Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 598) to support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Georgia, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ENGEL. 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. 598.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking Mr. Connolly and Mr. Kinzinger for authoring this excellent bill. This measure comes before us at a crucial time. As President Trump takes a sledgehammer to our country's standing in the world, it falls to the Congress to uphold our relationships with our friends and partners. Strong alliances and partnerships make a stronger, safer America, and it is important for our national security to make sure that our friends can defend themselves against hostile adversaries. That is especially true for a country like Georgia, who is fighting President Putin's aggression every single day. In 2008, Russia invaded and occupied parts of Georgia, flagrantly breaking international law and violating Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And now, over a decade later, Russia hasn't let up the assault on Georgia. Cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, human rights violations--this is what the people of Georgia endure from Putin's regime all the time. So we must support Georgia's efforts to protect itself. The Georgia Support Act calls on the U.S. to continue to support Georgia's democratic institutions, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. It also provides critical assistance for Georgia's struggle against Russian aggression, supporting efforts to boost cybersecurity and counter Russian disinformation. And it slaps sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We should be strengthening our relationship with Georgia and bringing it into the fold of the EU and NATO. This is a good bill that moves us in the right direction, showing that Congress stands with Georgia. I strongly support this measure, and I urge all Members to join me in doing so. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, October 21, 2019. Hon. Richard E. Neal, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Neal: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 598, the Georgia Support Act. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation. I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means under House Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on H.R. 598 to expedite floor consideration. I further acknowledge that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the matters contained in the bill that fall within your jurisdiction. I will also support the appointment of Committee on Ways and Means conferees during any House-Senate conference convened on this legislation. Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Eliot L. Engel, Chairman.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the author of this important bill.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking Mr. Zeldin for authoring this resolution. This measure is one particularly close to my heart. In my career in Congress, I have had long dealings with the Albanian community both in the Balkans and in America, so this one really hurts since I know the family of these three brothers who were murdered. Ylli, Agron, and Mehmet Bytyqi were three brothers from New York State who were killed execution-style by Serbian officials after they mistakenly crossed the unmarked Serbia-Kosovo border. Their bodies were discovered with their hands bound behind their backs in a mass grave in 2001. Serbian President Vucic promised me 3 years ago that his government would bring the murderers to justice, but this hasn't happened. In fact, there isn't even a serious criminal investigation underway. This is appalling. Sadly, it is part of a pattern we see with Serbian war criminals responsible for crimes against the people of Kosovo. The Bytyqi brothers are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to post-conflict justice in Serbia. We had a hearing on the Foreign Affairs Committee several weeks ago about this very topic. Approaching 3 years ago, the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Center released a dossier detailing the murder of nearly 1,000 Kosovars, killed by Serbs in Kosovo, then transported to Serbia, and dumped in a mass grave. The U.S. Government has raised this atrocity with the Serbian war crimes prosecutor. But once again, no one has been held accountable, although I believe with all my heart that Serbian authorities know who is responsible for this. Let's be clear, if Serbia wants to join the West and its institutions, they must deal with their past and prosecute those responsible for war crimes. Mr. Speaker, I encourage our EU friends to hold Serbia to this standard when considering Serbia's candidacy. Today's resolution makes it clear that Serbia must fully investigate the Bytyqi brothers' case and bring justice to the families of these murdered New Yorkers. Their family currently lives in New York in Mr. Zeldin's district. It also calls on the U.S. Government to encourage and assist a successful prosecution of this case. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this measure, and I again thank Mr. Zeldin for his excellent work and partnership with me in trying to push the Serbian Government to find justice for these New Yorkers. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, this is a good measure to seek justice for this senseless murder of three innocent American citizens, three innocent New Yorkers. We cannot allow this horrific crime to continue to go unpunished. As Mr. Zeldin mentioned, and others who we have worked with, we have raised this repeatedly with the Government of Serbia to no avail. They know exactly who killed these American citizens. They know what happened and why their bodies were dumped in a mass grave. They are withholding it. It is unconscionable that these American citizens cannot get justice, that their families cannot get justice. We will not stop. I know Mr. Zeldin and I won't, and other people won't, until we get justice and answers as to who killed these American citizens, the Bytyqi brothers, who were born in the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I hope all Members will join me in supporting this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 77) opposing the decision to end certain United States efforts to prevent Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in Northeast Syria.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, in the years I have served in this body, I have watched Presidents of both parties make a lot of tough foreign policy decisions, many good, many bad, but I cannot think of a foreign policy decision more reckless and shortsighted than this one that was made by President Trump. The President of the United States, as a result, has empowered ISIS; betrayed our loyal partners, the Kurds; and jeopardized our national security. Congress must condemn this loudly and clearly. Today's resolution sends a resounding message to the White House and the world: We reject President Trump's disgraceful failure in foreign policy. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to stand by our partners, stand by our promises, stand by our values, and support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I commend my partner on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul. It takes a lot of courage to do what he did today, and I thank him for it. That is why, as he and I both mentioned, we are proud that the Foreign Affairs Committee is perhaps the most bipartisan committee in Congress. When we go abroad, partisanship should stop at the water's edge. We all, Democrat and Republican, feel outraged at what the President did. We all feel that our allies need to be supported. That transcends any kind of partisan politics. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to support this bipartisan measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. 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.J. Res. 77.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation, a very senior and valued member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro), the vice chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of this Congress, when I became chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have tried to work across the aisle to advance a bipartisan vision of what American foreign policy should be, what it can be, when we are at our best. And that is a foreign policy rooted in our values--values like support for human rights and human dignity, a foreign policy that projects American leadership as a force for good in the world, a foreign policy that thrives on the power of partnerships and alliances. I have worked with my friend from Texas, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (Mr. McCaul) to make sure that this vision is enshrined in the committee's work and that we do all we can to push the administration toward this approach. So, Mr. Speaker, for me, the last week has been just devastating. A week ago, President Trump had a phone call with Turkey's thuggish leader, President Erdogan. Against the advice of national security experts and military advisers, the President gave Erdogan the green light to charge into northern Syria, unleashing what has become a brutal campaign of violence against the Syrian Kurds--our partners, the Syrian Kurds, who courageously stood alongside us for many, many months and years in the fight against ISIS. Mr. Speaker, that reckless and impulsive decision was a betrayal of our partners. It was a gift to Russia, a gift to Iran, a gift to ISIS, and a gift to Assad. And it was a blow to our national security. Now, a week later, the same Kurdish forces who fought with American Special Forces to combat ISIS are now fighting tooth and nail to survive Turkey's slaughter. Russian and Syrian regime forces have quickly filled the vacuum left by the United States. President Trump's decision has allowed ISIS fighters in northern Syria to escape from prison, paving the way for a resurgence of the terrorist group. It is a ``Get Out of Jail Free'' card, if you remember Monopoly from the old days. And the humanitarian crisis is staggering. Already, tens of thousands have been displaced: families, women and children. There are stories of gruesome beheadings, torture, and abuse, all set into motion, unfortunately, by the actions of the President of the United States. What kind of message does this send to the world? How can America be trusted to keep its word when we betray one of our close partners, our loyal and faithful partners, just throw them out like an old shoe? How can America be trusted to keep its word when we make impulsive decisions that have such an immediate, catastrophic impact on so many thousands of people? Congress must speak out against this disgrace. The measure we are considering today will send an unambiguous, bipartisan, and, hopefully, bicameral rejection of Trump's policy in Syria. This measure calls on the White House to develop a strong, clear strategy on how to defeat ISIS now that President Trump has sparked its resurgence. It expresses strong support for Syrian Kurdish forces, recognizing their commitment and sacrifices in the fight against ISIS. And it calls on Turkey to immediately stop its military action in Syria. At President Trump's hands, American leadership has been laid low and American foreign policy has become nothing more than a tool to advance his own interests. Today, we make clear that the Congress is a coequal branch of government and that we want nothing to do with this disastrous policy. So, Mr. Speaker, I say to our colleagues: It is on us. It is on us to uphold our country's values, to strengthen our national security, to defend America's standing in the world. Mr. Speaker, I call on all Members, on both sides of the aisle, to support this resolution and make it clear where we stand, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in the years I have served in this body, I have watched Presidents of both parties make a lot of tough foreign policy decisions; many good, many bad, but I cannot think of a foreign policy decision more reckless and short-sighted than this one. Through all the years that I have been working on the Foreign Affairs Committee, frankly, I have never seen a President do something that is as aggravating and that should have never been done as what the President did last week. You know, when the President announced that we were going to leave several months ago, it forced the resignation of the Defense Secretary, Mr. Mattis at the time, who was so upset. That was unprecedented in American history. This is something that is unbelievable and could have been avoided. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. 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. Res. 521.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a good, bipartisan resolution, and I was glad to join Ranking Member McCaul as a cosponsor of this bill. This measure deals with something that we have all seen lately--how China responds to those who go against the Chinese Communist Party's agenda. Whether we are talking about individuals, private companies, or countries, China doesn't hesitate to extort, coerce, and punish those who challenge it. Right now, our neighbor to the north, Canada, is experiencing this firsthand. Back in December, Canada arrested and extradited the chief financial officer of Chinese company Huawei for her role in violating American sanctions law. The Canadians were completely in the right here. They were upholding the rule of law. China launched an outrageous response, arresting two innocent Canadian citizens on trumped-up charges. These men are still languishing in China's detention and legal process limbo, deprived of their freedom and denied basic consular rights--rights that all countries should honor--solely because China wanted to use them in a political bullying tactic. Their rights went out the window. This is an outrageous affront to the rule of law, and we must condemn it. H. Res. 521 denounces this practice by China and sends a clear signal that the United States Congress stands with Canada in demanding the immediate release of their innocent citizens. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this good measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Ranking Member McCaul for his leadership in introducing this measure and his hard work in seeing its passage. China is flouting the international rule of law, targeting anyone who goes against them. And now, they have our ally Canada in their crosshairs. This is a commonsense resolution that shows the United States condemns this behavior and stands with our ally and with the families of those unjustly detained. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I thank Mr. McCaul for introducing it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 521) commending the Government of Canada for upholding the rule of law and expressing concern over actions by the Government of the People's Republic of China in response to a request from the United States Government to the Government of Canada for the extradition of a Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., executive.