As H. Res. 92 emphasizes, Congress stands ready to help counter North
Korea's belligerent behavior and maintain peace and maintain stability
in the Asia Pacific.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC, March 30, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H. Res.
92, a resolution ``Condemning North Korea's development of
multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, and for other
purposes,'' as amended. There are certain provisions in the
legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Armed Services.
In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration of this important
legislation, I am willing to waive this committee's further
consideration of H. Res. 92. I do so with the understanding
that by waiving consideration of the resolution the Committee
on Armed Services does not waive any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matters contained in the legislation
which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the
Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on
the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in
which you have worked regarding this matter and others
between our respective committees.
Sincerely,
William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, March 30, 2017.
Hon. William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry,
Chairman, House Armed Services Committee,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs on H. Res. 92, Condemning North
Korea's development of multiple intercontinental ballistic
missiles, and for agreeing to be discharged from further
consideration of that resolution so that it may proceed
expeditiously to consideration by the House.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Armed Services, or prejudice its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this resolution or similar legislation in the
future.
I will seek to place our letters on H. Res. 92 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate
your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward
to continuing to work with your Committee as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 92.
I am the chief Democratic cosponsor and the gentleman from South
Carolina is the sponsor of this resolution condemning North Korea's
development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, and for
other purposes. It should be noted that this resolution now has 120
bipartisan cosponsors, including the ranking member and chairman of the
committee, the chairman of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, and
myself as ranking member of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee.
This resolution is necessary at a time when the regime of Kim Jong-un
is as belligerent as ever. His intentions are clear. He is conducting
intermediate and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and nuclear
tests for the purpose of being in a position to intimidate the United
States and the rest of the world. Just this month the regime in
Pyongyang released a fake propaganda video showing the imagined
destruction of a U.S. aircraft carrier by its forces.
In addition to the five nuclear weapons North Korea has already
tested, Kim Jong-un continues to test ballistic missiles, including
submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and is moving toward
intercontinental ballistic missiles. These missiles have as one of
their chief purposes to be able to reach the continental United States
and particularly the Pacific Coast of the United States.
We used to have the luxury of saying that North Korea just wants
attention; they just want this or that concession. But now their goal
is clear. It is to threaten hundreds of millions of Americans. It is
clear that North Korea is testing missiles and bombs for the purpose of
developing warheads that can do just that.
The resolution we are considering today, H. Res. 92, condemns North
Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile tests, calls for the United
States to apply economic sanctions on North Korea, and calls on China
to pressure North Korean leaders to cease their provocative behavior,
abandon and dismantle their nuclear missile program, and it calls upon
China to curtail, or at least threaten to curtail, their economic
support of Pyongyang.
President Xi is coming to the United States. He will meet with our
President in Florida. And I hope that the recent comments that we are
going to handle this issue on our own are not what comes out of
Florida, because, instead, we must demand that China pressure North
Korea.
[[Page H2607]]
According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission,
China accounts for over 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade and
approximately 95 percent of its foreign direct investment. Beijing
needs to know that there are serious challenges to its relationship
with the United States if it does not assist us in this effort.
Officials in Beijing cannot assume that their companies will always
have access to the United States market.
There are those who say it is unthinkable to link our trading
relationship with China to its position on North Korea. I believe it is
unthinkable for us not to use all the tools at our disposal to try to
prevent the least predictable leader in the world--and perhaps the
least stable--from having the capacity to hit the United States
mainland with intercontinental nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), who is a senior member of
both the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee and
the author of this resolution.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I was grateful to visit
North Korea on a congressional delegation in 2003 with House Foreign
Affairs Ranking Member Eliot Engel on a delegation led by Congressman
Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania. While there, we witnessed a regime
obsessed with a Potemkin-like appearance and preservation to the
detriment of its own citizens who have been reduced to destitution and
starvation.
{time} 1715
After seeing the devastation of the people at the hands of the
totalitarian regime, I have been even more invested in the need to hold
the regime in Pyongyang accountable for threatening neighbors.
