Michael Lawler

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mooney).

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

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3202) to prohibit any official action to recognize or normalize relations with any Government of Syria that is led by Bashar al-Assad, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam 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. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3202, the Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023. I want to begin by thanking my colleague and friend, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. This legislation is critically important. It has been almost 13 years since Bashar al-Assad unleashed his brutal war on the Syrian people. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have died because of the Assad regime's unrelenting brutality. This is a regime that, with support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, tortures men, women, and children at an unthinkable scale. These crimes are undeniable. We have eyewitnesses, survivor testimony of Assad's cruelty from Caesar, who was forced to photograph dead bodies from the Gravedigger, who was forced to dig mass graves for those who were brutally murdered. The Assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against the Syrian people. Just this past November, a court in France found sufficient evidence to issue an international arrest warrant for Assad's complicity in war crimes specifically linked to his use of chemical weapons. Assad is a murderer, a war criminal, and the head of a narco-state now that Syria is a hub for illicit Captagon production and trafficking. Yet, shockingly, we have seen some countries downplay these abhorrent crimes against humanity and welcome Assad's Syria back into the community of nations. Let me be clear. There can be no normalization with the Assad regime. This regime will never change, and Assad and his backers' hands are soaked with the blood of the Syrian people. That is why, today, we are considering this bill to ensure there is justice for the Syrian people who continue to suffer under the Assad regime and his Russian and Iranian backers. This legislation amends the Caesar Act to ensure full and robust implementation by the executive branch of mandatory sanctions targeting the Assad regime and its backers. It also expands the scope of sanctionable activity to cover more crimes, including stealing humanitarian aid and property. Further, it codifies United States policy to oppose recognition of Assad, and it requires a strategy to counter creeping normalization with Assad by other countries. This bill also increases transparency around the Assad regime's manipulation of the U.N. system and theft of U.N. aid meant for the Syrian people. Also, crucially, this bill reauthorizes the Caesar Act ahead of that foundational legislative statutory expiration later this year. The Syrian people have suffered the brutality of this criminal regime and its backers for far too long. The world cannot simply excuse Assad or his backers' crimes because it is convenient. We have seen the consequences of this play out in Ukraine at devastating cost. We must hold the regime and its Russian and Iranian backers accountable, and that is exactly what this bill will do. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. January 30, 2024. Hon. Jim Jordan, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington. DC. Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for consulting with the Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3202, the Assad Regime Anti- Normalization Act of 2023, so that the measure may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate conference on this legislation. I will seek to place our letters on this bill into the Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work together as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Michael T. McCaul, Chairman.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, and the author of this bill.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and vice chairman of the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I thank Joe Wilson of South Carolina, the chairman of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee for his leadership on this bill. When the Assad regime's war against the Syrian people began, the American people saw daily images of the regime's cruel abuses. As often happens, the news cycles change and stories slip from the front page, and then are rarely covered at all; however, it does not mean that the regime has changed or reformed or ceased. The same butchers who gassed and tortured children are still running Syria, and they are continuing their brutality. It is vital that the United States maintain its policy of no normalization or we will be giving a green light to dictators around the world that they can wait out accountability for their crimes. Attention will shift, and they can stay in power, and that would be a death knell for human rights and international norms and standards. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in voting for H.R. 3202, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER

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

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3016, the IGO Anti-Boycott Act, a bill I introduced with my colleague and great friend from New Jersey, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, this past spring. After Hamas' October 7 massacre of over 1,200 innocent people in Israel, including Americans, we need to do everything we can to stand with our friend and ally. In the south, Israel is fighting a war to dismantle Hamas, whose leader said that October 7 was just a rehearsal. In the north, Israel is defending itself from missiles and rockets from Iran's deadly proxy Hezbollah. However, there are many in the world who want to fault Israel, blame Israel, and delegitimize Israel for doing what is necessary to protect its citizens and its sovereignty. One of the most egregious bastions of anti-Israel bias and bigotry is the United Nations. We are deeply concerned that the U.N. could weaponize its institutions against Israel. Years ago, the U.N. Human Rights Council authorized the creation of a database of companies doing business beyond Israel's 1949 armistice lines. The implications of this were clear: Create a list of companies and then boycott them. That list is now published and updated by the United Nations. Boycotts such as these are contrary to American values and foreign policy. It is critical that we protect U.S. companies from being coerced into providing information that would facilitate these boycotts. For over 40 years, it has been illegal for U.S. companies to cooperate with foreign boycotts that the United States is not participating in. The reason is because foreign countries should not be able to use U.S. companies to undermine U.S. foreign policy. These laws were passed in response to the Arab League's boycott of Israel. Now, the good news is that today, many fewer countries in the Arab League are adhering to the boycott of Israel. In fact, some of them have normalized relations with Israel, opening trade as well as diplomatic ties. We are faced with the potential that U.S. companies might be pressured to cooperate with this U.N. list and subsequent boycott of Israel. If that were to happen, the U.N. would be using U.S. companies to undermine U.S. foreign policy. That is simply unacceptable. This bill adds four words, ``or international governmental organizations,'' to existing anti-boycott law to include organizations like the U.N. It is my sincere hope that the U.N. will not foster such a boycott against Israel as Israel is responding to the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. This bill is especially necessary with the constant anti-Israel bias emanating from the U.N. Just recently, we confirmed that UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, has deep ties to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli intelligence recently released reports that many UNRWA workers actually worked as Hamas operatives and assisted in the October 7 attacks. It is absolutely disgusting that employees of a U.N. agency had a role in this attack. We will see now what the U.N. does in response to these allegations. We cannot stand idly by while our contributions to UNRWA potentially aid and abet terrorists. Our support must only go to organizations that uplift humanity, not those who undermine peace and security. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this bill today so that we can take a stand against the U.N. and other IGOs and the anti-Israel bias present at UNHRC and UNRWA. This bill is just a start. The American people stand with Israel. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, to my colleague from Texas, we accepted one of his amendments during the markup to address some of his accountability concerns. Let's be clear. This is not an anti-First Amendment bill. This bill adds four words to existing law. It does absolutely nothing unprecedented. It only expands coverage of existing protections to include IGOs. The bill is not discriminatory against proponents of the BDS movement, rather it prevents discriminatory actions against Israel and other countries friendly to the United States so as not to undermine U.S. foreign policy. IGOs, like the United Nations, continue to impose one-sided and biased policies against the State of Israel. Madam Speaker, you can't wait until after the fact to protect Israel and the Jewish people, as we saw on October 7. While the E.U. doesn't maintain a similar blacklist, there have been E.U.-based efforts to create one and further other BDS initiatives at the E.U. For example, just last year in February of 2022, pro-BDS activists launched a campaign to call on the E.U. Commission to propose a new law to stop trade with settlements. Luckily, the campaign didn't reach the number of signatures it needed to be brought before the E.U. Commission. Now, let's be clear. The BDS movement is anti-Semitic. The BDS is one tactic in a long history of campaigns and efforts to delegitimize and isolate the State of Israel. It also applies a double standard to Israel. The BDS campaign does not support constructive measures to build Israeli-Palestinian engagement, nor does it promote peace negotiations or a mutually negotiated two-state solution to the conflict. Rather, BDS presents a biased and simplistic approach to the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict positioning this dispute over territorial and nationalist claims as the fault of only one party, the State of Israel, while ignoring other actors and dynamics such as Palestinian-shared responsibility for the continuation of the conflict. BDS advocates for self-determination for Palestinians while denying to Jews that same right. So many of our colleagues who have, for instance, called for cease- fires say nothing about Hamas' barbaric, horrific, and brutal attacks on October 7. The duplicity when I hear some of my colleagues talk about this issue is pathetic. The BDS movement uses divisive and inaccurate terms like ``apartheid,'' ``genocide,'' ``settler colonialists,'' and ``supremacists'' to refer to aspects of Israeli action or policy they criticize. This language serves to demonize the Jewish State and those who support its very existence. So the intent here is to expand existing law to include IGOs. Four words are added to the existing law. That is all this bill does. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank my Democratic co-lead, Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, who is the co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, and all of our bipartisan cosponsors for working with me on this important bill to update our anti-boycott laws and to respond to potential threats facing the United States and our ally, Israel. We must stand with our ally Israel and not allow rampant, institutionalized anti-Israel bias and bigotry at the United Nations to delegitimize the State of Israel. Madam Speaker, I urge all of our Members to vote in favor of H.R. 3016, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to show my strong support for this aid package that will support our closest ally, Israel. Providing much-needed assistance for Israel and for U.S. forces in the Middle East region reaffirms our unwavering commitment to democracy, security, and peace in the Middle East. This is a funding package that will enhance Israel's defense capabilities, specifically in the area of missile and rocket defense, with significant allocations for the Iron Dome and David's Sling systems and the innovative Iron Beam system designed to counteract shorter-range threats. All of these are made even more necessary due to Iran's investment in weapons for terrorists around the region, including Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and others. These groups are expanding their attacks on U.S. troops. This aid package should transcend partisan lines. It is about more than supporting Israel's right to defend itself. It is about securing our strategic interests and showing support for our closest ally, Israel. That is why I was shocked to see that President Biden swore to veto this legislation, which provides our ally, Israel, with essential aid. There are no policy riders or poison pills. It is a clean bill supporting the State of Israel. This should not be political, and it shouldn't be that complicated. Yet, for whatever reason, Joe Biden has indicated he would veto this bill, and House and Senate Democrats are falling all over themselves to oppose it. It has been 122 days since the terrorist attack of October 7. The House passed an aid package months ago. The Senate did not act. According to reports, the Senate may not even have the votes tomorrow to pass their supplemental bill. Therefore, this may end up being the only bill in town. Mr. Speaker, I just can't understand my Democratic colleagues. Whether you think it is political or not, vote ``yes.'' What, are you crazy? I just don't even understand the logic. It is a clean bill. Vote ``yes.'' Ultimately, even if the Senate does pass their bill and it does come here, then we will deal with that. Why would you ever want to be on the record, on a clean bill, opposing aid to the State of Israel? It is foolish. Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere hope that all of my colleagues will find the moral courage to support this funding package and support Israel at her time of need while providing critical resources to our troops overseas. A little common sense here--vote ``yes.''

