Gregory Meeks

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time at this moment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, what we are witnessing Russian troops do in Ukraine represents some of the worst of humankind. Right now, the world is watching horrifying war crimes taking place. The world is watching the extent to which Putin is willing to flout international norms and values in the pursuit of its brutality, and the world is also watching what we as a nation are going to do about it. The Department of State has officially concluded that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine which were made vividly clear by the horrifying images emerging over this past weekend from Bucha. Investigations into these war crimes are already beginning and must continue. I am saying today, as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee working along with my friend and partner, the ranking member, Mike McCaul, we will work tirelessly to make sure that justice is delivered and that the administration works strenuously in concert with partners and allies to this end because meaningful justice for these crimes helps prevent such atrocities in the future. This legislation requires the administration to detail efforts to preserve evidence and hold perpetrators accountable for the atrocities that are committed and to detail the means for domestic, hybrid, or international courts and their tribunals to request access to such information. This legislation, the Ukrainian Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, will ensure that victims and perpetrators alike know that the United States of America and the world, we have got to get those off the seat, those who abstain in the U.N., they see the same thing. We need them to stand and have a voice. The world is watching. The world will hold Putin and the Russian Armed Forces and those who are in their duma and those who keep pushing this war that is caused by one man, Vladimir Putin--these abhorrent war crimes which continue to go on--accountable. It is a war of choice that Putin has decided to place on Ukraine. That is why, Madam Speaker, I am so proud to partner with Mike McCaul in bringing H.R. 7276 to the floor today so that my children, my grandchildren, my great-great-grandchildren, will know how I stood at this time in history and how the United States Congress stood at this time in history. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7276, the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act introduced by my good friend and the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. McCaul. I want to thank Mr. McCaul for working collectively across the aisle as we do on many bills, but on this important bill, for his leadership on it. It is very timely and very important. Mr. Speaker, each day we see a growing body of horrifying evidence of atrocities that Russian troops have wreaked on Ukrainian citizens. Mr. McCaul and I traveled to Poland, and we saw with our own eyes the refugees fleeing Ukraine because of Putin's war; not knowing whether they would see their husbands or fathers or uncles ever again; not knowing what their tomorrow would be. This week, the images, the videos, and the firsthand accounts from Bucha were nothing short of chilling, and as it did seeing the refugees cross the border in Poland, it pains my heart to know that this is likely just the tip of the iceberg of what Ukrainians have suffered. In attempting to justify his war of choice on Ukraine, Putin's relentless dehumanization of Ukrainians has laid the foundation for atrocities so vile it churns one's stomach. We have seen this before, Mr. Speaker. It is the same dehumanization that has led to every genocide before. I fear what we have seen in Bucha is happening throughout Ukraine right now, and it will only get worse. Nothing we do on this floor today will erase the generational trauma that Putin's forces have inflicted on Ukrainians, but we can and must ensure that the United States of America is doing everything in its power to collect evidence that can be used to prosecute Russian war crimes and other atrocities. Hopefully, that will deter further systemic human rights abuses in this conflict. H.R. 7276 would require the administration to detail efforts to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence of war crimes, and to describe the process through which a domestic, foreign, or international court or tribunal could request and obtain information related to war crimes or other atrocities from the United States. Every day of this illegal and unprovoked war further unites the global community against Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The images that we continue to see day in and day out are shocking to the conscience and also a call to action. To the leaders of the nations who have yet to condemn this barbaric war of choice, I ask them to please watch these videos of civilians being bombed and, as we did both in Poland and with those who visited us here in the House of Representatives, listen to the survivors who witnessed their neighbors and their friends shot in the streets or in their homes, some bound with their hands behind their backs. The camera of history is rolling, Mr. Speaker, and it will remember those countries that remain silent. Russia's aggression in Ukraine must stop. We must unequivocally condemn the atrocities that are being carried out by Putin and his Russian invading forces. Those who are responsible, Mr. Speaker, must be brought to justice, no matter how long it takes or how hard it may be. The Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act will help in collecting the necessary evidence so that we can do just that: Hold those individuals accountable for the atrocities that they have committed. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join and support this crucial legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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. 7276, as amended.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7276) to direct the President to submit to Congress a report on United States Government efforts to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence and information related to war crimes and any other atrocities committed during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine since February 24, 2022, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, Congress must do more to address this crisis in Burma, and H.R. 5497, the BURMA Act of 2021, will do just that. It will take concrete steps to hold the Burmese military accountable for its coup and for the perpetration of gross human rights violations and other unspeakable atrocities. This bill, Mr. Speaker, sends a strong and unequivocal message that there are severe consequences for subverting democracy, and that the United States of America stands firmly with the Burmese people in their struggle for human rights and their democracy. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues, all 435 of us, will join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I don't think I have any further speakers, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5497, the BURMA Act of 2022, which I have introduced, alongside Representative Steve Chabot, the ranking member of the Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation Subcommittee, who I want to thank for working in a bipartisan way. I also want to thank Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul for working with me in a bipartisan way on this very important and very timely bill. Mr. Speaker, democracy is under severe strain across the globe, and the current crisis in Burma is a stark reminder of this challenge. It has been just over a year since the Burmese military staged an illegal and illegitimate coup d'etat, seizing control of the Union Government and detaining a broad cross section of democratically elected civilian leaders. As the military upended Burma's fragile transition to democracy, it began a widespread suppression of fundamental freedoms. Over the past 14 months, the military's brutal and senseless violence has resulted in more than 1,700 people killed, including over 100 children. Thousands have been unjustly detained, and nearly half a million people have been displaced by the military's violence. Congress cannot, cannot and must not, stand idly by as the military brutally kills its people. As the war in Ukraine has reminded us, America must stand up with freedom-loving people everywhere. The Burmese people have courageously resisted the military's repression and violence. They have organized a civil disobedience movement to erode the military's ability to govern. A shadow government, the National Unity Government, has emerged to restore democratic civilian rule. All they are asking of us is that the world come to their aid and their cause. The Biden administration has taken critical steps to stand with the Burmese people, and I want to commend Secretary Blinken's formal determination last month that the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingyas, something that was long, long overdue, and which I advocated for in this current bill. But now it is Congress' turn to act. The important resolutions, statements of condemnation, and letters of solidarity this body has sent over the past 14 months are important, but not sufficient. The people of Burma need us to do more. Frankly, the Burmese military's gross abuses demand that we do more. H.R. 5497 is a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that holds the Burmese military accountable through targeted sanctions, puts pressure on the junta by urging greater action at the United Nations, and calling for a Special Coordinator for Burmese Democracy. It authorizes humanitarian assistance for the hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens that have been internally displaced or fled across the border. It calls on the State Department to document the genocide and the crimes against humanity committed against Rohingyas and other Burmese ethnic minorities. The same military leaders which perpetuated a genocide against Rohingya are now using the same tactics to unleash unprecedented bloodshed across the entire country. We must end the impunity of the Burmese military and make it harder for it to enact its brutality. And to every member of the Burmese ruling elite that does not support the pathway taken by General Min Aung Hlaing, let me say to you loud and clear: Now is the time for you to think about your country's future and defect, defect, because the Burmese people and the international community will remember which side you stood on. The economic and diplomatic pressure that this bill applies is essential to changing the junta's calculus and forcing it to the negotiating table. By passing this legislation, we will take a meaningful step, not just to stand up with the Burmese people, but also to help bring this crisis to an end. Therefore, before this bill becomes law, I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan way to refine the sanctions in this bill so that they remain relevant and effective. Thus, I urge my colleagues to support this measure so that we can move it one step closer to the President's desk. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, April 5, 2022. Hon. Gregory Meeks, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 5497, the BURMA Act of 2022. In order to permit H.R. 5497 to proceed expeditiously to the House Floor, I agree to forgo formal consideration of the bill. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action to forego formal consideration of H.R. 5497 in light of our mutual understanding that, by foregoing formal consideration of H.R. 5497 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward with regard to any matters in the Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation that involves the Committee's jurisdiction and request your support for any such request. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 5497. Sincerely, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for yielding the time. Madam Speaker, we find ourselves in a competition to lead in the 21st century. And that is a competition that the United States cannot afford to lose, and if we do what we should do here, will not lose. A month ago, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping thought that America was in decline, that America could no longer lead the world, and that they could therefore simply overwhelm smaller states. They believed that they could undermine the rules-based order whenever they chose. Well, this incredible global coalition, binding and getting us together, working with our allies, that President Joe Biden has put together to condemn Russia and support the Ukrainian people, has proven that their assertion is absolutely wrong. But the events of the past month have underscored the need to position America for this challenge on a long-term basis. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that Congress get H.R. 4521 to the President's desk. It is an investment in science, innovation, and technology, which would allow us to excel in the global economy for decades, bolster our domestic industry, and create jobs for American workers. Madam Speaker, I am proud that my bill, the EAGLE Act, serves as the foreign affairs division of America COMPETES. It bolsters our diplomacy to marshal a coalition of states to check the PRC's aggression, its theft of technology, its shirking of global rules, and its gross violation of human rights, of which we need to focus on. And I know that if we put our minds to it, we can work together in a bipartisan and bicameral way to finalize this critical legislation and get it to the President's desk, and we must do it. That is because our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific are watching. They need our help to bolster international rules, combat the PRC's coercion, and address shared global challenges like climate change. And after what we have seen in Ukraine, the people of Taiwan are watching, to ensure that we deepen our economic ties, strengthen its defense, and create greater space for Taiwan globally. Hong Kongers and Uyghurs are also watching to make sure we get this done because they urgently need the refugee protections that are in the COMPETES Act. They need Congress to send a message to Beijing that its genocide in Xinjiang, its destruction of Hong Kong's autonomy, and its lack of regard for human rights will not stand.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the camera of history is rolling on all of us today. What is happening today children yet unborn will be studying and looking at what we did, what we stood for, or did not. They will be studying in their history books whether or not when democracy was at stake, when sovereign nations were in peril, whether or not we stood up and stood out to protect freedom, sovereignty of states, independence, or not. The fact of the matter is, if we don't stand up now, those same children that I am talking about may not be able to live in a democratic society. That is why this is so important. Putin may think that he is encircling Kyiv now, but this United Nations vote, where 141 nations said they are not going to allow that to happen, is encircling Putin and his thugs. And we will stay there for as long as it takes until freedom rings because that is what this is all about. I think of today those that I met when I was in Kyiv, those that I had dinner with, those that worked in our U.S. Embassy, those that were driving taxis. As I see the pictures of them walking these streets today in front of Russian tanks, unafraid--I saw a picture of a woman standing and pointing at a Russian soldier, saying they would die there before she gives up. That is what this is all about. The words that the activist told me while I was in Kyiv, that we are ready to fight, just provide us the support that we need to protect our country and freedom. Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine and its people. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McCaul and Congresswoman Spartz for working with me so that we can make a bipartisan message right here on the people's floor. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the cofounder and co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus, who has worked on this her entire congressional career.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a dynamic Representative from the great State of Texas.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, who has seen with his own eyes the unity that we now have with our NATO allies.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro), the chair of the Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations, and Global Corporate Social Impact.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Allred), who was walking the streets of Ukraine with us just a few weeks ago.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), a dynamic Representative.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 956) to support the People of Ukraine.

