[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12867-12870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        GLOBAL ANTI-POACHING ACT

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 459, H.R. 2494.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2494) to support global anti-poaching efforts, 
     strengthen the capacity of partner countries to counter 
     wildlife trafficking, designate major wildlife trafficking 
     countries, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations, with 
an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Eliminate, 
     Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.

                      TITLE I--PURPOSES AND POLICY

Sec. 101. Purposes.
Sec. 102. Statement of United States policy.

        TITLE II--REPORT ON MAJOR WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING COUNTRIES

Sec. 201. Report.

             TITLE III--FRAMEWORK FOR INTERAGENCY RESPONSE

Sec. 301. Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking.

   TITLE IV--PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE ESCALATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING 
                                 CRISIS

Sec. 401. Anti-poaching programs.
Sec. 402. Anti-trafficking programs.
Sec. 403. Engagement of United States diplomatic missions.
Sec. 404. Community conservation.

  TITLE V--TRANSITION OF OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY FUNDING TO BASE FUNDING

Sec. 501. Sense of congress on funding.

   TITLE VI--OTHER ACTIONS RELATING TO WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING PROGRAMS

Sec. 601. Amendments to Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Co-chairs of the task force.--The term ``Co-Chairs of 
     the Task Force'' means the Secretary of State, the Secretary 
     of the Interior, and the Attorney General, as established 
     pursuant to Executive Order 13648.
       (3) Community conservation.--The term ``community 
     conservation'' means an approach to conservation that 
     recognizes the rights of local people to sustainably manage, 
     or benefit directly and indirectly from wildlife and other 
     natural resources and includes--
       (A) devolving management and governance to local 
     communities to create positive conditions for sustainable 
     resource use; and
       (B) building the capacity of communities for conservation 
     and natural resource management.
       (4) Country of concern.--The term ``country of concern'' 
     refers to a foreign country specially designated by the 
     Secretary of State pursuant to subsection (b) of section 201 
     as a major source of wildlife trafficking products or their 
     derivatives, a major transit point of wildlife trafficking 
     products or their derivatives, or a major consumer of 
     wildlife trafficking products, in which the government has 
     actively engaged in or knowingly profited from the 
     trafficking of endangered or threatened species.
       (5) Focus country.--The term ``focus country'' refers to a 
     foreign country determined by the Secretary of State to be a 
     major source of wildlife trafficking products or their 
     derivatives, a major transit point of wildlife trafficking 
     products or their derivatives, or a major consumer of 
     wildlife trafficking products.
       (6) Defense article; defense service; significant military 
     equipment; training.--The terms ``defense article'', 
     ``defense service'', ``significant military equipment'', and 
     ``training'' have the meanings given such terms in section 47 
     of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2794).
       (7) Implementation plan.--The term ``Implementation Plan'' 
     means the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for 
     Combating Wildlife Trafficking released on February 11, 2015, 
     a modification of that plan, or a successor plan.
       (8) National strategy.--The term ``National Strategy'' 
     means the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife 
     Trafficking published on February 11, 2014, a modification of 
     that strategy, or a successor strategy.
       (9) National wildlife services.--The term ``national 
     wildlife services'' refers to the ministries and government 
     bodies designated to manage matters pertaining to wildlife 
     management, including poaching or trafficking, in a focus 
     country.
       (10) Security force.--The term ``security force'' means a 
     military, law enforcement, gendarmerie, park ranger, or any 
     other security force with a responsibility for protecting 
     wildlife and natural habitats.
       (11) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the 
     Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, as 
     established by Executive Order 13648 (78 Fed. Reg. 40621) and 
     modified by section 201.
       (12) Wildlife trafficking.--The term ``wildlife 
     trafficking'' refers to the poaching or other illegal taking 
     of protected or managed species and the illegal trade in 
     wildlife and their related parts and products.

