[House Hearing, 116 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
MEMBER DAY HEARING
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HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
DECEMBER 12, 2019
__________
Serial No. 116-87
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/, http://
docs.house.gov,
or http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
38-602PDF WASHINGTON : 2020
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York, Chairman
BRAD SHERMAN, California MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas, Ranking
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York Member
ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey
GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida JOE WILSON, South Carolina
KAREN BASS, California SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania
WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts TED S. YOHO, Florida
DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois
AMI BERA, California LEE ZELDIN, New York
JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas JIM SENSENBRENNER, Wisconsin
DINA TITUS, Nevada ANN WAGNER, Missouri
ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York BRIAN MAST, Florida
TED LIEU, California FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania BRIAN FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania
DEAN PHILLPS, Minnesota JOHN CURTIS, Utah
ILHAN OMAR, Minnesota KEN BUCK, Colorado
COLIN ALLRED, Texas RON WRIGHT, Texas
ANDY LEVIN, Michigan GUY RESCHENTHALER, Pennsylvania
ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, Virginia TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee
CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania GREG PENCE, Indiana
TOM MALINOWSKI, New Jersey STEVE WATKINS, Kansas
DAVID TRONE, Maryland MIKE GUEST, Mississippi
JIM COSTA, California
JUAN VARGAS, California
VICENTE GONZALEZ, Texas
Jason Steinbaum, Staff Director
Brendan Shields, Republican Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Page
WITNESSES
Meng, Honorable Grace, a Representative in Congress from the
State of New York.............................................. 4
Case, Honorable Ed, a Representative in Congress from the State
of Hawaii...................................................... 7
Green, Honorable Al, a Representative in Congress from the State
of Texas....................................................... 12
Hill, Honorable French, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Arkansas.............................................. 18
Roy, Honorable Chip, a Representative in Congress from the State
of Texas....................................................... 23
Garamendi, Honorable John, a Representative in Congress from the
State of California............................................ 30
Steil, Honorable Bryan, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Wisconsin............................................. 34
APPENDIX
Hearing Notice................................................... 37
Hearing Minutes.................................................. 38
Hearing Attendance............................................... 39
STATEMENTS FOR THE RECORD
Statement for the record submitted from Congressman Boyle........ 40
Statement for the record submitted from Congressman Connolly..... 41
Statement for the record submitted from Congressman Griffith..... 43
Statement for the record submitted from Congresswoman Hartzler... 45
Statement for the record submitted from Congresswoman Lowey...... 47
Statement for the record submitted from Congressman Pallone...... 48
Statement for the record submitted from Congresswoman Pingree.... 49
Supplemental Item
Supplemental item submitted for the record from Mr. Hill......... 51
MEMBER DAY HEARING
Thursday, December 12, 2019
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m., in
room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Eliot L. Engel
(chairman of the committee) presiding.
Chairman Engel. The committee will come to order.
Without objection, all members will have 5 days to submit
statements, extraneous material, and questions for the record,
subject to the length limitation in the rules.
We are here this morning to hear from our House colleagues
about their legislative priorities in this committee's
jurisdiction.
To all of you, welcome to the Foreign Affairs Committee. I
am proud of the work that this committee has done so far this
Congress, notably some of the most bipartisan successes in the
House, done in partnership with my friend, Ranking Member
McCaul.
We are pleased to have this opportunity today to hear from
our colleagues about their legislative priorities, especially
colleagues who do not sit on this committee. After brief
opening remarks by myself and Ranking Member McCaul, each
witness will have 5 minutes to testify and then answer
questions from members of the committee. Witnesses testifying
today will be recognized in the order in which they arrive.
As this hearing is intended to be primarily a listening
session, I do not intend to engage in extended questioning of
the witnesses. So I look forward to hearing your testimony.
And now I will recognize my friend, the ranking member, Mr.
McCaul of Texas, for any opening remarks he might have.
Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this
hearing this morning which gives members an opportunity to
present their legislative ideas before this committee.
I want to take this opportunity to highlight how productive
the House Foreign Affairs Committee has been over the last
year. Sixty-eight measures have passed the House this year,
most passed on a bipartisan basis and overwhelmingly.
And I would also like to thank all members of this
committee, all three of us here, for their hard work and for
remaining above partisan politics. As we always say, politics
should stop at the water's edge. Our shared commitment to that
ideology has helped us achieve many wins, and I look forward to
many more.
