Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, this isn't an easy subject to deal with, but it cannot be swept under the rug. It is good that the Pentagon has taken steps in recent years to adopt stronger and more responsible policies when it comes to civilian casualties. We need to keep pressing forward on this work to make sure we have the best information, to make sure this is a problem taken seriously and being dealt with, and to make sure the United States is behaving responsibly when these tragedies do occur. Mr. Chair, I ask for Members to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, let me say that I would respectfully remind my colleagues that the Foreign Affairs Committee has jurisdiction over authorizations for the use of military force, and military strikes are conducted under authority from the Foreign Affairs Committee. It shares jurisdiction. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, then let me split it. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating), a well-respected member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and one of our subcommittee chairs.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to support this amendment. There has been some misinformation out there about what this amendment would actually do, so let me just clear up a few things. This measure is a prohibition on the United States deploying a short- or intermediate-range ground-launched ballistic or cruise missile system--just the United States. It has nothing to do with any other country. We want to prevent an arms race. We want to push back on the President's careless and reckless approach to Russia. The INF Treaty has been a cornerstone of arms control for 30 years. Yes, we are clear about the threat Russia poses. Yes, Russia has violated this treaty again and again, which threatens transatlantic security and stability. This is no surprise, coming from Vladimir Putin. But we have to use every diplomatic tool at our disposal to try to salvage the treaty. Instead, the administration followed Putin's lead and walked away, and now Russia will feel totally unconstrained to start another arms race. So I know that the relationship with Putin and all kinds of things that Putin does, we have to be very, very wary about it, and I just think what the gentlewoman is doing is a commonsense approach to this. The United States can go back at any time and change our policy. And when it comes to Russia and Putin, we don't trust them. Trust and verify. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, this is a good amendment, and I would like to mention two measures. First, key provisions of my BURMA Act are included, as they were in the last Congress. The Burmese security forces perpetrated genocide against the Rohingya people, and those same forces are continuing to terrify Burma's other ethnic minorities with horrific violence. The victims deserve justice, and they deserve our unwavering support. This measure will hold these military officials accountable for their crimes and help support democracy in Burma. Next, is my provision to prevent another phony emergency declaration to push through arms sales, as the administration did in late May. The administration misused the law and went around Congress to sell more than $8 billion in arms to the Saudis and Emiratis. This fix would make sure that an emergency declaration cannot be used if the weapons won't be delivered for more than 3 months, because then there was no emergency in the first place. It is a commonsense reform that will protect Congress' role in the arms sale process. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the en bloc. I am also honored to join Chairman Smith as a cosponsor of amendment No. 1. The American public deserves to know the impact of our military operations abroad. There must be more openness and transparency when tragedy occurs, and civilian casualties are caused by U.S. military action. Being open is our moral obligation and the right thing to do, and it also strengthens our security. We are better equipped to tackle our counterterrorism challenges when we have the full confidence of our citizens and our international partners. U.S. military operations depend on close relationships with host nations, and we must do everything we can to ensure our partners that we take civilian casualties seriously. In the past, the Director of National Intelligence prepared reports on civilian casualties and strikes outside areas of active hostilities. This administration brought that sensible practice to a halt. This amendment would restore the DNI's role. Restoring this responsibility is a commonsense step to bring transparency back to our counterterrorism operations, and I urge all of our colleagues to support the amendment as well.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Chair, I compliment my colleague from California. This is something that is very serious, and obviously, we have been talking about it for a long time now. We are a coequal branch of government. We want the executive branch, no matter who is in the executive branch, to respect the fact that we are. That is clear to the people in this House. We have voted that way, and we have talked that way. We believe that what the administration did by calling these weapons ``emergency'' was not the right thing to do. It is clearly not an emergency. It is clearly a way of skirting around Congress. It is clearly a way of trying to not work with Congress. I think that it is time that the Congress takes back important things, such as declaring war, such as sending these things to our allies. I feel very, very strongly, and I think that my colleagues will, too, that Mr. Lieu should be supported in this.