Young Kim

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate the incorporation date of the city of Villa Park. Villa Park, known as the Hidden Jewel, was incorporated on this day in 1962 but was first settled around 1860. Despite being the smallest incorporated city in California's 40th District, in both land and population, Villa Park has an outsized impact on our community. It is home to four public schools and is known for its charitable organizations and programs, such as Villa Park Rotary Club, Villa Park Women's League, and the Marine Thanksgiving program. Villa Park's quiet neighborhoods, tree-lined streets, and low crime rate make the city an excellent place to live. As your Representative, I am committed to doing all I can to help Villa Park continue to be a haven for families and workers striving toward their American Dream. Happy 61st birthday, Villa Park. Recognizing Korean American Day

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Korean American Day. Since the first Korean immigrants arrived on January 13, 1903, Korean Americans have made their mark from sea to shining sea and have found success in the classroom, workplace, and even right here in Congress to make our Nation a better place. As one of the first Korean-American women to serve in Congress, and as an immigrant from South Korea, today, I reflect on the sacrifices my family made in the aftermath of the Korean war to have the chance at a better life here in the United States. I remain grateful for those who came before me and paved the way for someone like me to have a seat at the table, and I will always fight for freedom and opportunity for all Americans.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 192 student teams that participated in my district's Congressional App Challenge making it the largest competition in the history of the app challenge. I want to thank and congratulate our winner, Walnut High School senior, Hudson Kaleb Dy, on his impressive app to create an affordable earthquake detection system using old smartphones. STEM educational opportunities help our students learn the skills needed to get good-paying jobs, boost our Nation's competitiveness, and tackle some of the most pressing health and security challenges facing our Nation and our world. I have been a very proud supporter to promote STEM opportunities as co-chair of the Congressional App Challenge, and I am thrilled that this year over 9,000 students participated across 335 congressional districts from coast to coast creating over 2,700 apps. Mr. Speaker, I will always be a loud voice for educational opportunities for our students. Honoring the Life of U.S. Army Private First Class Jang Ho Kim

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of U.S. Private First Class Jang Ho Kim from Placentia, a city in my 39th Congressional District. Jang Ho was a Valencia High School graduate who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq. His found possessions included his watch, dog tag, and a coin he always carried with him with a Bible verse Ephesians Chapter 6, Verse 12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. His legacy of courage and service lives on through his loved ones, others he inspired, and all those who share his story. Mr. Speaker, I thank the California delegation for backing my bill to designate a Placentia Post Office in his honor, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill when it comes up for a vote today so we can preserve his story for years to come.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the Whelan family to urge the Biden administration to get United States Marine veteran, Paul Whelan, safely home from being held hostage and wrongfully detained by Russia. While we are glad to welcome Brittney Griner safely home to her family, to make it happen, the Biden administration ceded leverage and released a dangerous, convicted arms dealer who was in prison for conspiring to kill Americans. This poses tremendous national security risks and will embolden Vladimir Putin to take more Americans hostage in the future. Meanwhile, Paul Whelan and other wrongfully detained Americans remain imprisoned. I will continue to fight for their safe return home.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8844, the STEP Improvement Act of 2022. I was proud to join Representatives Flood, Evans, and Newman to introduce this bill to help our small businesses expand exports and reach new markets. The STEP Improvement Act would reauthorize the State trade and export program from fiscal year 2023 to 2026, for 3 more years, and improve the program by streamlining the application process for small businesses and implementing strong metrics so the program works as intended. Since STEP's creation in 2011, my home State of California has received $8.5 million in STEP funding, helping more than 1,200 small businesses create jobs and generate more than $85 million in export sales. That is 10 times the return on our investment. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues who helped to pass this legislation yesterday in the House.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support H.R. 3462, the SBA Cyber Awareness Act, which I introduced with Representative Jason Crow to improve cybersecurity and transparency at the Small Business Administration. The SBA provided a record number of services during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a lifeline to small businesses in need. But with that, the SBA also saw issues with their IT capabilities being able to keep up and safely store applicants' personal information. We must ensure entrepreneurs can safely access resources available to them and have confidence that the SBA has the tools to keep their information safe from cyberattacks. Our bill will do exactly that. Additionally, H.R. 3462 safeguards our supply chain by protecting SBA's IT components from the CCP's malign influence. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues who helped to pass this bill.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join our amazing city of Placentia and the residents that live in it and the entire community in California's 39th Congressional District as we celebrate the city's 96th birthday. ``Placentia'' is derived from the Latin word meaning ``pleasant place to live,'' and it certainly fulfills its name. Placentia is home to beautiful neighborhoods, good schools, stately churches, and endless outdoor recreation. Our fast-growing community of 45,000 residents is tight-knit, hardworking, and dedicated to giving back. Some of my fondest memories include the city's concerts in the park, the annual Love Placentia event, and the always-lively Tamale Festival. I am honored to represent Placentia in Congress and will do all I can to ensure our community continues to thrive. Happy birthday, Placentia.