[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H6315-H6319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ELIE WIESEL GENOCIDE AND ATROCITIES PREVENTION ACT OF 2018

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3030) to help prevent acts of genocide and other 
atrocity crimes, which threaten national and international security, by 
enhancing United States Government capacities to prevent, mitigate, and 
respond to such crises, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3030

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Elie Wiesel Genocide and 
     Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that the United States affirms 
     the critical importance of strengthening the United States 
     Government's efforts at atrocity prevention and response 
     through interagency coordination such as the Atrocities 
     Prevention Board (referred to in this section as the 
     ``Board'') or successor entity. In carrying out the work of 
     the Board or successor entity, appropriate officials of the 
     United States Government should--
       (1) meet regularly to monitor developments throughout the 
     world that heighten the risk of atrocities;
       (2) identify any gaps in United States foreign policy 
     concerning regions or particular countries related to 
     atrocity prevention and response;
       (3) facilitate the development and implementation of 
     policies to enhance the capacity of the United States to 
     prevent and respond to atrocities worldwide;
       (4) provide the President with recommendations to improve 
     policies, programs, resources, and tools related to atrocity 
     prevention and response;
       (5) conduct outreach, including consultations, not less 
     frequently than biannually, with representatives of 
     nongovernmental organizations and civil society dedicated to 
     atrocity prevention and response;
       (6) operate with regular consultation and participation of 
     designated interagency representatives of relevant Federal 
     agencies, executive departments, or offices; and
       (7) ensure funds are made available for the policies, 
     programs, resources, and tools related to atrocity prevention 
     and response, including through mechanisms such as the 
     Complex Crises Fund or other related accounts.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to--
       (1) regard the prevention of genocide and other atrocities 
     as in its national security interests;
       (2) mitigate threats to United States security by 
     addressing the root causes of insecurity and violent conflict 
     to prevent--
       (A) the mass slaughter of civilians;
       (B) conditions that prompt internal displacement and the 
     flow of refugees across borders; and
       (C) other violence that wreaks havoc on regional stability 
     and livelihoods;
       (3) enhance the capacity of the United States to identify, 
     prevent, address, and respond to the drivers of atrocities 
     and violent conflict as part of the United States' 
     humanitarian, development, and strategic interests; and
       (4) pursue a Government-wide strategy to prevent and 
     respond to the risk of genocide and other atrocities by--
       (A) strengthening the diplomatic, risk analysis and 
     monitoring, strategic planning, early warning, and response 
     capacities of the Government;
       (B) improving the use of foreign assistance to respond 
     early, effectively, and urgently in order to address the root 
     causes and drivers of violence, and systemic patterns of 
     human rights abuses and atrocities;
       (C) strengthening diplomatic response and the use of 
     foreign assistance to support transitional justice measures, 
     including criminal accountability, for past atrocities;
       (D) supporting and strengthening local civil society, 
     including human rights defenders and others working to help 
     prevent and respond to atrocities, and protecting their 
     ability to receive support from and partner with civil 
     society at large;
       (E) promoting financial transparency and enhancing anti-
     corruption initiatives as part of addressing a root cause of 
     insecurity; and
       (F) employing a variety of unilateral, bilateral, and 
     multilateral means to prevent and respond to conflicts and 
     atrocities by--

[[Page H6316]]

       (i) placing a high priority on timely, preventive 
     diplomatic efforts; and
       (ii) exercising a leadership role in promoting 
     international efforts to end crises peacefully.

     SEC. 4. TRAINING OF FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS IN CONFLICT AND 
                   ATROCITIES PREVENTION.

       Section 708 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
     4028) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(D) instruction on recognizing patterns of escalation and 
     early warning signs of potential atrocities or violence, 
     including gender-based violence, and methods of conflict 
     assessment, peacebuilding, mediation for prevention, early 
     action and response, and transitional justice measures to 
     address atrocities.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Definition.--In this section, the term 
     `peacebuilding' means nonviolent activities designed to 
     prevent conflict through--
       ``(1) addressing root causes of violence;
       ``(2) promoting sustainable peace;
       ``(3) delegitimizing violence as a dispute resolution 
     strategy;
       ``(4) building capacity within society to peacefully manage 
     disputes, including the capacity of governments to address 
     citizen grievances; and
       ``(5) reducing vulnerability to triggers that may spark 
     violence.''.