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2140) to prevent child marriage in United Nations- administered refugee settlements, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for offering this bill and for shining a light on the problem of illegal child marriage, particularly among vulnerable refugee populations. I am grateful for Mrs. Wagner's leadership on an issue that we should all support. It is really important to all get around it. Child marriage, Madam Speaker, deprives young people of their futures and hinders the progress of development work all over the world. UNICEF reports that 12 million girls marry before the age of 18 every single year. What does that mean for these girls? It takes away their right to make vital decisions about their well-being, about their health, their family, their future. Child brides are also less likely to finish their education and are at higher risk for abuse, contracting HIV, and dying while pregnant or giving birth. Refugee populations are particularly vulnerable to child marriage. Poverty, instability, and displacement pressure families into marrying off children, particularly young girls, at an early age. For example, child marriage among Syrian refugees in Jordan increased from 15 percent in 2014 to 36 percent in 2018. One survey of Syrian refugees in Lebanon found that nearly a quarter of girls between 15 and 17 were married. In Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Burma have reported marrying off young girls to protect them from sexual violence. Stopping this cycle and ending illegal child marriage is critical to supporting refugees and empowering youth for a better future. A number of U.N. agencies are doing important work to address child marriage among the populations they serve. For example, the U.N.'s Joint Program on Child Marriage, a joint effort between UNICEF and UNFPA, is gathering new data and evidence on this problem and helping to build resilience in vulnerable populations, including refugees. But there is much more we can be doing, and this bill demonstrates American support for tackling this problem. It would require us to flex our muscles in the U.N. to come up with a comprehensive definition of child marriage. It would also require a new strategy to ensure that displaced populations have the protections and the tools to avoid illegal child marriage. We want to empower young people to have a better future, and this bill will help us get at a problem that threatens far too many futures, so I am pleased to support this measure. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, first, I want to thank the author of this bill for her kind words. As she pointed out, child marriage is a problem that befalls far too many young people around the world, especially among desperate families who, because of poverty or instability, feel they have no choice but to commit their children to marriage. Of course, when this happens, it starts another cycle of poverty and instability, of abuse and illness. It is just a tragedy. This is one of those issues where we look at the situation and see a moral obligation to act. Dealing with this problem in our foreign policy is a reflection of our country's values, of our commitment to the rights and dignity of all people. This bill will help make sure our policy stays aligned with those values and that we are doing more to end the scourge of child marriage. I again thank Representative Wagner for her work on this measure. I urge all Members to support it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. 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. 2140, as amended.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the recently-appointed chairman of the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group, for authoring this legislation, which sends a positive message from this Chamber to the Mexican people at a time when, frankly, it is needed more than ever in view of all the things that have been talked about with American belligerence toward Mexico and the unnecessary saber rattling. I think it is important that we talk about positive things between our two countries, and tourism certainly is right there. It is one way to make a positive difference. In recent years, bilateral tourism between the United States and Mexico has steadily declined. This is in sharp contrast to a rise in the broader international tourism industry in the United States. In 2017 alone, there was a 6 percent decline in visitors to the United States from Mexico, and this decrease hurts our economy and American workers, specifically in the States along our southern border with Mexico where President Trump is still trying to build an ill- advised wall. The legislation we are now considering would direct the State Department to expand tourism cooperation with Mexico, including by close collaboration with nonprofit organizations and the private sector. It also encourages expanded third-party tourism to the United States and Mexico through joint international promotional efforts. But more than anything, this bill is about jobs. It is about creating American jobs and maintaining a robust partnership with our neighbor to the south. Its consideration could not be more timely. Last month, the President again threatened to punish American workers and consumers for failures at the border, only to claim victory with a so-called deal that reverted to the status quo. The President has again managed to cause further harm to the U.S.-Mexico relationship for no good reason whatsoever, and tourists are staying home in response. Today, the House of Representatives is choosing to go in a different direction. With this bill, we are once again coming to the House floor to build bridges with our neighbor to the south. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Cuellar for his continued persistence in promoting the U.S.-Mexico relationship. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the author of this bill, who also happens to be the chair of the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, the U.S.-Mexico relationship is too important to be held hostage to petty politics, and yet here we are again for the last 2 weeks. We don't want to hurt the U.S.-Mexico relationship. In fact, I was in Mexico City just a few weeks ago and met with the new Mexican President, who told us that he really wanted to have good relations and work closely with us. I was impressed with him because he has a steady hand. I think that we should not be alienating our neighbors. We should be welcoming them, welcoming the partnership with them. We don't want to undermine tourism; we don't want to hurt Americans; and we don't want to raise taxes on the working class while doing nothing to address the humanitarian challenges on the U.S.-Mexico border. I am glad that we seem to not be going that way in terms of clashing with Mexico, but, again, this is a win-win bill: a win for us because it helps tourism, a win for Mexico as well. Congress has chosen to pursue a positive agenda with Mexico instead. This legislation will play an important role in showcasing the mutually beneficial relationship Congress and most Americans want with Mexico. Madam Speaker, I again thank Mr. Cuellar for his continued leadership and for wanting a stronger relationship between the United States and Mexico. I thank the ranking member, as usual, for working with us on this legislation. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 951) to promote bilateral tourism through cooperation between the United States and Mexico, as amended.

