[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 118 (Monday, July 15, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5780-H5786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNITED STATES-NORTHERN TRIANGLE ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT ACT
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2615) to support the people of Central America and strengthen
United States national security by addressing the root causes of
migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2615
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``United
States-Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Report on drivers of migration from the Northern Triangle to
the United States.
Sec. 3. Actions to promote inclusive economic growth and development in
the Northern Triangle.
Sec. 4. Actions to combat corruption in the Northern Triangle.
Sec. 5. Actions to strengthen democratic institutions in the Northern
Triangle.
Sec. 6. Actions to improve security conditions in the Northern
Triangle.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations for assistance to Central
America.
Sec. 8. Conditions on assistance to the Northern Triangle.
Sec. 9. Enhancing engagement with the Government of Mexico on the
Northern Triangle.
Sec. 10. Targeting assistance to address migration from communities in
the Northern Triangle.
Sec. 11. Targeted sanctions to fight corruption in the Northern
Triangle.
Sec. 12. Requirement to provide advance notification to Congress of
security assistance to Northern Triangle countries.
Sec. 13. Definitions.
Sec. 14. Determination of budgetary effects.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON DRIVERS OF MIGRATION FROM THE NORTHERN
TRIANGLE TO THE UNITED STATES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the drivers of migration
from each of the Northern Triangle countries and the progress
United States foreign assistance is making in addressing such
drivers.
(b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall include the following elements for each of the Northern
Triangle countries, with data disaggregated by municipality,
age, and gender, as necessary:
(1) Information and data on all criminal activities,
including drug trafficking, extortion, trafficking in
persons, and gender-based violence, with particular emphasis
on such activities carried out by criminal gangs and
transnational criminal organizations such as MS-13 and the
18th Street Gang.
(2) Data on the extent to which criminal activities
referred to in paragraph (1) are reported to government
authorities and the number of perpetrators investigated,
apprehended, prosecuted, or convicted, versus the number of
known perpetrators who are not so investigated, apprehended,
prosecuted, or convicted.
(3) Data on children and young adults forcibly recruited
for criminal activities referred to in paragraph (1),
including the extent to which government authorities received
reports of forced recruitment.
(4) Data on internal displacement due to criminal
activities referred to in paragraph (1), and services,
including temporary shelters, provided to those displaced by
violence.
(5) Data on gender-based violence by region and
municipality and descriptions of gender-based violence and
domestic violence trends, including gender-based violence
against indigenous women, and correlation to outward
migration.
(6) Descriptions of the obstacles (including capacity gaps
within the criminal justice systems) to resolving gender-
based violence cases and deterring violence against women and
children.
(7) Information on the availability of trauma-informed
legal and social services, including in shelters, for victims
of gender-based violence.
(8) Data on the number of police officers, prosecutors,
court personnel, and specialized units trained in violence
against women and children, including data on the number of
female police officers in each of the Northern Triangle
countries.
(9) Data on reported cases of abuse, including
extrajudicial executions, torture, forced disappearance, and
arbitrary detention, allegedly committed by members of the
security forces, and collusion between members of such
security forces and gangs and other criminal groups,
including transnational criminal organizations, and the
number of perpetrators investigated, apprehended, prosecuted,
or convicted, versus the number of known perpetrators not so
investigated, apprehended, prosecuted, or convicted.
(10) Descriptions of the strategies being implemented to
guarantee the rights of indigenous and rural communities.
(11) Descriptions of the strategies being implemented to
address forced recruitment of children and youth by gangs,
transnational criminal organizations, and other criminal
groups, and how such strategies are complemented by United
States efforts.
(12) Descriptions of the strategies being implemented by
the governments of each of the Northern Triangle countries to
address corruption and organized crime and how such
strategies are complemented by United States efforts.
(13) Data on the effectiveness of anti-corruption
strategies, including through bilateral and multilateral
anti-corruption assistance.
(14) An assessment of the extent of corruption, including
regarding narcotics trafficking and illicit campaign
financing, a description of steps taken and to be taken to
impose sanctions pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human
Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 note), and a list
of senior officials who are known or credibly alleged to have
committed or facilitated such corruption, not including
individuals who have already been sentenced to crimes in
criminal courts.
(15) Descriptions of operating conditions for civil society
organizations and independent media in each of the Northern
Triangle countries, and data on harassment and attacks on
civil society and independent media from political and
criminal actors.
(16) An assessment of information sharing regarding known
or suspected terrorists and other individuals and groups that
pose a potential threat to United States national security
that are crossing through or residing in the Northern
Triangle.
(17) Descriptions of the obstacles (including capacity gaps
within the criminal justice systems) to resolving criminal
cases and corruption and deterring violence.