     SEC. 5. REPORTS.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act and annually thereafter for the following six years, 
     the President shall transmit to the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
     Senate a report, with a classified annex if necessary, that 
     includes--
       (1) a review, in consultation with appropriate interagency 
     representatives, consisting of a detailed description of--
       (A) current efforts based on United States and locally 
     identified indicators, including capacities and constraints 
     for Government-wide detection, early warning and response, 
     information-sharing, contingency planning, and coordination 
     of efforts to prevent and respond to situations of genocide 
     and atrocities and other mass violence, such as gender-based 
     violence and violence against religious minorities;
       (B) recommendations to further strengthen United States 
     capabilities described in subparagraph (A);
       (C) funding expended by relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies on atrocities prevention activities, including 
     transitional justice measures and the legal, procedural, and 
     resource constraints faced by the Department of State and the 
     United States Agency for International Development throughout 
     respective budgeting, strategic planning, and management 
     cycles to support conflict and atrocities prevention 
     activities in countries identified to be at risk of 
     atrocities;
       (D) current annual Government global assessments of sources 
     of instability, conflict, and atrocities, the outcomes and 
     findings of such assessments, and, where relevant, a review 
     of activities, and the efficacy of such activities, that the 
     Atrocities Prevention Board or successor entity undertook to 
     respond to sources of instability, conflict, and atrocities;
       (E) consideration of analysis, reporting, and policy 
     recommendations to prevent and respond to atrocities produced 
     by civil society, academic, and other nongovernmental 
     organizations and institutions;
       (F) countries and regions at risk of atrocities, including 
     a description of most likely pathways to violence, specific 
     risk factors, potential groups of perpetrators, and at-risk 
     target groups; and
       (G) instruction on recognizing patterns of escalation and 
     early warning signs of potential atrocities and methods of 
     conflict assessment, peace-building, mediation for 
     prevention, early action and response, and transitional 
     justice measures to address atrocities in the Federal 
     training programs for Foreign Service officers;
       (2) recommendations to ensure shared responsibility by--
       (A) enhancing multilateral mechanisms for preventing 
     atrocities, including strengthening the role of international 
     organizations and international financial institutions in 
     conflict prevention, mitigation, and response; and
       (B) strengthening regional organizations;
       (3) implementation status of the recommendations contained 
     in such review; and
       (4) identification of the Federal departments and agencies 
     and civil society, academic, and nongovernmental 
     organizations and institutions consulted for preparation of 
     such report.

     SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

       In this Act, the term ``genocide'' means an offense under 
     subsection (a) of section 1091 of title 18, United States 
     Code, or any substantially similar conduct.

  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).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members 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, it was over 60 years ago that free people around the 
world pledged to never again stand by in silence as oppressed people 
are annihilated in a genocide. Unfortunately, since then, we have 
witnessed mass atrocities and genocide in places such as Bosnia, the 
Rwandan genocide, Cambodia, Burma, and in the ISIS strongholds in Syria 
and in Iraq.
  The United States has often been a leader in responding to these and 
other humanitarian crises--not soon enough, in many cases. However, 
there is more, obviously, that can be done, and U.S. efforts have been 
largely reactive and disjointed, with little transparency or oversight.
  This bill is the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act. 
It would correct these deficiencies. This act would require an annual 
report of administration actions to prevent and respond to potential 
genocides and mass atrocities, and it would mandate the identification 
of countries that are at risk of such crimes against humanity.
  This act also requires that all Foreign Service officers, who often 
are at the forefront of U.S. efforts to address atrocities ever since 
our Ambassador in Armenia was the first to sound the alarm on the 
Armenian genocide, be trained to deal with early warning signs, 
conflict assessment, mediation, and other responses.
  All of this will better enable our government to develop a 
coordinated response as a crisis is developing and, ultimately, to save 
lives.
  With its name, this bill honors the legacy of Holocaust survivor and 
Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and it furthers our commitment to his call, 
for it was his call for ``never again''--never again by strengthening 
the U.S. Government's coordination on efforts to prevent, mitigate, and 
respond to genocide and other mass atrocities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.

         House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on 
           Intelligence,
                                                    July 17, 2018.
     Hon. Edward R. Royce,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: On June 22, 2018, H.R. 3030, the Elie 
     Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 was 
     referred to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
     (the Committee).
       In order to expedite the House's consideration of the 
     measure, the Committee will forgo consideration of the 
     measure. This courtesy is conditioned on our mutual 
     understanding and agreement that it will in no way diminish 
     or alter the jurisdiction of the Committee with respect to 
     any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matter 
     contained in the legislation or any similar measure, nor will 
     this waiver inhibit the Committee's ability to address issues 
     of concern going forward. I appreciate your support to the 
     appointment of Members from the Committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I also appreciate your including this letter in the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. 
     Thank you for your assistance with this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Devin Nunes,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                    Washington, DC, July 16, 2018.
     Hon. Devin Nunes,
     Chairman, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 3030, the Elie Wiesel 
     Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018, and for 
     agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of that 
     bill.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your Committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to