I am especially proud we were able to come together to pass
a comprehensive State authorization bill this year. Oversight
of the Department is vital in helping our Foreign Services
officers carry out their mission. We also had two important
measures related to our strong support of Hong Kong become
public law this year.
You and I, Mr. Chairman, are actively working with our
Senate counterparts to further increase that number. I look
forward to working with you and hearing from our members today.
And with that, I yield back.
Chairman Engel. Mr. McCaul yields back. Thank you, Mr.
McCaul.
I will now recognize our witnesses for 5 minutes each in
the order in which they have arrived.
First is someone from my home State of New York. Our
districts are actually quite close to each other. It is my
pleasure to have her here, Representative Grace Meng, of New
York.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE GRACE MENG, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Ms. Meng. Chairman Engel, Ranking Member McCaul,
subcommittee Chairwoman Karen Bass, Ranking Member Chris Smith,
and distinguished members of this committee, thank you for this
opportunity to discuss several of my priorities that are under
the jurisdiction of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. As a
former member of this committee, it is great to be back in this
room with so many friends.
First, I want to thank this committee for marking up two of
my bills this year, the Refugee Sanitation Facility Safety Act,
H.R. 615, which passed the House by unanimous consent in May,
and the Divided Families Reunification Act, H.R. 1771, for
which I am optimistic that it will soon be considered on the
floor of the House.
One of my top priorities as a Member of Congress is
protecting those who are vulnerable around the world, whether
women and girls seeking an education or employment, those who
lack access to basic services, or victims of natural disasters.
As a member of the State and Foreign Operations House
Appropriations Committee, I am proud to do what I can to help
direct our Federal funding priorities to address these
concerns.
Today, I want to bring to the attention of the committee
two pieces of legislation: H.R. 4092, the Safe from the Start
Act, which aims to prevent and respond to gender-based violence
from the onset of emergencies. Too often international response
efforts fail to recognize gender-based violence as a problem
until a major disaster response effort is underway. This
legislation is intended to help the humanitarian community take
preventative measures and ensure that quality services are
available for survivors from the onset of an emergency or
crisis.
The Safe from the Start Act will increase dedicated GBV
interventions, integrate GBV risk mitigation across all
humanitarian sectors, and increase accountability.
I am thankful to the bipartisan co-leads of this
legislation: Representative Chris Stewart, Lois Frankel, Mario
Diaz-Balart, and Chrissy Houlahan, as well as the cosponsors
who sit on this committee: Representatives Dean Phillips, Ted
Lieu, Gregory Meeks, David Cicilline, Guy Reschenthaler, Dina
Titus, Ted Deutch, and Adam Kinzinger.
In the new year, I will also be introducing the Youth,
Peace, and Security Act. There are more than 1.8 billion youth
in the world, the largest number to have ever existed. Youth
populations have long been at the forefront of building peace
in their communities by creating youth-led movements,
organizations, and networks to mitigate negative effects of
conflict and to prevent recurring cycles of violence.
Moreover, in countries in conflict, it will be the young
people who will bear the burden of sustaining the peace over
generations and leading their society from reconciliation to
prosperity. This bill will authorize a youth coordinator,
require a youth strategy, expand technical assistance to youth
leaders, and create an emergency assistance fund. I look
forward to introducing this legislation and hope to have the
committee's support.
Thank you again for allowing me to testify, and I look
forward to continuing working with this committee in the second
session of the 116th Congress.
Thank you. I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Meng follows:]
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Chairman Engel. Thank you, Congresswoman, and welcome back
home.
Ms. Meng. Thank you.
Chairman Engel. I remember when you were on this committee
and contributed greatly to its well-being and the well-being of
the issues that we take on all around the world. So thank you
for coming back.
Our next witness is Representative Ed Case of Hawaii. I
would like some of that weather in Hawaii. If you can box it up
and send it here, I would be most appreciative.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ED CASE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF HAWAII
Mr. Case. Thank you, Chair Engel, Ranking Member McCaul,
Chair Sherman. Aloha. Thank you for the opportunity to testify
today in support of this committee's and our Congress'
legislative initiatives focused on the Pacific Islands, a
critical region for my Hawaii and our country.
The Pacific Islands and their exclusive economic zones
encompass a vast area of the Pacific Ocean, larger than the
land area of Russia and China combined. Their challenges,
opportunities, and our own engagements range across an equally
wide spectrum, from defense to development, governance, the
environment, and culture.
