Michael McCaul

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 104) condemning the Chinese Communist Party's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over United States territory as a brazen violation of United States sovereignty.

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

Mr. McCAUL. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this past week the Nation watched in shock as a Chinese surveillance balloon traversed much of the United States, including sensitive American military sites like Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. That base is one of the three places where our minuteman ICBM nuclear missiles are stored. Americans were rightfully deeply disturbed by this brazen violation of sovereignty by the Chinese Communist Party. This act of aggression was done on the eve of a scheduled meeting between Chairman Xi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. That meeting was ultimately canceled. The balloon, I believe, was a test, a test of this administration to see how it would respond. I believe the President should have shot it down before it entered American airspace rather than allow it to cross over the Continental United States airspace. But make no mistake, this was another intentionally provocative act by the CCP. As I have said often, weakness invites aggression. This act will only further embolden and empower our enemies; it will embolden and empower Chairman Xi. Mr. Speaker, I have never seen a foreign nation adversary fly a reconnaissance aircraft that you could see from the ground with your own eyes. The CCP threat is now within sight for Americans across the heartland, a vision and memory that they will not forget. This is further proof that the CCP does not care about having a constructive relationship with the United States. It is publicly challenging U.S. interests, threatening Taiwan, supporting Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, and now violating U.S. sovereignty. If there is any question whether the administration should request funds supporting Taiwan's foreign military financing grants, this incident alone should make it clear that the time is now to harden ourselves and our partners against the Chinese military aggression. An event like this, Mr. Speaker, must not happen again, and it cannot go unanswered. They only understand one thing and that is force, and that is projecting power; and we need to project power and force and strength against the Chinese Communist Party. They must understand that we do desire peace, but infringing upon our sovereignty leads us down a dangerous path. Our adversaries must believe that any future incursion into American airspace by a spy balloon or any other vehicle will be met with decisive force, and that is why the House should pass this resolution. The resolution, under section 4, does call for the Biden administration to continue to keep Congress apprised by providing comprehensive briefings on this incident that include--and there are many of these, but I want to go to the end,--most importantly, a detail description of plans, capabilities, and methods to deter and defeat intelligence collection activities conducted by the PRC or other foreign adversaries in the national airspace system and any additional authorities needed from Congress to ensure detection and defeat these activities in the future. I hope this administration will comply with this resolution. This resolution, I believe, sends a clear, bipartisan signal to the CCP and our adversaries around the world that this action will not be tolerated; to tell the world, with a united voice, that our national security is not a partisan issue. We stand together today with one voice, as Americans, Americans against this act of aggression by the Chinese Communist Party. Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous support of this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Fry), who personally eyewitnessed the spy balloon in the Atlantic Ocean as it was shot down on the beaches right off of his district, off the coast of his district in South Carolina.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Zinke), an original cosponsor of this bill and yet another Member who witnessed the spy balloon as it flew over his State of Montana.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, let me just say that lies, deceit, espionage, spying, this is nothing new. Mr. Speaker, I remember, in 1997, I was assigned to a case at the Department of Justice to prosecute a man named Johnny Chung. He was taking money from Chinese intelligence officials, from China Aerospace, to put into the Clinton campaign to influence the election because China wanted to influence the election back then. They wanted satellites. They wanted aerospace technology. That is why they were doing it then. Guess what? My FBI agent got indicted for espionage for sleeping with a Chinese spy--imagine that--a Chinese spy who for 20 years was cultivated as an FBI asset. Her name was Katrina Leung. I will never forget it because all the information I gave my agent went straight back to the mother ship in Beijing. A Chinese spy, 20 years cultivated, became a double agent reporting back to Beijing, and we can't release those documents from 20 years ago, 30 years ago. But this--this one--takes the cake: a balloon this brazen that is only 60,000 feet above the ground and that can be seen with the naked eye surveilling the United States of America. We talked at our organizational meeting last night about how this committee is bipartisan. We are bipartisan. We are bipartisan on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you this: If there is anything this Congress should get done--I challenge the other side of the aisle--let's stand together against this common enemy that we have. Our enemy is not each other. Our enemies are foreign enemy nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea--China being the largest foreign state adversary and the biggest threat long term to the national security interests of the United States. Let's do it with one voice. Let's put our partisan politics aside and do what is right for America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 107. Stated against:

