[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4278-H4281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING THE FIGHT AGAINST
CORRUPTION IN CENTRAL AMERICA
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 145) expressing the sense of the House
of Representatives regarding the fight against corruption in Central
America, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 145
Whereas according to Transparency International's 2016
Corruption Perception Index, the citizens of Honduras,
Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua perceive high levels of
government corruption;
Whereas widespread corruption in Central America weakens
citizens' faith in public institutions, limits government
capacity to advance development goals, and allows drug
traffickers and other criminals to thrive;
Whereas the International Commission against Impunity in
Guatemala (CICIG) was created at the request of the
Guatemalan Government in 2007, and has strengthened the
capacity of Guatemalan institutions, especially the Office of
the Attorney General, to combat corruption;
Whereas the Office of the Attorney General of Guatemala and
CICIG have recently collaborated to investigate and prosecute
a series of corruption cases involving high-level government
officials, demonstrating that it is possible for governments
in Central America to confront entrenched corruption, and
that no one is above the law;
Whereas the Attorney General of El Salvador has made
significant progress in tackling corruption at the highest
levels;
Whereas after thousands of Hondurans joined street protests
against corruption and in favor of an International
Commission against Impunity in Honduras, the Honduran
Government reached an agreement with the Organization of
American States to create the Mission to Support the Fight
against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH);
Whereas MACCIH has begun to assist the Office of the
Attorney General of Honduras with the investigation into the
more than $300,000,000 that was embezzled from the Institute
of Social Security; and
Whereas the leadership of CICIG and MACCIH and the
attorneys general of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador
have faced significant challenges, including credible threats
against their lives, attempts to publicly discredit their
work, or efforts to remove them from their posts: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms that combating corruption in the Northern
Triangle is an important policy interest for the United
States;
(2) acknowledges that the International Commission against
Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the Mission to Support the
Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH)
are currently making important contributions to this effort;
[[Page H4279]]
(3) urges the Government of Guatemala to continue to
cooperate with CICIG and the Government of Honduras to
continue to cooperate with MACCIH; and
(4) encourages the Governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and
El Salvador to--
(A) publicly support efforts to fight corruption;
(B) respect the independence of the judicial branch and the
Office of the Attorney General; and
(C) ensure that the Office of the Attorney General in each
Northern Triangle country receives sufficient domestic budget
allocations to carry out its core responsibilities and that
budgeted funds are delivered in a timely manner.
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 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 materials 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. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 145, which affirms this
body's support for the independent anticorruption commissions in
Central America that seek to combat corruption and combat impunity in
the countries of the Northern Triangle region.
I would like to commend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Torres), a new member of the committee, for her work on this important
resolution. Of course, I appreciate Mr. Engel, the ranking member and
the former chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, for
his long-time focus on this critical region.
Mr. Speaker, in recent years, the U.S. has seen a surge in illegal
migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Now, that is the
Northern Triangle of Central America.
Many of these migrants are fleeing violence. They are fleeing
criminality and institutionalized corruption. More than anything, the
citizens of these countries want governments that will work for them.
As a result of these governments, the international community has
responded. Governments in the region, including the United States, have
helped to establish the International Commission Against Impunity in
Guatemala--that is called CICIG--and the Mission to Support the Fight
against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, known as MACCIH.
Both of these organizations are making important contributions to
tackling the culture of corruption and impunity in their respective
countries and are working to give the citizens of these countries
confidence in their own judiciary. These organizations have put
politicians and public servants on notice that nobody should be above
the law and that their citizenry demands transparency.
For example, this special body in Honduras has begun to assist the
Office of the Attorney General with the investigation into the more
than $300 million that was embezzled from the Institute of Social
Security and, in Guatemala, has trained the prosecutors that
successfully built high-profile corruption cases against multiple
government officials, including the former Guatemalan President,
President Molina.
{time} 1645
Once again, I want to thank Representative Torres for bringing this
measure forward and for her efforts in working with the Northern
Triangle countries to urge greater respect for an independent judiciary
and to bring greater security and prosperity to the people of the
Northern Triangle countries.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure.
Let me start by thanking the chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, Ed Royce, from California. I am also especially grateful to
another colleague from California, Norma Torres, a valuable member of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, for authoring this bipartisan
resolution, and also for her leadership as the founding co-chair of the
Central America Caucus.
Mr. Speaker, when a child from El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras
arrives at our southern border, he or she didn't get there because it
was an easy journey. It was because poverty, crime, or lack of
opportunity at home left that child no option but to face that long,
dangerous trek. No child anywhere should be forced to make that
heartbreaking choice.