We have a shared history dating back hundreds of years, and
too many of our own, of course, have shed blood and still lie
buried or lost throughout these lands and waters.
The President's 2017 National Security Strategy and the
2018 National Defense Strategy rightly identify China as a
central challenge and the Indo-Pacific as the region where the
geopolitical competition between our countries, and quote,
between free and repressive visions of world order, unquote, is
taking place.
Earlier this year, DOD issued its Indo-Pacific Strategy
Report that emphasized revitalized engagement in the Pacific
Islands. In this, we are behind the curve as not only China,
but our partner countries, including Australia, New Zealand,
and Japan, have substantially ramped up their engagement over
the past decade.
These Pacific Islands are critical to the United States,
not only because of our shared interest, values, and history,
but also because our country, of course, is part of them.
Together, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and, of
course, Hawaii provide vital links to this region, especially
as Hawaii hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Indo-Pacific
Command and its component commands and institutions that
promote our interest in the Pacific Islands, such as the East-
West Center and the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.
Given the importance of this region to our national
security, I am very proud to have cofounded this year the first
ever congressional Pacific Islands Caucus with my friends, the
dean of this House, Mr. Young, and the chairman, Mr. Sherman,
and ranking member, Mr. Yoho, of this committee's Subcommittee
for Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation.
I am here today to testify in support of a sound, cohesive,
and long-term U.S. strategy of full engagement in this region
across all areas.
This critical geopolitical competition in the Pacific
Islands demands this whole-of-government strategy which
enhances and balances our military edge with necessary
additional increased development assistance and diplomatic and
cultural engagement based on our shared values and history.
Specifically, Congress should enact legislation building on the
progress made by ARIA and the BUILD Act from last Congress to
provide the right tools and authorize the necessary funding to
compete against potential adversaries and maintain trust among
our allies and partners in our leadership. This renewed effort
is critical to our success.
A few months ago, I met with fellows of the East-West
Center's Pacific Islands Leadership Program to discuss their
perceptions of the United States and its role in the region.
These young professionals and future leaders of their Pacific
Island homes expressed to me their concern that the U.S. had
neglected their part of the world. To them, the connective
tissue that has long bound our nations and people's together
was weakened by our perceived absence and strained by the
rapidly changing regional dynamics.
To address this challenge, I hope to work with my caucus
and this committee on new and renewed initiatives in three
areas: diplomacy, development, and democracy. In diplomacy,
this includes bolstering our presence in the Pacific Islands
and participating more regularly and at more senior levels in
existing regional organizations like the Pacific Islands Forum,
the Pacific community, and more.
The development challenges in the Pacific Islands present
additional opportunities for U.S. engagement, especially in
healthcare, fisheries, and marine resource management, climate
change, and U.S. trade and private sector investment.
Last, we must support democracy, good governance, and the
rule of law in the Pacific Islands just as we do around the
world. By doing so, we empower citizens in civil society to
combat corruption and hold governments accountable in upholding
their interest in sovereignty.
In conclusion, given the accelerating importance of the
Pacific Islands to our national interest, I hope members of
this committee and other members of our body will consider
joining our Pacific Islands Caucus and work with us to send a
strong signal of our commitment to our allies and partners in
this region.
I look forward to working with the committee and its
members and staff on achieving our goals in a region that will
truly determine our place in a rapidly changing world for
generations.
Thank you for your time and interest.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Case follows:]
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Chairman Engel. I thank you, Mr. Case, for testifying. I
appreciate your remarks and certainly will consider them as the
Foreign Affairs Committee considers its legislative priorities
for next year. So thank you for coming here today.
Mr. Case. Thank you.
Chairman Engel. OK. Next, my pleasure to call on
Representative Al Green of Texas.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE AL GREEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Mr. Green. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to thank Chairman Engel, Ranking Member
McCaul, and Mr. Sherman, and all other members of this august
body for presenting me this opportunity to testify before the
committee. I am on a mission of mercy. I would also like to
thank them for your efforts, in particular for your leadership
in sending a bicameral letter to the White House requesting the
dispatch of special envoy for hostage affairs for Mr. Austin
Tice. I am on a mission of mercy.
Because of you, the letter had support from 52 Senators,
120 Representatives, and for that, I am especially thankful. I
am on a mission of mercy.
