Gerald Connolly

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7311) to direct the Secretary of State to develop and submit to Congress a strategy and implementation plan outlining United States efforts to counter the malign influence and activities of the Russian Federation and its proxies in Africa, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend again for his leadership and bipartisanship on this bill. I think it is a very important bill because Russia is spreading its malign influence all over the world, and it is having a particular impact in the African continent, so we need to be prepared. We need to respond. This bill will help do that. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4133) to authorize appropriations for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, enhance the United States-Caribbean security partnership, prioritize disaster resilience, and for other purposes.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4133, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act of 2022. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Espaillat, for drafting this important measure. CBSI has been essential in helping our partners in the Caribbean improve their capacity to combat transnational crime, violence, and regional instability while also enhancing our own security and strengthening our critical partnerships in the region. By supporting a multiyear authorization, we can effectively assist our Caribbean partners in citizen safety, security, and the rule of law in the Caribbean Basin; reducing corruption and the malign influence of authoritarian regimes like Xi Jinping's China and Vladimir Putin's Russia; and strengthening the ability of countries in the region to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. According to a status report from the State Department's U.S. Strategy for Engagement in the Caribbean released in July of 2019 is says: ``Rising crime and endemic corruption threaten governments' ability to provide security and good governance'' in many of the nations in the region. With ongoing efforts to mitigate transnational organized crime in Central America and Mexico, the drug trade and in other illegal activities likely will move further into the Caribbean, particularly as the regional economic outlook deteriorates due to the continuing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the tragic impacts of the recent hurricane season in the Caribbean and trends pointing toward more frequent and intense natural disasters, this renewed support for CBSI can also help make it possible for our friends in the region to become more climate resilient by building robust rapid-response mechanisms and resilient infrastructure responses throughout the region. The support from CBSI can help to avoid a climate of fear and uncertainty among citizens that leads to diminished economic growth. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), my good friend and author of this legislation.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his leadership and bipartisanship on this important bill. I really can't add to the eloquence of our friend and colleague from New York (Mr. Espaillat). Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important and critical piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 923, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the author of the Georgia Support Act and as co-chair of the Congressional Georgia Caucus to express my support for this legislation, which we introduced with my Republican colleague and Georgia Caucus co-chair, Mr. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, this legislation has twice passed the House with broad bipartisan support. This bipartisan effort enhances the U.S.-Georgia relationship on several fronts by bolstering security assistance, promoting democratic governance reforms, enhancing cooperation to fight Russian disinformation, and strengthening economic ties. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate, as Russia continues its tragic and horrific invasion of sovereign Ukrainian territory, that we reflect on 2008 and the invasion by Russia and continued occupation of sovereign Georgian territory in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. To this day, Russian troops committing abhorrent violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, and war crimes in sovereign Ukrainian territory are the same troops that have fomented unrest, aided separatist movements, and committed clear and evident violations of human rights for the past 14 years in the Russian-occupied parts of Georgia. This bill directs the United States Government to enforce targeted sanctions on malign actors committing these violations in Russian- occupied territory. The Georgia Support Act also requires the administration to examine how best we can utilize the $35 million or more of United States aid that we provide Georgia in security assistance every year and reinforces U.S. policy to never recognize Russian sovereignty over Georgia territory. As the number one per capita contributor of forces in Afghanistan, Georgia has demonstrated its dedication to security cooperation with the West. The United States must continue to reciprocate by helping Georgia develop the capacity to defend itself against further incursion of Russian forces. Mr. Speaker, attacks on Georgian sovereignty have not been simply through the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as bad as that is. This bill directs the administration to enhance cooperation with our Georgian partners to help them defend themselves from the various cyberattacks and disinformation and propaganda campaigns Russia has launched with the goal of undermining the sovereignty and democratic institutions of the Country of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I traveled to Tbilisi numerous times, both with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, of which I am President, and with the House Democracy Partnership to meet with government officials, civil society, and the Georgian people. I am pleased that this iteration of the Georgia Support Act seeks to buttress Georgian democratic institutions through U.S. democracy and governance programs that promote Georgian judicial independence, electoral reforms, freedom of the press, and accountability for attacks on independent media and Tbilisi Pride activists in 2021. This legislation provides an opportunity for the United States to express its robust, bipartisan support for Georgia's sovereignty, continued democratic and economic development, and security against renewed Russian aggression. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Georgia Support Act, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, April 21, 2022. Hon. Gregory Meeks, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Meeks: This letter is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 923, the ``Georgia Support Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to forgo action on H.R. 923, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference. Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my friend for his support. And I think it is very important that there be a clarion statement from this Congress, not only about Ukraine, but about other nations that are threatened by Russian aggression; Georgia and Moldova are two of the most prominent. It is critical that the Congress speak with one voice to those nations, to those peoples, and to Vladimir Putin and Russia, should he have further designs on either of those two countries. So I think this is an important piece of legislation. I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 833) expressing support for Moldova's democracy, independence, and territorial integrity and strengthening United States and Moldova relations, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my friend for his bipartisan leadership and his support for this important piece of legislation. Again, combined with the Georgia Support Act, this resolution sends a clear message from this body, on a bipartisan basis, that we will not tolerate Russian aggression in Europe in 2022. Combined with our solidarity in opposition to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, it is a powerful message, backed up with, of course, support by our government, and the bipartisan nature of this is just so critical. The people of Moldova, and the people of