(18) Data on the capacity of child welfare systems in each
Northern Triangle country to protect unaccompanied children,
including runaways and refugee returnees.
(19) Data on the governance capacity of Northern Triangle
country governments at the local and national level,
including ability to deliver basic citizen services,
including tax collection and citizen security.
(20) Data on the rates of extortion, the impact of
extortion on local businesses and economies, and the number
of extortion cases investigated, prosecuted, or convicted.
(21) Data on the extent to which the Northern Triangle
governments are promoting economic growth and educational
opportunities, improving health outcomes, and addressing the
underlying causes of poverty and inequality through public
policies.
(22) Data on the activities of China and Russia, an
assessment of the threat of such activities to United States
interests, and the impact of such activities on irregular
migration.
(23) An analysis of the manner and extent to which
assistance made available to the Northern Triangle countries
in fiscal years 2015 through 2017 were expended, particularly
including--
(A) the extent to which funds made available to private and
nongovernmental entities to provide such assistance were
subsequently expended on activities conducted within such
countries; and
(B) the manner in which such funds were expended on
activities in other countries.
(24) Data on the geographic regions where highest incidence
of violence occurs against women and children.
(25) An evaluation of the extent to which women and
children who are victims of violence have access to
protection and justice.
(26) An evaluation of the capacity of the justice system in
each Northern Triangle country to respond to reports of
femicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, or
child abuse and neglect, and to
[[Page H5781]]
hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable.
(c) Public Availability.--The report required under
subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on the
website of the Department of State.
SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
(a) Secretary of State Prioritization.--The Secretary of
State shall prioritize economic development in the Northern
Triangle countries by carrying out the following initiatives:
(1) Supporting market-based solutions to eliminate
constraints to inclusive economic growth, including through
support for increased digital connectivity and the use of
financial technology, and private sector and civil society-
led efforts to create jobs and foster economic prosperity.
(2) Addressing underlying causes of poverty and inequality,
including by improving nutrition and food security, providing
health resources and access to clean water, sanitation,
hygiene, and shelter, and improving livelihoods.
(3) Responding to immediate humanitarian needs by
increasing humanitarian assistance, including through access
to clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and shelter, improving
livelihoods, and by providing health resources and improving
nutrition and food security.
(4) Supporting conservation and community resilience and
strengthening community preparedness for natural disasters
and other external shocks.
(5) Identifying, as appropriate, a role for the United
States International Development Finance Corporation, the
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the United States
Agency for International Development, and the United States
private sector in supporting efforts to increase private
sector investment and strengthen economic prosperity.
(6) Expanding comprehensive reintegration mechanisms for
repatriated individuals once returned to their countries of
origin and supporting efforts by the private sector to hire
and train eligible returnees.
(7) Establishing monitoring and verification services to
determine the well-being of repatriated children in order to
determine if United States protection and screening
functioned effectively in identifying persecuted and
trafficked children.
(8) Supporting efforts to increase domestic resource
mobilization, including through strengthening of tax
collection and enforcement and legal arbitration mechanisms.
(b) Strategy.--
(1) Elements.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Inter-American Foundation, the
Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency,
the Chief Executive Officer of the United States
International Development Finance Corporation, and the heads
of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a five-year strategy to
support inclusive economic growth and development in the
Northern Triangle countries by carrying out the initiatives
described in subsection (a).
(2) Consultation.--In developing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult
with nongovernmental organizations in the Northern Triangle
countries and the United States.
(3) Benchmarks.--The strategy required under paragraph (1)
shall include annual benchmarks to track the strategy's
progress in curbing irregular migration from the Northern
Triangle to the United States.
(4) Public diplomacy.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall include a public diplomacy strategy for
educating citizens of the Northern Triangle countries about
United States assistance and its benefits to them, and
informing such citizens of the dangers of illegal migration
to the United States.
(5) Annual progress updates.--Not later than one year after
the submission of the strategy required under paragraph (1)
and annually thereafter for four years, the Secretary of
State shall provide the appropriate congressional committees
with a written description of progress made in meeting the
benchmarks established in the strategy.
(6) Public availability.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website
of the Department of State.
(c) Report on Establishing an Investment Fund for the
Northern Triangle Countries and Southern Mexico.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Chief Executive Officer of the United States
International Development Finance Corporation shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a detailed report
assessing the feasibility, costs, and benefits of the
Corporation establishing an investment fund to promote
economic and social development in the Northern Triangle
countries and southern Mexico.
SEC. 4. ACTIONS TO COMBAT CORRUPTION IN THE NORTHERN
TRIANGLE.
