Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of Yonkers' oldest and most distinguished institutions, the Yonkers Police Benevolent Association, which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2016. Our Yonkers police do such a fantastic job of keeping us safe, and it is my pleasure to be able to honor the Yonkers PBA on their historic milestone. The Yonkers Police Department was first established in 1871, though the group would not be incorporated for several more decades. On September 8, 1916 A.S. Tompkins, Justice of the Westchester County Supreme Court, approved and signed the certificate of incorporation for the Yonkers Police Association. The first president of the Police Association who was elected in 1916 was ``Patrolman'' John F. Dahill. Upon his election, he was dubbed the ``Father of the Police Association'' and served in that capacity for several years. Today the former Yonkers Police Association (YPA), later renamed the Yonkers ``Police Benevolent Association'' (PBA), continues to serve as an advocate and effective voice for its entire membership. And while working to foster a spirit of camaraderie amongst its members, it also works toward developing a greater understanding, mutual respect, and a helpful relationship with the citizens its members serve so proudly. I want to congratulate all the members of the Yonkers PBA on 100 years of service to the community, and thank them for all they do to keep us safe and secure in Yonkers.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival in Eastchester has become one of the great social events in my district, drawing the entire community together every year in the spirit of camaraderie and fun. The celebration is just one of the reasons why Eastchester is such a tight knit community, and without the incredible volunteer efforts of this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade Grand Marshal, Helene Murtha Dooley, it simply could not be done. The oldest of four children, Helene was born in Queens and grew up on Long Island. She graduated from Fairfield University in 1985 with a BS in Business Management. Subsequently she started a career in banking at JP Morgan on Wall Street, where she met the love of her life and future husband, my good friend Joe Dooley. In 1992 the couple moved to Eastchester where they welcomed their two wonderful children, Brian and Caroline. In 1998 Helene left the business world and began work in the Eastchester School District as the librarian at Greenvale Elementary School. She has taught at all the schools in Eastchester, grades K through 12, and currently works at the middle school/high school library. In 2001, the Dooley family joined the esteemed Eastchester Irish American Social Club. Helene has volunteered for the EIASC over the years at multiple social events including at various times on the Christmas Party Committee and organized the EIASC's Sash Presentation dinner. She has chaired the St. Patrick's Day Festival several times, served as Mistress of Ceremonies last year, and has even assisted Enda McIntyre as the Saint Patrick's Day Parade roving reporter. Helene is also an active volunteer in the Eastchester community, serving as Treasurer for the Friends of the Eastchester Public Library, Board Member and Chairperson of the Eastchester Public Library Board, Member of the Neighborhood Association Board, and she has volunteered for the PTAs in all the Eastchester schools. Helene has done it all, and I cannot think of a more deserving person to be named the 2016 St. Patrick's Day Grand Marshal. Congratulations to Helene on this honor.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a good friend and trusted employee, David Ford, who today is being honored by the Black Dems of Westchester for 50 years of incredible service to the community. David has been a resident of Mt. Vernon for 53 years and an active member in the community his entire adult life. He has pursued his two great passions--community service and politics--with great vigor and has accomplished a great deal in both fields over a long and impressive career. First elected Chairman of the Mt. Vernon Democratic Party in 1969, David inherited a club in a rock bed of Republican politics. For the next 27 years he served as Chairman and oversaw a complete political switch in the area. When he left the position in 1996, every elected official in Mt. Vernon was a Democrat, whereas none were in 1969. David has also made his mark in the community through engagement with various civic organizations and as Commissioner of the Mt. Vernon Water Department, a role he served in for 33 years until his retirement in 2009. He has been President of the Mt. Vernon Lions Club, the Mt. Vernon YMCA, and the Citizens Veterans Association. As Board Chairman of the Mt. Vernon Neighborhood Health Center for 30 years, David was instrumental in turning a small program with 19 employees into one of the largest Health Care Centers in the region, employing over 400 people serving 40,000 patients annually. It is no wonder then why David has received countless honors in the community, including the Torch Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the ``Citizen of the Year'' Award from the YMCA. But for all of his accomplishments in the community, I will always value David's incredible hard work as one of my most trusted and talented special assistants, a role he still serves in to this day. I congratulate David on this well-deserved and wonderful recognition from the Black Dems of Westchester, and thank him personally for all he has done to better the Mt. Vernon community. I am proud of David for all of his hard work, but I am even more proud to call him a friend.