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 materials on H. Res. 956.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution, which I introduced with Representative Spartz, to demonstrate bipartisan congressional support for the Ukrainian people. Today, we are witnessing the most devastating escalation of violence on the European Continent in decades. Vladimir Putin has launched an unjustifiable, senseless war on a peaceful, sovereign nation, Ukraine. We are already seeing thousands of casualties, both Ukrainians and Russians, and hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to the European Union. As we speak, Putin's army is encircling Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv. His forces are bombing indiscriminately, ruthlessly killing civilians, and destroying critical infrastructure. In his despicable and utterly false claims to denazify Ukraine, he has bombed the memorial at Babyn Yar, where, just weeks ago, Representative Spartz and I stood with other Members of Congress at the site where tens of thousands were killed in massacres during the Holocaust. The streets we walked just a few weeks ago are now a battlefield, its citizens now soldiers. Let us be clear. This is but one person's war. This is caused by one individual by the name of Vladimir Putin. It is his war. Ukraine, the United States, and our allies have all actively engaged in a historic diplomatic push since before Russia marched their troops into the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Nevertheless, Putin chose the path of an unprovoked war instead. It is a peaceful Ukraine that is pleading for a cease-fire so that diplomacy and sanity can triumph over bloodshed and madness. Just this morning, the U.N. General Assembly held an emergency session that voted overwhelmingly against Russia's aggression. This vote reaffirms the values that we stand for and unequivocally demonstrates that the world stands with Ukraine. In this dark time, the United States has helped usher unprecedented amounts of assistance from the United States, Europe, and our allies and partners from all around the world, from North Africa to North America to the Indo-Pacific, to aid Ukraine in defense of its nation. I believe we must sustain that assistance as long as Ukrainians fight for a democratic future free from Russian oppression. The defensive security assistance we have provided and continue to provide Ukraine to help fend off its autocratic invader is absolutely critical. Also, it is of utmost importance that we continue to surge humanitarian aid to Ukraine and the countries in the region accepting the growing influx of refugees. As of yesterday, nearly 700,000 had left their homes, left their country to seek safety, unsure of whether they will ever again see their homes. Estimates project that that number will quickly reach into the millions, as well as those who are displaced but remain in Ukraine. Our allies in Europe have acted admirably, so they have been accepting those fleeing the destruction. We must do our part to help them as well. Amidst all the bloodshed, we are seeing astounding courage displayed by President Zelensky, the Ukrainian Government, and, above all, the Ukrainian people. We are also seeing the unity of the transatlantic alliance, more unified than ever in the face of Vladimir Putin's war. The people of Ukraine must continue to hear a message of loud and clear support from us, the United States Congress. They must see that we see their suffering, that we stand with them in their fight against an authoritarian invader, and that we will continue to usher as much support to their cause as the United States can muster. Mr. Speaker, this resolution outlines the plan and sheds an indisputable light on the atrocities the Putin regime and the Russian military are committing. It demands an immediate cease-fire and full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. It backs additional coordinated economic measures to hold Putin accountable. It reaffirms our NATO Article 5 commitments, reaffirms Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea and Donbas. It highlights the unprecedented global multilateral efforts the Biden administration has helped usher. It states our commitment in the United States Congress to support the Ukrainian people throughout this terrifying ordeal and delivers perhaps the most important message a resolution can deliver right now, that the House of Representatives will never ever recognize any illegitimate government that Putin hopes to install in Ukraine. It is up to the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian people alone to choose their political leadership and their future. I support this resolution, and I want to offer my sincerest thanks to Representative Spartz, but also to my ranking member. We worked diligently on this resolution, to make sure that this was a bipartisan resolution. I appreciate Ranking Member McCaul for his friendship and the way that we work together now, especially on this resolution. Democrat and Republican leadership worked collectively also. For working with me, I want to thank them. They have worked with me for what I believe is a very strong message, a unified message, to support the people of Ukraine. It is also a unified message to Vladimir Putin, whose objective was to divide us. He would have loved to have divided us from our European allies, loved to divide us from NATO, loved to divide us from within. But with this resolution, it becomes crystal clear: Mr. Putin, you can't win this. We are going to stand against you, and we are going to preserve democracy because that is what is at stake here. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEKS

Mr. MEEKS. I am prepared to close, Mr. Speaker.