[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7963-7966]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING THE FIGHT AGAINST 
                     CORRUPTION IN CENTRAL AMERICA

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 145) expressing the sense of the House 
of Representatives regarding the fight against corruption in Central 
America, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 145

       Whereas according to Transparency International's 2016 
     Corruption Perception Index, the citizens of Honduras, 
     Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua perceive high levels of 
     government corruption;
       Whereas widespread corruption in Central America weakens 
     citizens' faith in public institutions, limits government 
     capacity to advance development goals, and allows drug 
     traffickers and other criminals to thrive;
       Whereas the International Commission against Impunity in 
     Guatemala (CICIG) was created at the request of the 
     Guatemalan Government in 2007, and has strengthened the 
     capacity of Guatemalan institutions, especially the Office of 
     the Attorney General, to combat corruption;
       Whereas the Office of the Attorney General of Guatemala and 
     CICIG have recently collaborated to investigate and prosecute 
     a series of corruption cases involving high-level government 
     officials, demonstrating that it is possible for governments 
     in Central America to confront entrenched corruption, and 
     that no one is above the law;
       Whereas the Attorney General of El Salvador has made 
     significant progress in tackling corruption at the highest 
     levels;
       Whereas after thousands of Hondurans joined street protests 
     against corruption and in favor of an International 
     Commission against Impunity in Honduras, the Honduran 
     Government reached an agreement with the Organization of 
     American States to create the Mission to Support the Fight 
     against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH);
       Whereas MACCIH has begun to assist the Office of the 
     Attorney General of Honduras with the investigation into the 
     more than $300,000,000 that was embezzled from the Institute 
     of Social Security; and
       Whereas the leadership of CICIG and MACCIH and the 
     attorneys general of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador 
     have faced significant challenges, including credible threats 
     against their lives, attempts to publicly discredit their 
     work, or efforts to remove them from their posts: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) reaffirms that combating corruption in the Northern 
     Triangle is an important policy interest for the United 
     States;
       (2) acknowledges that the International Commission against 
     Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the Mission to Support the 
     Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) 
     are currently making important contributions to this effort;
       (3) urges the Government of Guatemala to continue to 
     cooperate with CICIG and the Government of Honduras to 
     continue to cooperate with MACCIH; and
       (4) encourages the Governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and 
     El Salvador to--
       (A) publicly support efforts to fight corruption;
       (B) respect the independence of the judicial branch and the 
     Office of the Attorney General; and
       (C) ensure that the Office of the Attorney General in each 
     Northern Triangle country receives sufficient domestic budget 
     allocations to carry out its core responsibilities and that 
     budgeted funds are delivered in a timely manner.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and

[[Page 7964]]

to include any extraneous materials in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 145, which affirms this 
body's support for the independent anticorruption commissions in 
Central America that seek to combat corruption and combat impunity in 
the countries of the Northern Triangle region.
  I would like to commend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Torres), a new member of the committee, for her work on this important 
resolution. Of course, I appreciate Mr. Engel, the ranking member and 
the former chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, for 
his long-time focus on this critical region.
  Mr. Speaker, in recent years, the U.S. has seen a surge in illegal 
migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Now, that is the 
Northern Triangle of Central America.
  Many of these migrants are fleeing violence. They are fleeing 
criminality and institutionalized corruption. More than anything, the 
citizens of these countries want governments that will work for them.
  As a result of these governments, the international community has 
responded. Governments in the region, including the United States, have 
helped to establish the International Commission Against Impunity in 
Guatemala--that is called CICIG--and the Mission to Support the Fight 
against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, known as MACCIH.
  Both of these organizations are making important contributions to 
tackling the culture of corruption and impunity in their respective 
countries and are working to give the citizens of these countries 
confidence in their own judiciary. These organizations have put 
politicians and public servants on notice that nobody should be above 
the law and that their citizenry demands transparency.
  For example, this special body in Honduras has begun to assist the 
Office of the Attorney General with the investigation into the more 
than $300 million that was embezzled from the Institute of Social 
Security and, in Guatemala, has trained the prosecutors that 
successfully built high-profile corruption cases against multiple 
government officials, including the former Guatemalan President, 
President Molina.

