[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 218 (Monday, December 21, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SUPPORT FOR S. 1310 (ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES LEGISLATIVE 
                        ENGAGEMENT ACT OF 2020)

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL T. McCAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 21, 2020

  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I want to express my support for the 
Organization of American States Legislative Engagement Act.
  The Organization of American States (OAS) brings together the nations 
of the Western Hemisphere to promote democracy, human rights, security, 
and economic development.
  This bill directs the Department of State to develop a strategy to 
support efforts in the OAS to strengthen critical anti-corruption 
efforts and promote human rights.
  It also requires a report detailing the organization's progress 
toward advancing human rights, combating impunity, and supporting the 
participation of democratically elected legislators in OAS activities.
  Finally, this bill encourages democratically elected legislators from 
member states to discuss the most important issues facing the region--
including defending human rights, promoting democracy, and supporting 
anti-corruption efforts.
  As co-chair of the US-Mexico Interparliamentary Group, I recognize 
the important role that legislators can play in advancing shared 
foreign policy interests. However, the United States must take all 
necessary measures to ensure that any interparliamentary forum created 
under this legislation provides a platform for substantive discourse to 
address serious issues impacting the region, including countering 
threats to democracy and human rights, transnational crime, impunity, 
and systemic corruption in accordance with the Inter-American 
Democratic Charter.
  The United States must also make all efforts to ensure that 
interparliamentary forums are not coopted by actors who aim to 
undermine U.S. policy interests in the region by promoting socialism 
and embracing malign actors like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
  This legislation includes critical language ensuring that only 
democratically elected legislators participate in any newly-created 
forum. A ``democratically elected legislator'' under this legislation 
should be strictly defined as an individual who was elected as a result 
of periodic, free and fair elections. Further, any legislator who is 
known to be convicted for or engaged in corruption or transnational 
criminal activities, including trafficking of people, goods, or illicit 
narcotics, moneylaundering, terrorist financing, acts of terrorism, 
campaign finance violations, bribery, extortion, human rights 
violations, or undermining democracy, should be barred from 
participation.
  The U.S. must also work with the OAS to ensure that any forum or 
action taken under this legislation is feasible and cost effective, 
keeping in mind the ongoing budgetary constraints of the OAS and the 
importance of advancing the objectives outlined under the Organization 
of American States Revitalization and Reform Act of 2013, including the 
implementation of a results-based budgeting process in order to 
strategically prioritize, and where appropriate, reduce current and 
future mandates.
  The State Department should also maintain communication with the 
Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives through regular 
briefings on the progress of any forum that is created under Section 4 
of this legislation and its implementation.
  With the Western Hemisphere facing serious threats from authoritarian 
regimes and malign actors, it has never been more important for the 
U.S. and our partners to promote values of freedom in the region.
  I commend Senator Cardin and Senator Wicker for their leadership on 
this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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