[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 206 (Monday, December 7, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6862-H6864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REAFFIRMING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND MONGOLIA

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1100) reaffirming the strategic partnership between 
the United States and Mongolia and observing the 30th anniversary of 
democracy in Mongolia, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1100

       Whereas the United States and Mongolia established 
     diplomatic relations in January 1987, and since that time the 
     relationship has grown stronger based on shared strategic 
     interests, security cooperation, democratic values, good 
     governance, and respect for human rights;
       Whereas, since its peaceful democratic revolution in 1989, 
     Mongolia has charted, through a series of initiatives, a 
     successful path to multiparty democracy and a free market 
     economy;
       Whereas, in 1990, the Government of Mongolia declared an 
     end to a one-party, authoritarian, political system and 
     adopted democratic and free market reforms;
       Whereas, in 1992, Mongolia adopted a constitution 
     establishing a parliamentary democracy, becoming the first 
     country in Asia to transition from communism to democracy;
       Whereas, in 1999, the Government of Mongolia invited the 
     Peace Corps to establish its program in the country and has 
     since hosted 1,437 volunteers in English and health 
     education;
       Whereas Mongolia has shown its commitment to a ``third 
     neighbor'' relationship with the United States by sending 
     troops to support United States operations in Iraq from 2003 
     through 2008 and Afghanistan since 2009, and Mongolia has a 
     strong record of troop contributions to international 
     peacekeeping missions;
       Whereas successive Mongolian governments have taken notable 
     steps to strengthen civil society, battle corruption, and 
     spur economic development;

[[Page H6863]]