                              {time}  1645

  Once again, I want to thank Representative Torres for bringing this 
measure forward and for her efforts in working with the Northern 
Triangle countries to urge greater respect for an independent judiciary 
and to bring greater security and prosperity to the people of the 
Northern Triangle countries.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure.
  Let me start by thanking the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, Ed Royce, from California. I am also especially grateful to 
another colleague from California, Norma Torres, a valuable member of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee, for authoring this bipartisan 
resolution, and also for her leadership as the founding co-chair of the 
Central America Caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, when a child from El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras 
arrives at our southern border, he or she didn't get there because it 
was an easy journey. It was because poverty, crime, or lack of 
opportunity at home left that child no option but to face that long, 
dangerous trek. No child anywhere should be forced to make that 
heartbreaking choice.
  The best way to ensure that this doesn't happen is not to build a 
wall or isolate ourselves from our neighbors. It is to stop children 
from having to make that journey in the first place. It is by making 
long-term, strategic investments in a more secure and prosperous 
Central America.
  Over the last 2 years, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have 
come together to do just that. We made a bold, new foreign assistance 
commitment to Central America that helps address the root causes of 
child migration from the region.
  A big part of this effort is supporting those individuals who are 
working day in and day out to root out corruption in Central America: 
the attorneys general in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; the 
heads of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala; 
and the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in 
Honduras.
  These brave individuals put their lives on the line on a daily basis. 
This resolution that we are voting on signals that the United States 
agrees with them and has their backs.
  To Guatemala's Attorney General Thelma Aldana, Honduran Attorney 
General Oscar Chinchilla, Salvadoran Attorney General Douglas Melendez, 
CICIG Commissioner Ivan Velasquez, and MACCIH Chief of Mission Juan 
Jimenez: Today we come to the floor of the House of Representatives to 
say thank you and to proclaim that we stand with you and your 
institutions in the fight against corruption.
  This measure sends a strong message that our Congress, which has the 
ultimate say over funding for Central America, stands with those who 
are committed to putting an end to corruption in El Salvador, 
Guatemala, and Honduras.
  We may have a new President in the White House and a new Secretary of 
State at Foggy Bottom, but Congress continues to have the power of the 
purse; and Democrats and Republicans, alike, believe that continued 
international support for the attorneys general and CICIG and MACCIH is 
key to the continued success of the Alliance for Prosperity in the 
Northern Triangle.
  In December, I led a letter to the attorneys general from El 
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, along with Representative Ros-
Lehtinen and several other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, 
commending their efforts, pledging our ongoing support, and, most 
importantly, noting how crucial it is that they be able to carry out 
their work free from any interference from political leaders in their 
countries. With passage of H. Res. 145, the entire House of 
Representatives can and will send that same message.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign 
Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.
  I applaud the work that both Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel 
have done in helping to focus more of our foreign policy priority here 
in our own Western Hemisphere.
  I also applaud Congresswoman Norma Torres for authoring the measure 
that we have before us today, H. Res. 145, reaffirming our dedication 
to the fight against corruption in Central America. It is an important 
measure, Mr. Speaker, and it is an important fight.
  For years, I have been a strong advocate for this fight because, 
where corruption is allowed to spread, drug trafficking and crime 
inevitably thrive; and this is negative for our neighbors, it is bad 
for us, and it is bad for our interests. That is why it is vital that 
we make battling corruption in the region more of a priority of our 
foreign policy.
  In fact, earlier this year, I traveled to Honduras and Guatemala with 
my good friend Albio Sires, and we saw firsthand how these governments 
are attempting to tackle corruption in their countries. It is not easy, 
Mr. Speaker. They are making progress and taking some of the tough 
decisions necessary, but there is so much more to be done and so much 
more that they need to do, but they need help from the United States.
  That is what we heard when we hosted the attorneys general from the

[[Page 7965]]