Mr. ENGEL. 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. 951, as amended.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Once again, I am pleased to support this bipartisan measure that strengthens our security policy in Europe. I thank Ranking Member McCaul and all of the other chairs and ranking members of important committees who have stood by us on this bill. It is really a Congress speaking with one voice in a very bipartisan fashion for something that is really very important. Today's resolution reaffirms the historic partnership between the United States and Turkey, and it lays the groundwork for how Erdogan can start to put this relationship back on the right track. We cannot stand by as he turns this NATO ally into an authoritarian regime aligned with Vladimir Putin. So I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to rise in strong support of this measure to address the developing situation with Turkey. I want to thank my colleagues who joined me to introduce this legislation; first and foremost, Ranking Member McCaul, Leader Hoyer, Minority Leader McCarthy, Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Collins. Madam Speaker, Turkey is a NATO ally and a nation with which we have had a long history of friendship and partnership. But I am deeply troubled by the direction that President Erdogan is taking his country. During his time in office, we have watched as Erdogan has turned Turkey into an authoritarian state, attacking the democratic values that our two nations had shared for many years. He has cracked down on the freedom of the press, thrown innocent people in jail for voicing opposition, and consolidated his grip on power at the expense of Turkey's democratic institutions. And his troubling behavior doesn't stop there. Erdogan is cozying up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, putting the security interests of the United States and the NATO alliance at risk. Turkey's plan to acquire the Russian S-400 air defense system would threaten American security and do lasting damage to our historic bilateral relationship. It simply cannot happen, especially while Turkey is still a U.S. and NATO ally participating in the F-35 program and hoping to acquire these planes. Today's resolution gets at this very issue. If Turkey wants to continue as a NATO ally and U.S. partner, it must commit to upholding our shared interests. And if Turkey decides to follow through on its plan to acquire the Russian S-400, then they must not be able to get American F-35s; they must not participate in the F-35 program; and they must face the consequences of their decision. And it is not that the United States is unable to comprehend Turkey's need for air defense. In fact, we have offered the Patriot anti- aircraft/anti-missile defense system, the top of the line in our inventory. That offer remains on the table. We rarely see it in foreign affairs, but this is simply a black-and- white issue. There is no middle ground. Either Mr. Erdogan cancels the Russian deal, or he doesn't. And there is no future for Turkey having both Russian weapons and American F-35s. There is no third option. There is no path for mitigation that will allow Turkey to have its cake and eat it too. We cannot risk exposing our national-security technology to Russia. There is no partisan divide on this issue. The State Department, the Defense Department, the Treasury, even Vice President Pence have all been raising the alarm and urging President Erdogan to cancel the sale. I hope President Trump listens to his advisers and makes sure Turkey's leaders understand the consequences of their actions. And the consequences are serious. If Turkey follows through with the acquisition of the S-400, it would trigger sanctions that Congress overwhelmingly, bipartisanly passed 2 years ago. It is critical that Turkey knows that the United States will use these tools if the situation arises. In the meantime, it is important that we pass this measure and send a clear message: The United States will not sit by as Erdogan turns Turkey into an authoritarian state aligned with our adversary Russia. Let me say that again. It is important that we pass this measure and send a clear message: The United States will not sit idly by as Erdogan turns Turkey into an authoritarian state aligned with our adversary Russia. So I am pleased to support this. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, March 21, 2019. Hon. Elliot Engel, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H. Res. 372, Expressing Concern for the United States Turkey Alliance. Because you have been working with the Committee on Financial Services concerning provisions in H. Res. 372 that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to forego formal consideration of H. Res. 372 so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action to forego formal consideration of H. Res. 372 with our mutual understanding that, by foregoing formal consideration of H. Res. 372 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. Finally, and consistent with your letter of May 30, 2019, I would request that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H. Res. 372. Sincerely, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I don't have any speakers on this side. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 372) expressing concern for the United States- Turkey alliance.

