Gregory Meeks

Mr. MEEKS

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Con. Res. 21. Mr. Speaker, though I oppose an indefinite U.S. military presence in Syria, this measure forces a premature end to our mission at a critical time for our efforts. Forcing such a premature removal of U.S. forces not only endangers our national security, it threatens that of our allies and partners across the region and beyond and, most of all, the Syrian Kurds. Our very small footprint in northeast Syria, alongside our courageous Syrian Kurdish partners, continues to serve a valuable purpose as we partner with them in ensuring ISIS does not reconstitute and again destabilize the region or use Syria as a base for attacks elsewhere. We have seen how ISIS has wrought its brutality, not only on the populations of Syria and Iraq, especially against ethnic minority groups, but also launched brutal attacks, such as those in Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, and beyond. Our military and intelligence leaders continue to warn publicly about the potential for ISIS to resurge if they are given the opportunity, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, who, just last week, made a public visit to northeast Syria. He highlighted the importance of finishing the job against ISIS and emphasized, if we ignore and turn our back, then we are setting the conditions for a resurgence. Our presence also serves a critical advisory and assist role as the SDF continues to administer ISIS detainee facilities, including those holding experienced, highly trained ISIS fighters, as the United States, along with our coalition partners, works to safely and humanely repatriate them to their countries of origin. Pulling the plug now on this important mission jeopardizes the important work and support role that we play. Finally, while I share the passion of the cosponsor of this legislation for Congress reclaiming its war powers, I do not think this concurrent resolution is the proper vehicle for doing so. Last Congress, under my leadership, the House Foreign Affairs Committee marked up repeals of three of the four existing AUMFs that are on the books. The full House passed each of these measures as well but, unfortunately, they languished on the other side of the Capitol. We need to continue this work, and I look forward to working with Chairman McCaul and the gentleman from Florida on these efforts. Congress must repeal outdated war authorizations once and for all, and I applaud the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for their bipartisan vote to repeal the 2002 and the 1991 AUMFs earlier today. So we have important work to do. We should define hostilities in statute, not because it is an easy fix, but because it is a hard question that underpins key national security issues around the globe. Toughest of all, we must repeal the 2001 AUMF and replace it with a narrow force authorization that grants the President authority to combat select terrorists enumerated in countries where the United States' national security is at stake. I intend to introduce such an AUMF later this year. I believe that the importance of combating ISIS in Syria should be on such an authorization, and this is part of why I oppose H. Con. Res. 21. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to oppose this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow).

Mr. MEEKS

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me say that the Biden administration--we just had a classified hearing so the questions could be asked. They have been transparent. If there are any questions that need to be asked--as I said earlier, my staff and other staff were informed and briefed. The fact of the matter is the Biden administration has declassified a lot of the information, and that is why we read it in The New York Times today and in The Washington Post yesterday. The American people know what is going on. There is no secrecy in what took place. We know that there was a decision, as indicated in the Times today, that we would get more information by bringing it down in the Atlantic Ocean and obtaining the balloon, looking at it, learning from it, having more of a benefit than China did with what its civilian balloon was attempting to do. We know that. If there is any question that any Member of Congress has about what took place or transpired, one, you can first just go to The New York Times or The Washington Post; two, yesterday, Secretary of State Blinken held a press conference; or you could have gone to the classified hearing this morning where all the decisionmakers were present to ask any question that you wanted to. There has been complete transparency by the Biden administration. Mr. Speaker, I conclude by saying there is one thing that we all agree upon, that the United States' sovereignty was crossed by the PRC. There is one thing that we can agree upon, that the PRC are the ones that violated it and sent a civilian balloon not only here to the United States but, as we have learned, over five continents. We have to work collectively together to isolate the PRC and its dictatorship for the harm and spying that it is doing across this globe. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 104, condemning the CCP's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the United States territory as a brazen violation of U.S. sovereignty, that was authored by my friend and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul. Last week, the entire world witnessed a clear and unacceptable breach of U.S. sovereignty. I stand here today to strongly denounce the presence of the PRC balloon in the United States airspace. It is now up to Beijing to demonstrate, not just to the United States but to the world, that it is serious about respecting international rules and law, and that it is genuine about stabilizing relations with the United States. Secretary Blinken was on his way to Beijing to engage in diplomacy but, and I believe, correctly, canceled his trip. It was the PRC's irresponsible behavior that once again hindered U.S. efforts at dialogue and de-escalation because once we crossed that line, it will not be good for any nation; and that is why diplomacy is always important. The PRC also needs to come clean and stop pretending that this was a civilian airship gathering weather information that accidentally veered into the U.S. airspace. We all know, and now with the debris that we are picking up after the responsible shooting down of the balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, we all know that the PRC--it was a PRC surveillance balloon, full stop, and Beijing needs to own up to it. I thank the Biden administration for the transparency that we learned that this was not the first time that the PRC balloon has transited over U.S. airspace. In fact, this has happened at least three times during the Trump administration and once before during this administration. We also learned that last week's incident was part of a larger PRC global surveillance operation that has infringed on the sovereignty and threatened the security of nations across five continents. We read this morning, in various public forums, like The New York Times and The Washington Post, that we have gained knowledge by shooting this balloon down in the Atlantic Ocean. As we dig it up, we will find more information and be able to share it with our allies so that we can collectively make sure that the violation of sovereignty does not continue by the PRC. Over the weekend when this incident happened, I was talking to a number of members of my staff and they were telling me they were in the SCIF being informed by the administration of things that were going on. It is that kind of transparency and information that must continue, and I thank them for that. Finally, let me just say that I thank the Biden administration for bringing that balloon down. I don't believe that China thought we would take it down. We did. We benefited from it. We have learned from it. We are examining it. We are working with our allies to make sure that our sovereignty is not invaded by the PRC. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 104 is an opportunity for this body to denounce the People's Republic of China's repeated infringement of U.S. sovereignty. The events of the past week and our response to it, including this resolution, reveal the PRC's irresponsible actions to the world and demonstrate that the United States will always act to defend our sovereignty and work with our allies. Indeed, this balloon traveled over Canada and, as we said, over five continents. There are conversations that our allies are having collectively to make sure that sovereignty is preserved. Through its measured and effective action that safeguarded civilian life and prevented escalation, the Biden administration showcased to the world once again that the United States is the responsible power. By swiftly sharing information about the PRC's global surveillance efforts, we have strengthened the confidence and trust that our allies and partners have in us. In short, the PRC came out on the bottom and America came out on top. With the confidence that we will continue to do so in our competition with the PRC, I hope that all of my colleagues join me in condemning the PRC's violation of our sovereignty and support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I do not take this issue lightly. I do, however, take issue with how this resolution has been presented. Of course, we oppose the violence inflicted upon people under the rule of communist and dictatorial governments, but this resolution is less about their plight and more of a political stunt. Make no mistake about it, I am proud a capitalist, and I always will be. Ideas like affordable healthcare, affordable housing, and paid family leave are not radical socialist policies. Some of our closest allies in Europe and around the world participate in the free market and help their citizens meet their most basic needs. That is what we have been sent here to do: to consider, debate, and ultimately pass legislation that will help the American people. Mr. Speaker, I ask my Republican colleagues: What is your agenda? Is it the 30 percent sales tax? Is it the cuts to Medicare and Medicaid? Is it the cuts to Social Security or eliminating access to reproductive care? What is your plan? Do we give people access so they can participate in a capitalist society? Or do we just cut them so we can limit the opportunity to participate in a capitalist society?

