Michael McCaul

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to help Taiwan regain observer status in the World Health Organization, introduced by my good friend from Florida (Mr. Yoho). The House passed this bill unanimously last Congress. Because Taiwan has an especially distinguished record of international contributions to global health, Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO is not just unfair, it is also dangerous. The world is more and more interconnected, and pandemics are a constantly growing threat that can cross borders at the speed of a jetliner. Unfortunately, President Xi and the Communist Party of China continue to jeopardize global health in their campaign to marginalize Taiwan. Taiwan has been totally excluded from participating at the WHO's World Health Assembly for 2 years running. Ultimately, Taiwan's expulsion from the WHO illustrates a broader trend. Taiwan is a model democracy that makes the world better, while China is a revisionist authoritarian power that places the world at risk. This year will be significant for U.S.-Taiwan relations as we look forward to the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. Xi Jinping just delivered a speech, where he reiterated a willingness to use force against Taiwan, and said: ``The Taiwan issue will disappear with the rejuvenation of the nation.'' I urge my colleagues to start this year on the right foot by supporting Taiwan's WHO participation and telling President Xi that Taiwan will never disappear under our watch. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I once again recognize the work of Chairman Engel, his cosponsors, and former Chairman Royce. Those of us who have talked to eyewitnesses and seen video and photos will never forget the atrocities perpetrated by Bashar al-Assad: the bombing of the hospitals, the torture of prisoners, and the gassing of children who died agonizing deaths in their beds. For 7 years international diplomats have debated ways to protect civilians in Syria, with no results. Today, we send a strong message that the United States will work to ensure that Assad's war machine is halted. It is not too late to act, as Mr. Hill eloquently stated. The people of Syria cannot afford further delay. I urge all Members to support it, and I sure hope this time the Senate will be able to pass it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), an original cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act authored by my good friend Chairman Engel. For nearly 7 years, we have watched the barbaric Assad regime launch countless attacks on the people of Syria. Since the conflict began in 2011, more than 500,000 people have been killed and 14 million have been forced from their homes. This destabilizing exodus has imposed painful burdens on neighboring countries. Our committee has heard disturbing testimony directly from Syrians caught up in this horrific nightmare. In fact, I recently met with the brave defector known to the world as Caesar, for whom this bill is named. His story is gut-wrenching. He told me about the shocking scale of torture and murder being carried out within the prisons of Syria. The photographic evidence he smuggled out and showed to us proves beyond any doubt the brutality of Bashar al-Assad. The images are shocking and indelible. The bill before us today will increase international pressure on Assad and his backers by targeting their means of support. Foreign companies and banks will have to choose between doing business with Assad or with the United States. The bill will also sanction anyone who flies weapons or fighters into Syria to support his murderous regime. This bill is about creating leverage to push the parties to negotiate. It is about finding a way forward, to be determined by the Syrian people, that does not allow Assad to continue to exterminate them or drive them from their homes. This bill, as the chairman said, has passed the House twice and is long overdue. I am confident it will pass tonight, and I hope that the Senate will take it up promptly in the new Congress. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join us as we seek to ease the immense suffering of the people of Syria and give them a better hope for the future, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and, yes, I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I was in the October 2016 classified briefings on the interference by the Russians in our Federal elections and in our Presidential elections. I condemned it at that time, and I continue to condemn it. I supported sanctions then, and I support those sanctions today. For that reason, Mr. Speaker, until we have been fully satisfied by the Treasury Department, I support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. I continue to reserve, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to be clear, as the Republican leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee, that I support this resolution. I am not sure if my opening statement was properly heard by the other side of the aisle, but I join my colleagues on the other side and support this resolution in a bipartisan manner, as it should be, against our enemy Russia, Putin, and the oligarchs. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this joint resolution. I have long maintained that provocations by Vladimir Putin and his cronies require a decisive and forceful response by the United States. As the former chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I love the effort to strengthen our cyber defenses so that Russia cannot attack our political institutions and undermine our democracy. I have seen the classified reports and I know the threats. I take a back seat to no one in confronting Russia's malicious activities. The whole world has seen Russia's aggression in Ukraine and its support for Assad's brutality in Syria. Bottom line, Putin's Russia is an adversary and must be treated as one. An effective foreign policy needs to use all economic and diplomatic tools to confront belligerent behavior by a foreign power. Those who threaten America and our allies need to understand that they will pay a heavy price so long as those threats persist. As someone who believes that partisanship should stop at the water's edge, as the chairman often says at our Foreign Affairs