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and remember Officer Daniel P. DiDato, a dedicated servant to the town of East Fishkill for 19 years. Tragically taken from us on December 18, Officer DiDato's legacy is one of unwavering commitment, camaraderie, and a passion for life that touched all who knew him. Starting his career at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in 2001 and joining the East Fishkill Police Department in 2005, Dan was a beacon of joy and strength in the East Fishkill community and amongst his fellow officers. Known for his quick wit, love of Marvel Comics, and an aficionado of pizza and other Italian cuisine, Dan connected with colleagues and friends through his humor, vast knowledge, and generous spirit. Colleagues recall his spot-on impression, music recommendations, and heartfelt conversations. His presence brightened even the toughest days, leaving a lasting impression on everyone from seasoned officers to newcomers. By honoring Officer DiDato here on the House floor, we celebrate a life of service, laughter, and profound impact. Dan was more than an officer, he was a beloved friend, a cherished community member, a beloved brother, and a true hero. Thank you, Officer Daniel P. DiDato, for your service, your friendship, and the many lives you have touched. You will never be forgotten, and may God bless your family.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and remember a pillar of our community in Yorktown, Supervisor Tom Diana. Tom's life was a remarkable journey of service and dedication to his community. A proud graduate of Lakeland High School, Tom embarked on a path of public service that defined his life and legacy. Tom's career in law enforcement spanned several decades and included stints with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the Yorktown Police Department, the Cortlandt Police Department, and finally, the Westchester County Police Department. His service was marked by an unwavering commitment to excellence, including as a K9 officer. His service extended beyond the badge as a member of the Yorktown Town Board for 7 years before culminating as Town supervisor. He loved the job, and the town loved him. Last Monday, I was proud to be on hand for his swearing in. Tom talked about the importance of community and his commitment to serving a cause greater than himself, his love of Yorktown, and his appreciation to its residents for giving him the opportunity to serve. Four days later, he was taken from us suddenly. Tom's loss has been felt profoundly, and we will miss his leadership, his infectious smile and laugh, and his optimistic and positive approach to governing. This morning, we laid Tom to rest, joined by his beloved wife, Donna; his daughters; grandchildren; and the beloved Yorktown community. We will always cherish Tom for his warmth, his humor, and the profound kindness he extended to all. His legacy will continue to inspire us. We thank Tom for his service, and may God watch over his family.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Madam Speaker, last year, New York Democrats tried to corrupt our redistricting process by gerrymandering New York's maps to favor 22 Democrats and 4 Republicans. They were summarily thrown out in court, with the court ruling that they not only violated the State constitution, they violated the process, and they gerrymandered the maps. A special master appointed by the court drew a fair set of maps that resulted in 15 Democrats and 11 Republicans being elected. However, that didn't serve the purpose of New York Democrats, so they filed another lawsuit. Today, the court of appeals, in a shameful episode, was stacked and made a decision to redraw New York's congressional maps for the sole purpose of trying to favor New York Democrats. It is pathetic, it is shameful, and it serves only one person, the leader of the Democratic Conference. He should be embarrassed.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, last week, I joined my colleague, Anthony D'Esposito, in introducing a resolution to expel disgraced former Congressman George Santos. It was warranted. It was warranted because he defrauded the voters and defrauded donors, and he is facing a 23- count indictment. He did not belong in Congress. I was willing to take on a member of my own party and reduce our majority by one because he was unfit to serve. Now, as a Congressman from the 17th District of New York, I share Westchester County with Mr. Bowman. I have gotten to know Mr. Bowman throughout the course of my tenure here in Congress. We have even flown home together to Westchester County Airport. What happened on September 30 was wrong. I am sure he is embarrassed. He should be. As a former middle school principal, he understands the difference between a locked door and a fire alarm. To suggest that somehow he was confused is laughable. As the video evidence shows, he did push the door, and being locked, it didn't open. Nonetheless, he then took down the signs. He threw one on the ground, carried one, walked over to the fire alarm on the wall, and pulled the fire alarm. It didn't say: Pull to exit. It didn't say: In case of a locked door, pull the fire alarm and the door will open. No. It said: In case of emergency, pull fire alarm. He then proceeded to throw the other sign on the ground, and he ran past seven--one, two, three, four, five, six, seven--Capitol Police officers and did not utter one word about accidently and embarrassingly pulling a fire alarm. In fact, when the BOLO went out and the Capitol Police came to question him about it, he lawyered up. He then went and met with Leader Jeffries. That is not taking accountability right away. That is not taking responsibility. In fact, a few days after it happened, he called me directly to ask me: Please don't get on a censure or an expulsion resolution. I said to him: I will not do anything until I hear from the Capitol Police as to what happened. He told me: Oh, I won't be charged. They are dismissing it. I didn't do anything. They ended up referring it to prosecutors. He was charged, and he pled guilty. I don't think he should be expelled. I think what he did was wrong. I don't think it was an accident. It was absolutely done to disrupt a proceeding as the Democrats were pulling all sorts of stunts that day, including walking single file in to vote by paper even though they all had their electronic voting cards. Hakeem Jeffries was doing his magic minute. We all know what it was. Let's be honest. Let's take accountability here. If you are taking accountability, then you should actually tell your colleagues: Do you know what? I did wrong. I accept the censure. Instead, you are sitting there smirking and laughing. I don't think your constituents think it is funny. In fact, I know they don't think it is funny because of the number of times I get calls from your constituents.