                      TITLE I--PURPOSES AND POLICY

     SEC. 101. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to support a collaborative, interagency approach to 
     address wildlife trafficking;
       (2) to protect and conserve the remaining populations of 
     wild elephants, rhinoceroses, and other species threatened by 
     poaching and the illegal wildlife trade;
       (3) to disrupt regional and global transnational organized 
     criminal networks and to prevent the illegal wildlife trade 
     from being used as a source of financing for criminal groups 
     that undermine United States and global security interests;
       (4) to prevent wildlife poaching and trafficking from being 
     a means to make a living in focus countries;
       (5) to support the efforts of, and collaborate with, 
     individuals, communities, local organizations, and foreign 
     governments to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking;
       (6) to assist focus countries in implementation of national 
     wildlife anti-trafficking and poaching laws; and
       (7) to ensure that United States assistance to prevent and 
     suppress illicit wildlife trafficking is carefully planned 
     and coordinated, and that it is systematically and rationally 
     prioritized on the basis of detailed analysis of the nature 
     and severity of threats to wildlife and the willingness and 
     ability of foreign partners to cooperate effectively toward 
     these ends.

     SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF UNITED STATES POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States--
       (1) to take immediate actions to stop the illegal global 
     trade in wildlife and wildlife products and associated 
     transnational organized crime;
       (2) to provide technical and other forms of assistance to 
     help focus countries halt the poaching of elephants, 
     rhinoceroses, and other imperiled species and end the illegal 
     trade in wildlife and wildlife products, including by 
     providing training and assistance in--
       (A) wildlife protection and management of wildlife 
     populations;
       (B) anti-poaching and effective management of protected 
     areas including community managed and privately-owned lands;
       (C) local engagement of security forces in anti-poaching 
     responsibilities, where appropriate;
       (D) wildlife trafficking investigative techniques, 
     including forensic tools;
       (E) transparency and corruption issues;
       (F) management, tracking, and inventory of confiscated 
     wildlife contraband;
       (G) demand reduction strategies in countries that lack the 
     means and resources to conduct them; and
       (H) bilateral and multilateral agreements and cooperation;
       (3) to employ appropriate assets and resources of the 
     United States Government in a coordinated manner to curtail 
     poaching and disrupt and dismantle illegal wildlife trade 
     networks and the financing of those networks in a manner 
     appropriate for each focus country;
       (4) to build upon the National Strategy and Implementation 
     Plan to further combat wildlife trafficking in a holistic 
     manner and guide the response of the United States Government 
     to ensure progress in the fight against wildlife trafficking; 
     and
       (5) to recognize the ties of wildlife trafficking to 
     broader forms of transnational organized

[[Page 12868]]

     criminal activities, including trafficking, and where 
     applicable, to focus on those crimes in a coordinated, cross-
     cutting manner.

        TITLE II--REPORT ON MAJOR WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING COUNTRIES

     SEC. 201. REPORT.

       (a) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
     of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior 
     and the Secretary of Commerce, shall submit to Congress a 
     report that lists each country determined by the Secretary of 
     State to be a focus country within the meaning of this Act.
       (b) Special Designation.--In each report required under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary of State, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, 
     shall identify each country listed in the report that also 
     constitutes a country of concern (as defined in section 2(4)) 
     .
       (c) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on the date that 
     is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

             TITLE III--FRAMEWORK FOR INTERAGENCY RESPONSE

     SEC. 301. PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING.