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, it is undeniable that Representative Omar has made what has been considered to be offensive anti-Semitic comments in the past. It is also undeniable that Representative Omar has apologized, learned, and been a reliable and productive member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I have watched her work with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle. She cares about her country. She cares about our national security. She cares about diplomacy. Her perspective is invaluable to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She is a refugee, and the only African-born Muslim member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. We know that diverse perspectives strengthen our policymaking and national security. Losing Representative Omar's voice on the committee to extremist politics would be a shameful mark on this body, harmful to the interest of the American people and our image abroad, and damage to democracy itself. I also know the sheer hypocrisy of Speaker McCarthy and Members of his party looking to deny Representative Omar's seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee is rich. This resolution is not about addressing dishonor or respect for the House. This resolution is not about addressing anti-Semitism. If it were, there would be other Members named in this resolution. For example, in October of 2018, a Republican Member tweeted: We cannot allow Soros, Steyer, and Bloomberg to buy this election. Get out and vote for Republicans on November 6. MAGA. That was the Speaker of the House. The tweet included a video featuring that Member discussing George Soros, Tom Steyer, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, all Jewish men who are significant donors of the Democratic campaigns and causes. Were these the only wealthy Democratic donors he could choose from? Jewish money buying elections is a stereotype about the Jewish faith popular among the alt-right. I recall no apology--unlike Representative Omar--to or for this tweet. This is far from the only example of the hypocrisy. Representatives on the Republican side have defended and agreed with well-known white supremacist and anti-Semite Nick Fuentes, and spoke at Fuentes' events. Other Republican Members have claimed that Zionist supremacists are conspiring to flood Europe with migrants in order to replace the White populations there. My Republican colleagues have quoted Adolf Hitler in congressional remarks, promoted the ``Great Replacement Theory,'' and invited a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union. Finally, when the Congress moved a House resolution condemning anti- Semitism, there was only one Member that voted against it--and it wasn't a Democrat. Why is this Member being targeted today? We do not have time to go through the entire list of objectionable remarks that the other side has made. The point is, none of these comments caused any of the Members who made them to be removed from committees; not removed from the Education and Labor Committee, not removed from the Judiciary Committee, not removed from the Armed Services Committee, not removed from the Homeland Security Committee. A blatant double standard is being applied here. Something just doesn't add up. What is the difference between Representative Omar and these Members? Could it be the way that she looks? Could it be her religious practices?

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, it is clear, if she were on the other side of the aisle, we would not be having this debate today. That is absolutely clear. The GOP was not outraged when Donald Trump broke bread with the anti- Semitic Holocaust deniers at his Florida mansion. There was no outrage when Donald Trump's tweets deployed images of the Star of David and stacks of currency. We need to vote ``no'' and stand up for democracy. Representative Omar needs to remain and be productive on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Thursday Luncheon Group, an organization established in 1973 with the goal of increasing African American participation in the formulation, articulation, and implementation of United States foreign policy. Since joining Congress more than 20 years ago, and as the first African American to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee, promoting diplomacy, democracy, development, and diversity in U.S. foreign policy has been one of my main priorities. I have seen firsthand the important benefits of the work of the Thursday Lunch Group to ensure that those making and implementing foreign policy are reflective of the diversity of the United States. The Thursday Luncheon Group celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and as the U.S. Department of State's oldest Employee Affinity Group, the organization has served as a beacon of light by upholding and advocating for more diverse recruitment, retention and leadership at the State Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Two senior officers working at what was then known as the U.S. Information Agency: Mr. William B. Davis and Mr. Roburt Duman established The Thursday Lunch Group In 1973. Mr. Davis and Duman gathered friends and colleagues at the Department of State and USAID to explore possibilities for greater inclusion and promotion of African Americans in the international affairs. These two founders and those who organized around this important mission began to meet every first Thursday of every month to share professional development opportunities for Foreign Service and Civil Service personnel, while also created opportunities to interact with leaders in the foreign affairs community. Half a century later, the Thursday Luncheon Group has over 600 members, including retired and current Department of State and USAID employees, and dedicated members from 5 other federal agencies. Their members have taken prominent roles in the development and execution of U.S. foreign policy, including Chiefs of Mission, Career Ambassadors, and Assistant Secretaries. TLG members monitor recruitment, assignments, employment practices, training, and other matters of vital interest to historically excluded groups at the State Department and USAID. The organization remains committed to mentoring entry-level and mid-level officers to prepare them to become the future leaders in international affairs. Moreover, TLG members are dedicated to giving back to their communities. The organization raises funds to support paid summer internships at the Department of State and established the Terence A. Todman Book scholarship (named after the first African American to be named Career Ambassador, the highest rank among the diplomatic corps) for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. I applaud the Thursday Luncheon Group's efforts to promote excellence and inclusion in international affairs and congratulate the members of the Thursday Luncheon Group for 50 years of service in ensuring our country is represented with excellence around the world.