[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 5991-5992]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
      POLICY TOWARDS NORTH KOREA NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY CALIBRATED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania). The Chair 
recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I will introduce two bills 
to enhance our Nation's security and make the American people safer.
  Of all the security challenges that the United States confronts, the 
most serious threat, arguably, stems from North Korea, under its 
dangerous and unpredictable dictator. North Korea, which has the fourth 
largest military in the world, continues to make progress on its 
nuclear and ballistic missiles programs in violation of international 
sanctions.
  Since 2006, North Korea has tested a nuclear device five times. The 
main goal of North Korea's nuclear weapons program is to develop a 
warhead small enough to be mounted on a ballistic missile. 
Unfortunately, North Korea has also shown substantial, even startling, 
progress in its missile programs.
  Since 2014, North Korea has conducted nearly 50 test launches of 
ballistic missiles. North Korea is an imminent threat to our allies 
South Korea and Japan and the nearly 80,000 U.S. troops serving those 
two countries. And as its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles 
programs advance, North Korea poses a rising threat to the United 
States homeland itself.
  The U.S. policy approach to North Korea must be comprehensive and 
carefully calibrated. Miscalculation could result in armed conflict, 
possibly involving the use of nuclear weapons, and cause catastrophic 
loss of life. To be effective, U.S. strategy must be informed by the 
best possible intelligence on

[[Page 5992]]

North Korea's intentions and capabilities.
  North Korea is a difficult intelligence target. It is a secretive 
society where dissent is severely punished. This makes the recruitment 
of human resources inside the country very challenging, and moreover, 
high-level defectors from North Korea with intelligence about the 
regime are rare.
  My first bill would require the Director of National Intelligence to 
create a North Korea-focused integration cell consisting of experts who 
would streamline, synthesize, and synchronize intelligence on North 
Korea so that U.S. policymakers have the best possible information upon 
which to base decisions.
  The cell would seek to ensure that the U.S. Government is collecting 
intelligence on North Korea's nuclear weapons programs, missile 
programs, weapon sales, and other activities that violate U.N. 
sanctions. The cell would also work to make certain that this 
intelligence is efficiently disseminated to the appropriate national 
security policymakers so that it can inform decisionmaking.
  While my first bill is specific to North Korea, my second bill seeks 
to safeguard Americans by promoting security and stability in the Asia 
Pacific region more broadly. This region encompasses about 40 countries 
containing over 60 percent of the world's population, including many of 
our top import and export partners. The region offers the United States 
economic opportunities, but also presents security challenges. Indeed, 
some senior American officials often describe the Asia Pacific as the 
most consequential region for the future of our country.
  Historically, under Presidents of both parties, the U.S. has 
maintained a strong military and diplomatic presence in the region to 
reassure allies and deter adversaries. The core of U.S. strategy has 
been close cooperation with our regional partners. These partnerships 
are an essential component of our effort to confront aggression by 
North Korea, judiciously manage the rise of China, dismantle terrorist 
networks, ensure freedom of navigation in international waters, 
guarantee the free flow of commerce, respond to humanitarian 
emergencies, and promote respect for the rule of law.
  These partnerships, built on mutual trust, are not self-sustaining. 
They require U.S. leadership, energy, and resources. To deepen 
cooperation, my bill would create a commission of U.S. security 
officials and their counterparts from willing regional partner nations. 
The commission would aim to increase military readiness, strengthen 
counterterrorism operations, enhance maritime security, bolster 
cybersecurity, and improve intelligence coordination.
  The commission would send a clear signal to allies and adversaries 
alike that the U.S. commitment to the Asia Pacific region is intensive 
and enduring.
  I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support these 
two bills, which are aimed at addressing the immediate threat posed by 
North Korea, and strengthening our security alliances with key regional 
partners.

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