Committee briefings, I don't believe that this issue should divide our two parties. In fact, it should unite us. This also means that Congress must guard against playing partisan politics with sanctions. We must impose them when they are warranted, and we must allow them to be lifted when they have accomplished their goals. I think many Members find Treasury's case for delisting these particular Russian companies to have an argument, but not very compelling. For example, some still have questions about whether moving some of the oligarch shares to a family charity and to a sanctioned Russian bank will sufficiently sever the control and enrichment that he currently enjoys, and whether we can adequately monitor that with transparency. Even though we may have a good-faith disagreement about the wisdom of this particular delisting at this point in time, I do want to commend the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. They implement and police many of the sanctions that Congress enacts, and there are good reasons for their bipartisan reputation for integrity and professionalism. But because we cannot be sure that we have removed the heavy hand of this Russian oligarch, I cannot support the delisting of these sanctioned entities at this point in time. Therefore, I support this joint resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his hard work to ensure that anti-Semitism remains at the top of our country's foreign policy agenda. I, too, echo my colleagues' on the other side of the aisle plea to this administration in a bipartisan way to appoint a Special Envoy. If I can just conclude by saying that I am the son of a World War II veteran. My father was a bombardier on a B-17. He was part of the D-day air campaign. He bombed the Nazis. We saw the horrors of Nazi Germany. I have been to Auschwitz to see the horrors of the gas chambers and what the Nazis perpetrated against the Jewish people. We thought it was stamped out then. We thought it was over. And yet it is not. It is hard to believe that so many years later, anti-Semitism and neo-Nazis still exist in this world. It is my sincere hope, with this Special Envoy we can truly make a difference--the Greatest Generation fought against it--and that this scourge will be eliminated entirely from the planet. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is the author of this bill.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill to ensure that American efforts to fight the scourge of anti-Semitism are as strong as possible. In December, the European Union released the results of a survey of over 16,500 European Jews. The results of this survey are, frankly, disturbing. In its report, the EU wrote that anti-Semitism pervades everyday life. It also stated that anti-Semitism undermines Jews' feelings of safety and security and that anti-Semitic harassment is so common that it becomes normalized. Europe is not alone in seeing a resurgence of anti-Semitism. Textbooks across the Middle East teach children to hate Jews. Malaysia's Prime Minister has repeated offensive, anti-Semitic statements. Here in the United States, we were devastated by the attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue in October. No region or country is immune from this hatred. In 2004, the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act was passed into law, establishing a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. This position was created to combat this threat worldwide through bilateral relationships and international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations. Fifteen years later, we need to modernize the way our government is set up to fight this hatred. This bipartisan bill, which has been previously introduced in the House and passed in the House, requires the President to appoint a Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. The bill also elevates the Special Envoy position to the rank of Ambassador and ensures direct access to the Secretary of State. It is finally time for the stature of this position to reflect the level of work that must be done. Unfortunately, a Special Envoy has yet to be nominated under this administration, and I strongly urge the President to appoint a qualified candidate as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank Congressman Chris Smith for introducing this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of my bill, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act. This bill passed the House last year. I am pleased that the chairman and I were able to make it an early priority in this Congress. This legislation strengthens our counterterrorism operations in Africa, an area where the terror threat is rapidly rising. Our military successes in Iraq and Syria have splintered ISIS, squeezed terrorists out of the Middle East, and sent them fleeing to Africa. The numbers are alarming. On the eve of 9/11, al-Qaida had only a few hundred followers. Today, it is estimated that 10,000 ISIS and al-Qaida jihadists have established bases across the continent. Along with other existing terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram, terrorism is taking hold in Africa and prohibiting its prosperity. We know that these groups have plotted attacks that threaten U.S. interests, and some have succeeded. The Trump administration recently released their Africa strategy. It appropriately prioritizes U.S. efforts to counter radical Islamic terrorism on the continent. I applaud their continued focus on this issue. My bill, which I introduced with my friend Mr. Keating, authorizes for the first time a program called the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership. This program works with countries such as Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria to build their capacity to conduct counterterrorism operations, prevent the spread of violent extremism, and strengthen the rule of law. Furthermore, it requires the State Department, USAID, and the Defense Department to work together to develop a counterterrorism strategy in Africa. By taking a multifaceted approach and better coordinating our efforts, we can prevent terrorism from gaining a larger foothold in these countries. Again, I thank Mr. Engel and I thank Mr. Keating for their shared support of this cause, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Chairman Engel and Congressman Keating. The bill authorizes a really important interagency effort to combat terrorism and prevent the spread of radical Islamist extremism in Africa. As ISIS and other terrorist ideologies are degraded in the Middle East, they are, unfortunately, finding a safe haven in Africa. We must partner with other nations to work to combat these threats before they impact the homeland. This bill will increase congressional oversight from our committee and better coordinate U.S. assistance. Mr. Speaker, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the U.S.