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man commonly referred to as the ``Mayor of Riverdale,'' Mr. Irving Ladimer, a staple of the northwest Bronx community and a dear friend. Irving turned 100 years old on February 16, 2016, and I am so grateful to be able to help celebrate his reaching that remarkable milestone by honoring him in the hallowed halls of Congress. Irving has contributed a great deal to the Riverdale neighborhood, both professionally and through his work in various community groups. As an attorney specializing in health care issues, Irving's compassion for his fellow man was always evident. Incredibly, Irving maintains his distinguished law career to this day, and still travels into his law firm's office in Manhattan every week to work. Irving's legal expertise has also been put to work as a law professor at institutions such as Yale, Columbia, and New York University, where he taught on a wide array of topics from patient safety, rights for the elderly, ethics, and nutrition. Irving has also dedicated a great deal of time to the community. As a trustee at his synagogue, he has volunteered to help the aging and still offers his legal expertise to those in need. Irving also generously gives his time to the Catholic Health Services Center and has teamed up with local officials to reach out to schools and community centers to offer civics lessons about the constitution and government. It has always been important to Irving for his fellow community members to be more civic-minded, and as a member of the Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club he has made huge strides in advocating for that type of civic engagement. Without question, Irving has been an influential member of the community. He is the most spry 100 year old I've ever met, and I wish him nothing but the best and thank him for all he's done for the Bronx.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, organizations which strive to instill and promote core values and traditions play an indispensable role in any community. The Westchester Jewish Council continues to play prominent roles in assisting the Jewish community of Westchester, through social action, education, youth, dialogue with elected officials, and instilling Jewish values to promote interfaith dialogue within the Westchester community. Their value to our local communities is of the utmost importance and of great value to us all. Since 1975, the Westchester Jewish Council has served as a prominent organization in the Westchester Jewish community and plays a key role in fostering relationships with organizations, law enforcement, and community leaders, both inside the Jewish community and the community at large. Additionally, their work involves interfaith initiatives and events aimed at communicating and coordinating services and programs for the Jewish community. Furthermore, the Westchester Jewish Council provides meaningful opportunities to engage in volunteer work throughout the community. The Westchester Jewish Council also sponsors various educational roundtables which foster Israel advocacy and Jewish education, initiatives that are paramount to the organization's mission. The Westchester Jewish Council works together with 150 other organizations to help facilitate Westchester Jewish traditions and culture by supporting and hosts various community-wide events aimed at celebrating Jewish history and heritage. The wide variety of services they offer are meaningful, indispensable, and cultivate the important traditions of the community. On February 6th, 2016 the Westchester Jewish Council will be celebrating their 40th Anniversary Gala. I want to congratulate the entire organization on the occasion, and thank them for the invaluable work they have done for the entire Westchester community.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chair, during rollcall vote No. 92 on H.R. 2406, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``no'' when I should have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Jackson Lee

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me first start with Mr. