[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 158 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4826-H4837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gimenez). Pursuant to House Resolution
723 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of
the Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration
of the bill, H.R. 4665.
Will the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Yakym) kindly take the chair.
{time} 1852
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration of
the bill (H.R. 4665) making appropriations for the Department of State,
foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, with Mr. Yakym (Acting
Chair) in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The Acting CHAIR. When the Committee of the Whole rose earlier today,
amendment 64 printed in part D of House Report 118-216 offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) had been disposed of.
Amendment No. 65 Offered by Mr. Burchett
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 65
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. ___. The salary of Kelu Chao, Deputy Chief Executive
Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media, shall
be reduced to $1.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would reduce the salary of
the deputy chief executive officer at the U.S. Agency for Global Media
to $1.
The deputy chief executive officer at the U.S. Agency for Global
Media is also responsible for rehiring Setareh Sieg, who knowingly
misused taxpayer dollars and lied on her resume.
Whistleblowers come forward to shed light on the rampant misuse of
taxpayer dollars, and the deputy chief executive officer at the U.S.
Agency for Global Media is responsible for rehiring the individual that
did so.
There should be no place for this conduct in public service, and I am
requesting the salary of the deputy chief executive officer at U.S.
Global Media to be reduced to $1.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to
this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, once again, I just have to say
how despicable it is to target dedicated public servants and to
threaten their livelihoods.
The names are going to be dragged, as you know, through the political
mud, and that is not fair. These people are public servants. This
public servant has had 40 years in the public media.
She facilitated getting staff out of Afghanistan and has overseen the
expansion of USAGM's audience to 410 million people.
Once again, if you have an issue with the policy, let's discuss that.
Why in the world do you want to continue penalizing public servants who
are representing the administrations that they serve and our country,
of course, and their dedication to the United States and their careers?
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, if misusing public Federal tax dollars is
part of our policy, I suggest to you that we need to get a new policy.
[[Page H4827]]
This is what is wrong with this country. It is wrong when we tell our
children, well, it is okay for these folks up here to steal because
they are in the Federal Government. That is why nobody trusts us up
here.
We can cover this up with flowing words, but the reality is it is
wrong to knowingly misuse Federal tax dollars.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I will conclude by asking the
question again with regard to who is willing to go into public service
if their names can be dragged through the political mud, like the other
side, the majority, is doing today.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 66 Offered by Mr. Burchett
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 66
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. 9002. None of the funds made available by this Act
may be used for the Art in Embassies program of the
Department of State.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chairman, this amendment does one thing, it would
prohibit funding for the Art in Embassies program. At a time when the
government is nearing a shutdown, we don't need the State Department
spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on paintings and sculptures.
During the shutdown at the end of 2018, the State Department spent
$84,000 on a Bob Dylan sculpture.
Mr. Chair, I submit to you, I did not know Bob Dylan was a sculptor,
his real name is Bobby Zimmerman. He did have a song out when he became
a Christian for a while that was called ``Gotta Serve Somebody.'' We
need to be serving the taxpayers up here, and obviously we are not.
We are $33 trillion in debt. The State Department can continue its
work without expensive art throughout our embassies. The government
needs to cut its budget, and there is no better place to start than on
unnecessary and high-priced art galleries for the State Department.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1900
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would eliminate
funding for the Art in Embassies program.
This program, established by President Kennedy 60 years ago,
recognizes that art is a powerful tool of diplomacy. It offers
ambassadors the opportunity to engage other nations in a different type
of dialogue and connection. Many of the artists featured in this
program are homegrown American artists.
The bill already includes restrictions and reporting on the Art in
Embassies program to maintain oversight and accountability. This
program is a public-private partnership, and eliminating its funding is
just ridiculous.
Let me just mention the shutdown because we are waiting. Democrats
aren't causing this shutdown. To use waiting for a shutdown or about to
have a shutdown as an excuse for eliminating funding for the Art in
Embassies program is just downright disingenuous.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, I submit to you what is disingenuous is the
fact that most of this art is never viewed by the public or the people
coming in. It is put in the embassy back offices. It is not out front.
It doesn't show anything about this country other than we are hiding
this stuff in the back for the well-placed embassy employees, and the
rank-and-file ones never even see it.
I submit to you this is obviously another boondoggle. We need to
start somewhere. This is a good start, Mr. Chair. I yield back the
balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree), the distinguished ranking member
of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this very
shortsighted amendment.
As the chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, I strenuously disagree
with the idea that this funding is wasteful or nonessential. Frankly, I
think the amendment demonstrates a real misunderstanding about the
nature of diplomacy.
The Art in Embassies program was established 60 years ago by
President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy knew something important:
Art is a bridge. It forges connections, and it starts conversation that
we may not otherwise be able to have. In addition, it is one of the
best ways to reflect our American values, ideals, and our culture
abroad.
Over 20,000 participants globally have taken part in the program,
which has presented exceptional works by American and host country
artists in over 200 diplomatic properties around the world. It has also
engaged over 200 American artists as cultural envoys, participating in
workshops, collaborative art projects, and public events, all to
strengthen ties with local communities.
The program does all of this on a shoestring budget, primarily
facilitating donations from artists. It is not a frivolous expense. It
is a tool of diplomacy just as valid as any bilateral meeting or
negotiation. It reflects our vibrant democracy.
I urge Members to oppose this amendment.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 67 Offered by Mr. Burchett
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 67
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. 9002. None of the funds made available by this Act
may be used for the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, this amendment does one thing: It prohibits
funding for the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
This envoy has provided no discernible value to the American people.
I remind you, he is nonelected. I don't believe he was even confirmed
by the Senate, but Secretary Kerry uses his position in this special
envoy to fly around the world in private and heavy-polluting jets so he
can attend the coronation of King Charles III on the taxpayers' dime.
Somebody please remind me how this is helping the American people or
even addressing his climate concerns. I submit to you it is making them
worse, according to their statistics and facts.
He recently stated the American people would need to contribute
trillions of dollars to fix the climate. Trillions
[[Page H4828]]
of dollars. Mr. Chair, this is nonsense. This special envoy should not
exist. I am asking to prohibit any funds for it.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to
this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, climate change has resulted in
lives upended in Texas and Florida and has led to extreme flooding in
California, Vermont, and throughout the country.
These amendments today really give me a lot of angst. It seems like
we have so many climate deniers putting forth amendments which really
don't believe there is a climate crisis.