[[Page H6317]]

     seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any 
     House-Senate conference involving this legislation.
       I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 3030 into the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. 
     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, 
and I rise in support of this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill passed our committee by unanimous, bipartisan 
voice vote. It is named for Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and 
author who spent decades leading the fight to bring Nazis to justice.
  First, I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri, Ambassador Wagner, and 
the chairman of the Democratic Caucus, the gentleman from New York, Joe 
Crowley, for their work in bringing forward this very important bill 
that improves our capacity to prevent and respond to genocides and mass 
atrocities. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this 
legislation.
  Millions of innocent civilians have died in mass atrocities and 
genocides. I would like to take just a second to remind everyone of a 
few of these tragedies:
  The first genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian genocide, which 
killed approximately 1.5 million people;
  The Holocaust, from 1933 to 1945, more than 9 million people were 
killed, including over 6 million Jews;
  Cambodia in 1975, which saw the slaying of 2 million people;
  Rwanda in 1990, which saw the deaths of 800,000 in just 100 days; and
  Sudan, Darfur, and the tragedy there.
  Tragedies and crises like this are not just in the past. Today, we 
are witnessing mass killings of innocent people in many places around 
the globe.
  In Burma, the military has inflicted horrific violence against the 
Rohingya people. Thousands have been killed. This is ethnic cleansing, 
and it appears on the verge of genocide.
  Now, 700,000 refugees have been pushed into Bangladesh, 80 percent of 
them are women and children. And as I mentioned, in Darfur, some 
300,000 are dead, 3 million displaced.
  This measure gives us the tools to detect the warning signs of a mass 
atrocity or genocide so that we can respond quickly and improves 
interagency coordination. Overall, this measure will make our 
government better equipped to handle the growing threats of genocide 
and crimes against humanity.
  This is a good bill. The prevention of genocide and mass atrocity 
should be a core objective of our Nation's national security and 
foreign policy missions. The bill passed, as I said before, our 
committee by a unanimous bipartisan voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), who is the author of this 
legislation.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Elie Wiesel 
Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act.
  I introduced this bill to improve U.S. efforts to prevent mass 
atrocity crimes. The legislation honors the legacy of Holocaust 
survivor Elie Wiesel and his life's work to fight evil around the 
world.
  Mr. Wiesel was just 15 years old when the Nazis deported him and his 
family to Auschwitz. Having witnessed the near total destruction of his 
people, he spent his life defending the persecuted. As Mr. Wiesel 
understood so well, the true horror of genocide is that it is 
preventable.
  We are haunted by repeated failures and missed opportunities to end 
these tragedies before they begin. There is more the United States can 
and must do to help vulnerable communities and persecuted people around 
the world.
  The reality is that good intentions and platitudes like ``never 
again'' have not prevented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of 
civilians at the hands of the Assad regime nor the ethnic cleansing of 
the Rohingya Muslims in Burma.

  When I introduced this legislation, I thought of the Bosnian 
community in St. Louis, my hometown. This community has shaped what St. 
Louis looks and feels like. It has added great cultural diversity to 
the city, immense intellectual capital, thriving small businesses, and 
a strong religious presence.
  Two decades ago, members of our Bosnian community were refugees. In 
1995, Orthodox Serbs, under the command of General Ratko Mladic, 
initiated a horrific ethnic cleansing campaign against majority-Muslim 
Bosniaks. The bloodshed forced 130,000 Bosnian refugees to seek new 
lives in the United States.
  It is fitting that today we remember the victims of the Bosnian 
genocide just a few days after its 23rd anniversary. I am continually 
amazed by the resilience of our Bosnian neighbors. Their courage has 
inspired me to seek change.
  The Elie Wiesel Act expresses Congress' strong support for better 
utilization of existing resources, particularly the Atrocities 
Prevention Board, which is dedicated to coordinating U.S. atrocity 
prevention and response, and the Complex Crises Fund, which supports 
agile, efficient responses to unforeseen crises overseas.
  Additionally, we require the administration to evaluate existing 
prevention efforts, report on countries at risk of genocide and mass 
atrocity crimes, and recommend concrete improvements to our early 
warning systems.
  The bill also mandates that U.S. Foreign Service officers are trained 
in atrocities recognition and response. Should this bill become law, 
America's diplomats will be better equipped to act before violence 
spirals out of control.
  The Elie Wiesel Act establishes that it is the official policy of the 
United States to regard atrocities prevention as a core national 
security interest and to address root causes of conflict through our 
humanitarian, development, and strategic endeavors.
  Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker, genocide is preventable. The United 
States is the global leader in genocide and atrocities response, but we 
must shift our attention towards prevention so that no one ever becomes 
a victim in the first place.