Northern Triangle countries here in Washington, D.C., just last month 
to discuss what they are doing to fight corruption and what assistance 
they might need from us. That is why this resolution before us is so 
important and so timely.
  We must urge the governments of Central America to do more to battle 
corruption, but we also must pledge to do more ourselves because they 
cannot do it alone. Central American governments must take a stand and 
voice their support for anticorruption programs. They must respect and 
defend the authority of the judicial branch, and they must make it a 
priority. That is not easy for them to do.
  Some of these governments have shown a willingness to take these 
steps, but, sadly, Mr. Speaker, not all of them have. While we urge 
willing partners to take the steps necessary to fight corruption, we 
must be willing to do more for those unwilling.
  That is why I have reintroduced my NICA Act, which aims at tightening 
the economic screws on the Ortega regime until we see some drastic 
reforms, including efforts to end corruption. It is our duty to support 
our neighbors so that our partners to the south can live in far more 
open, free, and democratic societies.
  It is also in the benefit of our security and it is in the benefit of 
our national interests to do so. That is why I urge my colleagues to 
support H. Res. 145. I also urge my colleagues to support my NICA Act 
and to take a more engaged role in our foreign policy interests in our 
own Western Hemisphere.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), the author of this 
resolution, a leader on Central American issues, and a valued member of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 145, 
expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the fight 
against corruption in Central America.
  In too many Central American countries, it has become common practice 
for government officials to use public office to enrich themselves 
instead of serving the public good. For too long, corruption has 
allowed violence and poverty to hold these countries back.
  But recently, the people of Central America have made it clear that 
they are ready for a change. In the last 2 years, young people from 
across the region have taken to the streets and demonstrated, and some 
real progress has been made.
  In Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the attorneys general have 
demonstrated independence and real courage.
  In Guatemala, Attorney General Thelma Aldana has worked closely with 
CICIG, the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala. 
Under the leadership of Ivan Velasquez, CICIG has been instrumental in 
improving the capacity of Guatemala's prosecutors and has assisted with 
effective investigations into corruption and human rights violations.
  In Honduras, Attorney General Oscar Chinchilla has worked with the 
Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in 
Honduras, MACCIH, since 2016. Led by Juan Jimenez, MACCIH has promoted 
important legal reforms and is assisting with the investigations of 
high-profile corruption cases.
  In El Salvador, Attorney General Douglas Melendez has made 
significant progress in tackling high-level corruption cases. I hope 
that the Government of El Salvador will recognize the value of CICIG 
and MACCIH and accept the international assistance that the attorney 
general and his prosecutors so clearly need.
  Mr. Speaker, the countries of the Northern Triangle are at a crucial 
point in this fight against corruption, and we cannot turn back the 
progress that has been made. This resolution will send a very clear 
message that the United States will be a steadfast partner in its 
support for the fight against corruption in Central America.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member 
Engel for their support and hard work in advancing this resolution.
  Additionally, I thank Congressman Moolenaar, who worked with me to 
draft and introduce this resolution and who has been a strong supporter 
and advocate of the fight against corruption in Central America.
  I also thank all of the cosponsors of this resolution.
  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Norma 
Torres for authoring this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Moolenaar), a member of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. MOOLENAAR. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Chairman Royce and Ranking 
Member Engel for supporting this bipartisan resolution and moving it 
through the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  I especially want to thank Congresswoman Torres for her leadership as 
a true champion on this issue and helping us all understand the 
importance of this.
  This resolution makes it clear that the United States strongly 
supports the anticorruption efforts in the Northern Triangle of Central 
America. Already, officials across the region are making headway. The 
attorney general of Guatemala, in particular, has made progress in 
taking on corruption at the highest levels of government.
  This resolution will reinforce support for these efforts in the 
region and will send a clear message to the millions of people who live 
in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras that the United States wants 
them to have a safe country, free of corrupt officials who steal from 
them.
  By supporting the efforts of our allies to fight corruption, it is my 
hope that these governments will continue to promote respect for the 
rule of law, thereby making it better for residents to live, work, and 
raise a family in their homelands.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me say that, as a father, I cannot imagine being faced with the 
choice of letting my children risk violence or death from criminal 
gangs or malnutrition, or taking a dangerous journey hundreds of miles 
on their own. No parent or child should ever be forced to make this 
choice. Unfortunately, far too many families in El Salvador, Guatemala, 
and Honduras must do so on a daily basis.
  The good news is that our Congress has decided to make a much-needed, 
long-term investment in Central America. At the core of these efforts 
is our commitment to support institutions and individuals that are 
rooting out corruption.
  H. Res. 145 makes it clear that our continued investment in Central 
America will depend on support for anticorruption efforts from the 
Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Honduran Governments.
  Let me finally note that I am heartened that the fight against 
corruption in the hemisphere is not just limited to Central America. 
From Brazil to Chile to the Caribbean, the citizens of the Americas 
have finally had enough and have vowed to put an end to corruption once 
and for all. The least that our Congress can do is support these 
valiant efforts.
  I again thank Chairman Royce for working so well with me, putting our 
heads together over time, and passing good resolutions and legislation 
like this.
  I again thank Congresswoman Torres for introducing this crucial 
resolution and for her hard work on it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support its passage, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this important measure by Congresswoman Norma Torres 
affirms this body's support for all efforts to combat corruption in 
Central America. The people of this region have been living in 
societies that, because of corruption, and that corruption has become 
endemic, has led to gang violence, to criminality, to high levels of

[[Page 7966]]

impunity. And these conditions directly affect the ability of these 
governments to bring peace and prosperity to all of its citizens, and 
that, in turn, fuels the flows of those who leave illegally, migrants, 
to the Northern Hemisphere--well, to the United States.
  So the citizens of Northern Triangle countries, those in this region, 
want to live in safety in their own countries, and we can help by 
supporting efforts by the International Commission Against Impunity in 
Guatemala and its counterpart in Honduras, and those others in the 
region that are fighting for these efforts that enable an independent 
judiciary and a judiciary that combats corruption.
  Norma Torres' work on Central America has helped to build capacity in 
these countries to begin providing security for its citizens, and I 
urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 145, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________