Mr. Tice is a former Marine Corps captain and a freelance
journalist from Houston, Texas. He is an Eagle Scout. He grew
up wanting to become an international correspondent for NPR.
Mr. Tice was an outstanding student. He attended the University
of Houston for 1 year, and then transferred to Georgetown
University School of Foreign Service. His work was published in
The Washington Post, McClatchy newspaper, as well as other
forms of news media. He was enrolled in Georgetown Law School
and had completed 2 years before his sudden disappearance.
In May 2012, Mr. Tice went to Syria as a freelance
journalist to tell the story of the ongoing conflict there. He
was abducted after being detained at a checkpoint in Damascus,
and approximately a month later, a 43-second video emerged with
the title, ``Austin Tice is alive.'' I am on a mission of
mercy.
The video showed Austin being held by a group of
unidentified men with assault rifles. There has been absolutely
no contact with his captors since. We can only imagine the
horrors Mr. Austin Tice has been through the past 7 years.
The Tice family, whom I know quite well, Debra and Marc,
and the U.S. Government are both confident that Mr. Tice is
alive and have worked tirelessly for his release. The FBI has
offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his
return. I am on a mission of mercy.
One of our most important responsibilities as elected
officials is to protect the American people on both domestic
and foreign soil. We have an obligation to Mr. Tice and his
parents who have waited for over 7 years to see their son. I am
indebted to all my colleagues across both Chambers and both
sides of the aisle for their advocacy on behalf of Mr. Tice and
his family, but I believe that we can still do more. This is
why I am testifying today in support of my resolution, H. Res.
17.
This resolution expresses concern over the detention of Mr.
Tice and encourages the Department of State, the office of
Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and other U.S.
Government entities to engage with Syria to facilitate Mr.
Tice's safe release.
I have never given up on my constituents or family members
of constituents who have been deported or detained by foreign
governments. Seven years is simply too long for Mr. Tice to be
separated from his loved ones. And I ask this committee to take
up my resolution and show that Congress not only agrees with
this sentiment, but also calls for his safe return.
I thank you again. And I would just simply add, I have been
with the family on multiple occasions. They have visited
Washington, DC. Mr. Tice's mother has gone to Syria. She has
been to Lebanon. She has left no stone unturned, as is the case
with his father. We believe him to be alive, and we believe
that it is time to bring him home. I know that it is a rare
circumstance for resolutions to be brought to the floor, but
this is a mission of mercy. And I beg that you would give
extreme consideration to the resolution so that we may do one
additional thing to bring Mr. Tice home.
I yield back the balance of my time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Green follows:]
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Chairman Engel. Well, thank you, Congressman, and certainly
appreciate your remarks, and we will certainly consider them as
the Foreign Affairs Committee does its legislative priorities
for next year.
I know Mr. McCaul wanted to make a statement or ask some
questions.
Mr. McCaul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And let me thank you--
excuse me, I have a cold today--Congressman Green. I met the
parents myself as well. I join you in your mission of mercy. I
want to thank you for bringing this resolution to the
committee's attention, and I hope the U.S. Government can
exercise all its powers to bring Austin Tice back home to
Texas, and we will give your resolution due consideration. And,
in fact, I do not want to jump ahead of the chairman, but I,
myself, speaking for myself, am very supportive. So thank you.
Mr. Green. I thank the gentleman very much.
Chairman Engel. Thank you. And we will be--we will
certainly be in touch.
Mr. Green. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Engel. Thank you.
Next is Congressman French Hill from Arkansas. Welcome.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE FRENCH HILL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARKANSAS
Mr. Hill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member McCaul,
members of the committee. Thank you for letting members come
before you today and testify on their priorities.
Today, I would like to talk about my resolution, H. Res.
49, Supporting Coptic Christians in Egypt, which has a diverse
and bipartisan coalition of members that cosponsor it. My
Democratic lead on H. Res. 49 is my friend on Foreign Affairs
Committee, Member Dave Cicilline. My resolution currently has
71 cosponsors, including 25 from this committee.
I introduced this resolution in the 115th Congress,
following a 2017 trip to Egypt. While preparing for the trip,
visiting the country, and returning home, I repeatedly heard
about the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt. Although the
Copts have been the victims of numerous terrorist attacks by
groups like ISIS, what is most disturbing to me are the attacks
against Copts that are carried out by their fellow Egyptians.