The best way to ensure that this doesn't happen is not to build a
wall or isolate ourselves from our neighbors. It is to stop children
from having to make that journey in the first place. It is by making
long-term, strategic investments in a more secure and prosperous
Central America.
Over the last 2 years, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have
come together to do just that. We made a bold, new foreign assistance
commitment to Central America that helps address the root causes of
child migration from the region.
A big part of this effort is supporting those individuals who are
working day in and day out to root out corruption in Central America:
the attorneys general in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; the
heads of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala;
and the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in
Honduras.
These brave individuals put their lives on the line on a daily basis.
This resolution that we are voting on signals that the United States
agrees with them and has their backs.
To Guatemala's Attorney General Thelma Aldana, Honduran Attorney
General Oscar Chinchilla, Salvadoran Attorney General Douglas Melendez,
CICIG Commissioner Ivan Velasquez, and MACCIH Chief of Mission Juan
Jimenez: Today we come to the floor of the House of Representatives to
say thank you and to proclaim that we stand with you and your
institutions in the fight against corruption.
This measure sends a strong message that our Congress, which has the
ultimate say over funding for Central America, stands with those who
are committed to putting an end to corruption in El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Honduras.
We may have a new President in the White House and a new Secretary of
State at Foggy Bottom, but Congress continues to have the power of the
purse; and Democrats and Republicans, alike, believe that continued
international support for the attorneys general and CICIG and MACCIH is
key to the continued success of the Alliance for Prosperity in the
Northern Triangle.
In December, I led a letter to the attorneys general from El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, along with Representative Ros-
Lehtinen and several other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee,
commending their efforts, pledging our ongoing support, and, most
importantly, noting how crucial it is that they be able to carry out
their work free from any interference from political leaders in their
countries. With passage of H. Res. 145, the entire House of
Representatives can and will send that same message.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign
Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.
I applaud the work that both Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel
have done in helping to focus more of our foreign policy priority here
in our own Western Hemisphere.
I also applaud Congresswoman Norma Torres for authoring the measure
that we have before us today, H. Res. 145, reaffirming our dedication
to the fight against corruption in Central America. It is an important
measure, Mr. Speaker, and it is an important fight.
For years, I have been a strong advocate for this fight because,
where corruption is allowed to spread, drug trafficking and crime
inevitably thrive;
[[Page H4280]]
and this is negative for our neighbors, it is bad for us, and it is bad
for our interests. That is why it is vital that we make battling
corruption in the region more of a priority of our foreign policy.
In fact, earlier this year, I traveled to Honduras and Guatemala with
my good friend Albio Sires, and we saw firsthand how these governments
are attempting to tackle corruption in their countries. It is not easy,
Mr. Speaker. They are making progress and taking some of the tough
decisions necessary, but there is so much more to be done and so much
more that they need to do, but they need help from the United States.
That is what we heard when we hosted the attorneys general from the
Northern Triangle countries here in Washington, D.C., just last month
to discuss what they are doing to fight corruption and what assistance
they might need from us. That is why this resolution before us is so
important and so timely.
We must urge the governments of Central America to do more to battle
corruption, but we also must pledge to do more ourselves because they
cannot do it alone. Central American governments must take a stand and
voice their support for anticorruption programs. They must respect and
defend the authority of the judicial branch, and they must make it a
priority. That is not easy for them to do.
Some of these governments have shown a willingness to take these
steps, but, sadly, Mr. Speaker, not all of them have. While we urge
willing partners to take the steps necessary to fight corruption, we
must be willing to do more for those unwilling.
That is why I have reintroduced my NICA Act, which aims at tightening
the economic screws on the Ortega regime until we see some drastic
reforms, including efforts to end corruption. It is our duty to support
our neighbors so that our partners to the south can live in far more
open, free, and democratic societies.
It is also in the benefit of our security and it is in the benefit of
our national interests to do so. That is why I urge my colleagues to
support H. Res. 145. I also urge my colleagues to support my NICA Act
and to take a more engaged role in our foreign policy interests in our
own Western Hemisphere.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to
the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), the author of this
resolution, a leader on Central American issues, and a valued member of
the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 145,
expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the fight
against corruption in Central America.
In too many Central American countries, it has become common practice
for government officials to use public office to enrich themselves
instead of serving the public good. For too long, corruption has
allowed violence and poverty to hold these countries back.