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Let me first thank Representative Tenney and former Representative Malinowski for their hard work on this bill. We wanted so much to get it done in the last Congress, but it is important that it is one of the first things that we get done in the 118th Congress. Mr. Speaker, last year, the world held their breath as Iranian women took to the streets protesting the devastating murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code. The world thought maybe, just maybe, the regime would be ushered by their own people into the dustbin of history. The protests quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran's theocracy and posed one of the most serious challenges to the ruling clerics since the 1979 revolution that brought them to power. Although today the protests have slowed some, and the regime remains firmly in place, something has changed. The Iranian people have a new understanding of their power. Despite bullets, despite arrests and the threat of execution, they have persisted. Cracks have been formed within the Iranian leadership elite. The regime is not willing to meet the people's demands, and the people are not willing to accept the status quo forever. This is going to be a long, drawn-out domestic conflict. The Supreme Leader is a corrupt old man who has stolen from and killed his own people for decades. The Iranian people know it. The Iranian President has not delivered on any of his promises and has left the Iranian economy in tatters through mismanagement, corruption, and international pressure. And guess what? The Iranian people know it. It will not be instant, and it will not be easy, but change will come. Brighter days await the Iranian people. The Iranian people, and also this regime know, it is only a matter of time. This resolution commends the bravery, the courage, and the resolve of the women and men of Iran who have participated in the protests to defend their human rights, their dignity, at the risk of their own safety to speak out against the horrific abuses committed by the Iranian regime. It asks the Biden administration to continue its important work to support the people of Iran, as well as encourages the private sector to do even more to help Iranians to communicate with one another in a safe manner. Also, this resolution before us today sends a clear message to the Iranian people that we in the United States Congress and the millions of Americans that we represent stand with them in their time of struggle for freedom. We want the Iranian people to know that we see you. We know the risk you are taking and the danger that you face. Stay strong. Stay strong, as freedom will always win over tyranny. Mr. Speaker, we want the Iranian people to hear our voices. We want the world to hear our voices that the United States of America, in a bipartisan way--I know it is bicameral--and people all across this country stand with those brave people. It reminds me of struggles of others when they had to fight for their freedom in the streets. Freedom will come in the morning because the voices of the people cannot be deterred. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to point out that this is a bipartisan bill in which we are working together. Just last week, the Biden administration hit Iran with fresh new sanctions. Not only did he do that individually, as he has been doing throughout the world, but he is bringing others together so that we can speak with one voice. Of course, the European Union was a part of it. Of course, he brought along other countries so that the world is speaking with one voice, collectively, keeping us together. As things go on, we are continually ratcheting it up so that the people of Iran can get their freedom. In fact, the only thing that was somewhat changed and was done in this bill is where it encouraged the private sector, following the recent clarification by the Biden administration of sanction exemptions or communication technology, to work with the Biden administration to ensure protesters and activists have access to tools needed to circumvent government surveillance and repression. The only thing that was eased some, so that we can make sure we are communicating and allowing the Iranian people to communicate with others as they protest, is what is in this bill. I think, in a bipartisan way, we agree with that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Texas an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 7 commends the brave people--the brave Iranian freedom fighters--for their fight against the brutal Iranian regime and demonstrates that the United States' commitment is with them, standing with the men and women of Iran. In the face of so many human rights abuses, the Iranian people have remained strong. I say to our Iranian friends: Though change won't happen overnight, continue to stand strong because the time of this regime will soon be up. The international community recognizes--and that is us pulling together, all of the people of the United States and the international community around the world--the bravery and the strength of the Iranian people in the fight for their human rights, for their freedom from tyranny, and for a better tomorrow. We have got to keep our voices. Dr. King once said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We have got to stand together, and that is what this resolution does. It puts the regime on notice that its people are on the march because freedom cannot be denied. So, Mr. Speaker, I am sure that there will be a resounding voice by this United States Congress by passing this bill to say to the Iranian people who put everything on the line that we hear you, we see you, and we stand with you until you get your freedom. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning).