       (a) Responsibilities.--In addition to the functions 
     required by Executive Order 13648 (78 Fed. Reg. 40621), the 
     Task Force shall be informed by the Secretary of State's 
     annual report required under section 201 and considering all 
     available information, ensure that relevant United States 
     Government agencies--
       (1) collaborate, to the greatest extent practicable, with 
     the national wildlife services, or other relevant bodies of 
     each focus country to prepare, not later than 90 days after 
     the date of submission of the report required under section 
     201(a), a United States mission assessment of the threats to 
     wildlife in that focus country and an assessment of the 
     capacity of that country to address wildlife trafficking;
       (2) collaborate, to the greatest extent practicable, with 
     relevant ministries, national wildlife services, or other 
     relevant bodies of each focus country to prepare, not later 
     than 180 days after preparation of the assessment referred to 
     in paragraph (1), a United States mission strategic plan that 
     includes recommendations for addressing wildlife trafficking, 
     taking into account any regional or national strategies for 
     addressing wildlife trafficking in a focus country developed 
     before the preparation of such assessment;
       (3) coordinate efforts among United States Federal agencies 
     and non-Federal partners, including missions, domestic and 
     international organizations, the private sector, and other 
     global partners, to implement the strategic plans required by 
     paragraph (2) in each focus country;
       (4) not less frequently than annually, consult and 
     coordinate with stakeholders qualified to provide advice, 
     assistance, and information regarding effective support for 
     anti-poaching activities, coordination of regional law 
     enforcement efforts, development of and support for effective 
     legal enforcement mechanisms, and development of strategies 
     to reduce illicit trade and reduce consumer demand for 
     illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products, and other 
     relevant topics under this Act; and
       (5) coordinate or carry out other functions as are 
     necessary to implement this Act.
       (b) Duplication and Efficiency.--The Task Force shall--
       (1) ensure that the activities of the Federal agencies 
     involved in carrying out efforts under this Act are 
     coordinated and not duplicated; and
       (2) encourage efficiencies and coordination among the 
     efforts of Federal agencies and interagency initiatives 
     ongoing as of the date of the enactment of this Act to 
     address trafficking activities, including trafficking of 
     wildlife, humans, weapons, and narcotics, illegal trade, 
     transnational organized crime, or other illegal activities.
       (c) Consistency With Agency Responsibilities.--The Task 
     Force shall carry out its responsibilities under this Act in 
     a manner consistent with the authorities and responsibilities 
     of agencies represented on the Task Force.
       (d) Task Force Strategic Review.--One year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
     Task Force shall submit a strategic assessment of its work 
     and provide a briefing to the appropriate congressional 
     committees that shall include--
       (1) a review and assessment of the Task Force's 
     implementation of this Act, identifying successes, failures, 
     and gaps in its work, or that of agencies represented on the 
     Task Force, including detailed descriptions of--
       (A) what approaches, initiatives, or programs have 
     succeeded best in increasing the willingness and capacity of 
     focus countries to suppress and prevent illegal wildlife 
     trafficking, and what approaches, initiatives, or programs 
     have not succeeded as well as hoped; and
       (B) which foreign governments subject to subsections (a) 
     and (b) of section 201 have proven to be the most successful 
     partners in suppressing and preventing illegal wildlife 
     trafficking, which focus countries have not proven to be so, 
     and what factors contributed to these results in each country 
     discussed;
       (2) a description of each Task Force member agency's 
     priorities and objectives for combating wildlife trafficking;
       (3) an account of total United States funding each year 
     since fiscal year 2014 for all government agencies and 
     programs involved in countering poaching and wildlife 
     trafficking;
       (4) an account of total United States funding since fiscal 
     year 2014 to support the activities of the Task Force, 
     including administrative overhead costs and congressional 
     reporting; and
       (5) recommendations for how to improve United States and 
     international efforts to suppress and prevent illegal 
     wildlife trafficking in the future, based upon the Task 
     Force's experience as of the time of the review.
       (e) Termination of Task Force.--The statutory authorization 
     for the Task Force provided by this Act shall terminate 5 
     years after the date of the enactment of this Act or such 
     earlier date that the President terminates the Task Force by 
     rescinding, superseding, or otherwise modifying relevant 
     portions of Executive Order 13648.

   TITLE IV--PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE ESCALATING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING 
                                 CRISIS

     SEC. 401. ANTI-POACHING PROGRAMS.