                              {time}  1645

  H.R. 3030 is an important first step. I thank the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley) for his cooperation on this piece of bipartisan 
legislation, and I urge its support.
  Mr. SHERMAN. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Crowley) an original cosponsor of the bill.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and 
Atrocities Prevention Act.
  I thank my good friend, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, Mr. Royce, and Ranking Member Engel for their support in 
bringing this important legislation to the floor today.
  I also appreciate the work of Ambassador Wagner on this measure, and 
I am proud to be a cosponsor and the lead Democrat on this bill with 
Congresswoman Wagner.
  Standing up against genocide and mass atrocities is a critical 
responsibility for the United States. There is no other country in the 
world that can hold other nations accountable but the United States. No 
other country can do it like we can--not France, not Germany, not Great 
Britain, certainly not China, especially not Russia. No other country 
in history has had the moral suasion of the United States.
  Many of us are concerned about what is happening to our country right 
now and our positioning in being able to push back against atrocities 
and human rights violations around the world. I would be remiss if I 
didn't mention a concern for what took place yesterday in Helsinki as 
an example of a growing concern of our ability to hold and to sway 
moral convictions on these issues. But it is a responsibility that is 
important to our country and, more importantly, it is a responsibility 
that is important to our world.
  If you walk down Independence Avenue and to the Holocaust Memorial 
Museum, you will see and hear the words, ``Never again.'' It is a 
phrase that brings to mind some of the world's worst atrocities and 
most heinous crimes.
  As Elie Wiesel, who this bill is named after, and a man whom I had 
the opportunity to know and be in his company

[[Page H6318]]