Mr. LAWLER. The number of times I get calls from your constituents and the amount of time my office gets inundated with requests from your constituents, like when you shut your office down for 2 weeks in August--all the offices shut down. Do you know how many cases we had to take on? Calls came from Jewish constituents who don't feel that they can go to you for help. They don't think it is funny. The people of Westchester County don't think it is funny. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this censure.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, of all the lies that George Santos told, two are the most jarring: that his mother perished in 9/11--was in the building, got cancer from 9/11, or that his parents or grandparents fled the Holocaust. In both instances, Mr. Santos used tragic events in history to try and propel himself to public office. Worse than that, he not only defrauded the voters of the Third District, he also defrauded donors, stealing their money for personal gain. The facts and the evidence are clear. He can defend himself in a court of law, but for the purposes of this body, he has to go. It is time to expel George Santos.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 683) expressing support for the diplomatic relations required to encourage the Government of Mexico to fulfill its water deliveries on an annual basis to the United States under the treaty between the United States and Mexico regarding the utilization of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I was in Israel with Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Meeks, and a bipartisan delegation. We met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and we watched 21 minutes of unedited, raw footage of the October 7 terrorist attack. We watched Hamas terrorists indiscriminately kill women, children, and babies. We watched them take innocent civilians hostage, including Doron Katz Asher and her two daughters, Raz and Aviv. Doron's uncle is a constituent of mine in the 17th Congressional District of New York. We met with families of the hostages, including the brother of Emily Hand. I sat next to him as he tearfully told his sister's story, bringing the rest of us to tears as he talked about the fact that his 8-year-old sister would spend her ninth birthday--the Friday after our meeting--alone, held captive by Hamas terrorists. A few weeks ago, in New York City, I met with the mother of Or Yaakov and Yagil Yaakov, 13- and 16-year-old young men who were held captive. All of them have since been released. I thank the administration for negotiating to get their release, but let's be clear: Hamas is a vile, barbaric terrorist organization. We hear Members calling for a cease-fire. There was a cease-fire on October 6. In fact, there have been eight cease-fires in 15 years, each time violated by Hamas. In this most recent one, the biggest slaughtering of Jews since the Holocaust, 240 innocents were taken away from their families. While they are releasing hostages, it is not enough. I have a simple way for this to end. If people want a cease-fire, Hamas must surrender. It is that simple. We want these hostages home, and we want to make sure that the innocent lives lost are not in vain.

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, we saw news reports that Hamas would not release a 10-month-old baby and, in fact, was turning that baby over to another terrorist organization. That is the type of people, if you can even call them that, who you are dealing with. The United States must do everything it can to stand by its greatest ally in the Middle East and, indeed, across the world, the State of Israel. We will vote on a resolution that makes it clear that not only does Israel have a right to exist, but they have a right to defend themselves, and the only way that this ends peacefully is for Hamas to surrender.

Mr. LAWLER

Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 888) reaffirming the State of Israel's right to exist.