This crisis poses threats to the stability of countries, heightens
social and political tensions. It adversely affects food prices and
availability, and this is according to our own military. I will say it
again, our own military has said this. The need for foreign assistance
will only increase if we do not address this significant driver of
crises around the world.
No country can solve the climate crisis alone. This requires a
multilateral effort. Secretary Kerry is lending his energy, talents,
and experience as he collaborates with other countries to address these
concerns. His relationships with foreign leaders are a benefit to the
United States and our efforts.
Again, we should be thanking people who are serving the American
people, not demonizing them for it. Funding the Special Presidential
Envoy and its office is a requirement if we are to protect national
security, strengthen the economy, and leave behind a safer planet for
our children and our grandchildren.
Again, if I were a child today, I would be terrified about the future
and what it holds for me in terms of whether we will actually have a
planet for them to inherit.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, I submit to you that having a
multimillionaire fly around in a private jet does very little for the
image of global climate issues. I also submit to you that he has no
scientific background. He has not been elected nor has he even been
ordained by our U.S. Senate. I submit to you that this is not a good
issue, and tying the hands of this country while the folks in India,
China, and some of these other countries continue to pollute, to me, is
counterproductive.
Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), my friend.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding but
more importantly for bringing up this very important issue.
I think this particular czar, envoy, is really emblematic of a
serious issue. Here we have a person who travels the world, as the
gentleman has mentioned, in jets going to royal coronations, royal
weddings, lavish receptions in elite capitals around the world, and
then lectures the rest of us and pats himself on the back.
I thank the gentleman for bringing this issue up. That is why in this
bill we prohibit funding for all special envoys that are not authorized
in law or that have not been confirmed by the Senate. That eliminates
33 positions and their associated staff. This is potentially the most
dramatic example of wasteful spending, of virtue signaling while,
frankly, wasting taxpayer money. I commend the gentleman for bringing
this to our attention.
It is difficult to find a more obvious example of waste than the one
that we are dealing with here, so I strongly support the gentleman's
amendment, and I also thank him for emphasizing it, for bringing this
issue forward.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, let me just say a couple things
with respect to Secretary Kerry. He could be doing other things with
his life, quite frankly, yet here he is trying to address this climate
emergency, which is real, and he is trying to address this on behalf of
our country and for future generations.
I really feel very ashamed of what is taking place here on this
floor, especially as it relates to our public servants who are really
trying to lead, trying to lead not only our country, but lead on a
global scale to make sure that we have a planet for our children.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 68 Offered by Ms. Tenney
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 68
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. ___. The salary of Robert Malley, the United States
Special Envoy to Iran, shall be reduced to $1.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentlewoman
from New York (Ms. Tenney) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I rise today to introduce my amendment to
reduce the salary of Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley to $1.
While President Biden has made a series of bad political
appointments, Rob Malley, the special envoy, may be one of the worst.
Before even joining the administration, Rob Malley had a history of
legitimizing organizations like Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist
group. He has blamed Israel for Palestinian terrorist attacks, and has
helped negotiate the disastrous 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Despite his history, the Biden administration appointed Mr. Malley to
be the Special Envoy to Iran. Not only did Mr. Malley tarnish the great
work of previous envoys like Brian Hook and Elliott Abrams, but Malley
was working to circumvent U.S. law by striking a deal with Iran without
first disclosing the contents of this deal to Congress.
The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, otherwise known as INARA,
requires deals with Iran must be disclosed to Congress, whether in
writing or not. However, Mr. Malley worked for years and, according to
some reports, reached an oral agreement with Iran, yet still nothing
has been disclosed to Congress.
In June, Envoy Malley was placed on unpaid leave due to an
investigation into mishandling of classified information, which case
has been referred to the FBI for criminal investigation and
prosecution. Was Malley handing over State secrets to Iran? We still
don't know, and the administration is refusing again to update
Congress.
Most concerningly, a recent bombshell report revealed that three top
aides to Malley were part of an Iranian Government network. That is
right, the Special Envoy to Iran's self-appointed top aides were
potentially compromised Iranian assets. This is beyond incompetent.
This could be criminal. It could be treasonous, and it is the very
definition of harming U.S. national security.
While Mr. Malley is currently on unpaid leave pending an
investigation, he cannot be allowed to return to his post. For that
reason, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
{time} 1915
Unfortunately, my co-lead on this, Mr. Ogles from Tennessee, is not
able to be here.
Mr. Chair, this amendment is simple. The American people should not
be forced to support a top-level government official who surrounded
himself with foreign assets from a designated sponsor of terrorism.
If you care about U.S. national security, you should support this
amendment. If you oppose a corrupt nuclear deal with Iran and oppose
the despotic Iranian mullahs, you should support this amendment.
[[Page H4829]]
If you oppose state sponsors of terrorism having premier access to
the U.S. Government, then you should support this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to defund Rob Malley's salary and
make it clear that this House stands against compromised foreign
assets.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to
this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, once again, let me repeat this.
It is really despicable to target dedicated public servants and
threaten their livelihoods.
In this particular case, the amendment is targeted at someone on
leave from the Department. None of us have the information to judge the
situation.
As the State Department has said, it is a personnel matter, and it
needs to take its course. It is not a matter for Congress.
Again, if my colleagues have an issue with the policy being pursued,
then let's discuss that. We should not penalize public servants who are
representing the administration that they serve and who have dedicated
their careers to the United States.
Let me just remind you that the Iran nuclear deal did stop the
enrichment of uranium in Iran, and the world, quite frankly, is less
safe because of the previous President who pulled the United States out
of the JCPOA.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 69 Offered by Ms. Tenney
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 69
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to move the United States embassy in Israel to a
location other than Jerusalem.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentlewoman
from New York (Ms. Tenney) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to prohibit
any Federal funds to be used to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel out of
Jerusalem.
In October 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act. This bill
passed this Chamber by a vote of 374-27 and passed the Senate by a vote
of 93-5. That is overwhelming.
Members spanning the political spectrum from Speaker Gingrich to
Senator John Kerry voted for this bill requiring the President to move
the U.S. Embassy to its rightful capital in Jerusalem.
However, Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama waived this provision
every 6 months, often claiming that such a move would jeopardize the
peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This did
nothing to support the peace process, as Palestinian terrorism
continued to target Israeli citizens.
Finally, in 2018, President Trump fully implemented this law and
moved our U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the undisputed capital
of the State of Israel.