on many occasions, wrote, `Never again' is more than a set of words. He 
went on to say, ``It's a prayer, a promise, a vow. . . . And never 
again the glorification of base, ugly, dark violence.''
  It also reminds us that taking responsibility for stopping atrocities 
is incumbent on all of us. It requires us to put ourselves in the shoes 
of the victims and to think about what we hope would be done if we were 
in their place, if we faced that horror, if we faced those atrocities. 
What would we want to be done on our behalf?
  The measure before us takes a step in that direction. It encourages 
the government to meet regularly and take steps to predict and prevent 
mass atrocities. It gives strong support for the Atrocities Prevention 
Board.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentleman from New York.
  Mr. CROWLEY. And it requires the training of foreign service officers 
on how to take steps to recognize and prevent genocide and other 
atrocities.
  It is not as strong a bill as Representative Wagner and I would have 
liked it to have been. I know we both wanted to see more in this bill. 
But, as with most legislation, this is a very important first step, 
upon which I know further progress will be made down the road.
  This is an important signal from Congress that preventing atrocities 
must be part and parcel of the United States foreign policy in the 
White House, the State Department, the intelligence community, and 
throughout our government.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support its passage, and I encourage my 
colleagues to do so as well.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chair of the Foreign 
Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as always, I thank Chairman Royce and 
Ranking Member Engel for their work in always bringing forth solid, 
bipartisan bills to the House floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I offer my full support for Ambassador Ann Wagner's bill 
before us today, H.R. 3030, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities 
Prevention Act of 2018, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor. This 
bill takes necessary and overdue steps to make preventing genocide and 
other atrocities a priority in our foreign policy. Indeed, this bill 
makes it clear that it will be the policy of the United States that the 
prevention of genocide and other atrocities is not only in our national 
security interests, but it is a core moral responsibility for us to do 
so.
  Far too often, these acts have been met with indifference, 
indifference from responsible nations and indifference from those who 
are not directly impacted by the mass murders and the torment and the 
destruction. Elie Wiesel, this bill's namesake, challenged us to always 
take sides, to not allow indifference or neutrality to dictate our 
actions. As he said, ``Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the 
victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.''
  Our values and ideals as Americans dictate that we must do what we 
can to prevent genocide, to prevent atrocities, and to prevent human 
rights violations. This bill enshrines those principles. It ensures 
that the United States is at the forefront of the fight against these 
crimes against humanity, and will use the full weight and force of our 
foreign policy to prevent them from ever happening again.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Ambassador Wagner for authoring this bill, I 
thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this bill to the 
floor today, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to add my voice to commend Congresswoman Wagner, 
Congressman Engel, and Congressman Crowley for working in a bipartisan 
fashion to put together this important legislation.
  This legislation firmly establishes that official United States 
policy is to prevent genocide and other criminal atrocities, and makes 
certain that it is treated as a core national security interest by 
supporting the programs that can help avert the deaths of innocents 
around our globe.
  Representing one of the largest populations of holocaust survivors in 
the Nation is one of my greatest privileges as a Member of Congress. To 
honor these survivors, and to honor the 6 million Jews who did not 
survive, we must do everything in our power to prevent another atrocity 
like the one they experienced.
  When we commemorate the Holocaust, we make a sacred promise to 
ourselves and to all of our neighbors by saying and committing to 
``Never again.'' This legislation puts real weight behind those words.
  From the brutal lessons we have learned from crimes against humanity 
that span continents and centuries, we must forge a brighter future.
  Jewish tradition compels us to perform tzedakah--acts of justice--and 
we are driven by tikkun olam--repairing the world. We have a 
responsibility to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, 
to make the world a better place.
  But these values are not unique to Jews or to Judaism. They are 
values we all strive to share.
  Our Nation has the unique capability to prevent these tragedies 
before they unfold.
  Elie Wiesel, who I was privileged to know, the rightful namesake of 
this legislation, wrote, ``We must take sides. Neutrality helps the 
oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never 
the tormented.''
  When this bill becomes law, we can take comfort in knowing the United 
States of America is taking sides, is not neutral, and is not silent in 
the face of inhumanity. When we are faced with bigotry and hate, with 
war crimes and crimes against humanity, with ethnic cleansing and 
genocide, the United States must always remain a beacon of hope for 
justice, freedom, and peace. With this bill, we do just that.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of 
this measure, and I thank Ambassador Wagner and Representative Crowley 
for their work.
  This bill will equip our government with the tools to better monitor 
and, hopefully, prevent genocide. It passed our committee with an 
unanimous bipartisan voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of 
my time.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Ann 
Wagner, for her leadership on this important bill. I also thank the 
ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, for his 
support, along with Mr. Sherman, on this bill.
  Passage of this legislation sends a strong message of the continuing 
U.S. commitment to respond to genocide and to respond to mass 
atrocities as they emerge, with effective and coordinated programs that 
will best protect the most vulnerable. The U.S. must be a world leader 
in efforts to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
3030, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2017, 
sponsored by my friend Ann Wagner. This bill will greatly strengthen 
our efforts to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate genocide, crimes 
against humanity, and war crimes.
  Wherever there are atrocities being committed, or at risk of being 
committed, our foreign service officers are also often serving on the 
front lines. What H.R. 3030 would ensure is that they have the right 
training to recognize and respond to early warning signs of such 
crimes.
  This legislation will also strengthen Congressional oversight by 
requiring the President to annually report on what is happening on the 
ground, how the United States has responded, and recommendations for 
strengthening the U.S. response.
  I commend my colleague for naming this bill after the late, iconic 
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. He spoke so powerfully about the 
unique, persistent evil of anti-Semitism that generated the Holocaust, 
warning that ``the

[[Page H6319]]

antisemite is by definition ideologically fanatic and pathologically 
racist . . . an antisemite is someone who has never met me, never heard 
of me, yet he hates me.''
  Mr. Wiesel and I worked together at the historic 2004 Berlin 
conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
(OSCE). There, 55 participating governments committed to taking 
specific actions to combat anti-Semitism. In 2002, I led the original 
Congressional push to place combating anti-Semitism at the top of the 
OSCE agenda, and I was proud to lead this movement once again in 2004, 
together with parliamentarians from Germany, the UK, and France--and 
Mr. Wiesel.
  In his 2004 Berlin keynote address, Mr. Wiesel said, ``We know . . . 
that anti-Semitism is dangerous not only to Jews but to countries too, 
where it is allowed to flourish . . . When a Jew is slapped in the 
face, humankind itself falls to ground . . . Antisemitism is rooted in 
hatred; its language is a language of hatred, its doctrine is filled 
with hatred--and hatred by its nature, always runs overboard, crossing 
geographical boundaries and ethnic affiliations. It is a contagious 
disease.''
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Wiesel dedicated his life to exposing the 
insidiousness of anti-Semitism and working to prevent other genocides, 
including those in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan. Named for him, the Elie 
Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act offers new ways for us to 
strengthen our fight against genocide, and I am proud to cosponsor this 
bill.
  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. 3030, 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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