Joaquin Castro

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 241.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 241, the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2021, introduced by Mr. Chabot. In this Congress, the House Foreign Affairs Committee aims to reprioritize and redouble our legislative efforts related to the environment, conservation, and climate change. Climate change already poses a significant threat, and what we do now will significantly impact how damaging climate change will be in the years to come. If we do not act now, we will fail to mitigate the adverse effects posed by climate change. We will see growing food insecurity, migration and conflict, threatening our shared interests and security. President Biden has already set a positive, ambitious agenda for international climate action. His first summit, the Climate Leaders Summit, will take place this very week, on April 22, during which the United States will reclaim its leadership role in galvanizing international support for protecting our planet. We will continue to work closely with other nations in the lead-up to the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November and beyond, understanding that nothing short of an international response can meet this incredible challenge. We have our work cut out for us, no doubt, which is why I am pleased to bring forth this excellent bipartisan measure that would reauthorize the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act. This highly successful debt-for-nature program has yielded tangible environmental benefits and returns on investment since first enacted in 1998. It offers eligible countries the opportunity to reduce debt owed to the United States when they invest in local ecologically and economically vital forest and coral reef ecosystems. It is a win-win situation. According to the Congressional Research Service, since 1998, restructured debt agreements have saved more than 67 million acres of tropical forests in countries such as Botswana, Brazil, the Philippines, and Indonesia. They help strengthen civil society in conservation and environmental protection efforts and build public-private partnerships in developing countries, thereby advancing U.S. international development and democracy objectives. Furthermore, these agreements help reduce the debt in these developing countries, lessening fiscal pressures, promoting capital market reforms, and stimulating economic growth while helping to protect the environment. The world's forests are nature's lungs, and the ocean's coral reefs support a quarter of all marine life. This legislation puts in place economic incentives that can help drive good environmental stewardship, while promoting robust democracies and economic growth overseas. I am pleased to support this important bill and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, H.R. 241, introduced by Mr. Chabot, is a bipartisan bill that reauthorizes the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act. The debt-for-nature swaps created by this program have been highly successful in generating support for tropical forest or coral reef conservation activities in exchange for relieving debt owed to the United States Government. This bill is a win-win, protecting forest and coral reef ecosystems, lessening the fiscal burden of low-income countries, and stimulating economic growth in local communities. I hope my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, will join me in supporting this bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 241) to reauthorize the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1998.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1083) to require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 1083.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan Southeast Asia Strategy Act, of which I am a proud Democratic lead on the bill. In 2017, Congresswoman Wagner and I cofounded the Congressional Caucus on ASEAN to strengthen our Nation's relationships in Southeast Asia. ASEAN and its member nations are of critical importance to the United States. Enduring organizations like ASEAN will be key to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States is already making key investments in the region alongside allies and partners like Japan, Australia, and India-- notably, the recent Quad commitment to fund, manufacture, and distribute vaccines across Southeast Asia. The Southeast Asia Strategy Act will build on these investments by reinforcing ASEAN centrality as U.S. policy and directing the Secretary of State to develop a comprehensive plan for engaging the institution and the region it represents. This legislation comes at a crucial time for Southeast Asia, notably amidst the deteriorating situation in Myanmar following the recent military coup. Given the significant and rapidly developing events in the region, Congress must send a message of the importance of the region by passing this bill. It is also important that the administration nominates a U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN as quickly as possible. It is also imperative that the administration consistently sends senior officials to regional summits. Our Nation needs a voice in Southeast Asia now more than ever. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation and help build stronger ties between the United States and the peoples of Southeast Asia. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. H.R. 1083, the Southeast Asia Strategies Act, introduced by Mrs. Wagner, is important legislation that will recommit the United States to strengthening and deepening our ties to southeast Asia and the ASEAN economic union. This bill will reinforce the United States' cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region and lay the groundwork for improved engagement and increased prosperity for America and its partner nations. Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today in celebration of Mrs. Emmie `Boots' Burk to commemorate the very significant milestone of her 100th birthday. Emmie Fulton Burk was born on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 1921 in Koblenz, Germany to an American military family stationed overseas. Growing up in the State of Georgia she learned the importance of family and tradition. She was a member of the first Girl Scout troop on Ft. Screven, Georgia (Tybee Island). When her father, MSgt. Benjamin Fulton was later stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Emmie moved to finish high school in 1939. She has been a proud Texan ever since. In 1942, she married the love of her life, James William Burk. She helped raise their son and daughter and became very active in their children's school and extracurricular activities, as well as church and other community service. She was independent and career driven. After the passing of her husband in 1979, she worked to solely support herself eventually going on to work in the early stages of market research. After several years in the industry, she began her own company, Burk Market Research, growing it into a successful venture through the 1970s to 1990s. A faithful public servant, she worked with the United States Census Bureau assisting with many monthly studies, to include current population studies. This led her to travel across our great country to many different areas, where she helped lead the count. In 1991, she received the Bronze Medal for meritorious service. Mrs. Burk retired in 2011 at the age of 90 with 43 years of service, making her one of the longest serving members in the Bureau's history. Today you will find Mrs. Burk attending one of her great grandchildren's events. A strong family-driven mind, Mrs. Burk dedicates her time to family and making new joyful memories. Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Mrs. Burk and a tremendous life well- lived. I thank Mrs. Burk for her many years of public service. It is my hope that she will share her 100th with all her loved ones.