Most recently in Minya province in upper Egypt in late
November, a mother and her son were stabbed by a Muslim man
while sitting in front of their home after being told that
Christians are not allowed outside. Luckily, they were not
killed. Sadly, this is a persistent narrative in Minya.
The 2018 and 2019 State Department reports on religious
freedom in Egypt mention specifically Minya province as an area
of concern more than any other province in the country.
Also in late November, Ramy Kamel, a Coptic Christian and
founder of Coptic Christian Rights Organization, was arrested
by the Egyptian police and accused of numerous terrorism-
related charges. It is also reported that he has undergone
intensive interrogation and has been given no legal
representation. Unfortunately, cases like this in Egypt are
becoming more numerous.
Our country and our citizens over the generations have
worked mightily to live up to the values and inalienable rights
granted to us by God above and enshrined in our founding
documents, especially the vocal support of free expression
abroad, particularly in the form of advocacy for religious
tolerance and freedom, the rule of law, human rights, and
education for women and minorities. These are fundamental
tenets of our foreign policy.
In my work on this resolution here in the House, I continue
to give voice to this very American ideal.
Likewise, I have met with religious leaders from all across
the Levant, from Lebanon, to Syria, Iraq, and in Jerusalem,
with an eye toward better shaping American and allied support
of Christians and other persecuted religious minorities in the
region.
I have great respect for Egyptian President el-Sisi, and I
applaud the changes and message that he has made in the areas
of religious tolerance. He continues to say and do the right
things at the top level of government, and Egypt is a good
partner with the United States. President el-Sisi has a good
relationship with the Coptic Pope, attends mass on multiple
occasions, has reconstructed destroyed churches, constructing
the largest Christian cathedral in the Middle East in the new
administrative center in Egypt. He has held terrorists
accountable for their atrocities.
However, I believe there is more that can be done. And as
the second highest receiver of American military support, the
U.S. Government must use its tools and hold our allies like
Egypt to a higher standard in order to receive our aid.
It is in this regard that I believe the one vehicle readily
available to this committee to highlight the United States
Government's concern of the treatment of the Coptic Christians
in Egypt is my resolution, H.Res. 49.
Let's recall President Reagan's admonition as to our
responsibility. Respect for human rights is not social work. It
is not merely an act of compassion. It is the first obligation
of a government and the source of its legitimacy.
I appreciate, Chairman Engel, your leadership on this
committee. Ranking Member McCaul, I appreciate the opportunity
to testify before you on this important matter. And with your
permission, I would like to add a supplemental item that
complies with your page limitation to the--for the record.
Chairman Engel. Without objection.
Mr. Hill. I thank the chairman, and I appreciate the
opportunity to be with you today.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hill follows:]
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Chairman Engel. Thank you. We appreciate you coming. And,
you know, when I hear French Hill, I think of this area around
Jerusalem.
Mr. Hill. It is a great place for coffee.
Chairman Engel. Thank you for coming.
Mr. Hill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Engel. Now, Representative Chip Roy of Texas.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE CHIP ROY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Mr. Roy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the ranking
member, and appreciate you all giving us the courtesy of being
able to come and speak about some matters that are important to
us and legislation that we think might be important for this
committee to consider.
My colleague, Representative Green from Tennessee, and I
introduced legislation earlier this year, called the Drug
Cartel Terrorist Designation Act, calling on the administration
to designate certain cartels--and that is a very important
distinction--certain cartels as foreign terrorist
organizations.
Ten other members joined this bill--joined--I am sorry--a
letter also to Secretary Pompeo that reiterated this request.
Specifically, H.R. 1700 requests the foreign terrorist
organization designation for the following cartels: The
Reynosa, Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel, the Jalisco New
Generation Cartel, and the Cartel Del Noreste that is
affiliated with Los Zetas.
I know that the chairman and the ranking member in this
committee is well aware of the extent to which cartels have
operational control of the border, particularly in my home
State of Texas and that of the ranking member. We know the
extraordinary impact those cartels are having, not only on the
border communities, but our Nation as a whole, our national
security, as well as our friends to the south in Mexico, in
destabilizing the region, not just in terms of drug
trafficking, not just in terms of the economic impact, not in
terms of just the profit of the cartels, which is massive, but
our overall national security and stability and the political
stability of Mexico, and impacting even our local politics in
south Texas, where the Rio Grande Valley politicians are often
under the thumb of the cartels with their reach across the
border.