While some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle expressed
opposition to this move, it would be ludicrous to have our Embassy
outside the capital of one of our greatest allies.
The fact of the matter is that we cannot go back. We cannot allow the
Biden administration to move the Embassy out of Jerusalem again.
This amendment should not be controversial. Again, this was
originally passed in 1995 on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would prohibit
funds to move the United States Embassy in Israel out of Jerusalem.
The previous administration made the decision for the United States
Embassy to be located in Jerusalem, and that decision is in effect.
Let's not change our focus on keeping the government open on October
1 by taking time to debate matters that really are not issues. These
matters are not open.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, at this time, when Israel faces some of its
greatest threats such as Iran and Palestinian terrorism, we must stand
resolute with our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.
Any attempts to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem would
delegitimize Israel's sovereignty and would be counterproductive to
encouraging peace negotiations.
Any theoretical negotiation with the Palestinians must revolve around
the fact that Jerusalem is the undisputed capital of Israel and has
been since ancient times.
Some of my colleagues have argued that this amendment is unnecessary
since President Biden does not intend to move the Embassy. If that is
the case, then my colleagues should have no problem voting for this
amendment.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to stand with Israel, our
greatest ally in the Middle East, and support this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, once again, this is a total
waste of time. We are trying to keep the government open so that
people's lives won't be disrupted.
I don't know why we are doing this, but I urge my colleagues to
oppose this amendment and to focus on keeping this government open, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from New York
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 70 Offered by Mr. Roy
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 70
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title) insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be
used to implement any of the following executive orders:
(1) Executive Order 13990, relating to Protecting Public
Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle
the Climate Crisis.
(2) Executive Order 14008, relating to Tackling the Climate
Crisis at Home and Abroad.
(3) Section 6 of Executive Order 14013, relating to
Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs To Resettle Refugees and
Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration.
(4) Executive Order 14030, relating to Climate-Related
Financial Risk.
(5) Executive Order 14057, relating to Catalyzing Clean
Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability.
(6) Executive Order 14082, relating to Implementation of
the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022.
(7) Executive Order 14096, relating to Revitalizing Our
Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Roy) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Florida for all of his
work on this legislation and the underlying bill.
[[Page H4830]]
I offer an amendment that would prohibit any of the funding made
available in the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act from being used to carry out President Biden's
executive orders on climate change.
Now, I do want to pause for a minute before I describe my amendment
to thank the gentlewoman for our work together in trying to address
ongoing authorizations for use of military force that have long since
come and gone and that Congress needs to ax.
Congress needs to dispense with the 2002 and 1991 AUMFs that no
longer, I think, are relevant, and I appreciate working with the
gentlewoman to that end.
I hope we will see some movement on that at some point and would ask
leadership, at least on this side of the aisle, to follow through and
bring a vote forward. The Senate has dispensed with `02 and `91, and we
need to address them here.
I would note, in response to the gentlewoman with respect to what she
said to my colleague from New York about averting a shutdown and what
we are doing here, what we are doing here is trying to move bills
through regular order. Now, I have conceded that I wish this were July
or August or earlier in September, but we are, in fact, doing our job.
Only four times in 50 years--and I am 51 years old, so four times in
my lifetime--have we managed to move 12 appropriations bills through on
time. That is absurd.
We are not going to do it this time. We are not going to get 12 bills
through on time, but what we are trying to do is restore muscle memory
in this place to actually do our job of getting appropriations bills
out of committee, onto the floor, debated, passed, sent to conference
committee, and do our work of actually legislating.
It is an important thing, and we should do it. Again, I would have
done it earlier, but here we are. We ought to finish the job.
If we do our job, and we do our job tonight, hopefully, the House
will have moved legislation that will fund upward of 73 percent of
government. That is a good thing.
We can move forward with figuring out how to get the rest of our work
done. We can have a debate.
If there is any kind of a shutdown, I want my constituents and the
rest of the American people to understand that it is because the
President of the United States and the Senate majority leader, a
Democrat, are choosing to shut down government rather than shut down an
open border that is damaging the United States, undermining our
security, endangering our citizens, endangering migrants, empowering
cartels, and empowering China, rather than doing their job.
Mr. Chairman, 304,000 encounters in August, 11,000 in Eagle Pass 2
nights ago, thousands of Americans dying from fentanyl poisoning.
They say, okay, well, why bring up amendments? Because we are trying
to move forward this bill, which deals with State and foreign
operations, and we have an administration that while also ignoring
securing the border is using the State Department and all the functions
of government to advance a radical climate agenda that is undermining
our national security and empowering our enemies, empowering China by
pursuing more technology that is created by China rather than advancing
things like American natural gas.
I believe it is important, and I am offering this amendment to say
let's not have funding to carry out the executive orders of the
President that are marching forward on things like empowering John
Kerry to jet set around the world, to go around saying, oh, let's go
combat climate change while I fly in my fancy jet.
Meanwhile, India and China are pumping out coal faster than we can
even talk about it. There are 1,100 coal-fired plants in China. They
are building two a week.
We think somehow that we are going to convert our entire internal
combustion engine fleet of cars in this country to EVs and solve the
problem when, in fact, it will, at most, dent CO2 by about a
percentage point.
Let's get real. Let's have policies that actually advance the cause
of America.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to
this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, President Biden's executive
orders on climate change were issued to ensure the United States' focus
on the climate crisis remains front and center. This is a climate
emergency.
It is clear from the science that the most existential crisis the
world faces is from the growing climate crisis. Without intervention,
our warming planet will continue to have negative impacts on our
country and throughout the world.
Climate-related foreign assistance can help developing countries
adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels,
droughts, and floods, and build an energy grid that is constructed for
the next century, not the last one.
This is not something we can wait to worry about. This is an
emergency, Mr. Chairman. Rising coastlines and hazardous temperatures
mean that there are countries that might literally not exist in a
generation because of the changes that are already happening.
Once again, I was in Egypt at the COP27 conference. This is all we
heard about. This is an emergency.
Let me just say: The need for foreign assistance will only increase,
and my colleagues know this, if we don't address the changes that we
are seeing in the climate now.
Yes, to my friend and colleague, every now and then there are
glimmers of hope on bipartisanship. I enjoy working with you and hope
that we can get the repeal of these AUMFs to the floor, but let me just
say we have to find where we can find common ground, and we are working
to do that here in this body.
When it comes to shutting down the government, the President is not
trying to shut down the government. I mean, every single hour there is
a change in the goalpost from your side, not from our side. We just
want to keep the government open so that people's lives won't be
impacted.