-Mexico Economic Partnership Act authored by my good friend and fellow Texan, Mr. Cuellar. As a native Texan, I know how critical the U.S.-Mexico relationship is to the prosperity and security of our two nations. And as the former chairman of the U.S.-Mexico IPG, I had the honor of leading congressional delegations to sit down with our Mexican counterparts to discuss bilateral issues, such as trade and security, and just recently went down for the President's inauguration. These legislative exchanges have been imperative for furthering the relationship between our two nations. However, we must look beyond traditional and shared connections and foster cultural and academic partnerships and grow the U.S.-Mexico relationship among the younger generations. This bill achieves that goal by creating academic exchanges in the private sector that are focused on health and energy. This academic pipeline will strengthen our energy infrastructure and develop new generations of medical professionals who could work in both of our countries. This bill complements the economic growth initiatives and the recently negotiated USMCA trade agreement, and it promotes the U.S.- Mexico relationship at the committee level. Again, as I mentioned just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the inauguration of President Lopez Obrador in Mexico City with many of my colleagues. Our two countries have had a very proud history together, and I think these are times, trying times, as the chairman mentioned, but I think that is why this bill is so important. I think we can have a brighter future together between our two nations. I urge my colleagues to support it to strengthen this relationship. In closing, I would like to once again thank Mr. Cuellar for leading this message. Growing up in Texas, I dealt with our Mexican counterpart, their largest trading partner, have done a lot with Mexico. When I was in the Attorney General's Office, I met with Mexico periodically, and also as a Member of Congress. This is an important relationship between our countries. While there have been moments of disagreement, I think it is important that our countries remain allies and we are friends with our neighbors to the south. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I think protecting our diplomats and ensuring sensitive and classified areas is really critical to our national security. This bill does that. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Let me first congratulate Mr. Engel on his ascension to the chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I can't think of a better chairman to work with than Mr. Engel, who is always bipartisan, always says that partisanship stops at the water's edge. And I know, being a national security committee, that we will conduct ourselves with dignity and respect for each other. We may disagree from time to time, but we will always respect each other. I look forward to working with him in this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill I sponsored with Mr. Castro of Texas, the Protecting Diplomats from Surveillance Through Consumer Devices Act. Last year, a report revealed the risk of using wearable technologies such as Fitbits and Apple watches which use GPS tracking. As the report stated, researchers were able to track the movements of deployed troops in overseas locations. This obviously poses an enormous security risk for our soldiers overseas. Enemies could track patrol routes or discover the location of secret foreign installments. This exposure puts our diplomats at risk as well. We have men and women engaging in diplomatic efforts all over the world, often in sensitive and high-risk areas. We must not make it easier for our enemies to track their movements. As such, our bill requires the Department of State to establish a policy on the use of location tracking consumer devices by diplomats at U.S. facilities around the world. We introduced this bill last year, and it passed in a large bipartisan fashion. I want to thank Mr. Castro for his leadership, as well as Chairman Engel for his work on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill I wrote with Mr. Engel, my good friend, the Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act. Mr. Speaker, one of our greatest national security challenges is preventing violent conflict around the world. Violent conflict creates hostile environments and displaces and deprives citizens. It costs the global economy over $14 trillion annually. They also provide fertile recruiting grounds for terrorist groups and transnational criminal organizations, which I have tracked in my role as chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security. Often, these environments thrive in states that are fragile, where the government loses legitimacy in the eyes of its own people and, ultimately, its ability to govern. When ignored, these breakdowns in a government ultimately can lead to lengthy and costly involvement by the United States. That is why, today, Congressman Engel and I are proposing an innovative, new way of thinking about these challenges. The Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act requires the administration to launch an initiative to reduce this fragility and violence. This will guide our efforts to reduce violent conflict and help fragile states down a path towards stability. This bill also requires the Department of State, in coordination with USAID and the Department of Defense, to identify 10 countries or regions as a pilot program to start this new initiative. This initiative ensures local partnerships are at the core of any solution in order to deliver better long-term results. Since each fragile state is different, this initiative is flexible to address the causes of fragility. What may work to solve the economic and migration issues of Venezuela are likely to be different than the solutions needed to help curb terrorist groups in west Africa. By integrating the Department of State, USAID, and DOD together and prioritizing, we are reshaping how we think about how we deliver aid and development resources, preventing them from spiraling into chaos. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank, again, the ranking member; I would like to thank Chairman Royce for his friendship, as well as Mr. Poe and Mr. Smith; and I hope everybody will attend the chairman's portrait unveiling at the National Archives this evening.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3359) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, both of them this Congress, in their leadership. We are going to miss Chairman Royce as we move on to the end of this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I do rise in support of this bill, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act. This bill will strengthen our counterterrorism operations in Africa, an area where the threat of terrorism is rapidly rising. While our attention has been focused on the Middle East, terrorism in Africa has spread. Our military successes in Iraq and Syria have splintered ISIS, squeezed terrorists out of the Middle East, and sent them fleeing to Africa. The numbers, Mr. Speaker, are alarming. On the eve of 9/11, it is important to point out, that al-Qaida on the eve of 9/11 only had a few hundred followers. Today, it is estimated that 10,000 ISIS and al-Qaida jihadists have established bases across the continent. Along with other existing terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram, terrorism is taking hold in Africa and prohibiting its prosperity. My bill, which I introduced with my friend, Mr. Keating, authorizes, for the first time, a program called the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership. This program works with countries such as Chad, Mali, and Nigeria to build their capacity to conduct counterterrorism operations and strengthen the rule of law. Furthermore, my bill requires the State Department, USAID, and the Defense Department to work together to develop a counterterrorism strategy in Africa. By taking a multifaceted approach, we may be able to prevent terrorism from gaining a larger foothold in these countries. Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to thank Mr. Keating, Chairman Royce, and Ranking Member Engel for all of their support in this important legislation.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of General Charles F. ``Chuck'' Wald (USAF, Ret.) from Deloitte Services, LP. Having served in the United States Air Force for 35 years as a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours and 430 combat hours, rising to the ranks of four-star general, and then going to advise top Department of Defense officials, he is a true patriot. General Wald earned his commission in the United States Air Force (USAF) through the Air Force ROTC program in 1971 at North Dakota State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in pre-law from North Dakota State University, and earned his Master's Degree in International Relations from Troy University. He has completed coursework at Harvard University and the National War College. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from North Dakota State University. General Wald served combat time as an O-2A forward air controller in Vietnam and as an F-16 pilot flying over Bosnia, in addition to serving as a T-37 instructor pilot and F-15 flight commander. During his tenure in the USAF he also served as the Chief of the U.S. Air Force Combat Terrorism Center, Support Group Commander, Operations Group Commander, and Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for the Quadrennial Defense Review. He was the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, served on the Joint Staff as the Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, and was the U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for the Air and Space Operations at the Pentagon. His tenure in the USAF was matched by top leadership positions that catapulted him to success within the organization. In September 2001, as the Supporting Commander, General Wald led the development of the coalition air campaign in Operation Enduring Freedom, including the idea of embedding tactical air control parties in ground special operations forces which resulted in the elimination of Taliban forces in Afghanistan. This was a critical mission for U.S. national security following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In his last position with the USAF, General Wald served as Deputy Commander of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) from 2002 until his retirement in July 2006. In this position, he was responsible for U.S. forces operating across 91 countries in Europe, Africa, Russia, parts of Asia, the Middle East, and most of the Atlantic Ocean. This position was of paramount responsibility and General Wald demonstrated his expertise and passion for ensuring U.S. interests abroad by implementing the European Command Strategic Plan that included energy assurance and sustainment for the EUCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR). General Wald currently serves as the Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor for Government and Public Services Practice at Deloitte Services, LP. In this role, he is responsible for providing senior leadership in strategy and relationships with the U.S. Department of Defense. Given his long-time commitment to the USAF, he is a subject matter specialist in weapons procurement and deployment, counterterrorism, and international energy security policy. General Wald has been honored with numerous military awards and decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and several others. His distinguished career reflects his commitment to a life of service to our great nation and the American people. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in thanking General Wald for his life-long service, sacrifice, and commitment to our nation, and wish him the very best of luck as he sets forth on the next chapter of his life.