Michael McCaul

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just clarify again. This bill was filed last Congress after President Trump took out the mastermind of terror for two decades in the Middle East, Qasem Soleimani, to challenge his authority to take out one of the biggest threats to the region and to our American soldiers, 600 of whom were killed and thousands wounded. That is the genesis for this legislation, and I think that is important to note. If we do away with this without replacing it, we abdicate our Article I authorities in an absolute manner to the executive branch under Article II. I think that it is important for anyone watching this debate to understand what we are doing here today. Madam Speaker, with that, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger).

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), a combat veteran, a distinguished servicemember, and a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), the lead Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think I laid out our arguments, and I think it is irresponsible to repeal this authority, which still is used to protect our embassy diplomats and soldiers in Iraq against the Shia proxies of Iran. I am committed to work with the chairman to update this outdated AUMF. And I think if there is any agreement in this Chamber, and also on both sides of the aisle, it is that we need to modernize it to the modern-day threats. And as I read from the President's Statement of Administration Policy, the President says: I am committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a framework appropriate to ensure that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats. I agree with the President of the United States, and I think the chairman does as well. We have to do this, and it is not going to be easy, but it is time to update this outdated AUMF. I would prefer to have repealed and replaced it with our updated AUMF. But as Brian Mast, a heroic veteran who lost his legs in battle, said, We cannot just repeal this and talk about updating when we haven't even talked to the Department of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the intelligence community about what is the modern-day threat, and what we need to do in Congress to exercise our Article I responsibilities that we have a responsibility to do, and not just cede everything to the executive branch under Article II. The argument is made, well, this could be done under Article II. Well, that is probably true. But are we not abdicating our responsibility and ceding it to the executive branch by doing this? I would argue that we are. Mr. Speaker, I want to close with the motion to recommit. If we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Foreign Affairs to consider my amendment to H.R. 256. It responds to the serious escalation by Hamas against Israel that we saw in May. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast).

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), an esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I want to commend my good friend and colleague, Chairman Meeks, for his strong bipartisan approach on this measure to authorize the State Department. As he mentioned, it has been 20 years since Congress has authorized the State Department. This is our obligation under Article I of the Constitution, and for 10 Congresses, we have failed in that mission. I am very proud today that, working with the chairman, we are going to get this thing done and send it over to the Senate. 2002 was the last time. In the nearly 20 years since that authority lapsed, we have seen too many taxpayer dollars wasted on inefficient hirings and procurements, an expanding bureaucracy, and an outdated IT system that left us vulnerable to cyberattacks from our adversaries. It is a fundamental duty of the Foreign Affairs Committee to pass an annual authorization bill, just like we pass a national defense authorization bill. This is necessary to fulfill our constitutional oversight responsibilities and our obligation to be good stewards of the people's money. For these reasons I am proud, again, of this bipartisan effort our committee has produced, as we often do. It will address numerous longstanding difficulties. It will fortify the Department and our diplomats with the tools needed to fulfill their missions to promote America overseas and enhance our security abroad. Among other important reforms, the bill before us will modernize the State Department workforce, eliminate outdated reports, bolster embassy and information security, strengthen the State Department's diplomacy and anticorruption efforts, and reassert the Article I prerogatives of the United States Congress. As the United States faces growing challenges around the world, we need our Secretary and diplomats to know that Congress supports them, and that is precisely what this bill does. Madam Speaker, I want to thank, again, Chairman Meeks, for his great leadership and his team and staff for working with mine. This type of collaboration has been a hallmark of our work on this committee, and I know that it will continue to be so. Again, this bill having lapsed for nearly 20 years, it is long overdue. This bill deserves our unanimous support. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I think this is a momentous day for the Congress. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Chairman Meeks, for his great leadership in bringing this long-overdue authorization bill to the floor. I also want to thank former chairman Eliot Engel, who I worked with very closely to get an authorization bill passed out of the House, just to see it fail in the Senate. I hope the Senate will not allow that to happen again. This is really desperately needed. It is a momentous day for the House. It is critical. It is bipartisan. It reclaims our constitutional prerogatives of the Congress and the full oversight role of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I think it demands our unanimous support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close and I yield myself the balance of my time. Today, the people of Belarus know that they are not alone, that they have the support of the United States Congress and the American people. Madam Speaker, I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues today to express our support for the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations. There is no question that Alyaksandr Lukashenka rigged the presidential election in Belarus this past August. He is an illegitimate leader who will never be recognized by the community of democratic nations. The scale of the electoral fraud was unprecedented, as was the violent crackdown by Lukashenka's cronies afterwards. The reports of peaceful protestors being beaten, tortured, and arbitrarily detained and killed are appalling. In a cowardly attempt to conceal their heinous crimes, the regime has repressed independent media, disrupted internet access, and expelled and detained countless journalists. Given this despicable human rights situation in Belarus, I commend the Biden administration's decision today to renew sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises. Despite the terror inflicted upon them, the Belarusian people have refused to relent. They continue to demand a free and fair vote. Their courage is truly inspiring. This resolution reminds the corrupt Lukashenka regime that the United States Congress supports the people of Belarus. We echo their calls for the immediate release of more than 300 political prisoners and all of those unlawfully detained by the regime. We also join them in demanding new, free, and fair elections to be held in Belarus. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights; and also the author of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act that was signed into law last year.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Meijer), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Meijer), who is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, sadly, we no longer see American flags waving over thousands of peaceful protesters in the streets of Hong Kong. Displaying our symbol of liberty has become a criminal act punishable by life in prison. But even though the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong can no longer publicly ask for our support, we still hear these pleas. Congress hears them, the American people hear them, and it is now more important than ever that we continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Meeks for bringing this resolution which I was proud to join as a lead cosponsor, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, let me thank the Speaker for coming down on the floor to give her personal remarks. I know she has a busy schedule, but this really honors and shows her commitment to human rights in Hong Kong and all around the world. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to join the chairman in leading this measure to condemn the egregious violations of Hong Kong's freedoms. The Chinese Communist Party's relentless oppression of the people of Hong Kong is not a Republican or Democratic issue. We are united as Americans in standing with Hong Kongers. Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement has inspired people around the world to fight for liberty over tyranny. But in June of last year, the Chinese Communist Party used its sham legislature to enforce a dystopian national security law on Hong Kong. This law criminalizes basic civil liberties, it violated China's treaty commitments, it destroyed the ``one country, two systems'' model of autonomy, and it inserted the CCP's police state into Hong Kong to crush dissent. Since it passed, the CCP has purged pro-democracy lawmakers from the government while arresting the CCP's political enemies. Unfortunately, the CCP's human rights abuses in Hong Kong are far from over. Chairman Meeks' resolution continues our bipartisan work to call out the CCP's abuses and to stand with the people of Hong Kong, and I urge my colleagues' support for this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations and has been a champion for human rights more than most people have been in this Congress maybe combined.