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to recognize the achievements of Sherrie Meicher, a dedicated champion for the people of Texas-10. After two decades of service as a field representative in my Houston office, Sherrie is entering a well-deserved retirement. When it comes to field work, Sherrie has done it all: attended every ribbon cutting event, canvased every neighborhood, and made every phone call. No matter how much work she was given, she was always eager to do more. I am confident that her passion, commitment, and hard work made a positive impact on thousands of lives. Before joining my office, Sherrie was a schoolteacher, where she gained invaluable skills like patience and communication that shone through her work each day. I will forever be grateful for the expertise she shared, the extensive connections she made in the Houston area, and the dedication she exhibited throughout her tenure. While she will be deeply missed in my office, I have no doubt that Sherrie will enjoy her time with her daughter Elizabeth and will continue to bless her community, and all those with whom she comes in contact, for years to come.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, for 7 years, Cameron Poursoltan has faithfully served the people of Texas through his work in my office. As he begins a new position as a legislative liaison at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, I rise today to recognize his achievements and contributions for the people of Texas's 10th District. A native Texan and graduate of Texas A&M University, Cameron knows the Lone Star State like the back of his hand. He first began his work in my office while I was chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security. Throughout 2016, Cameron served as my staff assistant, and he quickly rose through the ranks to become my legislative director and right-hand man when it came to Texas policy. Cameron cares deeply for his home state, which is why he continued to serve on my policy team even after he moved back to Austin. Although he is leaving Team McCaul, I have no doubt the people of Texas will continue to benefit from Cameron's work for years to come.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, for nearly two decades, the people of Texas have had a champion in Marita Mikeska, who served as my constituent liaison. As she retires and embarks on a new journey, I rise to honor and recognize her many achievements. Marita began her work in my office in 2004 and quickly became indispensable. Having previously worked for seven lawyers, Marita was accustomed to high-stakes and fast-paced environments, a trait that served her well on my team. She handled any crisis with ease, and she performed every task--no matter how big or small--with a positive attitude that encouraged both coworkers and constituents. Throughout her tenure in my office, Marita helped countless individuals on cases dealing with everything from the military to taxes. In the past four years alone, she helped Texans secure nearly $5 million of their hard-earned money from the IRS. Marita's retirement is well-deserved. While she will be missed, I know her husband Robert, daughter Michele, and granddaughter Ava will be blessed by their time spent together. A fixture of the Brenham community, Marita will no doubt continue to serve and benefit her neighbors for years to come.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the professional achievements and dedication of Larissa Plunto, who has served in my office for more than 5 years--first as a regional director and then as a trusted senior policy advisor. Larissa's heart for people shone through her work in my office. She truly believed that we could enact lasting, positive change. And that's exactly what she strived to do, dedicating much of her time to fighting the scourge of human trafficking across Texas and our Nation. I am very grateful for Larissa's service to the Houston area and beyond. While she will be missed in my office, I know she will continue following her passions and being a voice for the voiceless wherever she goes.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, Chairman Meeks, for working with me on this important legislation. This is a historic time, and it is a historic bill. This is the largest invasion in Europe since World War II, with war crimes in Europe the likes of which we haven't seen since my father's generation in my father's war. Mr. Speaker, the world is watching, and history will judge us all by how we act, by our actions. As the chairman said, the tape is filming; the reel is filming this. We are seeing these horrific images coming out of Ukraine as I speak, and sadly, there will be many more. We have just hit the surface. Corpses are littering the streets of Bucha, their hands tied behind their backs and bullets in their heads. Some are decapitated. A pregnant woman, covered in blood--these monsters bombed a maternity hospital, for God's sake--as she gets wheeled out, holding on to her womb or baby. Sadly, and