We are trying to figure it out, but we have to have a partner in
trying to figure it out. Hopefully, we will be able to pass a
continuing resolution until we can get this resolved, hopefully, in a
bipartisan manner.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Chair, my Democratic colleagues claim they are saving
the world by pursuing renewable energy. They always neglect to mention
the important part. The Congo produces 70 percent of the world's
cobalt, a key component of the EV batteries they promote. These mines
are powered by what NPR, that bastion of conservatism, described as
modern-day slavery.
Let's stop this foolishness. Let's focus on putting America first,
and let's make sure we end President Biden's executive orders.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman, finally, let me just say our
young people are watching. Our young people are relying on us to
address this emergency in a way that is going to make sure that they
have a planet to live on when they grow up.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
{time} 1930
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.
Amendment No. 71 Offered by Mr. Davidson
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 71
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
[[Page H4831]]
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. ___. The salary of Victoria Nuland, Acting United
States Deputy Secretary of State and Under Secretary for
Political Affairs, shall be reduced to $1.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Davidson) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would reduce the salary of
Victoria Nuland to $1. She is currently the Acting U.S. Deputy
Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State for Political
Affairs.
Presidents have come and gone. Victoria Nuland remains at the State
Department. She last served in four administrations as a pillar of the
State Department. Normally, such a long period of service would be
marked with gratitude, so why propose to effectively remove her?
President Eisenhower cautioned us about people like Victoria Nuland
who would put their own interest at odds with America's interests.
We have come to call them endless wars or an ``America Last'' foreign
policy, but Eisenhower called it the ``military-industrial complex.''
She is exhibit A on how America could actually get in fewer wars if
we cleaned house at the State Department and had a more focused foreign
policy.
Officially, the State Department is supposed to promote America's
interests. If anyone at the State Department has represented the
neoconservative consensus that has left America less free, less safe,
and more burdened by debt over this last generation, it is Secretary
Nuland.
She hangs the American people out to dry while escalating tensions
and pushing through regime change everywhere she can find an
opportunity.
From 2003 to 2005, Nuland served as the principal deputy foreign
policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. She championed the Iraq
war and created the case for regime change and nation-building, though
the official threat was weapons of mass destruction and ties to
terrorism.
From 2005 to 2008, during President Bush's second term, Nuland served
as U.S. Ambassador to NATO where she concentrated on strengthening
allied support for NATO intervention in Iraq, dramatically expanding
the scope of NATO.
In 2011, Nuland became the State Department's spokesperson under
Hillary Clinton. Yet again, she cheered for another regime change, this
time in Libya. Her campaign led to toppling the government, the murder
of Muammar Gaddafi and an enormous and ongoing refugee crisis, frankly
one that continues out of Iraq, as well.
Similar to the effects in Iraq, this intervention turned a once-
stable Libya into a failed terrorist state.
What was Nuland and the uniparty's response?
Well, in the words of Hillary Clinton, ``We came. We saw. He died.''
They left out the part about chaos and instability.
Rather than a solution to create and promote peace, they have
promoted chaos and disorder. Immediately after, her newest narrative to
justify, a regime change in Syria began. We still have U.S. troops in
Syria, though that is a more effective way to fight ISIS than the way
we fought for nation-building in Iraq.
In 2013, Nuland was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs. While she couldn't get brigades of armor
deployed to Syria like she did in Iraq, she swiftly started
destabilizing things in Ukraine. She used this position to meddle in
Ukraine's elections, manage violent protests on the ground, facilitate
a coup, and in addition, she began to campaign for NATO expansion.
In 2017, Nuland played an active role in spreading actual
disinformation via the Steele dossier, whose claims had no factual
basis.
Nuland has never been held responsible for any of these actions.
Instead she has been elevated as the face of Washington's uniparty
foreign policy agenda. Wherever she goes, war follows.
Sadly, those wars have been in conflict with America's national
security interest. She spent her time in the Biden administration as an
avid supporter for regime change in Russia. In addition, she has been
vocal about her desire to transform NATO into an offensive treaty that
projects power around the world.
Her actions have yielded disastrous results for the American people,
and it is far beyond time that she is held accountable. This amendment
is a great place to start.
I urge my colleagues to support it, and I urge the Biden
administration to part ways with Secretary Nuland.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, Ambassador Nuland has proudly
represented the United States for 33 years and has been confirmed by
the Senate several times.
Mr. Chair, if I were about to make a decision about my career, what I
am hearing today would be really upsetting. I definitely would not make
a decision to go into the Foreign Service, because my whole life could
be destroyed if I made that decision.
It is really despicable that we are targeting public servants,
threatening their livelihoods, and really making these amendments a
disincentive for people of great talent to serve our country abroad. It
is really a shame and disgrace.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleague's comments.
Frankly, I hope that is the message that is received. If you came to
serve the United States Government to advance your own interests
instead of the Nation's, I hope you choose not to go into the Foreign
Service.
That is exactly the message I want to send to Victoria Nuland and
everyone else in the State Department.
Frankly, I hope we go far beyond this and eliminate whole sections
and floors of the current staff there. This amendment is a start, not a
finish line.
Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support the amendment, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio will be
postponed.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, as the designee of the gentlewoman
from Texas (Ms. Granger), I move to strike the last word.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chairman, I rise to discuss a very serious
concern about the lack of cooperation from the Government of The
Bahamas. It is something that concerns me and Congressman Graves, my
colleague from Louisiana.
I greatly appreciate the gentleman's concern and his impassioned and
relentless search for answers that unfortunately still remain after a
horrific tragedy that happened to one of his constituents. Obviously, I
share his concerns, and I am grateful that he is standing up.
I am prepared to work with him so that we get the answers that he
deserves, that his constituents deserve, and that all of us are
entitled to. Again, I thank him for bringing this very important issue
to the attention of the House. This is something we will continue to
pursue.
Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Chairman, I start by thanking my friend,
Chairman Diaz-Balart for his hard work on State and Foreign Operations
appropriations legislation. I know he and his staff have worked
tirelessly over the last several months to get this bill in the
position it is in now, and I thank them for their hard work on this.
Mr. Chairman, earlier this year, May 24, my constituent, Cameron
Robbins--
[[Page H4832]]
along with probably hundreds of other high school graduates from the
Baton Rouge area--went on a trip to The Bahamas to celebrate his high
school graduation. Tragically, Cameron went overboard on a sunset
cruise a few hours after arriving.