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Wilson for his statement because this is truly a bipartisan effort trying to make sure that we preserve American ingenuity and American leadership on intellectual property and not have it stolen. Madam Speaker, I was moved last night in this very Chamber by the statements of President Zelenskyy, which were really inspiring and important to me. I got tied up, I wanted to talk about this bill. This bill is important. I also thought it was important that right before, this we had a conversation about S. 4240, the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act. No, it is not completely relevant, but on this it has some connection. On February 24 of this year, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With each passing day since, the world has witnessed in horror as Putin's forces brutalize the Ukrainian people. We have seen Russian forces commit mass murder, target civilian areas like schools and hospitals, forcibly transferring hundreds of thousands, including young children to Russia. We have heard so many testimonials about the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people during Russia's occupation. What has happened in Ukraine shocks the conscience of humanity, and the images of these atrocities are seared into our collective memory. Yet, as of right now, if someone guilty of these war crimes were to come to the United States, we would not have the jurisdiction to bring them to justice. That important legislation, S. 4240, is saying that we have got to bring them to justice because, as Dr. King said, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' So the United States has to make sure that no one escapes justice simply by coming through our borders and that anyone guilty of war crimes, regardless of where they were committed, are held accountable. Similarly, those that violate our intellectual property rights, they can't just walk free and think that they can take our ingenuity, our leadership, our advancement with reference to intellectual property, and just take it and use it for anything. It is the same kind of thing with the transfer of weapons or anything of that nature. We have got to stand and show that we are serious. We are serious about those victims of war crimes and we are just as serious about those individuals who violate our intellectual property rights. We have got to make sure that they are all held accountable and that they understand that there will be consequences if, in fact, there are violations. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1294, the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act of 2021. The United States of America has the most innovative people, researchers, and companies in the world. In the depths of the pandemic, American government research institutes partnered with private sector companies to create the world's best vaccines. These miracles of modern medicine have saved millions of lives here at home and tens of millions of people around the world. From weapons systems to enterprise software and semiconductor design to smart phones, America is at the leading edge of the technological frontier. Innovation is crucial to our health, our wealth, and our security. But many of the benefits we reap from research and development go out the window if thieves can literally steal our intellectual property without cost or consequence. While trade remedies and criminal statutes can be applied to intellectual property theft, they have proven incapable of stemming the flow of digital hacks and in-person espionage against our Nation. We need a true systemic deterrent, and this legislation is a crucial part of the solution. By creating an authorized and codified sanctions regime for intellectual property violators, we are letting the world know that would-be hackers, digital pickpockets, and copycats of the world know that their actions will draw a forceful response from the United States Government. The sanctions regime laid out in this bill are modeled off of several sections of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The bill is very clear: sanctions against IP violators are mandatory and will be imposed. The bill also provides appropriate flexibility to the executive branch and allows the President to choose from an array of travel, procurement, and financial sanctions to impose upon IP- violating foreign businesses. In other words, the President will have the flexibility to impose more targeted or even tougher sanctions depending upon the scale and significance of the IP theft in question. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and I strongly ask all of my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.