(a) Secretary of State Prioritization.--The Secretary of
State shall prioritize efforts to combat corruption in the
Northern Triangle countries by carrying out the following
initiatives:
(1) Supporting anti-corruption efforts, including by
strengthening national justice systems and attorneys general,
providing technical assistance to financial institutions to
identify money laundering and other financial crimes,
breaking up financial holdings of organized criminal
syndicates, including illegally acquired lands and proceeds
from illegal activities, and supporting independent media and
investigative reporting.
(2) Supporting anti-corruption efforts through bilateral
assistance and complementary support through multilateral
anti-corruption mechanisms when necessary.
(3) Encouraging cooperation agreements between the
Department of State and relevant United States Government
agencies and attorneys general to fight corruption.
(4) Supporting efforts to strengthen special prosecutorial
offices and financial institutions to combat corruption,
money laundering, financial crimes, extortion, human rights
crimes, asset forfeiture, and criminal analysis.
(5) Supporting initiatives to advance judicial integrity
and improve security for members of the judicial sector.
(6) Supporting transparent, merit-based selection processes
for prosecutors and judges and the development of
professional and merit-based civil services.
(7) Supporting the establishment or strengthening of
methods, procedures, and expectations for internal and
external control mechanisms for the security and police
services and judiciary.
(8) Supporting the adoption of appropriate technologies to
combat corruption in public finance.
(b) Strategy.--
(1) Elements.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a five-year strategy to combat
corruption in the Northern Triangle countries by carrying out
the initiatives described in subsection (a).
(2) Consultation.--In developing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult
with nongovernmental organizations in the Northern Triangle
countries and the United States.
(3) Benchmarks.--The strategy required under paragraph (1)
shall include annual benchmarks to track the strategy's
progress in curbing irregular migration from the Northern
Triangle to the United States.
(4) Public diplomacy.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall include a public diplomacy strategy for
educating citizens of the Northern Triangle countries about
United States assistance and its benefits to them, and
informing such citizens of the dangers of illegal migration
to the United States.
(5) Annual progress updates.--Not later than one year after
the submission of the strategy required under paragraph (1)
and annually thereafter for four years, the Secretary of
State shall provide the appropriate congressional committees
with a written description of progress made in meeting the
benchmarks established in the strategy.
(6) Public availability.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website
of the Department of State.
(c) Designation of a Senior Rule of Law Advisor for the
Northern Triangle in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere
Affairs.--The Secretary of State shall designate in the
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the Department of
State a Senior Rule of Law Advisor for the Northern Triangle
who shall lead diplomatic engagement with the Northern
Triangle countries in support of democratic governance, anti-
corruption efforts, and the rule of law in all aspects of
United States policy towards the countries of the Northern
Triangle, including carrying out the initiatives described in
subsection (a) and developing the strategy required under
subsection (b). The individual designated in accordance with
this subsection shall be a Department of State employee in
the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
SEC. 5. ACTIONS TO STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN THE
NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
(a) Secretary of State Prioritization.--The Secretary of
State shall prioritize strengthening democratic institutions,
good governance, human rights, and the rule of law in the
Northern Triangle countries by carrying out the following
initiatives:
(1) Providing support to strengthen government institutions
and actors at the local and national levels to provide
services and respond to citizen needs through transparent,
inclusive, and democratic processes.
(2) Supporting efforts to strengthen access to information
laws and reform laws that currently limit access to
information.
(3) Financing efforts to build the capacity of independent
media with a specific focus on professional investigative
journalism.
(4) Ensuring that threats and attacks on journalists and
human rights defenders are fully investigated and
perpetrators are held accountable.
(5) Developing the capacity of civil society to conduct
oversight and accountability mechanisms at the national and
local levels.
(6) Training political actors committed to democratic
principles.
(7) Strengthening electoral institutions and processes to
ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.
(8) Advancing conservation principles and the rule of law
to address multiple factors,
[[Page H5782]]
including the impacts of illegal cattle ranching and
smuggling as drivers of deforestation.
(b) Strategy.--
(1) Elements.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a strategy to support democratic
governance in the Northern Triangle countries by carrying out
the initiatives described in subsection (a).
(2) Consultation.--In developing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult
with nongovernmental organizations in the Northern Triangle
countries and the United States.
(3) Benchmarks.--The strategy required under paragraph (1)
shall include annual benchmarks to track the strategy's
progress in curbing irregular migration from the Northern
Triangle to the United States.
(4) Public diplomacy.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall include a public diplomacy strategy for
educating citizens of the Northern Triangle countries about
United States assistance and its benefits to them, and
informing such citizens of the dangers of illegal migration
to the United States.
(5) Annual progress updates.--Not later than one year after
the submission of the strategy required under paragraph (1)
and annually thereafter for four years, the Secretary of
State shall provide the appropriate congressional committees
with a written description of progress made in meeting the
benchmarks established in the strategy.
