[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20128-20129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 DISAPPEARANCE OF RHINOS AND ELEPHANTS

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, wildlife trafficking is a much larger 
problem than many realize. This illegal activity is connected to two 
major concerns: one, extinction of species; and, two, the funding of 
terrorist organizations.
  Rhinos are killed for their horns, and elephants are killed for their 
tusks. The handful of rhinos in Africa are almost extinct, and 100 
African elephants are killed by ivory poachers a day.
  Illegal wildlife trade serves as a source of cash flow for thugs like 
terrorists and international criminal organizations. They fund many of 
their deadly activities by poaching animals and then selling the parts 
internationally.
  Adding to the problem is the fact that some foreign authorities are 
corrupt and complicit in trafficking.
  All nations must take an aggressive stand to prevent this 
trafficking. This starts with the stopping of the illegal transport of 
ivory and rhino horns.
  The nations of the world must tighten the screws against those who 
participate in this destruction of wildlife; otherwise, the only place 
our kids will see rhinos and elephants is on the Disney Channel.
  And that is just the way it is.

[[Page 20129]]



                          ____________________