       (a) Wildlife Law Enforcement Professional Training and 
     Coordination Activities.--The Secretary of State and the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development, in collaboration with the heads of other 
     relevant United States agencies and nongovernmental partners 
     where appropriate, may provide assistance to focus countries 
     to carry out the recommendations made in the strategic plan 
     required by section 301(a)(2), among other goals, to improve 
     the effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement in regions and 
     countries that have demonstrated capacity, willingness, and 
     need for assistance.
       (b) Authority to Provide Security Assistance to Counter 
     Wildlife Trafficking and Poaching.--
       (1) In general.--The President is authorized to provide 
     defense articles, defense services, and related training to 
     security forces of focus countries for the purpose of 
     countering wildlife trafficking and poaching where 
     appropriate.
       (2) Types of assistance.--
       (A) In general.--Assistance provided under paragraph (1) 
     may include intelligence and surveillance assets, 
     communications and electronic equipment, mobility assets, 
     night vision and thermal imaging devices, and organizational 
     clothing and individual equipment, pursuant to the applicable 
     provision of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et 
     seq.) or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 
     et seq.).
       (B) Limitation.--Assistance provided under paragraph (1) 
     may not include significant military equipment.
       (3) Special rule.--Assistance provided under paragraph (1) 
     shall be in addition to any other assistance provided to the 
     countries under any other provision of law.
       (4) Prohibition on assistance.--
       (A) In general.--No assistance may be provided under 
     subsection (b) to a unit of a security force if the President 
     determines that the unit has been found to engage in wildlife 
     trafficking or poaching.
       (B) Exception.--The prohibition in subparagraph (A) shall 
     not apply with respect to a unit of a security force of a 
     country if the President determines that the government of 
     the country is taking effective steps to hold the unit 
     accountable and prevent the unit from engaging in trafficking 
     and poaching.
       (5) Certification.--With respect to any assistance provided 
     pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary of State shall 
     certify to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives that such assistance is necessary for the 
     purposes of combating wildlife trafficking.
       (6) Notification.--Consistent with the requirements of the 
     Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) and the 
     Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), the 
     Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional 
     committees regarding defense articles, defense services, and 
     related training provided under paragraph (1).

     SEC. 402. ANTI-TRAFFICKING PROGRAMS.

       (a) Investigative Capacity Building.--The Secretary of 
     State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development, in collaboration with the heads of 
     other relevant United States agencies and communities, 
     regions, and governments in focus countries, may design and 
     implement programs in focus countries to carry out the 
     recommendations made in the strategic plan required under 
     section 301(a)(2) among other goals, with clear and 
     measurable targets and indicators of success, to increase the 
     capacity of wildlife law enforcement and customs and border 
     security officers in focus countries.
       (b) Transnational Programs.--The Secretary of State and the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development, in collaboration with other relevant United 
     States agencies, nongovernmental partners, and international 
     bodies, and in collaboration with communities, regions, and 
     governments in focus countries, may design and implement 
     programs, including support for Wildlife Enforcement 
     Networks, in focus countries to carry out the recommendations 
     made in the strategic plan required under section 301(a)(2), 
     among other goals, to better understand and combat the 
     transnational trade in illegal wildlife.

     SEC. 403. ENGAGEMENT OF UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS.

       As soon as practicable but not later than 2 years after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, each chief of mission to a 
     focus country should begin to implement the recommendations 
     contained in the strategic plan required under

[[Page 12869]]

     section 301(a)(2), among other goals, for the country.

     SEC. 404. COMMUNITY CONSERVATION.