(6) Public availability.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website
of the Department of State.
SEC. 6. ACTIONS TO IMPROVE SECURITY CONDITIONS IN THE
NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
(a) Secretary of State Prioritization.--The Secretary of
State shall prioritize security in the Northern Triangle
countries by carrying out the following initiatives:
(1) Implementing the Central America Regional Security
Initiative of the Department of State.
(2) Continuing the vetting and professionalization of
security services, including the civilian police and military
units.
(3) Supporting efforts to combat the illicit activities of
criminal gangs and transnational criminal organizations,
including MS-13 and the 18th Street Gang, through support to
fully vetted elements of attorneys general offices,
appropriate government institutions, and security services.
(4) Supporting training for fully vetted civilian police
and appropriate security services in criminal investigations,
best practices for citizen security, and human rights.
(5) Providing capacity-building to relevant security
services and attorneys general to support counternarcotics
efforts and combat human trafficking, forcible recruitment of
children and youth by gangs, gender-based violence, and other
illicit activities, including trafficking of wildlife, and
natural resources.
(6) Encouraging collaboration with regional and
international partners in implementing security assistance,
including by supporting cross-border information sharing on
gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
(7) Providing equipment, technology, tools, and training to
security services to assist in border and port inspections.
(8) Providing equipment, technology, tools, and training to
assist security services in counternarcotics and other
efforts to combat illicit activities.
(9) Continuing information sharing regarding known or
suspected terrorists and other individuals and entities that
pose a potential threat to United States national security
that are crossing through or residing in the Northern
Triangle.
(10) Supporting information sharing on gangs and
transnational criminal organizations between relevant
Federal, State, and local law enforcement and the governments
of the Northern Triangle countries.
(11) Considering the use of assets and resources of United
States State and local government entities, as appropriate,
to support the activities described in this subsection.
(12) Providing thorough end-use monitoring of equipment,
technology, tools, and training provided pursuant to this
subsection.
(b) Strategy.--
(1) Elements.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a five-year strategy to prioritize
the improvement of security in the Northern Triangle
countries by carrying out the initiatives described in
subsection (a).
(2) Consultation.--In developing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult
with nongovernmental organizations in the Northern Triangle
countries and the United States.
(3) Benchmarks.--The strategy required under paragraph (1)
shall include annual benchmarks to track the strategy's
progress in curbing irregular migration from the Northern
Triangle to the United States.
(4) Public diplomacy.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall include a public diplomacy strategy for
educating citizens of the Northern Triangle countries about
United States assistance and its benefits to them, and
informing such citizens of the dangers of illegal migration
to the United States.
(5) Annual progress updates.--Not later than one year after
the submission of the strategy required under paragraph (1)
and annually thereafter for four years, the Secretary of
State shall provide the appropriate congressional committees
with a written description of progress made in meeting the
benchmarks established in the strategy.
(6) Public availability.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website
of the Department of State.
(c) Women and Children Protection Compacts.--
(1) In general.--The President, in consultation with the
Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, and the heads of other
relevant Federal departments or agencies, is authorized to
enter into bilateral agreements with one or more of the
Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras to provide
United States assistance for the purposes of--
(A) strengthening the capacity of the justice systems in
such countries to protect women and children fleeing
domestic, gang, or drug violence and to serve victims of
domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or child
abuse or neglect, including by strengthening the capacity of
such systems to hold perpetrators accountable; and
(B) creating, securing, and sustaining safe communities and
schools in such countries, by building on current approaches
to prevent and deter violence against women and children in
such communities or schools.
(2) Requirements.--An agreement under the authority
provided by paragraph (1)--
(A) shall establish a 3- to 6-year plan to achieve the
objectives described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such
paragraph;
(B) shall include measurable goals and indicators with
respect to such objectives;
(C) may not provide for any United States assistance to be
made available directly to any of the governments of El
Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras; and
(D) may be suspended or terminated with respect to a
country or an entity receiving assistance pursuant to the
agreement, if the Secretary of State determines that such
country or entity has failed to make sufficient progress
towards the goals of the Compact.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE TO
CENTRAL AMERICA.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the President $577,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 to carry out
the United States Strategy for Engagement in Central America
in accordance with subsection (b). Funds authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section shall be used only for
the purposes set forth in subsection (b).
(b) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated
pursuant to subsection (a) shall be made available for
assistance to Central American countries to implement the
United States Strategy for Engagement in Central America,
including efforts to carry out sections 3, 4, 5, and 6.
(2) Effective targeting of assistance.--The Secretary of
State shall ensure that, to the extent practicable,
assistance provided to Central American countries to carry
out this Act is obligated and expended on projects, programs,
or activities within such countries, in order to better
support inclusive economic growth and development, combat
corruption, strengthen democratic institutions, and improve
security conditions in such countries.