Georgia, and the people of Ukraine, they are watching and they are listening, as we hope is Vladimir Putin and his cronies in Moscow. I urge support for this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3344) to prioritize the efforts of and enhance coordination among United States agencies to encourage countries in Central and Eastern Europe to improve the security of their telecommunications networks, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3344, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3344, as amended, the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act. Let me start by thanking Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, the chairwoman of the Ukraine Caucus here in Congress. She has been an incredible leader and a very important voice for Ukraine, not just these past 2 months, but for decades as a Member of Congress. This bill is part and parcel of her many efforts to aid the people of Ukraine and Eastern Europe. I emphasize a key point throughout my remarks today: Telecommunication security is a central pillar of national security. If a hostile power has the ability to shut down a country's access to the internet, then both telecommunications and national security have, in fact, been breached. If a strategic competitor can disable telecoms gear or cut an underseas cable to turn off a country's mobile network, then both telecommunications and national security have, in fact, been breached. And if foreign rivals can snoop on a country's calls and steal classified information because they can access the network, then both telecommunications and national security have, in fact, been breached. The lesson is clear: The United States and its allies cannot rely on telecoms gear produced and supplied by countries and companies close to the People's Republic of China government or the Putin regime in Moscow. This is especially true in Eastern Europe, as President Putin has decided to act on violent imperial hubris rather than respect the law of nations. If the problem is PRC-affiliated technology and Russian aggression, then the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act is a key part in the solution to bolster our national security and that of our friends and allies. First and foremost, the bill allows the Development Finance Corporation to fund telecom security projects to ensure that all network gear in Eastern Europe is safe. As Ukraine faces the immediate threat to its national security, projects in the region must and will receive priority assistance. Second, this bill authorizes the State Department to create a new position of campaign coordinator at the Department to focus on upcoming elections in the U.N. body called the International Telecommunications Union. That election comprises of an American with significant experience with the ITU and a Russian who previously worked for the Chinese company, Huawei. What could go wrong with that? This is an election the free world can ill afford to lose, and we must do everything in our power to ensure corrupt actors are kept from its power. This includes a whole-of-government response, such as the State Department working with Commerce and the FCC, as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee teaming up with our good friends on the Energy and Commerce Committee to make sure the ITU promotes free and secure telecom systems around the globe. The TTSA is a critical bill that would deliver tangible security benefits for Ukraine and frontline NATO allies. We can, should, and must get this bill to the President's desk quickly. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to make that reality one step closer by voting for this legislation today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my friend for his leadership and bipartisanship on this critical piece of legislation. I think it is timely. I think it is urgent. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6089) to clarify that section 107 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act applies sanctions with respect to unmanned combat aerial vehicles following a 2019 change by the United Nations providing additional clarity to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, as amended.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6089.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6089, the Stop Iranian Drones Act, which was introduced by Ranking Member McCaul and Chairman Meeks, along with Congressmen Deutch and Wilson, chair and ranking member of the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee. As we have seen in recent months, Iran and Iranian-aligned terrorists and militia groups have been growing increasingly aggressive with their drone attacks throughout the Middle East--targeting U.S. troops, commercial vessels, partner countries, and more. Not long ago, an Iranian-sponsored militia in Yemen utilized drones to cause death and destruction in the UAE, hundreds of miles away. Similarly, Saudi Arabia has faced repeated drone attacks on its civilian areas and its critical infrastructure. This bill clarifies that existing conventional weapons sanctions against Iran include unmanned combat aerial vehicles and brings U.S. code up to date with the United Nation's categories of major conventional arms. By doing this, this bill will allow the United States to better respond to the threat posed by Iran and its proxies' aggressive UAV tactics with respect to the United States and its partners. This is not a new sanction, but rather a clarification of current law. It will in no way interfere with the ongoing nuclear talks. We have confirmed this with the State Department. The Biden administration is taking this threat seriously. They have sanctioned the top Iranian military official for his role in the July attack on a commercial shipping vessel in the Gulf of Oman, in addition to blacklisting a network of individuals and companies behind Iran's UAV program. But we can do more, and we need our allies to do more as well. The clarification included in this legislation will help show the international community that Iranian UAV proliferation will not be tolerated by this government or this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I ask for full support of this House in passing this legislation so we can move it one step closer to the President's desk, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, April 21, 2022. Hon. Gregory Meeks, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Meeks: This letter is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 6089, the ``Stop Iranian Drones Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to forgo action on H.R. 6089, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference. Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski) who serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I think this is an important piece of legislation in trying to contain the malign activities of the Iranian Government especially in a critical region, critical to us and critical to the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4693) to advance targeted and evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of global malnutrition and to improve the coordination of such programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. The United States has a long tradition, on a bipartisan basis, of dealing with the issue of food insecurity and malnutrition. Herbert Hoover led some of the early efforts by the United States Government after World War I to feed a starving Europe. He even provided food assistance to the Bolshevik regime in Russia because we understood that malnutrition didn't respect political ideology or labels. Through the Food for Peace program in the early Kennedy and Johnson years, there was cooperation between the late Senator Bob Dole and the late Senator George McGovern to make sure that both domestic and international food security were staples of U.S. policy and bipartisan support. This is an important piece of legislation. No child in 2022 should ever be malnourished, and certainly, no child should ever die from malnourishment. This is an important statement by this Congress about our values as human beings and as a society and reaffirms a longstanding commitment by the American people to not let this kind of tragedy happen anywhere. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONNOLLY

Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.