Mr. Chair, I think we got the first call around midnight. We were on
the phone until 4 a.m., working, literally overnight, waking up
admirals and captains and all kinds of folks from the United States
Coast Guard, and working with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to ensure
there were appropriate search-and-rescue efforts to find Cameron.
Regrettably, Mr. Chairman, despite the efforts of the United States
Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Cameron's body was
never found.
You can imagine the tragic impact on the family, on the students, and
on the entire community.
Mr. Chairman, the Bahamian Government is our friend. We are allies.
We are obviously very close, and we have close economic relationships.
The police in The Bahamas conducted a very extensive investigation.
They interviewed students who were nearby to find out what happened.
They interviewed the captain of the vessel; interviewed everyone who
was involved.
Mr. Chairman, you can imagine the family at this point.
We simply asked: Could you please just share your investigation
report? That is it. Just share the investigation report. The family
just wants to learn as much as they can about this tragedy.
I am going to say it again, Mr. Chairman: Cameron's body was never
recovered.
Unfortunately, the Bahamian Government and the Royal Bahamas Police
Force have not provided anything, have not provided any answers.
We sent our Coast Guard over to do search-and-rescue missions. We had
surface ships, we had helos, we had aircraft over there. The Bahamian
Government has provided nothing. They have been totally unresponsive.
They haven't responded to me, and they haven't responded to the State
Department.
Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record a letter to Prime Minister
Davis of The Bahamas.
Congress of the United States,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, September 4, 2023.
Hon. Philip E.B. Davis,
Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Harold DeGregory Complex,
Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Your direct help is needed to
acquire the police report on Cameron Crossley Robbins (DOB 1/
11/2004), a United States citizen who went missing off
Paradise Island on 24/5/2023. Mr. Robbins and his family are
constituents who I represent.
While on a boating excursion aboard the Pirates Revenge an
accident ensued that caused Cameron Robbins to go missing. We
are aware that the Royal Bahamas Police Force interviewed
most of the passengers and crew of the Pirates Revenge, among
others. We believe the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the
Royal Bahamas Defence Force have comprehensive, helpful
information regarding the incident.
As you may know, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force initiated
search and rescue efforts, then quickly requested the support
of the United States Coast Guard to lead the search and
rescue, which they did for three days until The Royal Bahamas
Defence Force called off the search. The United States Coast
Guard has provided us all the information they have gathered
regarding the incident and search.
We believe the Royal Bahamas Police Force has the authority
to share their report with the Robbins family, and we
therefore respectfully request that you do everything in your
power to help provide the family with the police report.
I am sure you agree that it is inconceivable how any of
this information should remain inaccessible to the family.
Thank you in advance for your courtesy and cooperation. It is
greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Garret Graves,
Member of Congress.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Chairman, I do have an amendment that
would restrict funds for the Bahamian Government contingent upon their
cooperation of simply sharing information and discussing this with the
chairman and the ranking member of the State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs Subcommittee.
Mr. Chair, I will not offer that amendment right now, but I would ask
the chairman and the ranking member to please work with us on this
matter.
I will say it again. The Bahamian Government is our friend. They are
our allies. However, this is a tragic situation.
I would ask the chairman to put himself in the place of the parents,
and work with us to help us get the information that the family is
looking for.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I again thank the gentleman for bringing
this forward. It is important that everyone realizes that we are going
to continue to work on this. There needs to be transparency and we need
to get answers.
The gentleman has my commitment that I will do everything and
anything that I can to work with him to get those answers and to make
sure that the family of this American who was lost much too soon
understands that everything has been done to get those answers.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for bringing this to the floor,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 72 will
not be offered.
Amendment No. 73 Offered by Mr. Steube
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 73
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), add the
following:
Sec. _. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to provide assistance to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Steube) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Chairman, the United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization, also known as UNESCO, is incredibly corrupt
and mismanaged.
This organization has a long history of anti-American bias and anti-
Israel bias. They have even honored countries like China that
consistently violate human rights.
My amendment ensures that no taxpayer dollars go towards funding
UNESCO. We must ensure that funds appropriated by this Congress are
used in the interest of the American people.
Why on Earth would we give American taxpayer dollars to organizations
that hate America and favor our adversaries? President Trump was right
to remove our country's membership in UNESCO. It is unconscionable that
the Biden administration has chosen to rejoin UNESCO and, with that,
pay over $600 million in back dues.
Funding UNESCO is the opposite of America first. This Congress should
not provide a single dollar to organizations that seek to disparage
America and their allies.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chairman the United States once again
became a proud member of UNESCO this past July. This decision was a
huge achievement. It involved several years of negotiation, and it
absolutely is in the United States' interest, something only the United
States should be able to decide.
{time} 1945
It is wrong to let another party make that decision for us.
Debates currently at UNESCO range from protection of world heritage
sites to the evolution of artificial intelligence to the responsibility
of nations to respect media freedoms to the equitable access to
education, and importantly, the toll of the Holocaust.
The United States should be part of these discussions, making sure
that our values are reflected.
We are fighting for our values. Already since we rejoined in July, we
have been able to successfully advocate for the direct participation of
Israel in a recent meeting in Saudi Arabia--a diplomatic achievement in
everyone's interest.
[[Page H4833]]
Participation in international institutions like UNESCO are in the
best interest of the United States of America.
I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STEUBE. Mr. Chair, we need to put America first. We need to fix
the spending problem that we have here in Washington. We have $33
trillion in debt.
When I was first elected to Congress only 5 years ago, we had $21
trillion in debt; now we have $33 trillion in debt. We are running a $2
trillion deficit every single year to give money to an organization
that is anti-American and anti-Israel. It is not putting America first.
It is not putting the taxpayers' dollars to good use in this country.
Mr. Chair, I ask Members to support my amendment, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, putting America first actually
means our relationships throughout the world in terms of what we invest
in and how we raise our concerns and our values and what we do to bring
the world together in peace and security.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida will
be postponed.
Amendment No. 74 Offered by Mr. Perry
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 74
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be made available for the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, let me say from the outset that I certainly
appreciate that the bill's drafters prohibit assessed contributions to
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, also known as UNRWA.
Now, that is a nice-sounding name. Unfortunately, what the
organization does is not so nice. This amendment applies a bill-wide
prohibition on making any ``funds appropriated to otherwise made
available by this act'' for UNRWA.