(c) Inter-American Foundation.--Not less than $10,000,000
of the funds authorized to be appropriated pursuant to
subsection (a) shall be made available to the Inter-American
Foundation to address the root causes of migration from
Central America.
(d) Northern Triangle.--Not less than $490,000,000 of the
funds authorized to be appropriated pursuant to subsection
(a) shall be made available for programming in the Northern
Triangle counties.
(e) Women and Children Protection Compacts.--Not less than
$20,000,000 of the funds authorized to be appropriated
pursuant to subsection (a) shall be made available to provide
assistance pursuant to agreements authorized by section 6(c).
SEC. 8. CONDITIONS ON ASSISTANCE TO THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
(a) In General.--Of the funds authorized to be appropriated
to the President by this Act that are made available for
assistance for each of the central governments of the
Northern Triangle countries, 50 percent of such funds for
each such central government may only be obligated with
respect to each such country after the Secretary of State
certifies and reports to the appropriate congressional
committees that such central government is meeting the
following conditions:
(1) Informing its citizens of the dangers of the journey to
the southwest border of the United States.
(2) Combating all human smuggling and trafficking entities.
(3) Countering the trafficking of illicit drugs, firearms,
wildlife, natural resources, and other contraband.
[[Page H5783]]
(4) Combating corruption, including investigating and
prosecuting current and former government officials credibly
alleged to be corrupt.
(5) Implementing reforms, policies, and programs to
increase transparency and strengthen public institutions and
the rule of law.
(6) Countering the activities of criminal gangs, drug
traffickers, and transnational criminal organizations.
(7) Ensuring that human rights are respected by national
security forces.
(8) Investigating and prosecuting in the civilian justice
system government personnel who are credibly alleged to have
violated human rights.
(9) Cooperating with commissions against corruption and
impunity and with regional human rights entities.
(10) Supporting programs to reduce poverty, expand
education and vocational training for at-risk youth, create
jobs, and promote equitable economic growth, particularly in
areas contributing to large numbers of migrants.
(11) Creating a professional, accountable civilian police
force and ending the role of the military in internal
policing.
(12) Protecting the right of political opposition parties
and other members of civil society to operate without
interference.
(13) Implementing tax reforms, ensuring property rights,
and supporting increased private investment in the region.
(14) Resolving commercial disputes.
(b) Reprogramming.--
(1) In general.--Funds withheld pursuant to the limitation
described in subsection (a) shall be made available for
programs in the Northern Triangle that do not directly
support the central governments of such countries.
(2) Exception.--The limitation described in subsection (a)
does not apply to funds authorized to be appropriated by this
Act for humanitarian assistance or global food security
programs.
SEC. 9. ENHANCING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO ON
THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
(a) Enhanced Engagement With the Government of Mexico on
the Northern Triangle.--The Secretary of State shall
collaborate with the Government of Mexico to--
(1) enhance development, particularly in collaboration with
the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, the President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Inter-American Foundation, the Chief Executive
Officer of the United States International Development
Finance Corporation, and the heads of other relevant Federal
agencies, in southern Mexico; and
(2) strengthen security cooperation at Mexico's shared
border with Guatemala and Belize.
(b) Strategy.--
(1) Elements.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy
to carry out the collaboration described in subsection (a).
(2) Consultation.--In developing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult
with nongovernmental organizations in Mexico, Belize, the
Northern Triangle countries, and the United States.
(3) Public availability.--The strategy required under
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on the website
of the Department of State.
SEC. 10. TARGETING ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS MIGRATION FROM
COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act and annually thereafter for each of the three
succeeding years, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report that contains the following:
(1) Raw data from Federal agencies on the number of
migrants coming to the United States from each community or
geographic area in the Northern Triangle countries, with a
specific focus on communities targeted by United States
foreign assistance.
(2) An assessment of whether United States foreign
assistance to the Northern Triangle countries is effectively
reaching the communities from which individuals are
migrating.
(3) An assessment of the extent to which United States
foreign assistance is mitigating Northern Triangle migration
to the United States, including a breakdown of effectiveness
by project and implementer.
(4) An assessment of the extent to which the Department of
State and the United States Agency for International
Development are adjusting foreign assistance programming in
the Northern Triangle countries as migration patterns shift.
(5) An assessment of how the Department of State, the
United States Agency for International Development, and other
implementers of United States foreign assistance in the
Northern Triangle are measuring the impact of programs on
migration trends.
(6) An assessment of how the Department of State, the
United States Agency for International Development, and other
implementers of United States foreign assistance in the
Northern Triangle are implementing a public diplomacy
strategy that is widely informing local citizens about United
States Government assistance and the dangers of illegal
migration to the United States, including an assessment of
the effectiveness of such strategy on curbing such illegal
migration.