tragically, both she and her baby did not survive that day. Mothers are raped in front of their children, and young girls are raped in front of their families--girls. The bodies of families are half-buried together in shallow graves, with their hands still sticking out of the ground. My God, what is happening in this world? I never imagined or thought I would see this in my lifetime. This is of centuries ago, not today. The bombing of apartments and public buildings providing refuge to children and the elderly, including a theater in Mariupol that had the word ``children'' written outside so large in Russian that the satellites could see it--we could see it from satellites. What do the Russians do? They bombed it. They bombed it knowing that there were children inside. Today, just today, most disturbing, we have reporting out of Ukraine that Russia is bringing in mobile crematoriums to deal with the carnage because there are so many bodies in the streets. They are bringing in mobile crematoriums in an effort to hide the evidence of their crimes. These are Putin's war crimes, and he will be held responsible. He and his cronies, and the Russian troops who have carried them out, must be held accountable. Sadly, these are not the first war crimes committed by Putin's troops, as the people of Chechnya, Georgia, and Syria can attest. We cannot wait for the next atrocity before we act. We must do what we can now to deter Russian leaders, commanders, and troops in the field from committing further war crimes. That is why we introduced this legislation. It will ensure the United States helps the people of Ukraine gather, analyze, and maintain the evidence of these war crimes. It will also put Russian troops--I think ``troops'' is probably not the right word--these Russian monsters and their leaders on notice that the world is watching. The world is watching them right now, and we are taking names. We are taking the names of these war criminals; we are taking photographs; we are taking surveillance; and we are taking the satellite imagery to document this injustice, this crime against humanity. And we will seek justice. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the bipartisan efforts that our committee has made. But on the topic, I just have to--my God, I can't believe we are here even talking about this. I can't believe this is actually happening in this world, in this century. These horrific atrocities in Bucha have made one thing crystal clear: No country can remain neutral in the face of this evil. The entire world needs to rally against Mr. Putin and these war crimes. Passing this bill is a step forward to getting justice done. I was a Federal prosecutor for a good part of my life, and I have dealt with a lot of victims. I have seen a lot of really awful things that man can do to mankind. I have to say, Mr. Speaker, this is probably--in fact, it is absolutely the worst thing I have seen in my lifetime. The world is watching, and history will judge us all. All nations will judge us all by what we do here and now. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, we rise today not as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans and as a united Congress on behalf of the American people condemning these atrocities. Madam Speaker, there is a group called the Wagner Group that is entering Ukraine right now. They are the worst of the worst. They are mercenaries. They are cold-blooded killers. Mr. Putin has sent them to Africa to kill people in Mali and Libya, and they have been in the Donbas previously. They have a saying, these Wagner thugs, these monsters, that our business is killing, and business is good. This is sick. They rape women and girls. They kill for a living, and, yes, now they are entering Ukraine. Sadly, Madam Speaker, I am not sure Bucha is the last we are going to see of this, and when the dust clears from Mariupol, God knows what we are going to find there. God only knows. When they are talking about mobile crematoriums to hide the evidence of so much carnage and so many bodies to be burned. This has to stop. We are standing together united as Americans condemning this, and as a former Federal prosecutor, yes, to indict Mr. Putin for his crimes against humanity. Mr. Putin thought his legacy after this fiasco was going to be reclaiming the glory of the empire. He would be known as great as the czars or maybe Stalin. Maybe he is like Stalin. His legacy is not going to be reclaiming the empire. His legacy is going to be that of a war criminal. That will impact his psyche, and that will impact all those around him, including his oligarchs, that no one is safe here, that you will be indicted internationally, and that you will be brought to justice. For without justice in the face of these crimes against humanity, what good are we? So this is an historic moment. I want to thank the chairman, as always, on this committee for working with me to stand up against evil, because that is exactly what this is. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the 55th anniversary of the opening of the Westminster Retirement Community in Austin, Texas. I wish to congratulate them for the meaningful work they do for the senior community in Austin and commend them for their commitment to providing high-end, quality care to their residents. Westminster will always hold a special place in my heart, as they cared for my mother in her final days. I want to thank the doctors, nurses, and all the staff for the love and care they provided her during her time with them. Since 1967, Westminster has provided life care, residential services, and state-of-the-art healthcare to thousands of residents who have trusted and relied upon their facilities and staff. To reach this milestone, Westminster's staff has worked tirelessly to ensure that their residents receive the care they need while also providing a comforting place to live during retirement. The high quality of care and standard of living for the residents of Westminster has garnered national attention and led to a recognition as a Top 25 `Best in Wellness'' Senior Living Community in North America by the ICAA. This continued commitment to serving their residents in Austin illustrates the value that they serve in this community. For 55 years, Westminster Retirement Community has diligently served the senior population in Austin to ensure that its residents live a long, healthy, and joyous life. Westminster has become the reliable institution that it is today due to its effort and acute attention to the care of its residents. I want to recognize Westminster on their 55th anniversary and I commend them for the outstanding work they do for the retirement community in Austin.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding. Madam Speaker, the Chinese Communist Party poses a generational threat to the United States and our freedom-loving allies around the world. They are brutally oppressing their own people. They are committing genocide against ethnic and religious minorities. They are expanding their military reach and carrying out territorial aggression against their neighbors. We cannot wait any longer to address these issues. Madam Speaker, I stand before you, quite frankly, disappointed. We had a great opportunity here, and this bill that passed the House is not the bill. I am very hopeful we can get to a good place in our conference committee. Unfortunately, the Democrat leaders chose not to work with Republicans to pass a substantive, meaningful bill to counter this malign influence. Instead, they jammed the partisan COMPETES Act through the House. The COMPETES Act, in my judgment, is a Trojan horse filled with unserious, dangerous, and wasteful provisions. Those provisions include fringe, progressive priorities, like $8 billion worth of taxpayer money into an unaccountable U.N. slush fund. This U.N. slush fund has already provided at least $100 million directly to China, a country that this Congress, former Republican administration, and current Democrat administration have all agreed is committing genocide. In fact, it is worse. The Xinjiang Province--you get this money to make solar panels and batteries in the Xinjiang Province where they commit genocide itself. That is not good for America and it is certainly not good for the U.S. taxpayer. Secretary Kerry admitted before our committee that the CCP is using slave labor to make these green energy products--like solar panels and batteries--that could be used by this U.N. fund. In effect, the bill would fund their slave labor and prop up their forced abortions. We tried to stop this from happening--to stop U.S. taxpayers from funding slave labor in my motion to recommit, and shockingly, we were outright rejected by the Democrats. The motion to recommit prohibited taxpayer money going to slave labor, genocide, and the Wuhan Lab, and every Democrat voted against that measure. This is a test of our time. Madam Speaker, so I remain the eternal optimist and hopeful that this conference process will be able to rectify these glaring issues that I have outlined. We can start today by supporting this motion that will block billions of dollars going to the CCP military PLA companies and human rights abusers. Congress owes it to the American people to pass a bill that takes this threat seriously. That includes tough export controls, outbound investment screening and funding for the CHIPS for America Act, which I introduced, to give us a competitive edge, bring manufacturing to the United States to make advanced semiconductor chips and protect our national security at the same time. This is vitally important to our national security, and it keeps critical U.S. technology out of the hands of the Chinese military, like hypersonics. It ensures U.S. taxpayers are not subsidizing their genocide. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this motion to instruct. I hope we can all work together in a bipartisan manner on what could be the most important legislation of this Congress.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, what can you say about Don in 30 seconds? I always saw him as a captain, the tugboat captain, the captain of the ship. Don was the captain of this ship, this great institution, the House. Don was rough on the exterior like his State, rugged and larger than life, but he had a heart for serving others. I will never forget going to the White House when we signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law. ANWR opened up. He did a little jig in front of the White House. I think that may have been one of the days he broke his promise of maybe having a little drink. But I will say this: I will always cherish my last day in the House sitting right next to him. The very last day, we were here for an hour talking about this great institution, talking about our families, what is important in life. Little did I know that the next day he would be lost.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, let me say in closing, Don planned to serve in Congress until God or the voters decided it was his time. It is no coincidence that God called him home on his 49th year in Congress as a Representative for the 49th State. May God hold Don in the palms of his hands.