Mr. ENGEL. 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. Res. 372.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize a dear friend and former long-time member of my staff, Ms. Cynthia Miller. Every Member of Congress knows they are only as good as the staff that surround them. I was very fortunate to have Cynthia standing with me for many years. Cynthia was born in Harlem, New York but was raised in the Bronx. She attended schools in the Bronx and graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1971. Cynthia's first job came in that same year, 1971, with Metropolitan Life, where she worked for 14 years. In 1973 she married Keith Miller and moved to Mount Vernon, New York. She then moved to Yonkers in 1981 to raise her three children, and she has been living there for the last 38 years. I first got to know Cynthia some 24 years ago. She had been volunteering with Mary Gaines at the Nepperhan Community Center, dealing with children in the after-school program. With Mary's influence, I hired Cynthia as an Assistant Aide to help lead my team in Westchester. Cynthia's work mainly focused on helping constituents with federal issues and problems. And help she did. Thousands of people over the course of two and a half decades were aided by Cynthia Miller, with problems ranging from immigration to Social Security and everything in between. In addition to her work in my office, Cynthia was also an active member in several community groups, including the Black Women's Political Caucus, Aquehung Women's Democratic Club and the Focus Group. After recently retiring, Cynthia is now enjoying her volunteer work more than ever and loves traveling. This year, the Hudson River Community Association is honoring Cynthia at their annual Spring Dinner. Perhaps I'm a bit partial, but I don't believe they could have found a better honoree. Congratulations to Cynthia, and I thank her for her years of service to the community.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, as a former resident of Co-op City for many years and an avid baseball fan, it is my pleasure to recognize the Co- op City Little League which this season will celebrate its remarkable 50th Anniversary. Founded in 1969, Co-op City Little League has brought generations of families together for five decades, while providing children with great exercise and wonderful team building skills. In the early days, games were played at Pelham Bay Park, Haffen Field, and Seton Falls Park. In 1975, a plan was drawn up between New York City and the Co-op City manager, Riverbay Corporation, for the creation of the Co-op City Fields. The fields stand on the outskirts of the residential area, at the intersection of Co-op City Boulevard and Bellamy Loop, and consist of a pair of excellently maintained baseball diamonds. Both of the fenced fields contain dugouts and there is a walkway with bleachers, a small picnic area, and a comfort station for spectators. Co-op City Little League began playing on the new fields several years after they were developed and have been going strong there ever since. The League has served as a launching pad for several professional players and has had over 25 District 22 champions over the years. In 1987, the District 22 championship team, coached by Bruce Lasky, made it all the way to the state championship game. Madam Speaker, Co-op City Little League has been a staple in the community for almost as long as Co-op City has existed. Thousands of children and their families have enjoyed a day at the ballpark thanks to this wonderful, well run league, and I want to congratulate all involved on 50 great years. Here's to 50 more.