[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.
____________________