The issues with UNRWA have been well established and well known in
this town and around the globe. They effectively turned a blind eye to
terrorists storing weapons at their facilities in 2014 and hired staff
with ties to terrorist organizations.
Further, and almost maybe even more disturbing, the curriculum of
UNRWA's schools, which uses the textbooks of the host government or
authorities, has long contained materials that are anti-American, anti-
Israel, anti-Semitic, and supportive of violence--direct violence. It
just can't be understated, and that is not histrionic. That is not
hyperbole. That is what it is.
As recently as 2022, watchdog organizations found that UNRWA
educational material still contains anti-Semitic and otherwise
objectionable material even though it has been brought up time and time
again. Yet we keep paying for it, and they keep doing it because they
don't care. Why would they care? We keep paying for it.
Not one more dime of our taxpayer money should go toward an agency
that has continuously promoted hatred toward this country, toward our
taxpayers, toward the things we believe in, and toward our allies--in
particular Israel.
I absolutely urge support of this amendment. I don't quite honestly
understand why we have to do this.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, stripping Palestinians of food,
housing, healthcare, education, and opportunities to strengthen their
livelihoods only threatens to ignite further unrest, instability, and
distress. Such a cutoff would not only affect the West Bank in Gaza,
but Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, as well.
Now, along with our Ranking Member DeLauro, I have visited UNRWA
schools, and I can tell you that these young people are grateful to
America for our support. Yes, our absence, of course, invites other
countries.
I want these young people to remember who supports them and who is
looking out for them.
This bill already puts oversight and accountability requirements on
UNRWA before funding can be made available. A total suspension of aid
would make it much harder for UNRWA to make sure that these controls
are in place and to do proper monitoring, while at the same time
cutting off essential services to the Palestinian people that currently
are only provided by UNRWA.
This is morally wrong.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, oversight. I am sure there is always oversight.
There is going to be oversight again with this bill and the next bill
and with the authorization, the State Department authorization. The
oversight and accountability haven't gleaned any results.
I have been in the hearings. I have seen the textbooks. I am sure the
gentlewoman from the other side has seen them, as well.
As long as we keep paying, they are going to keep doing it. We can
provide all the oversight we want to, but no one is going to be held
accountable. You know how I know that? Because they have been doing it,
and no one has been held accountable.
I am sure they are grateful. I am sure the students are grateful to
receive the textbooks. I am sure the population is grateful to receive
our money as they thumb their nose at us and do things that are
antithetical to every single person in this country that is paying the
bill.
It is long past time that we say enough. If you are not going to
respect and appreciate what we give you appropriately, then we are not
going to give it to you until you can get your act together and stop
espousing violence to the very people--biting the hand that feeds you.
That is what it is. It is biting the hand that feeds you, Mr. Chair.
Until they are willing to do that, there is only one way to send a
message--and that is to quit funding our own demise.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. A couple of facts. One, UNRWA reviews all host
country textbooks used in its schools to ensure consistency with the
United Nations' positions, educational appropriateness, and UNESCO
standards.
Secondly, UNRWA has a zero tolerance policy with regard to staff
neutrality violations and takes all such violations seriously,
including those raised by organizations.
Investigations are launched with involved staff members placed on
administrative leave pending investigation. Where allegations are found
to be true and, thus, contrary to UNRWA's regulations and rules,
appropriate disciplinary measures are imposed up to and including
dismissal. Like any other organization which we provide resources to,
UNRWA has accountability mechanisms in place and, in fact, follows up
with regard to any charges that the gentleman has raised.
The damage that is going to be done through this amendment is a
damage that is really damaging, first of all, to the children who
benefit from UNRWA investments from this country, but it is also
damaging to our leadership as it relates to being a real leader in
terms of our efforts to seek global peace and
[[Page H4834]]
security. That is what this bill really should be about.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chair, let me just tell you what I think is damaging
to our leadership: having our allies see us pay with our hard-earned
tax dollars for their adversaries to promote violence toward them. I
think that is damaging. If I were those allies, I would be questioning
how that is helpful.
Now, I am glad that my colleague brought up the fact that the
textbooks are checked and that we should know what is in them and there
are constant reviews and so on and so forth. Mr. Chair, we can't trust
the textbooks in our schools in our own towns in this country. You
think we know what is going on in the Middle East with the money we are
paying for theirs? I suggest we don't.
As far as consistency and educational appropriateness, let me remind
everybody, this is the same organization that pays stipends for people
that go kill Jews and Americans. They pay stipends for that. So, of
course, it is culturally appropriate. It is educationally appropriate.
It is consistent. It is consistent with their message of hatred, and we
are paying for it, and that is why we should end this now.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. CARSON. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition of the Perry
amendment No. 74, which prohibits any funds from being made available
for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) through the FY
24 Appropriations for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs (SFOPs). The subcommittee for State and Foreign
Operations has, in a bipartisan manner, supported the Biden
Administration's decision to reengage with the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency (UNRWA), including its inclusion in the Fiscal Year
2023 bill of additional funding from previous years for food assistance
to refugees in the West Bank and Gaza. It is imperative that we put
aside political agendas and instead make policy-based decisions that
benefit our national security and humanitarian core values.
Like other reengagements with the United Nations (UN) system, the
Department of State's strategic partnership with UNRWA is clearly
demonstrating the benefits of U.S. financial support. Earlier this
year, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield told UN Security Council members,
``At this moment of heightened tensions, we must be sure to support
UNRWA, which serves as a lifeline to Palestinians and plays an
important stabilizing role in the region.'' Four out of the Agency's
five fields of operation are in crisis: ranging from the aftermaths of
a terrible natural disaster, a seriously deteriorating security
situation, and unprecedented financial and economic collapse.
Continuing UNRWA's life-saving humanitarian and human development
mission on behalf of Palestinian refugees requires more, not less U.S.
support.
This cruel amendment deprives innocent people of food, healthcare,
and education. It robs refugees of any hope for a better life for them
and their children. Unfortunately, Mr. Chair, when I make the argument
for Palestinian existence and basic human rights, it's sadly not
compelling enough for some Members, so let me also make the case from a
national security perspective. This amendment undermines our national
security--not only for Palestinian stability, but also Israeli
stability in the region.
Let's think Gaza: How is Israel safer if we choose to deliberately
starve Palestinians or deny them healthcare? How is Israel safer when
300,000 girls and boys are no longer in school? Ending the UNRWA
mission in Gaza alone will result in recruitment by extremist groups
among Gaza youth, who are already facing 70 percent unemployment. This
is not a good amendment from any standpoint and for any party.