What we have seen in recent months is troubling. And we
know, we have seen, according to the congressional Research
Service, since 2006, there have been roughly 150,000 organized
crime-related killings in Mexico alone. We have seen numbers
even as high as 200,000 or more.
Council on Foreign Relations paper updated in October of
this year reports that murders are soaring in Mexico, and
homicide reached a new high of 36,000. Now, that alone is not
necessarily something that would say you want to move in the
direction of a foreign terrorist organization designation, but
the extent to which they have political influence, the extent
to which that is a destabilizing force in Mexico and along our
border is, I think, something that we should take note.
In October, 35 Mexican police and National Guard troops
were surrounded and outgunned by cartel forces, ultimately
forcing to release drug lord Ovidio Guzman, otherwise known as
El Chapo's son.
Mexico's Citizens' Council for Public Security lists that
42 of the 50 most violent cities in the world are in Latin
America, and this is a direct result of cartels. We know about
the drug trafficking, we know the danger. But even with the
decrease in the amount of the human toll and the trafficking
this fall, because of our engagement with Mexico, we saw
mountains of fentanyl coming across our border. We can get the
recent stats and we can pull them up, but the amount of
fentanyl, heroine, cocaine pouring across our border is
extraordinary. And we are seeing the direct impact in terms of
the opioid abuse in our country. And I think that this is
something that we ought to consider.
And I know that a number of my colleagues are concerned
about what this might do to the Return to Mexico program or
other policies in terms of how we engage in Mexico because of
the perceived danger of returning people to a country where you
have got cartel control. To those who are concerned about that
in the State Department or in the White House or in this body,
I would say, Mexico is as dangerous as Mexico is.
There are five States that are designated level 4 States by
the State Department. Tamaulipas is one of those. That is a no-
travel zone. This is not the Mexico of our parents and
grandparents. I mean, this is--you know, you do not go down
there and go grab some lunch and just hang out for the
afternoon in Reynosa. It is dangerous. I have sat overnight
twice this year down in McAllen, sitting next to the river,
listening to gunfire across the river. I mean, it is a
dangerous zone, and this is literally in our backyard and it is
on fire.
And as we have got people around the world right now
defending the United States, I think we ought to be focusing on
Mexico in our backyard. These organizations kill people. They
post videos killing people. They put bodies in barrels of
sulfuric acid. They behead people. There were seven bodies
found alongside the road. There were nine hanging from a
bridge. Twenty-seven people were locked in a bar and burned to
death. This is the action of the cartels right in our backyard.
I would bring up one final point in the last minute I have.
I wrote an op-ed in September pointing out that we had crossed
the milestone of 18 years since the authorization of force in
September 2001. That means we have people that are enlisting in
the Armed Forces today who were not alive when we passed the
authorization of force under which they are now fighting.
I think in light of what we have seen now coming out from
The Washington Post reports this week, some of the question
marks about what we are accomplishing in Afghanistan, as many
good things as our men and women in uniform have done--and they
have done enormously great things that are important for our
national security--we ought to be taking a long, hard look at
what we are asking our men and women in uniform to do, in
particular in Afghanistan.
And I think it is incumbent upon this body to have a clear
mission for our men and women in uniform, to speak with one
united voice on that front, even as we are seeing some of this
information come in overseas. And I think we should have a
renewed focus, as I already said, on the Western Hemisphere, in
our backyard and what's going on in Mexico.
I appreciate the time of the chairman. I appreciate you
opening up this day for us to come visit. Thank you all.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Roy follows:]
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Chairman Engel. Thank you, Congressman, for testifying.
And I know Mr. McCaul wanted to make some brief remarks.
Mr. McCaul. Well, I guess he is leaving.
Hey, Congressman Roy.
Mr. Roy. Sorry.
Mr. McCaul. Just one quick--I share your concern, being
from Texas. I think their tactics are like acts of terrorism.
When I chaired Homeland Security Committee, I saw the videos
time and time again. And so I actually--interestingly, I
introduced this bill in 2006, and it sat in the Judiciary
Committee, which I think is the committee of jurisdiction for
this. And since that time, we passed the Kingpin Act, which
does put sanctions on the cartels. It is a good step forward.
Mr. Roy. Agreed.
Mr. McCaul. But certainly take a look at the bill. But I do
think it probably lies within the jurisdiction of Judiciary,
and I would encourage you to talk to----
Mr. Roy. Yep.