(7) An assessment of the extent to which the governments of
the Northern Triangle countries are addressing drivers of
migration, including efforts to increase economic prosperity,
citizen security, anti-corruption efforts, democratic
principles, and rule of law.
(8) An assessment of how the Northern Triangle countries
are educating their citizens about the dangers of illegal
migration to the United States and the effectiveness of such
educational efforts on curbing such illegal migration.
SEC. 11. TARGETED SANCTIONS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION IN THE
NORTHERN TRIANGLE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) corruption in the Northern Triangle countries by
private citizens and select officials in local, regional, and
federal governments significantly damages the economies of
such countries and deprives citizens of opportunities;
(2) corruption in the Northern Triangle is facilitated and
carried out not only by private citizens and select officials
from those countries but also in many instances by
individuals from third countries; and
(3) imposing targeted sanctions on individuals from
throughout the world and particularly in the Western
Hemisphere who are engaged in acts of significant corruption
that impact the Northern Triangle countries will benefit the
citizens and governments of such countries.
(b) Imposition of Sanctions.--The President shall impose
the sanctions described in subsection (c) with respect to a
foreign person who the President determines on or after the
date of the enactment of this Act to have knowingly engaged
in significant corruption in a Northern Triangle country,
including the following:
(1) Corruption related to government contracts.
(2) Bribery and extortion.
(3) The facilitation or transfer of the proceeds of
corruption, including through money laundering.
(c) Sanctions Described.--
(1) In general.--The sanctions described in this subsection
are the following:
(A) Asset blocking.--The blocking, in accordance with the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701
et seq.), of all transactions in all property and interests
in property of a foreign person if such property and
interests in property are in the United States, come within
the United States, or are or come within the possession or
control of a United States person.
(B) Ineligibility for visas and admission to the united
states.--In the case of a foreign person who is an
individual, such foreign person is--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to
enter the United States; and
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into
the United States or to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(C) Current visas revoked.--
(i) In general.--The issuing consular officer or the
Secretary of State, (or a designee of the Secretary of State)
shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or
other entry documentation issued to a foreign person
regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is
issued.
(ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation under clause (i)
shall--
(I) take effect immediately; and
(II) automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry
documentation that is in the foreign person's possession.
(2) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to
violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of a
measure imposed pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) or any
regulation, license, or order issued to carry out such
paragraph shall be subject to the penalties specified in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same
extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in
subsection (a) of such section.
(3) Exception to comply with international obligations.--
Sanctions under subparagraph (B) and (C) of paragraph (1)
shall not apply with respect to a foreign person if admitting
or paroling such person into the United States is necessary
to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement
regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at
Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November
21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States,
or other applicable international obligations.
(d) Implementation; Regulatory Authority.--
(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702
and 1704) to carry out this section.
(2) Regulatory authority.--The President shall issue such
regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry
out this section.
(e) National Interest Waiver.--The President may waive the
application of the
[[Page H5784]]
sanctions under subsection (c) if the President--
(1) determines that such a waiver is in the national
interest of the United States; and
(2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees a
notice of and justification for the waiver.
(f) Termination.--The authority to impose sanctions under
subsection (b), and any sanctions imposed pursuant to such
authority, shall expire on the date that is three years after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(g) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--The
authorities and requirements to impose sanctions authorized
under this Act shall not include the authority or requirement
to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on the
Judiciary, and the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
the Judiciary, and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and
Urban Affairs of the Senate.
(2) Good.--The term ``good'' means any article, natural or
man-made substance, material, supply or manufactured product,
including inspection and test equipment, and excluding
technical data.
(3) Person from a northern triangle country.--The term
``person from a Northern Triangle country'' means--
(A) a citizen of a Northern Triangle country; or
(B) an entity organized under the laws of a Northern
Triangle country or any jurisdiction within a Northern
Triangle country.
SEC. 12. REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE ADVANCE NOTIFICATION TO
CONGRESS OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO NORTHERN
TRIANGLE COUNTRIES.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the President may not provide security assistance to a
Northern Triangle country during the 3-year period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Act until 30 days after
the date on which the President has provided to the
appropriate congressional committees notice of such proposed
provision of security assistance.
(b) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of
subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis if the President--
(1) determines it is in the national security interests of
the United States to do so; and
(2) submits to the appropriate congressional committees
such determination and the rationale for the determination.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(2) Security assistance.--The term ``security
assistance''--
(A) has the meaning given such term in section 502B(d)(2)
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304); and
(B) includes assistance under any international security
assistance program conducted under any other provision of law
not specified in section 502B(d)(2) of such Act.
