[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4680-H4681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 436 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the state of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, 
H.R. 2740.
  Will the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) kindly take the chair.

                              {time}  1439


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration of 
the bill (H.R. 2740) making appropriations for the Departments of 
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes, 
with Mr. Cox of California (Acting Chair) in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The Acting CHAIR. When the Committee of the Whole House rose earlier 
today pursuant to House Resolution 436, further proceedings on 
amendment No. 2 printed in part B of House Report 116-111 offered by 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) had been disposed of.


       Amendments En Bloc No. 1 Offered by Mrs. Lowey of New York

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 436, I offer 
amendments en bloc.
  The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
  Amendments en bloc No. 1 consisting of amendments No. 1 and 3 printed 
in part A of House Report 116-111, offered by Mrs. Lowey of New York:

          AMENDMENT NO. 1 OFFERED BY MR. SHERMAN OF CALIFORNIA

       Page 384, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $500,000)''.
       Page 394, line 24, after the dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $500,000)''.


           AMENDMENT NO. 3 OFFERED BY MR. KILDEE OF MICHIGAN

       Page 381, line 11, after the first dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $500,000)''.
       Page 382, line 19, after the first dollar amount, insert 
     ``(reduced by $500,000)''.
       Page 394, line 13, after the first dollar amount, insert 
     ``(increased by $500,000)''.

  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 436, the gentlewoman 
from New York (Mrs. Lowey) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) 
each will control 10 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, this en bloc includes amendments from 
Representative Kildee and Representative Sherman. The amendment 
includes a number of good ideas that were not included in the original 
bill.
  I support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Sherman), a senior member of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for 
including my amendment, along with one other amendment, in this en 
bloc.
  My amendment would transfer $500,000 from the State Department's 
capital investments fund and put it in the U.S. Agency for Global Media 
fund. This extra money would allow the USAGM to begin the process of 
having Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcast in the Sindhi language 
in Pakistan.
  There is, perhaps, nowhere in the world where it is more important 
for the United States to battle extremism and to reach out with a 
message of democracy and the message of the American people than 
Pakistan.
  Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state, the only nuclear-armed state that 
has ever experienced a military coup, and is a nuclear-armed state with 
a significant problem with terrorism.
  Today, the USAGM broadcasts in the Urdu language of Pakistan, which 
is the primary language of only 8 percent of the Pakistani population. 
It does not have the funds to broadcast in the Sindhi language, which 
would reach 40 million people.
  Mr. Chair, we had hearings in the subcommittee that I chair, the 
Subcommittee on Asia, where we focused on this issue. Just today, the 
relevant Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia talked about how 
important it was for us to reach out to the people of Sindh, to 
southern Pakistan, in the language that the people actually speak in 
their daily lives.
  Accordingly, I offer this amendment, which would provide expanded 
broadcasting by the entity known as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Of 
course, Pakistan is not in Europe, but it is reached by Radio Liberty.
  In 2015, the State Department began some efforts to reach out in the 
Sindhi language with a website and with press releases. Now, we have to 
take it to the point of radio broadcasting.
  Since 2001, the United States has invested $30 billion in economic 
security and humanitarian assistance for Pakistan. This amendment deals 
with only $500,000 to be invested in winning the hearts and minds of 
the Sindhi people.
  I will point out that while this amendment would provide $500,000 for 
this purpose, it is my hope that, as we go through the legislative 
process, we can increase that amount to $1.5 million, which is the 
estimate that the Broadcasting Board of Governors has given me for what 
it would cost to have a year-round, mostly close to 24-hour Sindhi 
language service.
  I know that amount seems low, but keep in mind that they already have 
most of the content since they are already doing the journalism 
necessary to do stories about Pakistan in the Urdu language. This would 
give them a chance to broadcast that same content and some other 
content in the Sindhi language.

                              {time}  1445

  The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Van Drew). The time of the gentleman has 
expired.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the 
gentleman.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Chair, I will simply say that looking at the fact 
that we have invested $30 billion in our relationship with Pakistan, I 
cannot think of a better investment than for us to provide $500,000, 
and, I hope, as we go through the legislative process, $1.5 million in 
reaching out to those who speak the Sindhi language, some 40 million 
people.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered 
by the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes 
appeared to have it.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendments en bloc offered by the gentlewoman from 
New York will be postponed.
  Mr. COX of California. Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee of Ranking 
Member Lowey, and I move to strike the last word.
  The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COX of California. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of 
my amendment to H.R. 2740, which ensures vital funding for the ongoing 
demining and rehabilitation projects in Nagorno-Karabakh.
  In 1992, during the fall of the Soviet Union, war broke out in 
Nagorno-

[[Page H4681]]

Karabakh. Twenty thousand people were killed and hundreds of thousands 
more were displaced before the conflict froze.
  While an agreed upon ceasefire has been held for over 2 decades, the 
lack of a formal end to the war has left the Armenian people of 
Nagorno-Karabakh isolated.
  Un-detonated mines and cluster bombs from the conflict remain in the 
region. As a result, Karabakh has one of the world's highest civilian 
casualty rates from land mines and the explosive remnants of war.
  According to the HALO Trust, there have been nearly 400 civilian 
casualties from mines and unexploded ordnance in Karabakh over the last 
2 decades, and a quarter of those land mine victims have been children.
  In 2013, a needs assessment estimated that the HALO Trust's 
interventions in Karabakh have benefited over 80 percent of the 
region's population.
  Mr. Chair, families and children shouldn't have to live in fear of 
dying due to a land mine accident. That is why I urge my colleagues in 
the House of Representatives to support my amendment.
  Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Rouda) having assumed the chair, Mr. Van Drew, Acting Chair of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2740) 
making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes, had come to no 
resolution thereon.

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