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and one of the longest serving Members of Congress as well.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me just thank Chairman Meeks for his leadership. This is really a historic time, not for only this Nation, but the world, for Ukraine. It is a time when we come together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans in strong support of the people of Ukraine. I also want to thank Congresswoman Victoria Spartz, who is from Ukraine, who knows this story firsthand, and who very passionately has told her story about what it means, a country that has endured Hitler, a country that has endured Stalin, and now a country that is enduring Mr. Putin and Russian aggression. As we stand here, Ukrainians are fighting for their country and for their very lives. Vladimir Putin has launched the largest attack in Europe since World War II. His war machine has unleashed a brutal barrage of missiles and rockets on innocent Ukrainian civilians. In fact, there are 40 miles just north of Kyiv of tanks and military weaponry that is getting ready to go in and encircle the capital city. But the people of Ukraine are inspiring the world with their bravery in the face of this, of Putin's evil and unprovoked attack. Fathers and mothers, teachers and shop owners, taxi drivers and students are all taking up arms, making Molotov cocktails, joining Ukrainian soldiers to defend their country. They are standing in front of the tanks, standing in front of the tanks. I have seen a child standing in front of a tank just like Tiananmen Square and the images coming out that are sent around the world so we can all witness this, this war against humanity and human rights, war crimes. They are risking their lives to fight for freedom, and that is what this Nation stands for, freedom and democracy. Despite the terror inflicted upon them by Putin's bombs and rockets, the Ukrainian people have courageously refused to relent. Vladimir Putin has underestimated them. He has underestimated their strength and their bravery. The resiliency of the Ukrainian people has been an inspiration, really, for the world. We were told in our briefings, well, this will last 2 or 3 days, but they have stood up. Putin needs to understand that he has miscalculated, and this will cost him a very, very high price. He has underestimated the strength and bravery to his own peril. So I am pleased that we are able to come together, not as Republicans or Democrats, as I said, but really, as Americans, as we should, to express and send a strong message in support of the people of Ukraine and against this tyrant and this monster who is savagely killing civilians, as I speak. We have all seen the images of the women and the children and the refugees as they leave their fathers and husbands behind who are left to fight this war. This resolution really does one thing: to tell the world in one united voice that the United States of America stands opposed to oppression, that we stand with the people of Ukraine, and we stand against Mr. Putin's aggression. We must ensure that Putin fails, and I believe long term, he will. I am hopeful that today's resolution will also lead to additional constructive bipartisan steps to properly arm the Ukrainians in any way possible, as they have told us, we don't need your troops, but we need your weapons to fight against the Russians. You know, there was a tweet that came out from a dead Russian soldier who sent a text to his mother, saying, I thought they were going to welcome us, that we were liberating them. And yet I am seeing Ukrainians and children being run over by our tanks. And he says to his mother, this is the worst thing I have ever seen. He lies. He is deceptive. He lied to his own people that he is liberating these Ukrainians who are oppressed by the Russians. This is no liberation. This is not a liberation ceremony. This is tyranny at its worst, and oppression. We need to continue to support them as long as even one Ukrainian citizen continues to stand up to Russia's tyranny. As in February 1941, facing a devastating bombing campaign by the Nazis--we can see the parallels here--this is similar to Hitler invading Poland. When they talked about the blitz, Winston Churchill made a direct plea to the United States for assistance, and it is timeless. It actually resonates today. He said, ``Put your confidence in us. . . . We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.'' Mr. Speaker, this is what the Ukrainian people want. It is what they are asking for. It is what they need. It is what the United States of America and our NATO allies will deliver. Today, facing the onslaught of Putin's missiles and tanks, the Ukrainian President, Zelensky, a most courageous leader, as we have seen, who didn't run away from his country like President Ghani. He is in the bunker right now, knowing that his very life and his survival is on the line. He made the same plea to us, and today, we have the opportunity to tell Ukraine that we have confidence in them by supporting this measure, that we will give them the tools they need to finish the job. So let me, once again, thank the chairman. This is when the Foreign Affairs Committee is at its best, when we come together as Americans. As Eliot Engel always said, partisanship stops at the water's edge, and I firmly believe that commitment as well. I urge my Members to support this. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MEEKS: Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), who just recently was walking the streets of Kyiv, talking to the people, listening to them, and their determination to preserve their democracy. Mr. David Cicilline.