But recently, the people of Central America have made it clear that
they are ready for a change. In the last 2 years, young people from
across the region have taken to the streets and demonstrated, and some
real progress has been made.
In Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the attorneys general have
demonstrated independence and real courage.
In Guatemala, Attorney General Thelma Aldana has worked closely with
CICIG, the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala.
Under the leadership of Ivan Velasquez, CICIG has been instrumental in
improving the capacity of Guatemala's prosecutors and has assisted with
effective investigations into corruption and human rights violations.
In Honduras, Attorney General Oscar Chinchilla has worked with the
Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in
Honduras, MACCIH, since 2016. Led by Juan Jimenez, MACCIH has promoted
important legal reforms and is assisting with the investigations of
high-profile corruption cases.
In El Salvador, Attorney General Douglas Melendez has made
significant progress in tackling high-level corruption cases. I hope
that the Government of El Salvador will recognize the value of CICIG
and MACCIH and accept the international assistance that the attorney
general and his prosecutors so clearly need.
Mr. Speaker, the countries of the Northern Triangle are at a crucial
point in this fight against corruption, and we cannot turn back the
progress that has been made. This resolution will send a very clear
message that the United States will be a steadfast partner in its
support for the fight against corruption in Central America.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member
Engel for their support and hard work in advancing this resolution.
Additionally, I thank Congressman Moolenaar, who worked with me to
draft and introduce this resolution and who has been a strong supporter
and advocate of the fight against corruption in Central America.
I also thank all of the cosponsors of this resolution.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Norma
Torres for authoring this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Moolenaar), a member of the Committee on Appropriations.
Mr. MOOLENAAR. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Chairman Royce and Ranking
Member Engel for supporting this bipartisan resolution and moving it
through the Foreign Affairs Committee.
I especially want to thank Congresswoman Torres for her leadership as
a true champion on this issue and helping us all understand the
importance of this.
This resolution makes it clear that the United States strongly
supports the anticorruption efforts in the Northern Triangle of Central
America. Already, officials across the region are making headway. The
attorney general of Guatemala, in particular, has made progress in
taking on corruption at the highest levels of government.
This resolution will reinforce support for these efforts in the
region and will send a clear message to the millions of people who live
in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras that the United States wants
them to have a safe country, free of corrupt officials who steal from
them.
By supporting the efforts of our allies to fight corruption, it is my
hope that these governments will continue to promote respect for the
rule of law, thereby making it better for residents to live, work, and
raise a family in their homelands.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me say that, as a father, I cannot imagine being faced with the
choice of letting my children risk violence or death from criminal
gangs or malnutrition, or taking a dangerous journey hundreds of miles
on their own. No parent or child should ever be forced to make this
choice. Unfortunately, far too many families in El Salvador, Guatemala,
and Honduras must do so on a daily basis.
The good news is that our Congress has decided to make a much-needed,
long-term investment in Central America. At the core of these efforts
is our commitment to support institutions and individuals that are
rooting out corruption.
H. Res. 145 makes it clear that our continued investment in Central
America will depend on support for anticorruption efforts from the
Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Honduran Governments.
Let me finally note that I am heartened that the fight against
corruption in the hemisphere is not just limited to Central America.
From Brazil to Chile to the Caribbean, the citizens of the Americas
have finally had enough and have vowed to put an end to corruption once
and for all. The least that our Congress can do is support these
valiant efforts.
I again thank Chairman Royce for working so well with me, putting our
heads together over time, and passing good resolutions and legislation
like this.
I again thank Congresswoman Torres for introducing this crucial
resolution and for her hard work on it.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support its passage, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
{time} 1700
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H4281]]
Mr. Speaker, this important measure by Congresswoman Norma Torres
affirms this body's support for all efforts to combat corruption in
Central America. The people of this region have been living in
societies that, because of corruption, and that corruption has become
endemic, has led to gang violence, to criminality, to high levels of
impunity. And these conditions directly affect the ability of these
governments to bring peace and prosperity to all of its citizens, and
that, in turn, fuels the flows of those who leave illegally, migrants,
to the Northern Hemisphere--well, to the United States.
So the citizens of Northern Triangle countries, those in this region,
want to live in safety in their own countries, and we can help by
supporting efforts by the International Commission Against Impunity in
Guatemala and its counterpart in Honduras, and those others in the
region that are fighting for these efforts that enable an independent
judiciary and a judiciary that combats corruption.
Norma Torres' work on Central America has helped to build capacity in
these countries to begin providing security for its citizens, and I
urge my colleagues to support this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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. 145, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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