Let's think Lebanon: UNRWA educates 40,000 Lebanese girls and boys,
its health system has almost 600,000 annual patient visits, and it aids
the most desperately poor, living in a place where people give serious
consideration to crossing the Mediterranean despite knowing the chances
of surviving the trip are, at best, a coin flip.
Let's think Jordan: Our other ally, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
which is comprised of approximately 50 percent Palestinian Jordanians,
strongly supports the UNRWA mission and has taken a leadership role in
trying to stabilize UNRWA's long-term financial situation.
Finally let's think Israel itself: Israeli security officials
recently told the International Crisis Group that ``UNRWA's demise and
the corresponding collapse in services would wreak havoc in the West
Bank and Gaza, or--just as importantly for Israeli interests--in Jordan
and Lebanon, presenting Israel with unprecedented new security
challenges.''
Earlier this month, I led, with Senator Sanders, a bicameral letter
signed by over 50 Members of Congress and Senators to Ranking Member
Risch, calling for the release of his individual hold on previously
appropriated and enacted funds to UNRWA for FY23. This abuse of
congressional courtesy is unacceptable; no one Senator or Member should
be able to indefinitely hold monies that we as a body have voted to
appropriate. I not only call for an increase of funds to UNRWA for
FY24, I strongly oppose the Perry No. 74 amendment, and I call on my
colleague in the Senate to release the FY23 funds immediately.
The far-right attack on UNRWA is not evidence based. Instead, it will
cause more instability. The United States, as a nation of refugees and
immigrants, should be leading by example, and not voting to cruelly cut
off desperately needed humanitarian assistance that UNRWA provides. I
urge all my colleagues to vote against this dangerous proposal.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
will be postponed.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment 75 will not be
offered.
Amendment No. 76 Offered by Mr. Ogles
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 76
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act may be made available in contravention
of the notice entitled ``In the Matter of the Designation of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (and Other Aliases) as
a Foreign Terrorist Organization'' issued by the Department
of State on April 15, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 15278).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, April 15, 2019, under the leadership of
President Trump, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was designated a
foreign terrorist organization.
That is important because the IRGC is guilty of killing and injuring
thousands of Americans. They maintain the largest inventory of
ballistic missiles in the region. They have developed a range of
unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs. They support terrorists in Yemen like
Hezbollah and Hamas, oftentimes in violation of international
sanctions.
They wield considerable influence on the government of Iraq and
frequently threaten the very existence of our ally and our partner, the
State of Israel, like they did earlier this month.
The President of Iran just used the U.N. General Assembly as a
backdrop for calling for the assassination of an American citizen or
American citizens and cited the elimination of Soleimani, the former
head of the IRGC, as justification.
Iran will employ all tools and capacities in order to bring justice,
they said, to the perpetrator and all those who had a hand in
Soleimani's killing.
These are the words of an enemy, and we should spend no funds in
overturning that designation. This should be a bipartisan bill. It
should have a vote.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although
I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman
from Florida?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5
minutes.
[[Page H4835]]
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of this
amendment, which would prohibit funds, as the gentleman said, to delist
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist
organization, very simply.
I would note that section 7041 in our bill contains substantially the
same limitation, one of several provisions designed to counter Iran's
nuclear program and its terrorist activities around the globe.
{time} 2000
In addition, the bill provides funding to enforce a future agreement,
any future agreement, related to the nuclear program of Iran until such
an agreement is submitted to Congress and receives the advice and
consent of the Senate. It is not that complicated.
Let's be clear. With the administration's just recent decision to
waive sanctions and facilitate a transfer of $6 billion to fund the
mullahs in Iran, the world's top state sponsor of terrorism, this
debate, this issue, could not come at a more timely moment.
I applaud the gentleman for bringing this issue. It is an issue that
all of us should be on the same side on, as he mentioned, because we
have to continue to counter Iran.
Mr. Chair, I strongly urge the support of this timely and important
amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I support the chairman, and I want to put a
finer point on it.
In front of the U.N. General Assembly, and I continue, they will
``not rest until that is done,'' that being death to Americans. ``The
blood of the oppressed will not be forgotten, and the ropes of the
guilty will bring them to justice.''
These folks intend to kill Americans. These folks intend to topple
and attack our ally, which is Israel, and I will not stand for it.
I stand before you, Mr. Chair, and ask adoption of this amendment. I
urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--this should not be a
partisan issue. We are talking about the lives of Americans.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. OGLES. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 77 Offered by Mr. Massie
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 77
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), add the
following:
Sec. _. None of the funds made available by this Act may
be used to transfer cluster munitions to any foreign country.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Kentucky (Mr. Massie) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bipartisan
amendment.
This amendment is very simple. It states that: ``None of the funds
made available by this act may be used to transfer cluster munitions to
any foreign country.''
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Florida is recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I respectfully rise in opposition to the
amendment, which would impose a blanket prohibition on the transfer of
cluster munitions to any ally or partner abroad.
Although the bill contains a longstanding limitation on the use
abroad of U.S. cluster munitions, it does permit the transfer of these
weapons where the dud rate is 1 percent or less. The bill also allows
the transfer of related assistance where the purpose is for
demilitarization or permanently disposing of such munitions.
This amendment, however, goes beyond the restrictions in this bill.
It would ban the transfer of those weapons to any foreign partner under
any circumstances, whether to respond to a conflict potentially in the
Korean Peninsula, to support Taiwan, or in the event of a Communist
Chinese invasion or other unforeseen potential issues.
I say this respectfully: It would, I think, unwisely tie the hands of
our military in any potential future conflict.
For those reasons, I respectfully urge defeat of this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lee), my friend on the other side of the aisle.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my colleague's
amendment, and I thank Representatives Massie and McGovern for offering
it.
Cluster bombs are some of the most inhumane weapons on Earth. The
United States should not use or stockpile these weapons, and we
certainly should not be transferring them to any other nation.
Cluster bombs undermine our efforts to promote human rights and
dignity everywhere. At a time when we are trying to mobilize the world
in defense of human dignity in Ukraine, our cause is undermined by the
continued existence of these weapons in the United States' arsenal.
Cluster munitions leave bomblets spread over an indiscriminate area,
often lying undetonated for generations. Unexploded cluster munitions
have maimed or killed countless civilians over the last few decades,
including an outrageous number of children.
