Michael Lawler

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. 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 this measure.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be here today as we gather to pass the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act, or the SHIP Act, which I introduced earlier this year with my colleague from Florida, Congressman Jared Moskowitz. In the wake of the appalling terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, it is clear that we must work to confront Iran and its proxies in the region with a strong sanctions regime. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world and, unfortunately, has the coffers to back this up. Iran spends its money on terror, on developing nuclear capabilities, on taking hostages to use for bargaining purposes, and on funding the criminal IRGC. We must cut off Iran's funding and stop these illicit activities at their source, and that is where Iranian oil comes in. Iran currently engages in a massive global oil trade, exporting its blood-stained petroleum in exchange for money and influence abroad. In the past year alone, Iran has made tens of billions off of their illicit oil trade, and this August, China imported a staggering 1.5 million barrels per day. China is the largest importer of Iranian oil and, in doing so, has become complicit in the nefarious acts carried out with that funding. While the U.S. already sanctions Iranian petroleum, it is absolutely critical that we expand our sanctions regime to not only target Iran but Iran's enablers that are complicit in the nefarious acts committed with that money. The SHIP Act specifically expands these sanctions to cover foreign ports and refineries that process Iranian oil. Individuals and entities that knowingly accept shipments of Iranian oil, refine Iranian oil, transport or offload Iranian oil, or otherwise transact with Iranian oil should be held accountable for their actions, for their willingness to pay for Iranian-backed terrorism. The SHIP Act has been bipartisan from the start and continues to show a united front between Republicans and Democrats to limit Iran's global influence and protect those the Iranian regime seeks to harm, such as our Jewish and Israeli friends. The SHIP Act sends a message to those who trade in Iranian oil that they will have the United States to deal with if they continue to do so. They can't pretend they don't know where the money is going. They can't pretend to separate Iranian oil from the very terrorism it supports. Now, we are putting it in writing that they are going to be held accountable if they keep enabling Iran. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3774, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, October 26, 2023. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write regarding H.R. 3774, the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act. Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. The Committee takes this action with the understanding that forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar legislation. I ask that you please include this letter in your committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 3774 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative manner in which our committees have worked on this matter, and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Jim Jordan, Chairman.

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

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3774) to impose additional sanctions with respect to the importation or facilitation of the importation of petroleum products from Iran, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I introduced this bill earlier this year with Congressman Jared Moskowitz of Florida. It has over 230 bipartisan cosponsors because Congress recognizes the need to sanction Iranian petroleum even further. Since President Biden took office, relaxed enforcement of oil sanctions has contributed to increased Iranian oil revenues worth approximately $25.9 billion. In 2019, Iran's oil exports fell below 500,000 barrels per day as a result of the prior administration's oil sanctions pressure. As of September 2023, Iranian oil exports had increased to nearly 1.5 million barrels per day. Most of these increased sales have gone to Chinese buyers. Exports are up 59 percent since January of 2021. The administration's refusal to list entities enabling the trade for secondary sanctions--in other words, imposing sanctions on the buyers--has contributed to this. I wish we didn't need to do this, but we have to. HSI and OFAC should be enforcing these sanctions. On October 11, 2023, NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, responded to a question about the weak enforcement of sanctions on Iranian oil by stating, quote, ``The President has been concerned about making sure we have a viable global market for oil, working hard to keep the prices of gasoline down here in the United States. Part of that is making sure you remove some of the volatility in that global supply and demand.'' Are you kidding me? First of all, the United States doesn't get Iranian petroleum. Our refineries aren't able to process it, and we already have sanctions in place against it. This administration has prohibited U.S. oil and gas development more strenuously than it has Iranian. It is absurd. Macquarie, a leading financial services advisory firm, recently advised its clients that: ``In our assessment, the Biden administration's policy approach has been to limit oil supply disruptions, regardless of the situation. Given that policy objectives did not target Russian oil flows even at the height of the Russian- Ukraine conflict, we do not expect Iranian oil exports to be constrained either.'' Now, there are Members of this body that are going to oppose this legislation because it is too strenuous, doesn't give enough wiggle room to the administration. There is a reason we are not giving wiggle room to the administration. It is because they have been incapable of enforcing the sanctions against Iran and Iranian petroleum, which has been used as the funding source for the greatest state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Lest anyone think otherwise, the attacks by Hamas, by Hezbollah over the course of time have been funded by Iran. We must be stringent in enforcing these sanctions. It is critically important. When you look at what is happening in the world and the unholy alliance that has been brought about by Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia to undermine and destabilize the free world, to undermine the United States and our allies, we must enforce these sanctions, which is why it is critically important that we pass H.R. 3774 so that we can enact sanctions on the buyer. China has been the largest buyer of Iranian petroleum. Their refineries are built to refine that oil. Our allies around the world must recognize and understand the threats that are emanating from this unholy alliance. I urge all of my colleagues in both parties to support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3266, the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act. I thank my colleague, Mr. Sherman, for introducing this important legislation to prevent