In early February, I introduced this bipartisan resolution in
response to North Korea's threat to test an intercontinental ballistic.
Their threat is concerning because an ICBM has the capability of
reaching the West Coast of the United States.
The rapid pace of North Korea's growing offensive nuclear weapons
development is alarming to the United States and our allies. In just a
few short months, North Korea has appeared to successfully test an
ICBM; launched a satellite; tested four simultaneous ballistic
missiles, three of which landed in Japanese territorial waters; had a
failed missile launch; and tested a ballistic missile engine. The
regime also claims to be planning another nuclear test for later this
month.
Sadly revealing, the regime in North Korea recently released a
propaganda video depicting a missile striking a U.S. aircraft carrier
and calling for the destruction of the American people.
North Korea is rapidly advancing their capabilities, working to
miniaturize nuclear technology to deliver a nuclear weapon anywhere in
the world. Sadly, 8 years of strategic patience only enabled the
dictatorship. We cannot afford to stand by as this regime grows in
power and influence, threatening the United States and our allies.
I am grateful that President Donald Trump is taking the regime and
its threats seriously. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson recently visited our allies in South Korea and
Japan; and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has
led the efforts for strengthening international sanctions against North
Korea.
The administration has also demonstrated peace through strength by
backing up their commitments to our allies with action. We have begun
deploying the THAAD missile defense system, recently resumed the annual
military training exercises with South Korea, and deployed attack
drones to support our servicemembers stationed in the region. This
defends the extraordinary people of South Korea, who have developed one
of the most prosperous nations on Earth.
As we work to check the growing influence and missile capability of
North Korea, Congress, too, has a vital role, starting with passage of
H. Res. 92 to forcefully condemn North Korea for these actions and call
for the consideration of all available sanctions on the regime and the
individuals or businesses who sustain it. We are clear: the United
States must stand strong against North Korea for American families and
our South Korean allies.
I appreciate the consideration of H. Res. 92, with 120 bipartisan
cosponsors. I know that America is fortunate to have the leadership of
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, serving in a bipartisan manner
with Ranking Member Eliot Engel.
I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the resolution.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chairman emeritus of the committee who
chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North
Africa and has authored previous legislation to address the North
Korean threat.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I commend the commitment that Chairman
Royce and Ranking Member Engel have shown in holding North Korea
accountable for its illicit activity, and it is a long list.
Mr. Speaker, I want to also commend my good friend and colleague,
Congressman Joe Wilson, for authoring this important measure, H. Res.
92, condemning North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental
ballistic missiles, or ICBMs.
Recently, North Korea has made the calculation that it either needs
to flex its muscles through the test of ballistic missiles or, at the
very least, provoke an international response so that the regime can
use it as propaganda against the West.
We have seen dozens of missile tests over the past year, and, just as
troubling, at least two nuclear tests. I know that this is resolution
condemning North Korea's provocative action, but I do think this is an
opportunity to call attention to the Iranian nuclear and ballistic
missile program. What I and some of my colleagues have been saying for
years now is that Iran has been following the North Korea playbook.
We signed a weak and dangerous nuclear deal with North Korea, and
what was the result? A nuclear-armed Pyongyang that is testing and
upgrading its ballistic and nuclear program unchecked and possibly even
proliferating these materials, or at least the know-how, to Iran.
We concluded a weak and dangerous nuclear deal with Iran, and you can
be sure, if we don't do more to press Iran, we will be welcoming
another dangerous regime to the nuclear weapons club.
While we rightfully condemn North Korea for its provocations, we must
be mindful that, if we follow the same path and make the same mistakes,
it will be Iran in a few years that will have a nuclear weapon and
ballistic missile program that can threaten global security, and that
is in none of our interests.
I urge my colleagues to fully support Mr. Wilson's measure, Mr.
Speaker, but I also urge them to realize the failures of past policies
and what got us here to this point with North Korea and not to allow
the same mistakes to happen with respect to Iran.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), a senior member of the Foreign
Affairs Committee.