Mr. McCaul [continuing]. The committee members over there
as well.
Mr. Roy. I agree. And the point of coming here today was
just the considerable expertise in this committee and how
important this is from a national security and foreign
relations standpoint. Whether it is that bill or others, we
should be taking a very specific and targeted process of how we
are targeting the cartels. So appreciate that.
Mr. McCaul. We thank you for that. And I see your
daughter's waiting for you.
Mr. Roy. She is, patiently. She is looking forward to the
White House Christmas party tonight. So----
Mr. McCaul. We will see you there.
Chairman Engel. Have a good time, and thank you for
testifying.
Next, Representative John Garamendi of California, who
would win a contest for the nicest Christmas card that we have
received with all the grandchildren and everything else. So
congratulations.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JOHN GARAMENDI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. Garamendi. Thank you. Indeed, Patti and I are blessed
with that family. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Sherman, thank you very
much for the opportunity to spend some time with you today. I
am here to speak on behalf of my legislation, H.R. 3456, the
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act. And I respectfully request
that you include this legislation in any upcoming hearing that
you may have with the director of the Peace Corps on Peace
Corps issues.
I want to thank my fellow Peace Corps Caucus co-chairs,
Representative Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts and Garret Graves
of Louisiana, for their support as original cosponsors.
Like successive generations of young Americans, my wife
Patti and I answered President Kennedy's call and served in the
Peace Corps in Ethiopia, 1966 to 1968.
Since the establishment of the Peace Corps in 1961, more
than 230,000 Americans have volunteered and served in 141
countries around the world. Today, there are some 8,000 Peace
Corps volunteers serving in 65 countries.
However, Congress last reauthorized the Peace Corps in
1999. And that was Public Law 106-30, which did expire at the
end of the Fiscal Year of 2003.
Now, more than ever, Congress must support the Peace Corps'
mission and realize President Kennedy's vision of generations
of young Americans ready to serve their Nation and make the
world a better place, both overseas and here in America.
Our Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2019 would do just
that by providing additional Federal resources to better
support current, returning, and former Peace Corps volunteers
by doing the following things: Authorizing $450 million per
Fiscal Year for the Peace Corps, an increase over the flat $410
million funding level provided by Congress in most recent
years; also increasing the monthly allowance for Peace Corps
volunteers and leaders to $417 per month of service completed
to reflect the increased cost of living; and provide a $10,000
for a full 2-year term of service.
It also extends the Peace Corps volunteers' Federal hiring
preference during any hiring freezes, government shutdowns, or
while volunteer receives workers' compensation benefits for an
injury occurred during their Peace Corps service. Also
increases the workers' compensation rate for all Peace Corps
volunteers injured or disabled during their service from the
Federal GS-7 to a GS-11 level, the same rate provided for Peace
Corps volunteers with dependent children under current law.
As co-chair of the congressional Peace Corps Caucus, I am
proud to continue this work in support of the Peace Corps
mission, its volunteers, and the indelible impact their service
has had on the lives of needy people around the world. I hope
to work with you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member McCaul and
the other members of the committee, to advance the Peace Corps
Reauthorization Act in this Congress.
Our bipartisan bill is endorsed by the National Peace Corps
Association. So, Mr. Chairman, I certainly would hope that you
would commit to work with us on holding a hearing.
I thank you, and yield the remaining time that I have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Garamendi follows:]
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Chairman Engel. Thank you. Thanks very much for testifying.
And we all appreciate your remarks and certainly will consider
them as the Foreign Affairs Committee does its legislative
priorities for the coming year. So thank you, and I know we
will have further conversation about this.
Mr. Garamendi. Indeed, we will, and I will catch the three
of you on the floor.
Chairman Engel. OK.
Mr. Garamendi. Thank you so very much.
Chairman Engel. It is a deal. Thank you.
OK. Thank you. And now we have Representative Bryan Steil
of Wisconsin.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE BRYAN STEIL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
Mr. Steil. Thank you, Chairman Engel, and thank you,
Ranking Member McCaul. It is also good to see my colleague from
my home committee, Financial Services, Mr. Sherman, with us
here today. I appreciate all of your commitment to addressing
the scourge that is human trafficking. I am here today to shed
light on an issue that affects every corner of this Nation and
every country in this world: human trafficking.