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who was on the trip with me, as he mentioned, to North Korea. We drove in from the airport on a bus. Joe was sitting at the front of it. We saw all these hostile billboards. We couldn't, of course, read it--it was in Korean--but we could look at the pictures. One of the pictures had an American soldier on the ground and a North Korean soldier with a bayonet right through the American soldier's head. The reason why we knew it was an American soldier is because it said USA on the soldier's uniform. Mr. Wilson sat in the front and very carefully maneuvered his camera and snapped a picture. We have that picture. If the North Koreans had known what we were doing, they probably would have confiscated the camera, but they didn't. I just wanted to mention that. There were, I believe, six of us on that trip. It was a bipartisan trip. It was an eye-opener. I went back a few years later, but I remember the gentleman from South Carolina sitting there and very skillfully maneuvering that camera. That is a good picture that we should probably blow up and let our colleagues see so that they understand the regime they are dealing with. This was not Kim Jung-un. His father was in power at the time. So, it seems to be getting progressively worse. The father was known as the ``Dear Leader.'' The grandfather, who was the person most responsible for their revolution, was also heralded. Wherever we went in North Korea, there were pictures of the two of them on the walls, whether it was in schools or at the hotel. It is a very eerie feeling. It kind of brings you back, for those who read the book ``Nineteen Eighty-Four'' when we were kids, which was in the future and now is in the past. But for those people who read that book, to me, that sort of describes the Korean regime. It is really a scary, scary thing. The work we are doing here today is so important. It is so important to send a message. It is so important to let the world know that we haven't forgotten this. This remains a bipartisan priority for the U.S. Congress. The Kim regime must understand that if it continues to defy the global consensus and ignore its obligation under international law, there will be consequences. The elites in North Korea must be shown that if they try to skirt sanctions, we will find new ways to go after them. Anyone who wants to do business with North Korea must be warned that we will crack down on those who help sustain this brutal regime. The only way forward for North Korea is for its leaders to give up their illegal and dangerous pursuits and come back to the negotiating table. I am proud that Congress is sending this bill to the President, and I hope we will ramp up engagement with our partners and allies and make it clear that North Korea's present course can only lead to deeper isolation for the country's leaders and, sadly, continued suffering for the country's people. I think the most stark difference that I have seen in all the years I have been in Congress was when we went to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and then traveled to the capital of South Korea--Seoul--where Congressman Wilson's wife and other spouses were waiting. Seoul is a city that is vibrant. It is much like New York City, Chicago, or any of the big cities in our country, where the people are well-dressed and well-fed and shops are open. It looks like a real western-style city. Of course, it is Asia, but it reminds one of Tokyo or cities like that. When you go to North Korea, it is just like going back into 1950's East Germany. That is just the feeling that you get. You see hotels and buildings that were constructed poorly and couldn't be occupied. When we came back about 18 months later, it was still just the way it was 18 months before. You hardly see a car. Traffic lights don't work. It is just bizarre--I think that is the word--and the poor North Korean people are the ones who are really suffering. The contrast between Pyongyang, which is the capital of North Korea, and Seoul, the capital of South Korea, was just unbelievable. It was like night and day. It is on the same peninsula, it is the same Korean people, and yet it is like night and day. I think they say pictures are worth a thousand words. There is a picture of the Korean Peninsula at night. It was taken by satellite, and if you take a look, you see that South Korea is vibrant. There are all kinds of lights. It is lit up. North Korea is absolutely black, absolutely dark--no lights, no energy, no power. What a contrast--two Koreas, same people. One is a bastion of democracy in South Korea--the chairman and I have visited South Korea-- and one, a brutal, brutal dictatorship. So I hope that this bill overwhelmingly passes. I hope that we have strong support from both sides of the aisle. We want to let the people of North Korea know that we are with them, not with the brutal regime, and that is why we are doing this legislation today. So I thank Chairman Royce. I urge everyone to vote ``yes.'' I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure. First of all, let me thank Chairman Royce for authoring the bill. I am proud to be the lead Democratic cosponsor, and I am glad that we are almost to the finish line. Just over a month ago we passed this bill and sent it to the Senate. The Senate acted quickly to make minor adjustments, and today we will pass this bipartisan legislation and send it to the President's desk. This process is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work in a bipartisan way to advance American security. As I have said many times before, I am proud of the members on both sides of the aisle of the Committee on Foreign Affairs because we have worked in a bipartisan manner. I would caution all Members about leveling political charges when it comes to North Korea. I am reminded of the old adage that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. We all know North Korea is a problem, but let's not kid ourselves. This problem has grown under many