SEC. 13. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--Except as
otherwise provided, the term ``appropriate congressional
committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
(2) Northern triangle.--The term ``Northern Triangle''
means the region of Central America that encompasses the
countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
(3) Northern triangle countries.--The term ``Northern
Triangle countries'' means the countries of El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Honduras.
(4) Transnational criminal organization.--The term
``transnational criminal organization'' has the meaning given
the term ``significant transnational criminal organization''
in Executive Order 13581 (July 24, 2011).
SEC. 14. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 2615.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure, and I want to
start by thanking Mr. McCaul for his partnership in authoring this
legislation. Through our close, bipartisan collaboration, we have
before us today legislation that supports the people of Central America
and strengthens our national security by addressing the root causes of
child and family migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
I was leading a congressional delegation to El Salvador with Mr.
McCaul in March when the Trump administration decided to cut off
foreign assistance in the region, a decision that I view as misguided
and counterproductive.
In San Salvador, we saw up close the direct, meaningful impact of our
USAID investments. Our delegation visited with an incredible group of
young people who were being trained in computer programming and offered
a path to a better life.
The United States is helping to provide opportunities for a better
future for the people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras so
children and families are able to build prosperous lives for
themselves, and they aren't forced to make the dangerous journey to our
southern border.
But it is not just development assistance we are providing. In San
Salvador, we met with FBI agents leading our transnational antigang
task force. With State Department funding, the FBI established these
task forces in the Northern Triangle over the past decade to counter
the growth of MS-13, the 18th Street gang, and other violent criminals.
These units train Salvadorian police officers and work closely with
them to dismantle gang leadership structures in the United States and
Central America. They make our communities and constituents safer.
So I was pleased to return to Washington and partner with Mr. McCaul
to draft this legislation authorizing our assistance to Central America
for fiscal year 2020. The bill also includes strong conditions on any
assistance that goes to the central governments of the Northern
Triangle countries.
In addition, it lays out a series of actions to be taken by the
Secretary of State, the USAID Administrator, and other U.S. Government
officials to promote inclusive economic growth and development, combat
corruption, strengthen domestic institutions, and improve security
conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Lastly, it puts in place targeted visa bans and asset freezes for
corrupt individuals from the Northern Triangle countries.
Endemic corruption by government and nongovernment actors in Central
America is hurting the region's poor and most vulnerable people, and we
should do whatever we can to stop it. Today, the House of
Representatives must stand together to pass this commonsense piece of
legislation that helps the United States and families and children in
the Northern Triangle.
So, I again thank Mr. McCaul for his partnership and for working with
me to address the root causes of migration to the U.S. from Central
America. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, June 5, 2019.
Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R.
2615, the United States-Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement
Act.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions
that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on the
Judiciary. I acknowledge that the Committee will not seek a
referral of or formally consider H.R. 2615 and agree that the
inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not
waive any future jurisdictional claim over the matters
contained in H.R. 2615 which fall within your Committee's
Rule X jurisdiction.
[[Page H5785]]
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in
the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the
bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this
legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you
as this measure moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, July 8, 2019.
Hon. Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: This is to advise you that the Committee
on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the
provisions in H.R. 2615, the ``United States-Northern
Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act,'' that fall within our Rule
X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those
provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your
including them in the bill for consideration on the House
floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to waive
sequential referral, with the understanding that we do not
thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those
provisions or their subject matters.
In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar
legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the
right to request an appropriate number of conferees to
address any concerns with these or similar provisions that
may arise in conference.
Please place this letter 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 committees.
Sincerely,
Jerrold Nadler,
Chairman.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the United States-Northern
Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act, for which I am proud to be the lead
Republican cosponsor, and I want to thank Chairman Engel for his
bipartisan work on this very important piece of legislation that was
really the product of a trip that we took down to Latin America.
This bill requires the State Department and USAID to develop and fund
a 5-year strategy to address the drivers of illegal immigration to our
southern border. The bill requires State and USAID to develop annual
benchmarks to track the progress of programs in stemming migration
flows. It requires those to be reported to Congress, increasing our
ability to oversee U.S. foreign assistance to the Northern Triangle.
As Chairman Engel mentioned, we recently traveled to El Salvador
earlier this year and saw the hard work that the U.S. Government is
doing to support international law enforcement investigations to
capture MS-13 gang members. The bill also prioritizes security
assistance to combat transnational crime and to improve security and
counternarcotics efforts at their borders and ports.
This legislation also supports the amazing work of faith-based
organizations that are engaged with the private sector to provide
employment for youth and prevent them from joining gangs.
This bill builds on existing efforts to increase coordination with
Mexico in our shared efforts to curb illegal migration, spur economic
development, and combat corruption in the Northern Triangle.
