[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16741]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 UNRWA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, for years, I have been pushing for the 
United States to reexamine its relationship with UNRWA, the U.N. Relief 
and Works Agency.
  UNRWA employs individuals affiliated with Hamas, a U.S.-designated 
terrorist organization that openly and loudly incites violence against 
Israel; yet the United States--which means the U.S. taxpayer--sends 
nearly $300 million a year to this organization, to UNRWA without 
questioning, without scrutiny.
  Just last week, the U.N. quietly suspended several individuals after 
allegations of incitement were brought forth from the NGO U.N. Watch. 
And we thank U.N. Watch for carefully looking over this organization.
  These allegations, Mr. Speaker, are just the tip of the iceberg. We 
must not continue to send taxpayer dollars to UNRWA--again, that is the 
United Nations Relief and Works Agency--and, subsequently, to 
individuals tied to the terror group Hamas in violation of our laws.
  That is why, Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I reintroduced my bill 
that would stop all U.S. contributions to UNRWA until the organization 
purges its payroll of individuals who incite violence against Israel 
and until that organization ends all its affiliations with Hamas. Is 
that really too much to ask, that we should demand that before U.N. 
agencies get one penny of U.S. taxpayer money that they must not incite 
violence and that they must no longer affiliate themselves with a U.S.-
designated terrorist organization?
  So I urge my colleagues to support this measure, to sign on as 
cosponsors, and to lead in the effort to fight the incitement to 
violence against Israel.


                        Honoring Jacinto Acebal

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary south Floridian and one of the most highly decorated 
veterans of the Vietnam war, my dear friend Jacinto Acebal.
  Just last January, Mr. Acebal--or ``Ace,'' as we all call him--was 
diagnosed with larynx cancer. The news hit Ace like a ton of bricks; 
and, like so many others diagnosed with this horrible disease, the 
chances of a favorable outcome looked disheartening.
  However, no stranger to tough situations, Ace made a commitment to 
his family that he was not going without a fight. After a total of 8 
chemotherapy sessions, 33 radiation treatments, and 3 different 
surgeries, Ace is no longer bedridden and has been declared cancer-
free.
  So I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Jacinto ``Ace'' 
Acebal on this incredible milestone and wishing him many years of good 
health throughout his life.

                          ____________________