[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 167 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8362-H8364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE
OF WRONGDOING OR TO RELEASE UNITED STATES CITIZEN PAUL WHELAN
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 552) calling on the Government of the Russian
Federation to provide evidence of wrongdoing or to release United
States citizen Paul Whelan.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 552
Whereas United States citizen Paul Whelan is a resident of
Novi, Michigan, and a United States Marine Corps veteran;
Whereas Paul Whelan traveled to Moscow for the wedding of a
personal friend on December 22, 2018;
Whereas Russia's Federal Security Service arrested Paul
Whelan at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow on December 28, 2018,
and charged him with espionage;
Whereas Paul Whelan was imprisoned in Lefortovo Prison and
continues to be held there more than eight months after his
arrest;
Whereas the Federal Security Service has not provided any
evidence of supposed wrongdoing;
Whereas a Moscow court has extended Paul Whelan's pre-trial
detention multiple times without publicly presenting
justification or evidence of wrongdoing;
Whereas officials from the United States Embassy in Moscow
have routinely had their topics of discussion with Paul
Whelan severely limited by the Federal Security Service;
Whereas even Paul Whelan's Federal Security Service-
appointed lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said on May 24, 2019,
``[The Federal Security Service] always roll[s] out what they
have, but in this case, we've seen nothing concrete against
Whelan in five months. That means there is nothing.'';
Whereas the United States Ambassador to Russia, Jon
Huntsman, responded on April 12, 2019, to a question about
the detention of Paul Whelan, ``If the Russians have
evidence, they should bring it forward. We have seen nothing.
If there was a case, I think the evidence would have been
brought forward by now.''; and
Whereas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on May 14, 2019, and urged him
to ensure United States citizens are not unjustly held
abroad: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to
present credible evidence on the allegations against Paul
Whelan or immediately release him from detention;
(2) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to
provide unrestricted consular access to Paul Whelan while he
remains in detention;
(3) urges the Government of the Russian Federation to
ensure Paul Whelan is afforded due process and universally
recognized human rights;
(4) encourages the President and the Secretary of State to
continue to press the Government of the Russian Federation at
every opportunity and urge the Russian Government to
guarantee a fair and transparent judicial process without
undue delay in accordance with its international legal
obligation; and
(5) expresses sympathy to the family of Paul Whelan and
expresses hope that their ordeal can soon be brought to an
end.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger) 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. Res. 552.
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, as we stand here on the House floor, an American citizen
is being wrongfully held in a Russian prison without trial, without any
evidence of his supposed crime, denied his rights, suffering, deprived
of the medical attention he so desperately needs.
This is how Vladimir Putin is treating Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen
who has been unjustly imprisoned in Russia for almost a year. There has
been no evidence offered to show that Mr. Whelan has done anything
wrong or anything to deserve this horrific imprisonment with no end in
sight.
Paul's family in Michigan wants to see him returned home safely, and
Congress must stand with them and demand justice.
H. Res. 552 sends a strong message from Congress. It calls on Russia
to either offer up some legitimate evidence
[[Page H8363]]
that justifies why they have Mr. Whelan in prison or immediately
release him and let him come home to his family in the United States.
We can't accept this current situation to go on any longer with Mr.
Whelan languishing in his cell with no understanding of why he is being
subjected to this horror.
Sadly, this injustice is what life is like in Putin's Russia. There
is no independent judicial process. There are no rights for defendants.
There is abuse, mistreatment, corruption. It is critical that we all
keep this in mind. That is why it is so important for the United States
to stand strong in condemning Putin and upholding our commitment to the
rule of law.
I want to thank Ms. Stevens for her hard work in offering this
measure. As Mr. Whelan's congressional representative, she has been
tirelessly pushing for Paul's release as has the entire Michigan
delegation.
This is a good bipartisan measure I am pleased to support. I urge all
Members to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 552, which calls on
the government of the Russian Federation to release Paul Whelan, an
American citizen, from their custody or provide compelling evidence of
his alleged wrongdoing.
On December 28, 2018, Paul Whelan traveled to Moscow to attend a
friend's wedding when he was arrested on allegations of spying. Over
the past 10 months, Mr. Whelan has maintained his innocence as he
awaits trial, which is expected to start in January of 2020.
Mr. Whelan suffers from a chronically painful medical condition,
which requires surgery. Unfortunately, this surgery was scheduled for
shortly after his return from Moscow in January of 2019. Over the past
10 months, Mr. Whelan has been living in pain as he has declined to
have the surgery in Russia.
This bipartisan, bicameral resolution calls for the Russian
Federation to immediately release Paul Whelan from his unwarranted
detainment. Further, it calls for due process and unrestricted access
to consular services for Mr. Whelan.
I am proud to cosponsor this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to
join me in supporting it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Ms. Stevens), the author of this important resolution
Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. By
bringing up my resolution today, H. Res. 552, we are making clear to
the Russian Government and President Putin that Congress will not
tolerate the indefinite detention of a U.S. citizen without evidence.