administrations, in Congresses of both parties. So when we talk about how we got here, we need to really focus in a bipartisan manner. That is what we are trying to do. The Kim regime is dangerous. North Korea's nuclear program threatens regional stability and global security. It worries me to think what North Korea's leaders plan to do with their nuclear arsenal or who they might be willing to sell nuclear material to. While it is bad enough on its own, North Korea's nuclear program is just the top item on a long list of dangerous and illegal activity by that regime. From cyber attacks to money laundering and counterfeiting, from human rights abuses, as Chairman Royce has pointed out, to the regular attacks on South Korea, the Kim regime runs roughshod over the rules and norms that guide the global order. Yet, they haven't been deterred by some of the toughest sanctions imaginable or the near-universal condemnation of the global community or the deepening isolation of North Korea from the rest of the world. So we are left to tighten the screws even further. That is what we are trying to do today. We need to work with South Korea and Japan on a tough, coordinated response. We need to take every opportunity to collaborate on this issue with the Chinese, who wield considerable influence over North Korea, and we need to dial up our own sanctions and toughen sanctions enforcement. That is exactly what this bill does. North Korea is always looking for ways to get around our sanctions. The sanctions in this bill would focus especially on North Korean elites who conduct shady transactions with shell corporations, then cover up the money trail. In Pyongyang, the capital, these cronies of the Kim regime pocket the cash while the rest of the North Korean people suffer. I have been to North Korea twice, and it is just sickening that the regime and its friends profit from these crimes while the rest of the country is literally starving. On that point, this bill includes important exceptions for the humanitarian aid that benefits the North Korean people. Our anger is not with the people of North Korea. In fact, the United States does a great deal to provide aid to this oppressed population. But they deserve better from their leaders. That is why we should send this bill to the President. That is why we should continue to make North Korea a top foreign policy priority. The Kim family has ruled North Korea for many, many, many years. Kim Jong-un seems to be the worst of the lot, with the repressions, the assassinations, the political stranglehold that he keeps the whole country in, and the fact that many people get caught, as Chairman Royce pointed out, in the gulag. Families are oppressed. It is just a nightmare of horrors. The North Korean people deserve better from their leaders. That is why we should send this bill to the President and why we should continue to make North Korea a top foreign policy priority. I am proud to support this bill. I am proud to be the lead Democrat on the bill. I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. I certainly support what she is trying to do. Last December it came to light that the New York City Housing Authority, NYCHA, has as recently as 2013 shut down boilers in public housing properties unless outside temperatures drop below 25 degrees. This forces residents to go without heat during the coldest months of the year. I grew up in affordable housing. I grew up in city housing. So I am particularly sensitive to everything that the New York City Housing Authority does. I was outraged by this revelation. More than 400,000 New Yorkers live in NYCHA buildings, and, what's more, more than half of these residents live below the poverty line. These New Yorkers, along with every American living in public housing, pay rent and, in return, depend on Housing Authority leadership to fulfill the very reasonable need, a safe and decent shelter. A practice that forces tenants to grapple with bitter temperatures just doesn't fail to meet that need, it is reckless and demeaning. Myself, Ms. Meng, and eight other members of the New York City delegation sent a letter to the New York City Housing Authority asking that they immediately issue guidance condemning this practice and make certain that none of their buildings continue to adhere to this outrageous policy. It is important, though, that no American living in public housing be forced to suffer through the winter months, and that is exactly what this amendment will prevent by requiring the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue guidelines on minimum heating requirements. I urge my colleagues to vote for this and ensure that public housing residents' health and safety are protected. I want to thank my colleague from New York (Ms. Meng) for partnering with me on this important issue, and I thank her for her leadership.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

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

