[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 25, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              NORTH KOREA

  (Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice 
my deep concern regarding the dangerous and irresponsible actions of 
the Kim Jong-un regime in North Korea on behalf of the people of Orange 
County and the Korean Americans I represent.
  This week marks the 85th anniversary of the founding of the North 
Korean Army. The North Korean military marked the occasion by 
conducting a large scale artillery drill in the coastal region of 
Wonsan on the Sea of Japan.
  Make no mistake, this was a direct message to our ally, South Korea, 
where millions, including nearly 30,000 U.S. troops, are within range 
of the North Korean artillery. This drill comes on the heels of North 
Korea's threat to destroy U.S. aircraft carriers.
  Mr. Speaker, North Korea is the top threat facing the American 
people. North Korea's efforts to extend the range of their ballistic 
missiles, while working to miniaturize a nuclear warhead, will 
eventually place the West Coast of the United States under direct 
nuclear threat. Intelligence experts estimate that the regime will be 
capable of striking the West Coast in less than 4 years.
  That is an unacceptable risk for U.S. national security and an 
intolerable threat facing the residents of Orange County. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in condemning the recent North Korean 
provocations, demanding comprehensive sanctions on the North Korean 
regime, and supporting all actions necessary to secure the safety of 
our Nation and allies.

                          ____________________