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of my bill, H.R. 4785, the Uyghur Policy Act. I thank Chairman Ami Bera of the Subcommittee on Asia, The Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation for leading this with me, as well as the 79 bipartisan cosponsors--Ms. Sara Jacobs from California being one of them. They all made consideration of this important bill possible. The Uyghur Policy Act comes at a critical time as the world is seeing past the Chinese Communist Party's censorship filters and sharing videos of thousands of people in China standing up and speaking out against strict lockdowns and against the CCP. Since Xi Jinping solidified his rule during the Communist Party Congress last month, anti-lockdown protests have erupted all over China, including in Xinjiang, where at least 10 people under COVID lockdown were killed in an apartment fire with their doors locked from the outside. The people of China are waking up to the CCP's oppression and are demanding basic freedoms. Whether it is lockdown of protestors in Shanghai, or Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, the United States must show through words and through actions that we will have their backs in their fight against the CCP's tyranny. The People's Republic of China continues to deny carrying out genocide against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, and we have verified reports of forced sterilization, forced labor, brainwashing, and gang rape in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Uyghur Policy Act will help us lead from a position of strength and will address several shortcomings in our existing approach to responding to these human rights abuses. It authorizes the State Department to appoint a special coordinator for Uyghur issues, which will consolidate the State Department's diplomatic strategy to ensure that department-wide resources being used to respond to the Uyghur genocide are better coordinated. H.R. 4785 will also mandate Uyghur language instruction at the Foreign Service Institute and require the State Department to station a Uyghur-fluent officer at Mission China locations. The bill also authorizes support for Uyghur human rights activists and directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to disseminate news and information regarding Uyghur genocide. We must act now to leverage U.S. soft power, garner international support for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and equip the State Department with the tools it needs to better respond to Xi Jinping's genocidal campaign. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is a champion for human rights around the world, including for Uyghurs in China.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, seeing no other Members on my side, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I again thank Asia Subcommittee Chairman Ami Bera, Speaker Pelosi, my colleague, Representative Smith, and the many cosponsors who helped bring this legislation to the floor. I am pleased that the House of Representatives, in the spirit of bipartisanship, is taking a significant step in defending the human rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities subject to the CCP's oppression and genocide. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes,'' and I urge the Senate to immediately take up this critically important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution authored by my colleagues, Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressman Meijer. This resolution condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war and recognizes the impact that conflict has on global food security and famine. Around the world, over 300 million people are in urgent need of food assistance. Many are facing emergency food needs due to years of protracted conflict, whether in Syria, Yemen, the Sahel, Nigeria, or South Sudan. But shockingly, we are also seeing the increasing use of hunger and starvation as a deliberate weapon of war, with worldwide effects. Ukraine just commemorated the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor famine, which killed millions of Ukrainians at Stalin's direction. Ninety years later, Putin is reviving this evil, targeting wheat fields and grain silos, deliberately seeking to destroy vital sources of food for the Ukrainian people and the world. The Kremlin's propaganda machine is attempting to blame international sanctions for the worsening global food crisis, but that is a lie. In reality, this crisis is a direct result of Putin's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia uses its influence at the U.N. to exert control over the vital food aid that millions of Syrians rely on in an effort to bolster Bashar al-Assad's brutal grip on power. In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have weaponized food aid, using it for military gains and personal profit, while millions of Yemenis continue to face famine-like conditions. These atrocities must be condemned by all people of goodwill. The administration should impose severe penalties on those responsible, including through sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Jacobs and Meijer, Chairman Meeks, and Ranking Member McCaul for introducing this measure and bringing it to the floor. An identical text unanimously passed the Senate in July. Deliberately starving innocent civilians as a weapon of war must be condemned wherever it occurs. This resolution also condemns the acts of looting, diversion, or other denials of humanitarian access that impede the delivery of lifesaving assistance to populations who need it the most. Finally, I take this moment to commend the humanitarians who put their lives at risk every day to get food to vulnerable children, women, and men who need it just to stay alive. Their efforts deserve our support, and so does this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan measure that condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and calls for the release of all religious prisoners in Iran. In recent months, the Iranian regime has responded to the Iranian people's peaceful demands for change with violent suppression. The world has been a witness to that brutality. Sadly, Iran's Baha'i community is very familiar with the regime's cruelty. For years, the Baha'i have been subjected to a campaign of state-sponsored persecution. Baha'is across Iran face arbitrary arrest, forced disappearance, property expropriation, and economic discrimination every day. The regime's deplorable treatment of the Baha'i shows how the Ayatollah denies Iranians access to basic human rights. Persecution based on religious belief is abhorrent and warrants condemnation in the strongest possible terms. This resolution is a reminder of Congress' continued commitment to promoting and protecting human rights in Iran, including freedom of worship and belief. Mr. Speaker, I thank our former colleague, Ted Deutch, for his longtime work to support the Baha'i in Iran and for his original authorship of this bipartisan measure. The House of Representatives will continue to work tirelessly to protect and defend the human rights of the Iranian people. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Dennis Salts, who was a dear friend and leader in the Buena Park community in my 39th Congressional District. Dennis had a passion for service as a member of Rotary International, and president of the Buena Park Rotary Club. He was instrumental in founding both Interact and Rotaract Clubs for high school and college students. He had a special passion for mentoring our youth to get involved in community service and was dedicated to making sure our students received the best education possible as a trustee on the Centralia School District. Dennis was recognized for his distinguished service as a Buena Park Citizen of the Year, Buena Park Rotarian of the Year, and Rotary District 5320 Business Rotarian of the Year. Dennis' kindness and passion will be missed, and I pray for God's peace for his wife, Christiane, his daughter, Carrie, and anyone who knew him.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I was proud to introduce the Millennium Challenge Corporation Eligibility Expansion Act along with my Democratic colleague from Texas, Mr. Castro. In the nearly 20 years since its founding under President Bush, the Millennium Challenge Corporation has demonstrated a strong track record of success in its mission of combating poverty through economic growth. The agency has enjoyed broad bipartisan support, earned through strict project selection criteria and the ability to hold partner countries to a high standard of accountability. But the agency and its partners are facing new challenges. The Chinese Communist Party is increasing its malign influence in the developing world, often disguised as development assistance. The world is facing a food security crisis and other effects of Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine. Many countries risk losing progress on development and poverty reduction made over previous decades. This bill will ensure that the world's 125 poorest countries are eligible for potential consideration as candidate countries in the MCC's rigorous selection process. It adds stability to MCC's partnerships, and it ensures its ability to focus on the world's poorest populations, who are often the most vulnerable to debt traps and other forms of outside manipulation. This bill is an important step towards equipping MCC to operate in today's environment so, that it can continue to use its proven, evidence-based model to build sustainable economic growth, transparency, and stability in partner countries around the world. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, the Millennium Challenge Corporation has done important work on behalf of the American people to promote economic growth and transparency around the world. But we must make sure that the agency is equipped to address the challenges and threats of today, including those posed by our strategic rivals who are attempting to increase their global influence. Madam Speaker, I, again, thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro), my colleague, our bipartisan cosponsors, and Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for moving this bill forward. Madam Speaker, I urge support for the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the people of Iran protesting the ayatollah's regime after a 22-year-old young woman, Mahsa Amini, died after being detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly incorrectly wearing a hijab. Iranians are standing up to the ayatollah's regime's oppression of women by cutting their hair, burning their hijabs, and demanding freedom. The Iranian Government began a violent crackdown on the protests that have resulted in dozens of protesters being killed, including women and teenagers. I want Iranian women to know that the United States stands with you in your fight against the ayatollah's oppression and that the Iranian people have our support in your fight for freedom. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in amplifying our voices for the people of Iran and holding the regime accountable.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs for 3 years and implements several reforms to strengthen the programs for years to come. This bill safeguards taxpayer dollars by ensuring that we increase the rate of successful commercialization, prohibits our adversaries from reaping the benefits of our SBIR and STTR investments, and encourages the rapid development of emerging technologies that are vital for our national security. In addition, this legislation would allow the Department of Defense to adopt the successful open topic solicitation process pioneered by the Air Force. The open topic solicitation will attract new small businesses into the SBIR program, accelerate the development of emerging technologies, broaden program access to young startups, and increase the potential for commercial impact. The SBIR and STTR programs are important tools for small businesses to research, develop, and commercialize innovative technologies and help create good-paying jobs. As we all know, the CCP is taking concerted steps to bridge the innovation gap with the United States and knock us down as the world leader in innovation. We must never relent our country's position as the leading innovator and creator of emerging technologies. I thank Ranking Members Luetkemeyer and Lucas and Chairwomen Velazquez and Johnson for their leadership in bringing a successful, bicameral negotiation to reauthorize SBIR and STTR programs. I urge my colleagues to support this underlying legislation and continue our country's support for our small businesses and innovation.