Gregory Meeks

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of New York (Mr. Suozzi), who is on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. 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 H. Res. 837.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H. Res. 837, as amended, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Beijing should immediately guarantee the safety and the freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai, introduced by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton). Last month, former Wimbledon women's doubles champion and three-time Olympian Peng Shuai accused former Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Gaoli of committing sexual assault and forcing her into a sexual relationship. After these groundbreaking allegations were made, the first sexual assault allegation to implicate a high-ranking Chinese official, Peng seemingly vanished into thin air, and China's great firewall went into overdrive, deleting the original post, censoring any mention of Peng's name or discussion of her allegations online. We know that here in America, sexual assault and gender-based violence are serious problems, and it took a movement of brave women and their allies to start changing the conversation around our workplaces and our homes and in our schools and communities. Due to the action of journalists, the tennis community, activists, and social media users across the globe who started to ask about Peng's whereabouts, there has been tremendous attention given to her case. However, I, like many of my colleagues, remain deeply concerned about Peng's whereabouts and well-being. It is vital that we get assurances that Peng is safe and her ability to speak out is not constrained. This important, bipartisan resolution calls for independent and verifiable proof that she is safe and free to make decisions and take actions of her own free will. The accusations of sexual abuse by a former senior official are very serious, and this resolution calls for the Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately conduct a formal, transparent, and independent investigation. At a time when we are preparing to send hundreds of American athletes to compete in Beijing's Winter Olympics, this resolution calls on the International Olympic Committee to do more to ensure athlete safety and hold the PRC Government accountable for its actions against Peng. This is timely and is also an urgent resolution. I support it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton), the sponsor of this bill along with the cosponsor, Mr. Waltz.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished chair of the House Armed Services Committee for all of his hard work in putting together, as he was just closing, what I think is a bill that is one of the best--a lot of hard work that he has done. I thank the ranking member also. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of passing this measure here before us today. Every year for the past six decades, Congress has passed a Defense authorization bill. This is an important bipartisan tradition, and I commend, as I said, Chairman Smith for his admirable work carrying out this legacy. Unfortunately, Congress has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to our State Department. We have not passed a comprehensive State Department authorization in nearly two decades. Congress has been attuned to defense for decades, but we have consistently left diplomacy out to dry. I am glad that tonight we will be ending this trend by passing out both a Defense authorization bill and a bipartisan State authorization bill contained therein. We need a State Department for the century ahead, not decades past, and my State authorization bill will now put us on that track. Now, no bill is perfect. Unfortunately, I am disappointed that there are some provisions that were not included in this NDAA. Saudi Arabia's abuse against dissidents and civil society has continued since the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, yet two bipartisan House provisions that addressed some of these human rights violations were dropped in the final package. Other amendments that would have ended needless civilian casualties resulting from the brutal war in Yemen were also removed by Senate Republicans, though we had a bipartisan agreement in this House.

Mr. MEEKS. Finally, Madam Speaker, provisions promoting diversity and other management reforms at the State Department were also left out. These are just a few examples of where the bill falls a little short. Despite the efforts of many of our members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and my own as chair, we were unable to secure the requisite support from Senate Republicans to advance important provisions in this final bill. Nevertheless, Madam Speaker, there are other important provisions contained in this NDAA, including State authorization, and I urge my colleagues to vote in the affirmative.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I wish to dedicate some time today to commemorate the 100th birthday of Caldwell Durham. Born in Raymond, Mississippi, more than two decades before Brown v. Board of Education, there was no guarantee that Caldwell Durham (Electrical Engineer Class of 1951 at IIT) or his brothers and sisters would have access to an education. If it were not for the courage and idealism of his parents, Chaney and Curtis Durham, Caldwell might have had a very different life. At 100, he has worked tenaciously while enjoying a successful, barrier-breaking career as an aerospace engineer. He married the love of his life, Burnette Short Durham, and together they raised three children. He has four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins and in- laws. He stays in touch with associates, including fellow Illinois Institute of Technology alumni Michael Hill (CS '82) and Perri Irmer (ARCH '81), colleagues, and friends, who help him stay connected to his passions on a global scale. What's his secret? Caldwell chuckles at the thought of trying to distill a century of living into a few pithy words of advice. ``Are you sure you want the whole story?'' he asks. The story begins when Caldwell was born on September 12, 1921 in Raymond, Mississippi, the seventh of eight children. As with all parents, Caldwell's wanted to give their children the best possible start in life. His mother, Chaney Durham, was determined to ensure her children had the opportunity to obtain an education. So, Curtis and Chaney Durham bought a house 750 miles away and in 1923, they moved their family to Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, about two miles away from Armour Institute, the institute that would be reborn as Illinois Institute of Technology in 1940. There, the Durham children did exactly what their mother hoped they would. They went to school. Caldwell graduated from DuSable High School in 1939 and from Woodrow Wilson Junior College in the spring of 1941. That December, the United States entered World War II. Caldwell knew that if he was drafted, he'd have