       The Secretary of State, in collaboration with the United 
     State Agency for International Development, heads of other 
     relevant United States agencies, the private sector, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and other development 
     partners, may provide support in focus countries to carry out 
     the recommendations made in the strategic plan required under 
     section 301(a)(2) as such recommendations relate to the 
     development, scaling, and replication of community wildlife 
     conservancies and community conservation programs in focus 
     countries to assist with rural stability and greater security 
     for people and wildlife, empower and support communities to 
     manage or benefit from their wildlife resources sustainably, 
     and reduce the threat of poaching and trafficking, including 
     through--
       (1) promoting conservation-based enterprises and 
     incentives, such as eco-tourism and sustainable agricultural 
     production, that empower communities to manage wildlife, 
     natural resources, and community ventures where appropriate, 
     by ensuring they benefit from well-managed wildlife 
     populations;
       (2) helping create alternative livelihoods to poaching by 
     mitigating wildlife trafficking, helping support rural 
     stability, greater security for people and wildlife, 
     sustainable economic development, and economic incentives to 
     conserve wildlife populations;
       (3) engaging regional businesses and the private sector to 
     develop goods and services to aid in anti-poaching and anti-
     trafficking measures;
       (4) working with communities to develop secure and safe 
     methods of sharing information with enforcement officials;
       (5) providing technical assistance to support sustainable 
     land use plans to improve the economic, environmental, and 
     social outcomes in community-owned or -managed lands;
       (6) supporting community anti-poaching efforts, including 
     policing and informant networks;
       (7) working with community and national governments to 
     develop relevant policy and regulatory frameworks to enable 
     and promote community conservation programs, including 
     supporting law enforcement engagement with wildlife 
     protection authorities to promote information-sharing; and
       (8) working with national governments to ensure that 
     communities have timely and effective support from national 
     authorities to mitigate risks that communities may face when 
     engaging in anti-poaching and anti-trafficking activities.

  TITLE V--TRANSITION OF OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY FUNDING TO BASE FUNDING

     SEC. 501. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FUNDING.

       It is the sense of Congress that the President and Congress 
     should provide for an appropriate and responsible transition 
     for funding designated for overseas contingency operations to 
     traditional and regular annual appropriations, including 
     emergency supplemental funding, as appropriate.

   TITLE VI--OTHER ACTIONS RELATING TO WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING PROGRAMS

     SEC. 601. AMENDMENTS TO FISHERMAN'S PROTECTIVE ACT OF 1967.

       Section 8 of the Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967 (22 
     U.S.C. 1978) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of State,'' after ``Secretary of Commerce'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, in consultation with 
     the Secretary of State,'' after ``Secretary of the 
     Interior'';
       (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``in consultation with 
     the Secretary of State,'' after ``, as appropriate,'';
       (D) by redesigning paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
       (E) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(4) The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the 
     Interior shall each report to Congress each certification to 
     the President made by such Secretary under this subsection, 
     within 15 days after making such certification.''; and
       (2) in subsection (d), by inserting ``in consultation with 
     the Secretary of State,'' after ``as the case may be,''.