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

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased the House is considering the Cyber Diplomacy Act that I reintroduced this Congress with Chairman Meeks and a strong roster of bipartisan cosponsors. I also want to thank my good friend from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), my co-chair on the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus. Over the past decade, he and I have worked very hard to advance critical cyber legislation like the law that set up the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security. With today's bill, we are taking the protection provided by CISA to the United States to the international stage and, as the chairman mentioned, providing rules of the road, which we do not have today. The United States has strategic and economic interests in ensuring the internet remains open, reliable, and secure around the world. Unfortunately, not all governments agree. For example, Russia and China are aggressively promoting their vision of ``cyber sovereignty,'' which emphasizes state control over cyberspace and tramples individual freedoms. That is why the United States and our allies must be prepared to advance our own vision for cyberspace. The Cyber Diplomacy Act gives the State Department the necessary tools to work with our allies and partners to stop the spread of misinformation, to stop the cyberattacks, and to stop the imposition of their so-called cyber security. Madam Speaker, a new ambassador will be given the authority to establish critical cyber norms and standards that do not exist today to help define what is good behavior and what is bad. Let me say that when the SolarWinds attack occurred, in the past, there were no consequences to bad behavior with the Russians or the Chinese, and I was very supportive and proud that President Biden struck back with sanctions against Russia for this bad behavior. That is what this office is really all about. Without these clear guidelines, it is not possible to mount a strong response to our adversaries' destructive behavior. This bill is long overdue. To me, it is the last piece in terms of our cyber role in the Federal Government, now taking it to the international stage with our allies around the world. Madam Speaker, again, I want to thank Chairman Meeks, Mr. Langevin, and all of the bipartisan cosponsors. The recent high-profile attacks remind us that what happens in cyberspace is vitally important to the United States and our allies and partners around the world. This act will enhance our ability to protect and promote our national security, our ability to compete, and the freedoms and ideals America represents to the world. A decade ago, we had to determine what is the cyber role--or maybe even 15--what the role is of the Federal Government. We knew the Department of Defense and NSA had great offensive capabilities. We needed a civilian agency to work with the private sector to share threat information, and that became the beginning of the cybersecurity agency at the Department of Homeland Security. And, of course, the FBI investigates. But we have never had any international norms or standards or, as the chairman said, the rules of the road. This bill, as I said, is long overdue. The Russians influenced our elections. There are, finally, sanctions against them. But before that, few consequences occurred. When the Chinese stole 23 million security clearances, including my own, there was zero response from the United States of America. When these attacks occurred, and when our intellectual property has been stolen, so much so that Keith Alexander, the NSA Director, said it was the ``greatest transfer of wealth in human history,'' with no consequence, we finally shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston because of the tremendous theft of intellectual property through the Texas Medical Center in my home State, including research and development on the vaccine. Then there was a Texas A&M professor being indicted for espionage for giving NASA data to the Chinese. This has to stop. This act, this cyber diplomacy bill, will ensure that, at the international level, the United States is respected and that we are going to work with our allies to provide the norms and standards that are so desperately needed to better protect our interests and the interests of our allies. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the Burmese military is using brutal violence to drag Burma back into repression and isolation. We should condemn this coup with one united voice as the United States of America through its Congress. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, Members across the aisle share the same concerns about Burma's military coup, and the brutal human rights violations it has caused. This bill ensures that the United States of America's condemnation of this coup is a matter of record, and it asks the administration to report to Congress on this critical issue. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, on February 1, Burma's military seized power yet again, ending 5 years of a flawed, but hopeful, democracy, and dragging Burma back into brutal military rule. Since that day, the world has watched horrified as pro-democracy protestors are met with brutal violence in the streets. The Burmese military has used communications blackouts, curfews, and mass detentions to stifle opposition. They have used live ammunition against peaceful protestors. Hundreds have been killed and thousands detained. At the same time, the lead opposition to the Burmese military, the National League for Democracy, is facing further repression. NLD members have been rounded up and charged with baseless crimes, including NLD's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Madam Speaker, that is why I am asking my colleagues to join me today in supporting this resolution. I really want to thank the chairman and Mr. Connolly of Virginia for bringing this bill forward, to make it clear that the United States of America condemns this coup. It encourages engagement with southeast nations to promote Burma's return to democracy. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.