the spread of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hatred. We have known for decades that Palestinian children are taught from a young age to hate Israel and the Jewish people. Despite robust international discussion about these concerns, reports by nongovernmental organizations continue to show that Palestinian schoolchildren are being indoctrinated with deeply disturbing violent imagery. For example, a review of the textbooks used in Palestinian schools in 2020 and 2021 showed that children are taught to read with passages that describe suicide bombings and the gruesome murders of IDF soldiers, to do math using numbers of martyrs and jihadists, and to learn history by asking them to discuss how the USA took advantage of the 9/11 attack. These textbooks propagate the lie that the Jewish people control the media and politics and explicitly refer to Jews as ``enemies of Islam in all times and places.'' Children are taught to glorify the founders of the jihad movement and learn that jihad is ``a private obligation for every Muslim.'' We will never arrive at a peaceful solution for Israelis and Palestinians as long as Palestinian children are being taught hatred in textbooks. Look at the brutal attack that over 2,500 Hamas terrorists carried out against Israel on October 7. Why else would Hamas terrorists call home bragging that they murdered Jews? Why else would they live stream their barbaric attacks? That disgusting and gruesome cruelty is possible because these Hamas fighters were indoctrinated with hatred at a young age. They were taught to glorify terrorism and other so-called martyrs who killed Jewish people. This must end. The Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act takes a first step to firmly establish Congress' position that the Palestinian Authority has not sufficiently eliminated inciteful and violent content from their educational curricula. It also requires the State Department to report to Congress on educational materials used in schools run by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, Hamas, and the Gaza Strip, and UNRWA. A United States Government assessment of the content of these educational materials will carry tremendous weight in international efforts to eliminate hateful content and promote peace. Since Hamas' attack, we have seen an appalling number of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel riots around the world and right here at home. I have condemned these in the strongest terms. I continue to speak out when they occur, and I have encouraged my colleagues to do the same. That is why, earlier this year, I introduced legislation to combat the rise in anti-Semitism on college campuses, the Stop Anti-Semitism on College Campuses Act, which would defund institutions of higher learning that allow, promote, or sanction anti-Semitic events on their campuses. That is why, just last week, Josh Gottheimer and I introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would amend the education law to require the Department of Education to use the IHRA definition of anti- Semitism on its enforcement actions of discrimination laws. The commitment we made after the Holocaust, ``Never again,'' is being put to the test. We have a responsibility to prevent the teaching of anti-Semitism not just here in the United States but around the globe. This bipartisan bill uses the tools available to the United States Government to do just that. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3266) to require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports reviewing the curriculum used by the Palestinian Authority, and for other purposes.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We must continue to stand against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias. It is essential that we ensure children are not taught to hate, and this starts with the materials they learn in school. The first step is passing the bipartisan Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act, to ensure we have transparent, valid, and authenticated information. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H. Res. 599) urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, 3 weeks ago, Hamas launched a brutal and unprovoked terrorist attack on our ally, Israel, from its perch in the Gaza Strip. Now Israel is engaged in a major military operation in response to the pressing threat posed by this Iran-backed terrorist group. For years, Hamas benefited from the misconception that it was focused on governing the Gaza Strip but make no mistake, there is no difference between the political and military wings of terrorist organizations. One of Hamas' allies in the region, Hezbollah, also benefits from this misguided fiction that its political and military entities are separate. Like with Hamas, this is unequivocally false. Even Hezbollah's leader himself admits there is no distinction between the two, so it is unfortunate that the European Union includes Hezbollah's military branch on its list of sanctioned terrorist organizations, but not its political wing. This has enabled Hezbollah to use Europe as a base to plan extremist terrorist activities and exploit global financial networks to pay for them. Right now, Hezbollah is launching near daily attacks on Israel's northern borders with rockets, mortars, and antitank missiles. Every one of these attacks risks the opening of a second front in this war. Does this sound like the work of a political party? Yet, the EU's continued recognition of this arbitrary distinction between political and military wings allows Hezbollah to continue to operate throughout Europe, even while causing casualties in Israel. This issue has never been more urgent. We must make clear to these terrorist proxies that we are not fooled about their true intention: the destruction of Israel. We must make clear to Iran that it cannot hide behind its terrorist proxies. Mr. Speaker, I urge our allies in the European Union to designate Hezbollah in full as a terrorist organization. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to vote in support of this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, every day that passes risks further escalation from Hezbollah on Israel's northern border. We must not allow Hezbollah to continue to present the illusion that its political and military wings are distinct. The EU must designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization to permanently dispense with this fiction. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I will say, listening to the sanctimoniousness of my colleague from New York is quite priceless, talking about politics. This is a gentleman who couldn't even condemn the New York City DSA in an op-ed and, in fact, was more upset that I introduced a resolution condemning them than the actions of those individuals within the New York City DSA that supported the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. That is precisely because of politics, because his district is one of the most progressive districts in America. He couldn't muster the courage to even condemn the New York City DSA, so save us your sanctimoniousness sitting over there with your smug look. Mr. Speaker, nobody wants to be in a situation where they are expelling a Member of Congress. It is serious, and it comes with weight and gravity because that individual was elected by their constituents to serve and to represent their district. You don't expel a Member for being a jerk. You don't expel a Member for something they said. You expel a Member for their conduct. The conduct of Mr. Santos has been embarrassing and unbecoming and unfit for public office. Lying about your background, lying about your life experiences, making up events that didn't occur in an effort to bamboozle voters into believing that you are the right person to represent them, is wrong, fundamentally wrong. It is why all of us called for Mr. Santos to resign when this information came to light. The resolution that was brought about in May was referred to the Ethics Committee for two reasons. Number one, there was not two-thirds of the vote to expel; and, number two, you wanted to allow for a process to get more information that Members could hang their hat on in a vote. That process is ongoing. We all would have liked to have seen it resolved more expeditiously than it has been, but given the voluminous amount of lies, it has taken time. What has changed since May is that you have a guilty plea by the treasurer who was involved in this scam who has laid out precisely what happened, and you have a superseding indictment, 13 additional felony charges, outlining precisely what happened. Yes, Mr. Santos will get his day in court, but for the purposes of this body, we now have more than enough information from a court of law, with the guilty plea of his treasurer, to expel him from Congress. When you can sit with a straight face and say that you attended an institution like Baruch College or that you were a volleyball superstar and recite this on a nationally syndicated radio show, when you can make up the fact that your mother was in the Twin Towers on September 11 with not even an ounce of shame or remorse, you are unfit to serve. All of us, being from New York, remember that day precisely. I was in my fifth day of freshman year of high school. The number of my classmates whose parents were in the building, whose parents didn't come home, the number of first responders in each of our districts who still today are dying from 9/11-related illnesses, this is not something you joke about or you lie about. It is unfit. We, as Members of this body, despite the political nonsense that just came out of my colleague's mouth from New York, we, as Members of this body, have tried to allow for a process to take place, allow for a process in which the Members of this body can be confident that Mr. Santos should be expelled from Congress. That process has been allowed to play out, both in the Ethics Committee and here today. Based on the conviction and guilty plea of his treasurer and the admission of the fraud that was perpetrated upon donors, upon the NRCC, upon former Speaker McCarthy's chief of staff, that is more than sufficient evidence and information to expel Mr. Santos from Congress. There is not enough time to go through the litany of lies that Mr. Santos has engaged in during his campaign and during his time in Congress, including just recently a claim that his 5-year-old niece was kidnapped by Chinese Communist Party spies. All of us take seriously the oath that we took. All of us want to uphold the integrity of this institution. We are willing to take on a member of our party not for political gain, not because we think this is fun, but because it is right. I would ask my colleague from New York, name me one time you ever stood up to your party. You couldn't even muster the courage to denounce the New York City DSA. We will do what is right. We have brought this resolution forward, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of Mr. Santos' expulsion.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, women, children, babies slaughtered. The worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Israel has a right to exist, a right to defend itself. We have Members in this body that do not believe that. We have Members in this body that cannot muster the courage or the strength to condemn the slaughtering of babies but have the audacity to repeat a vile and disgusting lie that Israel bombed a hospital. They are not worthy of serving in this body, and the fact that we have people that didn't even sign on to this resolution tells you everything you need to know. If you cannot stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East, a beacon of democracy and hope and freedom, you do not belong in this body. Those Members should resign in disgrace.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Jeannette Phillips who passed away last month. She devoted decades of service to the healthcare needs of the disadvantaged in the Hudson Valley, culminating in her founding of the Peekskill Area Ambulatory Healthcare Center in 1975. Over the course of her life of service, Reverend Phillips received myriad of awards and recognitions, including the New York State Governor's Award for African Americans of Distinction in 1994, the CHCANYS Catherine M. Abate Memorial Award in 2018, and Crain's Notable Women in Healthcare in 2019. She also received the Sojourner Truth Award as well as the Harriet Tubman Award for her work as the Westchester District president of the Harriet Tubman Home Historical Society. Reverend Phillips is survived by three daughters, two sons, and more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great- grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to enter her name into the Congressional Record and recognize Reverend Jeannette Phillips, a trailblazing humanitarian, historic preservationist, and a proud matriarch.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Today, on the last day before a potential government shutdown, Speaker McCarthy will be putting a 45-day clean CR with disaster relief on the floor. I will vote in support of this legislation so that we can keep the United States Government funded and open while we finish our appropriations bills. Anyone, Democrats or Republicans, who votes against a clean CR with disaster relief is voting to shut the government down. Whether it is Ukraine funding, securing the border, or reducing spending, all of which I support, it will have to be negotiated during the appropriations process. All of us have a responsibility to lead and to govern. In a divided government, none of us will get everything we want. To shut the government down would be disastrous for the American people, our military, and our economy. The time has come for everyone to put the American people above all interests and continue to do our work as responsible, reasonable, and serious legislators. For anyone to vote ``no'' on this bill, they are voting to shut the government down. If you are saying that you support the Senate CR but you don't support this one, the only difference is Ukraine. If you are telling the American people with a straight face that you will shut the American government down over Ukraine, shame on you.

Mr. LAWLER. The difference between the Senate version and this version is that this version does not include Ukraine funding. Are you telling me that you would shut down the government if there is not Ukraine funding?