Mr. Manager CASTRO

Mr. Manager CASTRO. Good afternoon, you all. My name is Joaquin Castro. I represent San Antonio in the United States Congress. There is a saying that ``[a] lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put on its shoes.'' That was before the internet. The point of that saying is the lie can do incredible damage and destruction, and that is especially true when that lie is told by the most powerful person on Earth, our Commander in Chief, the President of the United States. This attack did not come from one speech, and it didn't happen by accident. The evidence shows clearly that this mob was provoked over many months by Donald J. Trump. And if you look at the evidence, his purposeful conduct, you will see that the attack was foreseeable and preventable. I will start by discussing President Trump's actions leading up to the election when he set up his big lie. Beginning in the spring of 2020, President Trump began to fall behind in the polls, and by July, President Trump had reached a new low. He was running 15 points behind his opponent, and he was scared. He began to believe that he could legitimately lose the election, so he did something entirely unprecedented in the history of our Nation. He refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power. Here is what he said: (Text of videotape presentation.) Mr. WALLACE: Can you give a direct answer you will accept the election? Mr. TRUMP. I have to see. Look, I have to see. No, I'm not just going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no. Mr. WALLACE. Do you commit to making sure that there is a peaceful transfer of power? Mr. TRUMP. Get rid of the ballots and you'll have a very peaceful--there won't be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation. Senators, the President of the United States said: There won't be a transition of power, frankly. There will be a continuation. President Trump was given every opportunity to tell his supporters: Yes, if I lose, I will peacefully transfer power to the next President. Instead, he told his supporters the only way he could lose the election is if it were stolen. In tweet after tweet, he made sweeping allegations about election fraud that couldn't possibly be true. But that was the point. He didn't care if things were true. He wanted to make sure that his supporters were angry, like the election was being ripped away from them. On May 24, 6 months before the election, he tweeted: It will be the greatest Rigged Election in history. How could he possibly know it would be the greatest rigged election in history 6 months before the election happened? And, on June 22, more of the same:

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, Donald Trump is the most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office. Madam Speaker, I want to take you back 1 week ago today when people were barging through these doors and breaking the windows with weapons, armed, pipe bombs, coming here to harm all of you, to harm the Speaker, and to harm the Senate. Madam Speaker, let me ask you a question: What do you think they would have done if they had gotten in? What do you think they would have done to you, and who do you think sent them here? The most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office. If inciting a deadly insurrection is not enough to get a President impeached, then what is? All of us must answer that question today. The Constitution requires us to impeach and remove Donald John Trump.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), who is the author of this important bill and co-chair of the Human Rights Commission and chairman of the Rules Committee.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi).