little control over where or how he was deployed. He heard about a U.S. Army Air Force airborne training program which would train volunteers to work on aviation electronics. Durham volunteered and was accepted to the training program, assigned to a segregated unit of Black soldiers. Caldwell excelled and his training laid the foundation for the rest of his career. After the war, Caldwell used his engineering training to get a job working for Western Electric, as a ``wireman,'' building and installing hardware for telephone stations. He was the only Black wireman working for Western Electric, establishing a pattern that he would repeat throughout his career. In the late 1940s, one of Caldwell's colleagues mentioned that he was thinking about quitting his job at Western Electric to go back to school. Caldwell thought that with his academic and professional background and the financial support of the GI Bill, he might be able to do the same. In 1949, he took a class at the university only a couple of miles from his family's home--Illinois Institute of Technology. There, Caldwell engaged his remarkable capacity as an engineer and excelled. An IIT professor encouraged Caldwell to apply to attend IIT as a full-time student, so he did. A few months later, he was admitted to Illinois Tech, where he earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and again, he excelled. As graduation approached in 1951, Caldwell found little success finding a job in the Midwest, as few firms at the time had an interest in hiring a Black engineer. One of his professors at IIT suggested he look for a job on the west coast, so Caldwell applied for a job at Lockheed in California. In June 1951, Caldwell Durham moved across the country in pursuit of greater opportunity, this time with his own family. The Durhams settled in L.A. and Caldwell quickly earned the respect of his colleagues. Caldwell spent the next ten years working for Lockheed, beginning his aerospace career in earnest, designing and testing airplane instrumentation for the U-2 Spy Plane, first- generation jet aircrafts like the F-94C Starfire Interceptor, and the iconic L-1049 Super Constellation. In 1961, Caldwell attended a conference where he ran into Okomoto, one of his former Lockheed colleagues, who had since gone to work for Space Technology Laboratories (STL). Okomoto persuaded his manager to interview Caldwell for a job in his office. Caldwell spent the rest of his career at STL, which later came to be known as TRW. There, he worked in the Ballistic Missile Flight test Instrumentation section, participating in the specification and development of instrumentation systems for several ballistic missiles. Over a period of 28 years he truly became a rocket scientist. In 1978, he became head of the Instrumentation Section. He was the only black section manager in TRW's Missile Program Office. In 1989, he retired with honors and commendations. Success like Caldwell's isn't a foregone conclusion for anyone. But his parents likely wouldn't be surprised. Chaney Durham knew that all of her children had potential and she did everything she could to give them the chance to express it. She knew that the best way to give her children this gift was through access to education. Because of his education, Caldwell was able to compete for opportunities that others like him had rarely been allowed to pursue before. And because of his talent and determination, he enjoyed a successful career. He and Burnette also committed themselves to passing on the lesson of the power of an education to their own children. Today, all three of Caldwell's children achieved post-graduate degrees, and he counts lawyers, doctors and a news anchor among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This legacy of excellence began almost one hundred years ago, all because one family made the decision to prioritize access to education over their own comfort. Because of that, the descendants of Chaney and Curtis Durham, now five generations strong, have what Chaney always dreamed of: a chance at a better life through the power of education. Caldwell's 100th birthday was September 12, 2021. He likes to say he's lived a charmed life. So, what is his secret? ``You know, I don't know,'' he says with a laugh, ``I think exercise is part of the equation.''

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 284. Stated against:

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on Meeks amendment No. 30. The facts are plain. Saudi Arabia and its partners have perpetuated a catastrophic and devastating military campaign in Yemen since 2015, with no end in sight and without regard to civilian casualties. Saudi Arabia's brutal Yemen war has resulted in the world's largest humanitarian crisis, pushed millions of Yemenis to starvation, and decimated Yemen's civilian infrastructure. Although the frequency and the intensity of the Saudi military's bombing campaign has decreased as it has engaged in efforts to end the war through international negotiations, unfortunately strikes resulting in civilian casualties have continued. Between January and March 2021, airstrike incidents causing civilian casualties in Yemen actually increased as compared to the previous 3- month period at the end of 2020. On one such strike on March 7, 2021, Saudi aircraft bombed the residential areas in Sanaa for the first time in months, leaving four civilians injured. Later in March and into April, further strikes continued, striking transportation infrastructure, residential areas, and a marketplace, leaving dozens of civilians injured, including two children. The Biden administration took the important step earlier this year of suspending the deliveries of certain weapons to the Saudi military in response to this pattern of actions, as well as appointing veteran diplomat Tim Lenderking as Special Envoy to Yemen. However, despite these actions and repeated congressional statements and efforts, the Saudi air force has continued conducting strikes in Yemen that have resulted in civilian casualties using U.S. support. That is why I am introducing this amendment, with the support of Representatives Deutch and Lieu and Chairmen Smith and Schiff, to suspend U.S. sustainment and maintenance to Saudi air units conducting strikes that result in Yemeni civilian casualties. My amendment also requires a thorough set of reporting requirements to Congress on the extent and details of Saudi offensive air operations and civilian casualties. It also includes exceptions for necessary counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida and its affiliates, territorial air defense, and defense of U.S. personnel and facilities. Houthi militants and the Iranian military continue to launch explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia at civilian areas and infrastructure, including many areas where American civilians live and work. While we seek to urgently address the tragic toll of civilian casualties borne by Yemeni civilians as a result of the Saudi military's expansive air campaign, we recognize that Saudi Arabia does have a right and a need to defend itself, which this amendment provides for. In short, by suspending ongoing sustainment and maintenance of Saudi aircraft shown to have conducted airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties, we take a critical and necessary step to ensuring the United States is not complicit in or supportive of this destructive, tragic war. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Justin Wallace, of Rockaway, New York, who was tragically taken from us on June 5th. Justin was a blessing to all who knew him. An adventurous and loving spirit, he brought tremendous joy and laughter into the lives of everyone around him. To his family, Justin was a ``miracle baby,'' his very existence a gift that defied the odds. A curious explorer with a bright mind, he was always fiddling with new gadgets and technology, learning about cars, enjoying mathematics, and playing video games. To our community, he was a beacon of hope--a gentle giant with a big heart, raised by his loving family to have integrity, respect, and to treat others with compassion and dignity. Justin was taken from us much too soon. His family and friends have confronted unimaginable grief at the loss of such an innocent and beautiful life. His bright and determined spirit will be dearly missed. Their hardship reflects what a gift he was to his family and friends who had the privilege of loving him. As Justin's brother so eloquently put it: ``Ten years old was short, but it was a blessing and it was beautiful.'' I pray that God will give strength to the Wallace family as they bear this great personal loss. As Scripture tells us in Mathew 11:28-30, ``Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'' May God bless his soul.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 567, the Trans- Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2021, from my good friend and colleague, the ranking member, Mr. McCaul. I thank Mr. McCaul for working in the spirit of bipartisanship and making sure that we get this bill to the floor. This bill authorizes and supports the continuation of a viable counterterrorism program with our allies and partners. First launched in 2005, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program is a valuable initiative through which the State Department works with partner countries in North Africa and the Sahel to build more responsive and resilient counterterrorism strategies to better counter threats facing the region and our allies. Those nations include Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tunisia. As the nature of the terrorist threat in North Africa evolves and permeates across borders in remote geographies, close coordination and a regional approach is critical. One of the United States' strongest tools in its arsenal is its ability to galvanize collective action, employing U.S.-led multilateral initiatives for counterterrorism purposes. The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program is a strong example of that multilateral capacity. We cannot prevent or respond to terrorism by being American alone or America only. It must be America forward, leading partners to action that safeguards our security interests. This bill authorizes the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program and supports its continuation while requiring a clear, multiyear strategy. It also requires a plan for the thorough monitoring and evaluation of programming to ensure funds are spent wisely, progress is assessed, and programmatic actions are results-oriented. By doing so, we can ensure an effective, regional approach to counterterrorism in North Africa and the Sahel. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my friend and colleague, Ranking Member McCaul, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2471, the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act. I thank my friend, Mr. Jeffries, for authoring this bipartisan bill. Mr. Jeffries has been a strong advocate for the Haitian people, and I thank him for his friendship and leadership on this very important issue. On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti with an epicenter just a few miles west of Port-au-Prince. This devastating natural disaster killed more than 200,000 people, displaced 1.5 million Haitians, and caused billions of dollars in damages. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today with the same message my colleagues and I delivered to the Haitian people 11 years ago: The United States remains steadfast in our commitment to help Haiti however we can. Over the last decade, Congress has worked closely with the Haitian- American diaspora, the Haitian people, the Haitian Government to support rebuilding and development efforts on the island. Unfortunately, after Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti in 2016, the country faced another humanitarian crisis, and additional rebuilding and development plans were needed. Sadly, Haiti still has a long way to go. The Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act evaluates the effectiveness of U.S. recovery and development efforts in Haiti over the past 10 years and devises strategies to promote the rule of law, encourage freedom of the press, combat government corruption, address the root causes of poverty, and improve development efforts. Helping to pave the pathway to a reconstructed, prosperous Haiti, of course, is a two-way street. We must learn from our mistakes over the past 10 years and devise innovative solutions for any roadblocks that lie ahead. At the same time, it is imperative that the Haitian Government address the growing and legitimate concerns about the country's deteriorating human rights situation, spiraling gang violence, and often-seen impunity for corrupt officials. It is the duty of all of us here in Congress to stand with the Haitian people as they demand a safe, prosperous, and democratic Haiti. I urge the Haitian Government to do all they can to engage with their citizens and truly listen to their concerns. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed this bipartisan bill unanimously, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage on the House floor today. Again, I thank my real friend, Mr. Jeffries, for being such a great champion for Haiti. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2471) to measure the progress of post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption, governance, rule of law, and media freedoms in Haiti, as amended.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 186.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 186) calling for the immediate release of Trevor Reed, a United States citizen who was unjustly found guilty and sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3283, as amended.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. MEEKS. 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 H.R. 3261.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 391, as amended.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and a valued member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.