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act. John Lewis was a powerful, tireless advocate for equality and justice all his life. Along with his mentor and friend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he put his life and personal safety on the line as a leader in the nonviolent civil rights movement that profoundly changed our Nation for the better. His boldness in pursuit of justice was powerfully rooted in faith and love. As he himself described it: ``At a very early stage of the movement, I accepted the teaching of Jesus, the way of love, the way of nonviolence, the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. The idea of hate is too heavy a burden to bear. It is better to love.'' To help pass these values on to future generations, this bill establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship within the Fulbright Program at the Department of State. The Fulbright educational exchange program has enjoyed bipartisan support for over 75 years. As part of Fulbright, the stated purpose of the John Lewis Fellowship is ``to advance foreign policy priorities of the United States by promoting studies, research, and international exchange in the subject of nonviolent movements that established and protected civil rights around the world.'' This bill is a worthy way of honoring a great man who sacrificed so much to make America and the world a better place. I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, John Lewis lived a life profoundly dedicated to pursuing equality and justice for all, rooted in love and nonviolence. The part he played in the brave struggle against racial injustice changed the course of American history and inspired many around the world. This bill to create a Fulbright fellowship program in his name is a fitting tribute to his legacy. I support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of this bill. Madam Speaker, today, 50 million people in 45 countries are living on the brink of famine, and more than 350 million people around the world are facing emergency food insecurity. This is a staggering increase from record-breaking levels of hunger last year. Russia's unprovoked and full-scale invasion of Ukraine, previously known as the breadbasket of Europe, has worsened an already overwhelming global food crisis and is destabilizing fragile states. Global food prices are expected to increase by 20 percent and could be even higher in developing countries that are highly dependent on imported commodities from Ukraine and Russia. These shocks are creating shortages and instability that affect the entire world, including our constituents. First enacted in 2016, and amended in 2018, the Global Food Security Act provides critical authorities to respond to immediate global food needs and to advance longer term agricultural-led economic growth. I am a cosponsor of today's bipartisan legislation to refine and extend those authorities for another 5 years, through 2028. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congresswoman McCollum, Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman Meeks, and Ranking Member McCaul, for their leadership in this effort. In order to prevent the next food crisis, we must increase the resiliency of communities around the world to shocks like natural disasters, supply chain disruptions, and fertilizer shortages. This is why the U.S. is working with partner countries to advance targeted efforts to increase agricultural productivity, invest in food systems and market-based approaches to agricultural-led economic growth, and, ultimately, support communities' abilities to provide for themselves. These strategic agricultural development activities are a critical investment in preventing future humanitarian emergencies and dependency on foreign aid. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this bipartisan bill to refine and extend statutory authorities needed to respond to the global food crisis and prevent future aid dependency. It updates the policy, definitions, and the strategy requirements of the current law. It also strengthens oversight and accountability and ensures continued focus on core programs that have strong bipartisan support. At its core, the bill embodies the saying, ``Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.'' These are effective, strategic investments in agriculture and agricultural development to help ensure that communities and families are able to provide for themselves. Madam Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I hope that our Senate colleagues will take it up promptly. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. The Chinese Communist Party is at war with religious freedom. The CCP treats as threats those organizations and allegiances that it does not control. Members of the CCP and the PLA are required to be atheists and are prohibited from practicing a religion. National law effectively prohibits young people in China from receiving any religious education. Xi Jinping is ramping up his so-called Sinicization of religion and is expressly demanding that religious groups support the control and ideology of the Chinese Communist Party. The consequences for those who refuse to submit are brutal. House-church Protestant Christians, underground Catholics, Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, Falun Gong practitioners, and other people who seek to worship freely are repressed. The State Department's annual religious freedom reports note deaths in police custody. They also state that the PRC ``tortured, physically abused, arrested, disappeared, detained, sentenced to prison, subjected to forced labor and . . . harassed adherents of both registered and unregistered religious groups for activities related to their religious beliefs and practices.'' Both the Trump and Biden administrations have correctly recognized the PRC's brutal crackdown and forced encampment of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang as a genocide, involving crimes against humanity. According to credible reports, more than 800,000 Muslim children have been separated from their families. Just this week, 90-year-old Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen is on trial in Hong Kong, one of several Catholic bishops imprisoned and actively persecuted by the CCP. Numerous Protestant pastors remain in detention, and the government continues to demolish church buildings and crosses. Religious believers in China deserve our prayers, our respect, and our support. This bill before us today will help ensure that CCP officials responsible for this persecution are identified, sanctioned, and denied visas into the United States. It also states that the People's Republic of China has continued to earn designation as a ``country of particular concern'' under the International Religious Freedom Act. It calls for efforts by the United States, including diplomacy at the highest levels, to promote the protection of Christians and other religious minorities inside China. It expresses the sense of Congress that the U.N. Human Rights Council should formally condemn the PRC for its ongoing genocide in Xinjiang as well as its persecution of Christians and other religious groups. The inability of that Council to condemn such massive human rights abuses is an indictment of its effectiveness. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for introducing this important bill of which I am a proud cosponsor. It deserves our unanimous support, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).