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 92, condemning
North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental ballistic
missiles.
Without question, North Korea's relentless effort to develop
ballistic missiles poses a serious threat to the security of the United
States, especially to our allies in the region, and possibly all across
the globe.
For the past several years, Kim Jong-un has made significant strides
in their nuclear missile program. It seems like every few weeks we hear
new reports concerning the growing North Korea nuclear threat. North
Korea has conducted multiple nuclear tests and demonstrated that it is
bound and determined to develop a ballistic missile capable of
delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.
It has also become abundantly clear that the Kim regime will continue
to
[[Page H2608]]
work toward a nuclear warhead, no matter the cost. Just today, a senior
North Korean defector stated that the young, irresponsible dictator
will do anything to remain in power and that Kim believes nuclear
weapons will help guarantee his rule.
We must condemn these actions and begin taking concrete steps to
mitigate the growing North Korean threat. I also believe we must work
closer than ever with our South Korean partners and increase our
already strong security alliance by assisting with technological
developments, carrying out more joint exercises, and quickly making the
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems, or THAAD, in South Korea
operational.
I commend my friend, Mr. Wilson of South California, for his
leadership in championing H. Res. 92. I also want to thank Chairman
Royce and the ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel, for, again, using the
format of the Foreign Affairs Committee in a bipartisan manner.
This is one committee in the House--and there are a few others--that
works very much in a bipartisan manner. This is one we do need to be
united on. The threat from Kim Jong-un is serious. It is dangerous. It
is a threat to world peace. We need to take it seriously. H. Res. 92
goes in the right direction. I, again, want to thank Mr. Wilson for
proposing it.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I will add a comment to the upcoming visit of President
Xi to Florida and President Trump's statement in advance of that: Well,
we don't need China to get tough on North Korea.
The fact is, President Trump has not given us a plan that would put
effective pressure on Pyongyang that does not involve China. There is
no magic road to dealing with the North Korean threat that does not go
through Beijing.
My fear is that, in the guise of being the tough guy who doesn't need
China's help, in fact, President Trump is preparing to fail to get
China's help in controlling North Korea, is preparing to be weak in
dealing with China and to weakly accept their unwillingness to act, and
then disguising it all in some machismo statement of strength: Oh, we
don't need China.
We do need China. There is no plan to control North Korea that
doesn't involve China. Macho statements are not an excuse for real
strength in dealing with President Xi.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Mimi Walters of California).
Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support
of H. Res. 92, condemning North Korea's development of multiple
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The world has watched in fear as this brutal dictatorship has labored
to miniaturize a nuclear warhead capable of being delivered by an ICBM.
Across the 45th District, Californians are anxious about the growing
threat from North Korea and its efforts to develop the capability to
strike the West Coast.
Orange County is home to a large Korean-American population who have
spoken out forcefully against this rogue regime, fearing for the life
of their Korean kin and the safety of the entire world. As I tell all
concerned constituents when I am back home in California, and I will
repeat here today: I share your concern and will do all I can to ensure
we eliminate this threat.
Mr. Speaker, just today, an interview with the most high-profile
North Korean defector in two decades was released. The man's warning
was dire: Kim Jong-un will use nuclear weapons at the slightest sign of
an imminent threat to his rule.
The time for the old strategy of strategic patience has passed. We
must take serious actions now to prevent a nuclear weapon from ever
threatening the United States or one of our allies. I urge the
President to address this grave threat with the Chinese President at
their upcoming summit.
I thank my friend, the gentleman from South Carolina, for undertaking
this effort, and I am proud to join him in this fight.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I would simply say that I commend the gentleman from
South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, for authoring this resolution, which has
secured the support of 120 bipartisan cosponsors, including the chair
and ranking member of the full committee and the chair and, in my case,
ranking member of the relevant subcommittee.
I, again, call on my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 92,
condemning North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental
ballistic missiles, and for other purposes.