For nearly 10 months, my constituent, Paul Whelan of Novi, Michigan,
has been held in a Moscow prison without adequate due process. Paul was
detained last December and continues to be held in a horrifying prison.
We have repeatedly asked the Russian Government to provide Paul with
a fair and transparent judicial process, to no avail. The State
Department has been unwavering in their work on Paul's behalf,
especially Ambassador Huntsman.
The Russian Government has not provided timely updates about Paul's
case. They have not let him select his own attorney. And they have not
provided unrestricted consular access. Next week will be Paul's fourth
pretrial detention hearing. Enough is enough.
After many months in prison, Paul's health is deteriorating. Paul's
family is wondering. Everyone is in the dark, but most especially Paul.
It is long past time that we bring Paul home to his family and get him
the medical care he needs.
This bipartisan resolution calls on the Russian Government to provide
evidence of his wrongdoing or else release Paul immediately. This is
our sense of Congress. It must be our sense of Congress, for we stand
up for Americans abroad.
I thank my friend, Mr. Walberg, for joining me and for the Michigan
delegation. And I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass
this timely resolution.
Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Walberg).
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 552 and
call on the Russian Government to provide evidence of wrongdoing or to
release United States citizen Paul Whelan.
I thank my colleague Congresswoman Haley Stevens for her untiring
work on this important issue. Paul Whelan is a veteran. He is a
Michigan resident, who has been held in Russian captivity for nearly 10
months without charges. And I repeat, he has been held in Russian
captivity for nearly 10 months without charges.
Throughout his entire time, Paul has not been given due process. He
has had multiple pretrial hearings in which his detainment has
repeatedly been extended without the production of any new or credible
evidence. While in captivity he has been in need of serious medical
attention, and his health has deteriorated. It is unacceptable for an
American citizen to be detained for any length of time without charges
and without proper medical care.
Paul's entire family, including his parents who live in my district
in Manchester, Michigan, are deeply concerned about his health and
safety, as they should be. I met with members of the Whelan family on
many occasions, and they have been pillars of strength, but also have
endured much agony.
We stand united today saying this is not a partisan issue. It is an
American issue.
As Republicans and Democrats we are committed to raising awareness
about Paul's case and advocating for his freedom. And we stand to send
a strong and powerful message today by passing this resolution. I
encourage my colleagues to stand together and pass this resolution and
tell Russia it is wrong as to what they are doing.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Keating), the chairman of the Subcommittee on
Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment.
Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Nearly 10 months ago on December 28, 2018, the Government of the
Russian Federation arrested U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. In those 10
months, the Russian Government has refused to provide any evidence to
substantiate the espionage charges against Paul.
Instead, in those 10 months, the Russian Government has subjected
Paul to physical and psychological pressure. In those 10 months, the
Russian Government has repeatedly prevented Paul from speaking freely
with the U.S. embassy or with his family; rights that are afforded to
Russian prisoners here in the U.S.
In those 10 months, the Russian Government has denied Paul's request
to be examined or treated by a private physician. And I say, Russian
Government. I say government, because I believe the Russian people,
particularly those that are speaking up and demonstrating for an open
and democratic government there, they would be standing with us today.
{time} 1730
For 10 months, the Russian Government has refused to respond to the
concerns of the Governments of the United States, U.K., Canada, and
Ireland.
For 10 months, Paul's continued detention has caused indescribable
pain and torment not only for Paul but for his parents, his two
brothers, and his sisters.
Ten months of injustice is 10 months too long.
In our committee, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, we look for areas
of common ground to work with Russia, but actions like this, depriving
a U.S. citizen of the most basic rights, makes that all the more
difficult.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Paul, on behalf of his family, I hope all
Members will join me in supporting H. Res. 552 and calling on the
Government of Russia to allow a fair and transparent judicial process
without delay, facilitate Paul's medical care, and allow for
unrestricted visits with the U.S. Embassy.
Mr. Speaker, above all, I hope Members will all join with me in
calling on the Government of Russia to release Paul and send him back
home to his family.
[[Page H8364]]
Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman has no further speakers,
I am prepared to close.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.
Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Mr. Whelan's family for continuing
to fight for his release and for bringing this matter to our attention.
He is a pawn. Russia quite clearly has a terrible track record of
taking care of people, whether it is bombing hospitals in Syria
intentionally or whether it is just abusing people in other parts of
the world--Venezuela--or imprisoning Americans. It is obviously their
track record.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my Democratic and Republican colleagues to
support this resolution. I thank the chairman for bringing it up, the
family for fighting, and everybody who spoke.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume
for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Stevens for her hard work
on this measure.
Paul Whelan, an American citizen, as my colleagues have mentioned,
has endured mistreatment in a Russian prison without the Russian
Government offering up any evidence that he has done anything wrong.
H. Res. 552 calls on the Russian Government to either provide some
evidence of wrongdoing to explain Mr. Whelan's imprisonment or release
Mr. Whelan immediately so he can come home to the United States and
receive the proper medical treatment he so urgently needs. He and his
family have suffered enough as part of Putin's political games.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for
their strong support for this resolution. It is a good measure. I urge
all Members to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 552.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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