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Let me first clear up, I think, what is a misperception. There are roughly 700 Iranian entities on our sanctions list. Of those, only 200 are removed from sanctions and those are those who were involved in the nuclear program. It is not true that the JCPOA removed sanctions on entities that are engaged in terrorism or proliferation or human rights violations. This is black and white in the JCPOA. Entity by entity, we know exactly who will be removed. None of them are involved in terrorism or other malign behavior. We know who will be removed. There is a list in the annex. I have it right here, every company that will be removed, and none of them are removed for terrorism or other malign behavior. So I want to make that very, very clear. Let me say that I think everyone on both sides has good intentions, and I think that we don't disagree about Iran. The question here is not whether Iran is a bad player or a good player. I don't trust the Iranians. I voted against the deal, and I don't believe anything the government says. That is not the question here. The question is, how do you combat it in a unified way? We are not interested in embarrassing the President, certainly not on this side of the aisle. We are not interested in playing gotcha with the President either. We want to have a bill that has input from both sides so we can accomplish what both of us say we want to accomplish, and that is to hold Iran's feet to the fire. I want to make sure that the JCPOA--again, which I did not support, but again it is the law--that Iran is complying with everything it is supposed to be doing. And that is where our efforts should be, to make sure that they do that, and then to also make sure that our allies like Israel have the kind of help that they need to maintain their qualitative military edge and to have another memorandum of understanding with the United States that supports Israel. This is what we should be concentrating on, not embarrassing the President or playing gotcha. That doesn't do anything. Mr. Russell, the gentleman from Oklahoma, did come up to me and ask me if I would cosponsor the bill, but that was after it was already drafted, having no input into the bill. So that is not really a way of being collaborative, if you really want to be collaborative. I appreciate what the gentleman from Oklahoma says. I don't doubt his sincerity, and he obviously worked very hard on this bill, but many of us have difficulties with it. We don't have difficulties with the end goal, with what we want to accomplish. We have difficulties by the way this is done. This seems, again, more to us like embarrassing the President, calling him names, than really putting our heads together in a collaborative way and really doing something that will hold Iran's feet to the fire. So I believe in the old adage that politics should stop at the water's edge when we are talking about foreign affairs. That is why I love the Foreign Affairs Committee. Our Nation's security and our interests abroad are too important to let partisan politics get in the way. Ninety-nine times out of 100, the Foreign Affairs Committee operates in that spirit, and this bill is an exception to that. I think the lack of input from both sides of the aisle, the lack of time the Foreign Affairs Committee didn't spend working on it, is reflected in the final product. I am not pointing a finger at anybody. Again, I think Mr. Russell is sincere about this. I think we want the same thing. This bill is deeply flawed. It would force the President to meet an impossible standard on an issue where Congress had already spoken. That is no way to advance our interests abroad. That is no way to hold Iran accountable. So let's vote down this bill, go back to the drawing board, and come back with bipartisan legislation that would actually help us achieve our aims. I urge a ``no'' vote. Again, the question here is not whether Iran can be trusted. They cannot. Iran is a bad player. Three people on this side of the aisle who spoke against this bill voted against the JCPOA. So it is not a matter of just trying to rubberstamp what the administration wants or anything like that. No, we don't think that this bill goes in the right direction. We don't want to embarrass the President. We want to work with the President to make sure that Iran's feet are held to the fire. Again, we had the vote on the Iran deal. I voted no, my friends on that side of the aisle voted no, but we lost. So let's not repeat what we have done with the Affordable Care Act, 62 times again and again and again playing gotcha with the President. Let's do something that really works. Let's put our heads together to make it work. We can take parts of this bill and put it together into a bipartisan bill. I am not opposed to that. But we have got to do it together. Politics need to stop at the water's edge. So let's now work together to ensure that Iran is complying with the JCPOA. That would be a positive step forward. Let's hold their feet to the fire. Let's make sure they do what they are supposed to do, because I don't trust them anymore than anybody on that side of the aisle. So I urge a ``no'' vote. Let's go back to the drawing board. Let's do what the Foreign Affairs Committee is known for doing for the past 3 years under the leadership of Chairman Royce and myself. We believe that we are the most bipartisan committee in the Congress. We believe that is the way foreign policy should be created, and I know we can do better. Again, I don't impugn anyone's motives. Let's all put our heads together and let's come up with a bill that we can pass and be proud of. I urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