Human trafficking is a horrendous crime that represents a
real threat across the United States and, in particular, to the
people of southeast Wisconsin. This is not just a far-away
problem. Human trafficking has been reported in every county in
the State of Wisconsin. Boys, girls, men, women, all ages,
nationalities, and backgrounds are victims of human
trafficking.
More than 500,000 people are trafficked across
international borders every year. More than 14,000 women,
children, and men are trafficked in the United States. This is
a global epidemic. Criminals have become organized and
sophisticated in their ways, making human trafficking a
lucrative industry.
The International Labor Organization estimates more than
$150 billion in illegal profits is made from forced labor each
year. If there is a profit to be made, these criminals will
take advantage of it. That is where a nonpartisan solution
comes into play to deter these crimes from occurring.
Currently, the United States uses the Trafficking in
Persons Report to engage foreign governments to combat human
trafficking. Governments will report their efforts to stop
human trafficking within their own country. Foreign aid is then
given to these countries based on their strides to prevent
these crimes. However, while Trafficking in Person Reports
evaluates several criteria, there is no requirement to showcase
a country's efforts to disrupt the illicit financing of human
trafficking.
In April, I introduced my first bill, the Exposing the
Financing of Human Trafficking Act. This nonpartisan bill holds
countries accountable for their involvement in human
trafficking.
The Exposing Financing of Human Trafficking Act requires
countries to report their efforts to investigate, prevent, and
prosecute financial crimes associated with human trafficking.
Right now, countries that receive U.S. aid have no
responsibility to report their effort to prevent money
laundering from human trafficking. We can change this. We must
follow the money.
And while this bill may be a simple change, it will have a
global impact on how countries combat human trafficking. Forty-
seven of my colleagues have joined me in this effort, many whom
are members of this committee. Not only does this bill
strengthen our effort to combat human trafficking--traffickers'
use of the domestic financial system, it importantly encourages
other countries to cutoff traffickers from the global financial
system.
This effort is just one piece of the puzzle. Fighting human
trafficking requires a multifaceted approach. That is why
awareness campaigns, school counselors, teachers, law
enforcement officers all play a vital role.
I am thankful to the southeast Wisconsin law enforcement
community. Many of our county sheriffs and police officers are
working diligently on human trafficking. We have to work
together, all of us, Democrats and Republicans, local, State,
Federal, international partners, to take this crisis head on.
I am going to continue to work with my community in
southeast Wisconsin to address this problem, and I will
continue to fight this issue here in Congress. Bringing
attention to human trafficking is a necessary first step, and
passing this legislation and other anti-human trafficking bills
is the next step. Our work is not done.
So, today, I ask the committee to mark up the Exposing the
Financing of Human Trafficking Act. I am confident it would
pass with broad bipartisan support on both sides of the aisle.
And thank you again to Chairman Engel and Ranking Member McCaul
for the opportunity to speak here today and for your work on
this issue. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Steil follows:]
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Chairman Engel. Well, thank you very much, Congressman
Steil. Those statistics are certainly very shocking. You start
to digest them, it really is overwhelming. And so we certainly
appreciate your remarks, and we will absolutely consider them
as the Foreign Affairs Committee considers its legislative
priorities for the new year. I thank you.
I do not know if Mr. McCaul----
Mr. McCaul. Yes. I just want to thank you for bringing this
to our attention. I am very involved with this issue. It is
modern-day slavery in our lifetime, and we need to stop it, and
so I look forward to looking at your bill. I think Brian
Fitzpatrick's End Banking for Human Trafficking, a very similar
bill, did pass this committee. It is sitting in Financial
Services. So maybe you and Mr. Sherman could possibly move that
along as well.
And I had--I know January is Human Trafficking Awareness
Month, and I brought a victim, Courtney Litvak, to the White
House to meet Ivanka Trump, and she invited her to attend the
summit at the White House in January. So I look forward to
working with you on this important issue and doing everything
we can to stop it.
Mr. Steil. Thank you very much for your efforts.
Mr. McCaul. I yield.
Chairman Engel. OK. Thank you very much.
I think that concludes our witnesses. So let me again
reiterate that we thank all of you and appreciate all the
remarks, and we will certainly consider them as the Foreign
Affairs Committee does its legislative priorities for next
year.
If there is not any other business or any other witnesses,
then I will adjourn the hearing.
Hearing nobody, let me say the hearing is officially
adjourned, and thank you all for attending.
[Whereupon, at 10:46 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
APPENDIX
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