We are still spending millions of dollars to clean up cluster
munitions used in Southeast Asia decades ago. We cannot be complicit in
their further spread.
Nearly 125 countries have banned their use by signing onto the United
Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions. For years, this bill, the
SFOPS bill, has carried language severely limiting their transfer to
other countries.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from California.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, let me reiterate that nearly 125
countries have banned their use by signing onto the United States
Convention on Cluster Munitions.
For years, the SFOPS bill, our bill, has carried language severely
limiting their transfer to other countries, but this has not proven to
be enough. A complete ban is overdue, and I am proud to support this
amendment.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Titus), my friend on the other side of the aisle.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chair, I join my colleagues in support of this vital
amendment to avert more widespread harm to civilians in areas
contaminated by unexploded ordnance. We should ban these cluster bombs
and the transfer of them to other countries.
Thousands of communities across Southeast Asia, the Caucasus, and
Eastern Europe face lingering dangers from landmines and explosive
remnants of war dating back to World War II, the Vietnam war, and the
Indochina wars. Many Pacific island nations are still contaminated by
unexploded ordnance following World War II battles between Japan and
the Allied forces.
Cluster munitions have continued to be lethal decades after they were
originally deployed. Laos, the most heavily bombed country per capita
in history, has suffered an estimated 50,000 civilian casualties from
explosive remnants of war since 1964. Cambodia and Vietnam have seen
over 64,000 and 105,000 casualties since 1975, respectively.
If you have visited these countries, you may have encountered little
musical groups on the streets of the victims
[[Page H4836]]
of these cluster bombs. As you heard, what is really tragic is about
two-thirds of those who are injured or killed are children.
The land in Ukraine that has been contaminated by explosive ordnance
has increased tenfold and now takes up 30 percent of the country,
representing an area the size of Florida or twice the size of the
entire country of Portugal.
There is a reason why a vast majority of the international community,
our allies, have banned cluster bombs. It is time for the U.S. to
follow suit.
Mr. Chair, I am pleased to support this amendment, and I thank my
colleagues for bringing it.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Chair, over the past year, our country has been
engaged in a proxy war with Russia. We are on a path to a hot war where
we will be directly involved if we don't change that path now. It is
shortsighted to use cluster bombs there, to transfer those munitions.
It will represent an escalation in the war that could draw us further
into that conflict.
I agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It is a
good idea not to transfer these to any other country.
Now, some have said to me, on previous amendments here on the floor,
that they think we shouldn't be limiting our military.
I want to be clear. This amendment does not limit our own military.
What it says is we will not transfer these munitions to other
countries. I think that is wise, and it is the prudent thing to do. We
shouldn't be providing them to any other country, certainly not under
the guise of world peace, because they last, as my colleagues have
said, for years and years in many cases.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Kentucky
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 78 Offered by Mr. Burgess
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 78
printed in part D of House Report 118-216.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the
following:
Sec. __. The total amounts appropriated or otherwise made
available by this Act for providing foreign assistance to the
following countries are hereby reduced as follows:
(1) For Guatemala, by $908,773,200.
(2) For Honduras, by $560,732,400.
(3) For El Salvador, by $251,362,800.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 723, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Burgess) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chair, I want to speak in support of my amendment to
H.R. 4665, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 2024.
This amendment would reduce foreign assistance to three Central
American countries based on the number of unaccompanied children from
each of those countries that were referred to the Office of Refugee
Resettlement custody in the previous year.
Mr. Chair, for the last 5 fiscal years, the United States has
provided more than $3 billion of foreign assistance for Central
American countries.
For fiscal year 2022, the Department of Homeland Security referred
almost 130,000 unaccompanied children to the Office of Refugee
Resettlement. Forty-seven percent of those children were from
Guatemala, 29 percent from Honduras, and 13 percent from El Salvador.
Eleven percent were from other countries.
On average, providing care for an unaccompanied alien child costs the
Office of Refugee Resettlement $500 per day, with the average length of
stay in ORR custody being 30 days. This means the average total cost of
care for an unaccompanied alien child in ORR custody in fiscal year
2022 was $15,000 per child. In aggregate, it was nearly $2 billion to
take care of these unaccompanied alien children.
Mr. Chair, this is a crisis that only continues to get worse in 2023
because of the very dangerous and volatile open border policies of this
administration.
We know the deal in Washington. If you want to make something
important to someone, you make it about their money. I want these
countries of origin to take better care of their citizens so that they
do not undertake the dangerous irregular migration to this country.
For 5 years, I have tried to push this point, and those countries
have done nothing to make it less likely that a child will undertake
that dangerous path to come to the United States with irregular
immigration.
Passing this amendment sends a very strong message. We need to
incentivize these countries to better serve their children and better
serve their future.
This amendment will provide a real, tangible, monetary incentive to
those countries to combat factors that are driving irregular migration.
Mr. Chair, I urge everyone to vote for this amendment, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Chair, I can't even imagine the dire
straits that would lead me to send my child on their own on a perilous
journey to face an uncertain situation at the United States border. No
one does that willingly or without exhausting every other alternative.
I have been to the border many times. I was born and raised in El
Paso, Texas, a border town. I talk to everyone I meet and ask them
about the circumstances and why they left their homes. Ninety-nine
percent said they did not want to leave where they lived. No one wants
to leave their homes.
For this amendment to suggest that countries are intentionally
sending their youth away or that somehow this desperation would be
improved by taking away the education, anticorruption, or nutrition
programming that this assistance pays for is ignorant at best and
cynical at worst.
The gentleman's amendment cut three times the assistance we provide
to Guatemala. That is three times for the last full programming year.
It cuts double the assistance for Honduras and Guatemala. It is un-
implementable, and it is really very cynical and dangerous.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 2015
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chair, I would only point out that the American
taxpayer is being hit twice in this exchange. One, they send tax
dollars to other countries so that those countries can take care of
their own children, but they don't spend the money on the children.
They spend it on other things. Then, the American taxpayer has to step
up again and be charged again for the care and feeding of that child
while in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
I wish this amendment were not necessary. I wish those countries
would take care of their own citizens so it was not necessary for them
to undergo irregular migration. For over 5 years, I have been trying.
It has not helped. This is the way to get their attention.
Mr. Chair, I urge support of my amendment, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
[[Page H4837]]
Massie) having assumed the chair, Mr. Yakym, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4665)
making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations,
and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and
for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.
____________________