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-
reported amendment be withdrawn; the Coons amendment at the desk be 
agreed to; and the bill, as amended, be read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sasse). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment was withdrawn.
  The amendment (No. 5078) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')
  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on this 
measure.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the bill having 
been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (H.R. 2494), as amended, was passed.
  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I am going to take a few minutes, if I 
might, to celebrate something that we, frankly, have a chance to 
celebrate far too rarely--a bipartisan legislative success.
  I am thrilled to be here to celebrate the passage of the End Wildlife 
Trafficking Act, a bill Senator Flake and I have been working on for 
months since it was introduced in December of last year, an idea which 
we have been working on for well over a year. This bill has been a long 
time in coming.
  I first saw the tragic consequences of poaching and wildlife 
trafficking decades ago when I was a young man in Kenya, and I first 
visited Africa with a number of my colleagues on a trip to look at the 
dramatic increase in wildlife trafficking just a few short years ago.
  President Obama issued an Executive order to combat wildlife 
trafficking back in 2013, and Senator Cardin and I held a joint hearing 
on the topic in 2014 when I chaired the African Affairs Subcommittee. 
Senator Flake, now the chair of the African Affairs Subcommittee, and I 
introduced this bill together last December, and now we are excited to 
see it pass this body and be one step closer to becoming law.
  Why is this bill important? Why does wildlife trafficking in Africa 
matter? Because nearly 100 elephants are killed every single day so 
their ivory tusks can be sold on the black market. Ivory now commands 
prices higher than heroin or gold, and it has become one of the 
principal ways of financing transnational networks of terrorists and of 
criminals.
  The tragic consequences for the African elephant were recently noted 
in a report that showed that the population of elephants across the 
continent shrank by one-third in the last decade. In 2014, more than 
1,000 rhinoceroses were illegally killed in South Africa, a several 
thousand-percent increase since the decade before. And as rhino horn 
and elephant tusks command outrageous prices on the world market, the 
demand has driven both wildlife poaching and trafficking steadily 
upward. Until today, it has become a multibillion-dollar industry that 
threatens wildlife, fragile ecosystems, and our national security.
  Wildlife poaching and trafficking is one of those problems about 
which it is tempting to throw up our hands and ask: What could we 
possibly do about this? It happens on the other side of the world and 
it affects wildlife most of us will never see in person. But we didn't. 
And because of that, because of our persistence and determination and 
because so many people on the committee staff in the Senate and in the 
executive branch have devoted time and effort to coming up with a 
strategy and a pathway toward addressing it, we have lots of reasons 
today to be optimistic.
  In President Obama, we have a President engaged in the continent of 
Africa and committed to combating trafficking and poaching. In 
Secretary Kerry, we have a former Senator who, when he was chairman of 
the Foreign Relations Committee, dedicated personal time and effort to 
highlighting the issue of wildlife trafficking. As I mentioned, in 
2013, the President created a task force on wildlife trafficking that 
produced a national strategy for working together to combat wildlife 
trafficking. Now, just today, we have a strong bill--the End Wildlife 
Trafficking Act--that has passed the Senate and is on its way to the 
House.
  Based on a recent conversation, I am optimistic that Chairman Royce 
and Ranking Member Engel, of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will 
move this forward in the week ahead. Both Chairman Royce and Ranking 
Member Engel deserve great credit for passing a complementary bill in 
the House, and it is because they have already acted on this that I am 
optimistic we will be able to together reach our end goal.
  What exactly does that bill do? Let me briefly say, it requires a 
strategy,

[[Page 12870]]

it authorizes an interagency approach to working with the governments 
of many countries affected by wildlife trafficking, and it produces 
recommendations on how to address those threats in coordination with 
nongovernmental organizations. It authorizes the Secretary of State and 
the Administrator of USAID to support efforts to combat poaching and 
wildlife trafficking and to encourage community conservation programs--
an initiative, a direction, that Senator Flake and I have seen in 
person on the ground in southern Africa.
  It also includes strategic regular reviews to monitor progress being 
made, and it gives prosecutors more tools to go after individuals 
involved in high-value wildlife crime. Last, but not least, it 
encourages diplomatic efforts around the world to try and reduce the 
demand for wildlife trafficking and for the markets that consume so 
much of this illicit traffic, whether in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, or 
elsewhere. Finally, it requires an annual report back to us in Congress 
to let us know how any taxpayer dollars appropriated in this fight 
against wildlife trafficking are being spent.
  This bill isn't just good policy. In a Congress that is all too often 
paralyzed by division and by dysfunction, the passage of this act is an 
important example of what it can look like when we put good policy 
before partisan politics.
  I want to briefly thank the staff of Senators Corker and Cardin; my 
own staff, including Lisa Jones, who spent a great deal of time on 
this; the staff of Senator Flake, Colleen Donnelly and Sarah Towles; 
and three terrific people, all of them AAAS fellows who have helped 
bring this bill to passage: Rosa Mutiso, Allie Schwier, and Leah Rubin 
Shen, who has moved from being an AAAS fellow to my office and has done 
a terrific job getting us to the finish line today.
  I am so grateful for all of the work of the dedicated folks in 
Congress and in the executive branch who have made this possible.
  Thank you very much.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.

                          ____________________