[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 126 (Monday, July 19, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3657-H3658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BASSAM BARABANDI REWARDS FOR JUSTICE ACT

  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1036) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
1956 to authorize rewards under the Department of State's rewards 
program relating to information regarding individuals or entities 
engaged in activities in contravention of United States or United 
Nations sanctions, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1036

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Bassam Barabandi Rewards for 
     Justice Act''.

     SECTION 2. AMENDMENT TO DEPARTMENT OF STATE REWARDS PROGRAM.

       Subsection (b) of section 36 of the State Department Basic 
     Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``or'' after the 
     semicolon at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph.
       ``(13) the identification or location of an individual or 
     entity that--
       ``(A) knowingly, directly or indirectly, imports, exports, 
     or reexports to, into, or from any country any goods, 
     services, or technology controlled for export by the United 
     States because of the use of such goods, services, or 
     technology in contravention of a United States or United 
     Nations sanction; or
       ``(B) knowingly, directly or indirectly, provides training, 
     advice, or other services or assistance, or engages in 
     significant financial transactions, relating to any such 
     goods, services, or technology in contravention of such 
     sanction.''.

  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.R. 1036.
  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 strong support of H.R. 1036, the Bassam 
Barabandi Rewards for Justice Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by 
my friend, the gentleman from South Carolina, Congressman   Joe Wilson, 
and the gentleman from Florida, Ted Deutch.
  Mr. Speaker, whistleblower programs have proven themselves effective 
over and over again. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice collected 
$3.7 billion in settlements and judgments from False Claim Act cases 
against companies and individuals who had defrauded the government. Of 
the $3.7 billion, 92 percent came from cases brought by whistleblowers. 
Whistleblowers have easier access to evidence of misdeeds than outside 
law enforcement investigators, deeper knowledge of the bad

[[Page H3658]]

actors engaged in unlawful behavior, and greater insights into the 
methods through which fraud or theft is being carried out.
  This bipartisan bill would authorize the Department of State to offer 
rewards for information about the identity or location of individuals 
who defy sanctions imposed by the United States or by the United 
Nations.
  This legislation builds on several existing programs that provide 
rewards of information leading to the arrest or conviction of criminals 
engaging in human trafficking, smuggling, or other transnational 
crimes.
  This bill will also increase compliance with American and 
international sanctions programs and, therefore, serves a valuable role 
promoting human rights, good governance, and the rule of law around the 
world.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Wilson and Mr. Deutch for their diligent 
work on this legislation, and I encourage all Members 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 the Rewards for Justice Act 
introduced by our good friends,   Joe Wilson and Congressman Deutch. It 
is a good bipartisan bill, and I think it will really make a 
difference.
  The bill would expand the Rewards for Justice program at the State 
Department to authorize rewards for individuals coming forward with 
information on sanctions evasion practices.
  The bill was inspired by Bassam Barabandi, a Syrian defector and 
former diplomat at the Syrian embassy in Washington, who worked to 
provide passports to critics of the criminal Assad regime.
  For years after his defection, Bassam lobbied the U.S. Government 
with information on Syrian oligarchs close to Assad, detailing their 
sanctions evasion practices. Bassam's assistance highlighted the need 
to create a clear mechanism to incentivize individuals to come forward 
with this kind of vital information.
  The legislation will do just that and ultimately enhance compliance 
with U.S. and international sanctions, increase confidence in the rule 
of law, and bring criminals and rogue regimes seeking to circumvent 
U.S. law to justice.
  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, this legislation is vital to helping the United States 
protect human rights and the rule of law around the world.
  By allowing the State Department to compensate individuals for 
bringing forward evidence of sanctions evasion and criminal misconduct 
by bad actors, America will be better equipped to punish those who 
flout the rule of law.
  I thank my colleagues, Representatives Wilson and Deutch for putting 
forward this key legislation, and I urge my colleagues 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 
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1036.
  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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