We need an official congressional condemnation of North Korea's
continued ballistic missile testing and its related nuclear program. We
need to ramp up sanctions on North Korea, while applying pressure to
China, hopefully later this week, for being North Korea's economic
lifeline.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, North Korea, as we all know, poses an urgent threat to
the United States and to our allies. Experts say that, in less than 4
years, Kim Jung-un will likely have the ability to make a reliable
intercontinental ballistic missile topped by a nuclear warhead capable
of targeting the continental United States. They also expect that, by
then, North Korea may have accumulated enough nuclear material to build
up to 100 warheads for those ICBMs they have been making.
In an interview, the President says he is going to discuss this
growing threat and Kim Jung-un's behavior with Chinese President Xi
this week. As he says, China has great influence over North Korea, and
China will either decide to help us with North Korea or they won't,
but, if they do, that will be very good for China.
It will be good for China because we have made it very clear that
this is a key interest of the United States. We do not want to see
North Korea able to proliferate this kind of weaponry. They have
already tested this off of a submarine. It would be irresponsible for
us, China, and every member of the international community not to take
steps now to cut off all hard currency into North Korea that allows
that regime to continue down this path.
{time} 1730
This threat is real, and that demands real response. I appreciate Joe
Wilson bringing this resolution because, as he notes, one other point
that I think we have to make, the deployment of THAAD needs to be
completed as quickly as possible.
The President must also utilize the economic tools that Congress has
given him with the act authored by myself and Mr. Engel to cut off
funding for the regime of Kim Jong-un. I would also encourage the
administration to pursue all opportunities to strengthen our economic
and security relationships with our partners throughout the Asia
Pacific right now because, as we know, our allies there are equally
concerned about this development.
I thank the author of this resolution, Mr. Joe Wilson, and, of
course, my committee's ranking member, Mr. Engel. I want to thank Mr.
Sherman as well for working on this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.
Res. 92, Condemning North Korea's development of multiple
intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The security of our nation and allies rests on a global community of
nations acting in a responsible manner. For too long the Asia-Pacific
region has been rocked with instability because of North Korea's
irresponsible behavior. Last year, the North Korean regime conducted
two nuclear tests and twenty missile tests, including successfully
testing a submarine-launched ballistic missile. This is a marked
increase from two nuclear tests and 42 missile tests over the previous
seven years. In February 2017, North Korea fired a ballistic missile
that landed in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, sending
shockwaves among our two closest allies in the Asia-Pacific.
Passing this resolution will reaffirm our commitment to trilateral
missile defense cooperation with South Korea and Japan and to an
interoperable, multi-tier missile defense system that will protect
Americans and our allies on the Korean Peninsula. At a time of
increasing belligerence by North Korea, our allies need such security
assurances. This bill will also urge the President to promptly deploy
the
[[Page H2609]]
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea,
apply all available economic sanctions on North Korea, and consider
additional measures to strengthen bilateral security cooperation with
South Korea, including increases in foreign military sales and joint
exercises.
Like many of my colleagues, the constituents whom I represent want
assurance that the United States is secure from all external threats,
including the potential threat of weaponized intercontinental ballistic
missiles (ICBMs). ICBMs are designed to travel between 5,500 km and
10,000 km. California is about 9,000 km from North Korea. Given that
the North Korean regime has made steady advances in its nuclear weapons
program over the past few years, it is not surprising that my
California colleagues are increasingly alarmed by Pyongyang's actions.
The level of bipartisan support for H. Res. 92 reflects the
importance of the threat North Korea poses to global stability. Our
security and the security of our allies is an issue that crosses party
lines. It is imperative to our national security interests that North
Korea does not develop a weaponized ICBM capable of reaching any part
of our country.
This resolution provides more assurance to our allies in the Asia-
Pacific and sends a message to the North Korean regime that all
Americans are united in our determination to safeguard our country
against foreign threats. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote yes on
the resolution.
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. 92, 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 of California. 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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