       Whereas the Parliament of Mongolia, the State Great Khural, 
     has engaged with Congress, including through the House 
     Democracy Partnership, thereby promoting responsive and 
     effective governance through peer-to-peer cooperation;
       Whereas Mongolia began as a partner to the Organization for 
     Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2004, graduated 
     to become a participating state in 2012, and participates 
     actively in the work of the OSCE for stability, peace, and 
     democracy;
       Whereas Mongolia has regularly invited the OSCE and other 
     organizations to send monitoring teams to its Presidential 
     and parliamentary elections;
       Whereas Mongolia has also been an active member of the 
     Community of Democracies (CoD), a global coalition of 
     countries that support adherence to common democratic values 
     and standards, and Mongolia has not only remained active 
     since the founding of the CoD in 2000 but also successfully 
     chaired the CoD from 2011 through 2013;
       Whereas, in addition to supporting the OSCE and CoD, 
     Mongolia supports democratic initiatives while participating 
     in a wide range of other global institutions;
       Whereas most recently, on June 24, 2020, Mongolia 
     successfully organized parliamentary elections, strengthening 
     its commitment to democracy and the rule of law;
       Whereas the success of Mongolia as a democracy and its 
     strategic location, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and 
     ability to pursue an independent foreign policy are highly 
     relevant to the national security of the United States;
       Whereas climate change in Mongolia has contributed to 
     severe droughts, higher temperatures, and extreme winter 
     weather conditions, resulting in mass deaths of livestock and 
     economic hardship for people living in rural communities, 
     especially the nomadic population;
       Whereas the United States has provided support to Mongolia 
     through the Millennium Challenge Corporation through an 
     initial compact signed in 2007 designed to increase economic 
     growth and reduce poverty and a second compact signed in 2018 
     involving investments in water infrastructure, including 
     supply and wastewater recycling, as well as water sector 
     sustainability;
       Whereas, on September 20, 2018, the United States and 
     Mongolia signed a joint statement and the Roadmap for 
     Expanded Economic Partnership, outlining the intent to deepen 
     the bilateral commercial relationship through full 
     implementation of the obligations under the Agreement on 
     Transparency in Matters Related to International Trade and 
     Investment between the United States of America and Mongolia, 
     signed at New York, September 24, 2013 (in this preamble 
     referred to as the ``United States-Mongolia Transparency 
     Agreement''), and to collaborate in supporting Mongolian 
     small- and medium-sized enterprises through various programs 
     and projects;
       Whereas according to the Bureau of the Census, trade 
     between the United States and Mongolia is modest but growing, 
     with a total value of trade in 2019 between the two countries 
     of approximately $217,500,000, including $192,700,000 in 
     United States exports to Mongolia and $24,800,000 in United 
     States imports from Mongolia;
       Whereas Mongolia is a beneficiary country under the 
     Generalized System of Preferences program, but its use of the 
     program remains low, as in 2018 only $3,300,000 of exports 
     from Mongolia to the United States entered were under the 
     program; and
       Whereas, on July 31, 2019, the United States and Mongolia 
     declared the bilateral relationship a ``Strategic 
     Partnership'' and noted the shared desire--
       (1) to intensify cooperation as strong democracies based on 
     the rule of law through safeguarding and promoting democratic 
     values and human rights, including the freedoms of religion 
     or belief, expression, including internet and media freedom, 
     assembly, and association, anticorruption and fiscal 
     transparency, and youth and emerging leader development;
       (2) to cooperate in promoting national security and 
     stability across the Indo-Pacific region so that all 
     countries, secure in their sovereignty, are able to pursue 
     economic growth consistent with international law and 
     principles of fair competition;
       (3) to deepen national security and law-enforcement ties 
     through collaboration on bilateral and multilateral security, 
     judicial, and law enforcement efforts in the region;
       (4) to strengthen cooperation in multilateral engagements 
     such as peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and disaster 
     preparedness and relief operations;
       (5) to expand trade and investment relations on a fair and 
     reciprocal basis, support private sector-led growth, fully 
     implement the United States-Mongolia Transparency Agreement, 
     promote women's entrepreneurship, and continue to explore 
     support for infrastructure under the new United States 
     International Development Finance Corporation with the new 
     tools provided under the BUILD Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9601 et 
     seq.);
       (6) to strengthen border security, prevent illegal 
     transshipment and trafficking, expand cooperation on civil 
     aviation safety and oversight, and efficiently facilitate 
     legitimate travel between Mongolia and the United States;
       (7) to increase cooperation in addressing transnational 
     threats such as terrorism, human trafficking, drug 
     trafficking, the proliferation of weapons of mass 
     destruction, cyberattacks, transnational organized crime, 
     pandemics, and other emerging nontraditional security 
     threats;
       (8) to continue to develop an environment in which civil 
     society, social media, and a free and independent media can 
     flourish; and
       (9) to maintain high-level official dialogues, encourage 
     bilateral exchanges at all levels of government, and further 
     develop people-to-people exchanges to deepen engagement on 
     issues of mutual interest and concern: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) underscores the importance of the relationship between 
     the United States and Mongolia and remains committed to 
     advancing this Strategic Partnership in the future;
       (2) encourages the United States Government to help 
     Mongolia use its benefits under the Generalized System of 
     Preferences program and other relevant programs to increase 
     trade between the United States and Mongolia;
       (3) urges the United States International Development 
     Finance Corporation to expand activities in Mongolia to 
     support economic development, diversification of the economy 
     of Mongolia, and women-owned small- and medium-sized 
     enterprises;
       (4) urges Mongolia to address climate change and continue 
     to work with the UN Environment Programme, the Global Climate 
     Fund, and other global institutions to strengthen climate 
     change resilience;
       (5) urges private and public support to help diversify the 
     economy of Mongolia through increased cooperation and 
     investments, as well as infrastructure and other vital 
     projects;
       (6) supports the resumption of the Peace Corps program in 
     Mongolia once the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided;
       (7) urges the Department of State, the United States Agency 
     for International Development, and other relevant agencies to 
     continue to support Mongolia's democratic and economic 
     development and efforts on anticorruption;
       (8) calls for the continued engagement of Mongolia in the 
     Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the 
     Community of Democracies, congressional-parliamentary 
     partnerships, including continued high-level parliamentary 
     exchange, and other institutions that promote democratic 
     values, which reinforces the commitment of the people and the 
     Government of Mongolia to those values and standards;
       (9) reaffirms the importance of civil society to the 
     continued democratic development of Mongolia;
       (10) encourages the Government of Mongolia to build a 
     regulatory system that supports and encourages the growth and 
     operation of independent nongovernmental organizations and 
     continues to pursue policies of transparency that uphold 
     democratic values;
       (11) urges Mongolia to continue their commitment to free, 
     fair and credible elections; and
       (12) encourages the Government of Mongolia to continue 
     legal reform, build institutional capacity, and improve the 
     independence of other democratic institutions.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Raskin) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include any extraneous material on H. Res. 1100, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this year marks 30 years since Mongolia's democratic 
transition. Mongolia is a true success story, a landlocked country 
squeezed between two huge neighbors, China and Russia, that has 
nonetheless become a shining democratic breakthrough story in Asia.
  As Mongolia's so-called third neighbor, the U.S. should continue to 
build upon our shared interests and commitment to democratic values and 
further advance our strategic partnership.
  From national security to economic stability, Mongolia has 
demonstrated its commitment to our partnership by hosting annual 
peacekeeping exercises and participating in U.S.-led programs like the 
House Democracy Partnership and the Open World Leadership Center.
  Our countries must also continue to partner closely on global 
warming. Climate change is a pressing concern for all the world and has 
already gravely affected the livelihood and well-being of the Mongolian 
people, who now face widespread livestock and crop losses, as well as 
escalating extreme-weather events.

[[Page H6864]]

  


                              {time}  1215

  This resolution urges the expansion of U.S.-Mongolia economic ties 
and encourages the Mongolian Government to continue to increase 
transparency, freedom, and good governance.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Titus for her work on this 
bipartisan resolution. I urge all Members to support it, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.