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purposes of closing. Madam Speaker, this is a matter of whether the United States, as it has for generations, will remain a north star around the world when it comes to things like freedom, human rights, democracy, and rooting out corruption. This is an issue of human rights. Millions of people are being subjugated right now by the Chinese Government. And despite international contamination, atrocities continue in Xinjiang, and China shows no signs of changing course, including recently releasing a white paper defending these ``vocational training centers.'' The United States should use its unique position in the global trading system to advance workers' rights and the freedom and dignity of all people, and to signal other like-minded countries to act accordingly. I am very pleased to support this measure. I am glad that it has strong bipartisan support, and I urge all the Members to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2166) to authorize a comprehensive, strategic approach for United States foreign assistance to developing countries to strengthen global health security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include in the Record extraneous material on H.R. 4864.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As I begin, I express deep gratitude to Chairman Engel for his strong and steady leadership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and specifically, with respect to this bill, for working with me to move important legislation through the committee and the Congress. I also thank Representative Brian Fitzpatrick for working with me on this legislation that enjoys wide bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. Finally, I recognize USAID as the country's lead agency to provide humanitarian assistance and lead in international development. The tireless efforts of its staff helped millions of vulnerable people every year and advanced core United States interests. The Global Child Thrive Act shows that the leadership in Congress is concerned about future generations in developing countries, and we are concerned that they be empowered to survive and succeed. I would like to speak to the importance of this bill that we are considering here today in the House of Representatives. Over 250 million children worldwide are at risk of stunted growth and damage to their brains due to the long-lasting impacts of poverty, conflict, and displacement. Research indicates that poor health, stress, and lack of learning impairs a child's growth and development, with lifelong negative effects. The Global Child Thrive Act is designed to reduce the devastating effects of poverty through early childhood development programming. Early childhood development, or ECD, provides for the care and nurturing that restores a child's prospects for success in the future. ECD interventions build a brain architecture that is necessary for growth through reading, singing, play activities with shape and color, and responsive interaction. The benefits of ECD are particularly critical during this coronavirus pandemic when children face severe disruptions in development. Hundreds of thousands of children have already lost a family member, and quarantines and school closures have led to isolation and increased child protection concerns. With so much at stake, we need to take action now. This bill is not just my bill or a Democratic bill, but a bipartisan bill that has garnered widespread support because saving children's lives is not a partisan measure but a human imperative. The Global Child Thrive Act shows that the United States is there for the world's most vulnerable and precious possession, its children. It also shows that we are serious about combating poverty as one of the greatest scourges that affects human dignity. This leadership is critical because we, as a nation, need to demonstrate to the world that we are still the North Star of freedom, democracy, and human rights. We need to show that the world can trust and follow our lead in welcoming those seeking refuge and helping marginalized populations around the world who just want the chance not only to survive but to thrive. I have spoken about the need to build up what I call an infrastructure of diplomacy. The work of USAID and international development, and our partnerships with NGOs that implement these programs, is an important component of that infrastructure that enables our Nation's leadership on the world's stage. Foreign affairs issues need the attention of our Nation because the truth is, foreign affairs touches all aspects of our lives, including national security, personal health, and access to essential goods. It determines how we trust and look at the goodness of our neighbors, not only across borders but across our own streets. This is a good measure. It has bipartisan support, and I hope that my colleagues will support it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. It is now up to us to pass this bill that is before us today and to send a strong signal to the Senate that passing the Global Child Thrive Act into law is urgent. I also, Madam Speaker, as folks have said, want to thank Catholic Relief Services for all of their work and the work of their members and different chapters throughout the country in helping to shepherd this bill. As the world toils through a devastating pandemic, now more than ever, we must keep child welfare and the elimination of poverty front and center if we are to lead our country and the world to a stronger, healthier, and more resilient condition. We must stand united and be the acting conscience of the country. It is our job to do so. I, therefore, Madam Speaker, urge my colleagues in the House to support this measure so we can get it to the President's desk and have it signed into law. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5664) to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to ensure adequate time for the preparation of the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, require the timely provision of information to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the Department of State regarding the number and location of visa denials based, in whole or in part, on grounds related to human trafficking, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam 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. 5664.