I understand and share the President's frustration with the continued
stream of migrants to our southern border, and as a native Texan, I
understand the unique challenges caused by illegal migration to our
border. Addressing this problem requires a comprehensive solution and
utilizing all tools at our disposal, including foreign assistance,
which should be used.
I also agree with the President that the governments of the Northern
Triangle countries can and must do more to address the drivers of
migration. This bill includes conditions that these governments must
meet to receive assistance and requires the State Department to engage
with these governments to track and ensure they are doing their part to
address the crisis.
Lastly, the bill authorizes targeted sanctions against individuals
engaged in corruption that impacts the Northern Triangle, and so I urge
my colleagues who believe that we must do all we can to address this
humanitarian crisis on the border to support this legislation.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Engel, for his
ongoing bipartisan work on this committee. I think we are probably the
most bipartisan committee on the Hill, and I know Mr. Engel and I are
both very proud of that accomplishment.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, let me thank Mr. McCaul, and it is a pleasure
to work with him on matters like this.
I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I am proud to support Chairman Engel's H.R. 2615, the U.S.-Northern
Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit the Northern
Triangle and to meet with elected officials, law enforcement officials,
and humanitarian organizations to discuss the difficult and dangerous
conditions that force families and children to flee their homes in
search of a better life. I discovered what we all knew: The root causes
of the refugee crisis are, of course, violence and lack of economic
opportunity.
During my trip, I was encouraged by the positive impact and
effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance and the changes it has made in
Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. For example, U.S. programs have
supported micro, small, and medium enterprises in El Salvador.
During my trip, I also learned of China's interest to build a
deepwater port and to buy coastline in the area. Clearly, it is in
America's best strategic long-term interest to make sure that the area
is economically stable and that the region is economically and
politically stable.
We must continue to invest in regional security and economic
development to ensure that our neighbors are safe, strong, stable, and
secure. And by ensuring our region is secure, we can build strong and
lasting peace and prosperity and build markets for American products
and services.
I urge my colleagues to pass this vital legislation.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Providing opportunities for the most vulnerable individuals from El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras is common sense, and working to
address the root causes of child and family migration is a long-term
solution that we should all be able to agree on. It is the right thing
to do, but it is also in our own interest.
And while U.S. foreign assistance is crucial, it is not a gift. It
must come with strong conditions. Our legislation puts in place such
conditions for our assistance to the Northern Triangle and includes
tough, smart, targeted sanctions to combat corruption.
By passing this bill today, Congress can send, and will send, a loud
and clear message that we stand with the people of the Northern
Triangle countries to make their countries safer and more prosperous so
they aren't forced to make the dangerous trek here. We can also send a
message to China and Russia that the U.S. will not abandon our friends
and partners in Central America.
Let me conclude by thanking Mr. McCaul for his partnership on this
measure. We truly worked on this together. We were together in Central
America when we got the word of the potential cutoff of funding, and we
worked closely together in a bipartisan way to make sure that that
wouldn't be the case.
So I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I thank Mr.
McCaul again, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2615,
the ``United States-Northern Triangle Enhancement Engagement Act.''
H.R. 2615 supports the people of Central America and strengthens
United States national security by addressing the root causes of
migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
H.R. 2615 will provide reports on drivers of migration from the
Northern Triangle to the United States and will identify methods for
the United States to strengthen fragile democracies in the region.
Thousands of immigrants flee the Northern Triangle to seek asylum and
refuge in the United States of America.
The number of asylum seekers worldwide originating from the Northern
Triangle reached 110,000 in 2015, a five-fold increase from 2012.
[[Page H5786]]
Poverty, corrupt police forces, gang violence, political corruption,
and economic instability exacerbate living conditions in the Northern
Triangle.
Homicide rates are extremely high for Central American countries; El
Salvador is leading the way with a rate of 82.84 per 100,000 persons.
Salvadorans, Hondurans, and Guatemalans leave their homes in search
of physical security, democracy, freedom, and civil liberties .
They look toward the U.S. as a beacon of hope and prosperity, often
traveling miles while battling hardships and risks to pursue the
American Dream.
This bill seeks to combat corruption among political institutions in
the region to reinforce security and lead to the development of civil
society.
We must address the origins and the structural causes of migration to
address the issues that lead to mass migration to our southern borders.
Our agencies are unequipped and are incapable of meeting the demand
of sheltering and processing immigrants who arrive at our ports of
entry.
Our nation's security depends on the stability of the Northern
Triangle.
We must act to ensure that the countries in this region return to a
functioning democracy, free of corruption and violence.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2615
to assist in reestablishing a democratic and peaceful societies in the
countries of the Northern Triangle.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2615, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________