                                      Committee on Ways and Means,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, December 7, 2020.
     Hon. Eliot L. Engel,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Engel: In recognition of the desire to 
     expedite consideration of H. Res. 1100, Reaffirming the 
     strategic partnership between the United States and Mongolia 
     and observing the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia, 
     the Committee on Ways and Means agrees to waive formal 
     consideration of the resolution as to provisions that fall 
     within the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and 
     Means.
       The Committee on Ways and Means takes this action with the 
     mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction 
     over the subject matter contained in this or similar 
     legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately 
     consulted and involved as the resolution or similar 
     legislation moves forward so that we may address any 
     remaining issues within our jurisdiction. The Committee also 
     reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving 
     this or similar legislation.
       Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter 
     confirming this understanding and would ask that a copy of 
     our exchange of letter on this matter be included in the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of H. Res. 
     1100.
           Sincerely,

                                         Hon. Richard E. Neal,

                                                         Chairman,
     Committee on Ways and Means.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                 Washington, DC, December 1, 2020.
     Hon. Richard E. Neal,
     Committee on Ways and Means,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Neal: I am writing to you concerning H. Res. 
     1100, Reaffirming the strategic partnership between the 
     United States and Mongolia and observing the 30th anniversary 
     of democracy in Mongolia. I appreciate your willingness to 
     work cooperatively on this legislation.
       I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means under House 
     Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on H. Res. 
     1100 to expedite floor consideration. I further acknowledge 
     that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill 
     does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     matters contained in the bill that fall within your 
     jurisdiction. I will also support the appointment of 
     Committee on Ways and Means conferees during any House-Senate 
     conference convened on this legislation.
       Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is 
     included in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your 
     cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to 
     continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the 
     legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Eliot L. Engel,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States and Mongolia have a robust 
relationship, distinguished by our shared democratic ideals and 
strengthened by close economic and diplomatic cooperation.
  This year marks the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia. 
Mongolia was the first nation in Asia to transition from communism to 
democracy, marking an important juncture in the continent's history.
  Years later, Mongolia remains an important democratic partner in the 
Indo-Pacific but finds itself in a challenging location, sandwiched 
entirely between Russia and China. What happens in Mongolia has direct 
implications for the United States. If malign actors compromise 
Mongolia's territorial integrity or ability to pursue independent 
foreign policy, the security of the United States is also at risk.
  I have consistently warned about the Chinese Communist Party's malign 
activity around the world as the former chairman and current ranking 
member of the House Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation 
Subcommittee. I was also encouraged to see the recommendations released 
this year by the China Task Force.
  After months of classified and unclassified briefings, the China Task 
Force released a report with 82 key findings and more than 400 forward-
looking recommendations. Many of these focus on the CCP's predatory 
Belt and Road Initiative, which is infamous for its debt trap 
diplomacy.
  Mongolia is a formal participant in this initiative, and China 
currently supplies the largest portion of their foreign investment. 
This is why it is essential that the U.S. continue to develop our 
strategic partnership with Mongolia. We must be their most meaningful 
third neighbor, and that term describes the Mongolian relationship with 
countries other than China and Russia.
  One of the ways we can do this is by strengthening Mongolia from 
within by supporting small and medium enterprises and industries like 
the cashmere production.
  This past year, I reintroduced the Mongolia Third Neighbor Trade Act, 
which would allow duty-free entry of Mongolian cashmere into the United 
States. This one bill would create over 50,000 jobs, it is estimated, 
in Mongolia, primarily women jobs, at a cost less than $1 million over 
a 10-year period to the American taxpayers.
  The cashmere wool industry is particularly important to Mongolia's 
economy; but while Mongolia produces over one-third of the world's 
cashmere, almost all finished products are processed and exported from 
China. Duty-free entry for the United States' imports of Mongolian 
cashmere would benefit the United States by facilitating increased 
trade with Mongolia and reducing U.S. imports of Chinese cashmere 
products. The measure would likewise benefit Mongolia by reducing 
Mongolia's economic dependence on China and promoting the development 
of Mongolia's garment industry, an industry in which 90 percent of 
workers are women.
  We must also offer a better alternative through initiatives like the 
Third Neighbor Trade Act and this resolution. That is exactly what this 
bill does by reaffirming our relationship with our like-minded partner, 
Mongolia. We will never allow adversaries to undermine peace and 
stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, for over three decades, the relationship 
between the United States and Mongolia has continued to grow and 
strengthen. Mongolia is a strong democratic partner in the Indo-
Pacific, and the United States has become an important third neighbor.
  I would like to congratulate the Mongolian people on their 30th 
anniversary of democracy and look forward to continuing to build our 
partnership.
  Mongolia's success as a democracy and continued sovereignty is 
extremely relevant to the security of the United States, the Indo-
Pacific region, and the world. For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to strongly support H. Res. 1100, which 
recognizes Mongolia's commitment to democracy, security, cooperation, 
and respect for human rights and reaffirms the important growing 
partnership between our two nations.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to, once again, thank Ms. Titus and Mr. 
Yoho for their leadership on this resolution. I urge all Members to 
join us in supporting it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1100, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``A resolution 
reaffirming the importance of the strategic partnership between the 
United States and Mongolia.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________