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

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

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. ENGEL. I yield the gentleman from Florida an additional 1 minute.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), my friend and colleague. He is a very valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), my friend and colleague, and a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), a very valued member of our committee and ranking member on the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure. I want to first thank our chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, for authoring this very good, bipartisan bill. I am very pleased to be the lead Democratic cosponsor. I think this is an important bill, and it ties in with what we have tried to do for these past years on the Foreign Affairs Committee, being bipartisan and letting politics stop at the water's edge when we are talking about international affairs. Mr. Speaker, last week's nuclear test in North Korea was a stark reminder of just how dangerous the Kim regime is. A nuclear weapon in the hands of a rogue power is a threat to peace and stability around the world. North Korea continues to have a destabilizing influence on the peninsula and across the region, and the potential for nuclear fuel from North Korea to end up on the black market in the hands of violent extremists only compounds the threat. Yet, despite the burden of some of the toughest sanctions imaginable, despite constant pressure from the global community, despite the increasing isolation of North Korea from the rest of the world, leaders in Pyongyang persist on this dangerous and destabilizing course. The latest test demands a response. We need to work with our allies, particularly South Korea and Japan. We need to make sure this issue is at the top of the agenda in our engagement with China. China can have a lot of influence and does have a lot of influence over North Korea. We need to act unilaterally to make clear to the North Koreans that their actions have consequences. This bill would broaden our sanctions and strengthen enforcement. Let me say I am very proud, again, in a bipartisan way, this bill passed unanimously out of the Foreign Affairs Committee. North Korea has become more and more savvy at evading sanctions, and that is why this bill broadens our sanctions. The country's elites do business with shell companies and cover up the money trail. This allows hard currency to flow into North Korea. This bill would crack down on this practice and go after anyone helping prop up the Kim regime through these illegal activities. I must say that I have been to North Korea twice, to Pyongyang twice. We watched in the morning when people were going to work. The elites do very well there. It is just the rest of the country that is starving. This bill would include the important exceptions for the humanitarian aid that benefits the North Korean people. We help them with food aid. We are the most generous country with feeding North Korea. It is important to point this out because our quarrel is not with the North Korean people. It is with the despot and his aides that run North Korea. We know that the people of North Korea endure deplorable treatment at the hands of a corrupt regime. I can tell you the country's citizens deserve much, much better. That is why we will keep up the pressure on North Korea's leaders and that is why we need to pass this legislation. I urge a ``yes'' vote. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Colleagues, a nuclear weapon in the hands of North Korea, a rogue, destabilizing country on the peninsula and across the region, is simply a nonstarter. It is unthinkable. Despite our tough sanctions and increasing isolation from the global community, Pyongyang continues down a dangerous and destabilizing course. Last week's nuclear test in North Korea is a jarring reminder of just how dangerous the Kim regime is and demands a response from the United States and our allies as well. We must work with South Korea and Japan to make sure this issue is at the top of our agenda in our engagement with China. We must act unilaterally to make sure to North Koreans that their leadership's actions have consequences. H.R. 757 would broaden our sanctions and strengthen enforcement. The bill would crack down on North Korean elite who do business through shell companies to evade detection and go after anyone helping to prop up the Kim regime through illegal activities. This bill would include important exceptions for the humanitarian aid that benefits the North Korean people. North Koreans deserve much more than what its leaders are providing, which is why we need to pass this legislation. We cannot allow North Korea to continue to be dangerous and frivolous. We have to stand up and say no. They have to understand that we mean business. They have to understand that what they have done is unacceptable and will not stand. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), my friend and colleague and a valued member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.