[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 126 (Monday, July 19, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3652-H3654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ENCOURAGING REUNIONS OF DIVIDED KOREAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES

  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 294) encouraging reunions of divided Korean-
American families.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 294

       Whereas the Korean Peninsula, with the Republic of Korea 
     (in this resolution referred to as ``South Korea'') in the 
     South and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (in this 
     resolution referred to as ``North Korea'') in the North, 
     remains divided following the signing of the Korean War 
     Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953;
       Whereas the division of the Korean Peninsula separated more 
     than 10,000,000 Korean family members, including some who are 
     now citizens of the United States;
       Whereas there have been 21 rounds of family reunions 
     between South Koreans and North Koreans along the border 
     since 2000;

[[Page H3653]]

       Whereas Congress signaled its support for family reunions 
     between United States citizens and their relatives in North 
     Korea in section 1265 of the National Defense Authorization 
     Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181), signed into 
     law by President George W. Bush on January 28, 2008;
       Whereas most of the population of divided family members in 
     the United States, initially estimated at 100,000 in 2001, 
     has significantly dwindled as many of the individuals have 
     passed away;
       Whereas the summit between North Korea and South Korea on 
     April 27, 2018, has prioritized family reunions;
       Whereas the United States and North Korea have engaged in 
     talks during 2 historic summits in June 2018 in Singapore and 
     February 2019 in Hanoi; and
       Whereas many Korean Americans are waiting for a chance to 
     meet their relatives in North Korea for the first time in 
     more than 60 years: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) calls on the United States and North Korea to begin the 
     process of reuniting Korean-American divided family members 
     with their immediate relatives through ways such as--
       (A) identifying divided families in the United States and 
     North Korea who are willing and able to participate in a 
     pilot program for family reunions;
       (B) finding matches for members of such families through 
     organizations such as the Red Cross; and
       (C) working with the Government of South Korea to include 
     American citizens in inter-Korean video reunions;
       (2) reaffirms the institution of family as inalienable and, 
     accordingly, urges the restoration of contact between divided 
     families physically, literarily, or virtually; and
       (3) calls on the United States and North Korea to pursue 
     reunions as a humanitarian priority of immediate concern.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Ms. HOULAHAN. 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. 294.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 294, a resolution 
encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families, introduced by 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass).
  The Korean war claimed millions of lives and left the Korean 
peninsula and its people absolutely devastated. Though an armistice 
ended hostilities between North and South Korea nearly 70 years ago, 
many of the wounds inflicted by the war have never fully healed, in 
part because more than 10 million Koreans were separated from their 
family members during that conflict.
  Today, there are still thousands of Korean Americans who live waiting 
and hoping for the chance to see their relatives living in North Korea.
  Mr. Speaker, the pain of being separated from your family does not 
dull with time. This resolution would give peace of mind to many by 
identifying families in the United States and in North Korea who are 
willing and able to participate in family reunification.
  This resolution would also allow for organizations like the Red Cross 
to assist in reuniting families and working with our allies in South 
Korea to reunite families through video reunions.
  We must act now because the number of surviving relatives is 
declining, and time is running out to right the wrong these families 
have suffered. There is an urgent humanitarian need to reunite Korean 
Americans with their war-torn loved ones and to provide much-needed 
healing, closure, and restoration of bonds broken seven decades ago.
  By passing this humane, bipartisan resolution, this body will provide 
Korean Americans the precious opportunity they have been denied for too 
long. I thank Representative Bass for authoring this important 
humanitarian legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 294, which reaffirms 
the House's commitment to support our Korean-American families seeking 
to reunite with relatives who are trapped in North Korea.
  The resolution, authored by my good friend and colleague, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), rightly observes that family 
reunification is a humanitarian priority.
  As she points out, it calls on the United States and North Korea to 
begin the process of reuniting North Korean and Korean-American divided 
family members with their immediate relatives through ways such as--and 
I quote from the resolution:
  ``Identifying divided families in the United States and North Korea 
who are willing and able to participate in a pilot program for family 
reunions;
  ``Finding matches for members of such families through organizations 
such as the Red Cross; and
  ``Working with the Government of South Korea to include American 
citizens in inter-Korean video reunions;
  ``Reaffirms the institution of the family as inalienable and, 
accordingly, urges the restoration of contact between divided families 
physically, literarily, or virtually.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is a very, very good resolution. I thank my good 
friend and colleague for authoring it. I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Bass), my great friend, who is a champion of these 
issues.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Meeks, Ranking Member 
McCaul, and Ranking Member Smith for bringing this important 
legislation encouraging reunions of divided Korean-American families to 
the House floor today.
  H. Res. 294 is a bipartisan resolution that calls on the United 
States and North Korea to begin the process of reuniting Korean-
American divided family members with their immediate relatives by 
identifying the families in the U.S. and North Korea who are willing 
and able to participate, finding matches for members of such families 
through organizations such as the Red Cross, and working with the 
Government of South Korea to include American citizens in inter-Korean 
video reunions.
  Both Representative Kim and I have heard or know the awful stories of 
constituents who were divided from family members for nearly 70 years. 
A couple of years ago I had a constituent in my office who was quite 
elderly, and he was very concerned that he actually was not going to 
live to see his siblings that he has not been able to see for many 
decades.
  This resolution also urges the restoration of contact between the 
divided families physically, literarily, or virtually, and calls on the 
U.S. and North Korea to pursue reunions as a humanitarian priority of 
immediate concern.
  When the Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953, it was 
meant to be a temporary measure. There has been relative peace between 
North and South Korea, but tensions remain volatile, and the border 
separating them is heavily militarized. More than 10 million families, 
including those who are now U.S. citizens, have been divided, and we 
must do everything we can to prevent this from continuing.
  Representative Kim and I agree that Korean Americans should not have 
to wait another day, let alone another 70 years to meet their family 
members who live in North Korea. The bipartisan support shows that this 
resolution wants to support the administration and find a sustainable 
solution to this important issue.

  I want to thank Representative Kim and many of my other colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle for cosponsoring H. Res. 294.
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, for nearly 70 years, Korean Americans and their 
relatives have hoped and prayed to one day be together again. We cannot 
allow any

[[Page H3654]]

further delay in reuniting these families with their loved ones. This 
resolution is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that is long overdue, 
and it will make an invaluable impact on the lives of thousands of 
Korean Americans and their families.
  I thank Representative Karen Bass for working so diligently on this 
essential humanitarian resolution. I ask all of my colleagues to give 
it their support.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 294.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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