Brian Mast

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as we look at the attacks that go on, where is it that all of these Hezbollah terrorists--where is it that they hide? Where is it that they choose to encamp themselves? In the middle of civilians, on purpose. There is no desire at any point for any one civilian casualty in any circumstance. I have seen it play out on the battlefields that I was a part of. ``Regrettable'' is not a strong enough word. It is well beyond regrettable every single time that anybody trying to live their life becomes a victim of a catastrophic attack because of what they are adjacent to: the terrorists that are surrounding their community. But that is exactly what Hezbollah does by design: embed themselves into schools, embed themselves into places of worship, embed themselves into the bedrock of any community that they can go forcefully take over. That is the way that they operate with purpose and operate specifically to create civilian casualties everywhere--civilian casualties around them and civilian casualties around where they launch their attacks. That is their MO. Mr. Speaker, as I look at Hezbollah, I look at, again, what are our interests? We have labeled them and have designated them a foreign terrorist organization. That has gone on since, I want to say, the mid- 1990s that they were designated a foreign terrorist organization. More than 60 countries across the globe, including the EU, the Arab League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, have all designated Hezbollah as part of a terrorist organization. They are a scourge. They are a direct arm of Iran, directly funded by Iran, receiving targets from Iran, and receiving benefits from Iran when they hit targets that Iran tells them to hit. Everything that can be done and the work that Israel is doing to destroy this scourge is something that we should be supporting through the training of the LAF and supporting through our intelligence resources that are being offered. This bill is meant to drive a stake between allies. It is meant to drive a wedge between allies. It is not meant to drive a stake into the hearts of our enemies, into the hearts of terrorists. That is the unfortunate part about it. It is meant to hurt our allies. It is not meant to hurt terrorists. That is beyond regrettable on this floor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to unpack right there. I think I would start with this: The word ``genocidal'' was used. I would remind the floor that there was only one person on this floor right now who has been reprimanded for calling for genocide. That person is walking out as we speak. That person didn't want the transcript of that allowed into the Record last time. It was the person that was just speaking. Maybe that is not the best person--or maybe that is a good person to give us definitions on genocide, but I don't think she has read them. What kind of ethnic cleansing takes place from a country, a leadership, or a military that warns people to get out? That doesn't sound like ethnic cleansing: Get out. Get out if you are a civilian. Get out of this area. There are attacks coming to kill terrorists. That is not what ethnic cleansing looks like. That is not a genocidal attack, as was the accusation. Clearly, the individual has no real interest in debate because the individual left. I think, as much as we heard conversation about civilians, there was not one mention of the actual targeted civilian population, Israelis. That is the targeted civilian population, day in, day out, by Hezbollah. There was no mention of that. Again, the gentlewoman does not seek to have a debate about her own resolution, which is an odd thing, to not want to debate your own resolution. I would have asked the individual over there if she supports the Lebanon-United States-Israel framework for peace that is going on right now. As was mentioned, I believe that, in the remarks that she gave, she doesn't support the Lebanese Government. I am not trying to put words in her mouth. I am trying to recall everything that was stated. If she is not supporting the Lebanese Government, maybe she doesn't support the framework for peace, and she wants people to fight. Maybe she wants people to fight instead of peace. I am trying to unpack a lot of what was put there. In the end, I think the most significant reason to vote against this resolution is a couple of the following: Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. They are directly targeting civilians constantly in Israel. It is their day-to-day way of life. There are probably at least 40,000 of them, as we speak, in the south of Lebanon. There are not U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in Lebanon, but the resolution demands that we remove all U.S. forces from hostilities in Lebanon. It is an impossible thing to do. The ranking member has acknowledged there are no U.S. forces engaged in hostilities in Lebanon. Again, it is important to support our ally in their combat operations against this foreign terrorist organization that was responsible for killing 63 people, 17 Americans, in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut. The Marine barracks bombing, which killed 241 U.S. servicemembers, was, again, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks against the United States of America prior to 9/11. In the TWA Flight 847 hijacking, Hezbollah terrorists hijacked the aircraft and brutally tortured and murdered a U.S. Navy diver, Robert Stethem. In hostage campaigns, Hezbollah would continually take hostages over and over again. There are too many stories of that to list. Repeatedly targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, diplomatic facilities, and commercial aviation, that is the M.O. of Hezbollah. Since October 2023, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets, missiles, drones, and anti-tank missiles into Israel, which is holding the largest American population anywhere in the Middle East. Those are attacks against Americans indiscriminately, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate the area, and many have been killed. Hezbollah deliberately targets not only military objectives, but civilians, diplomatic facilities, aviation, population centers, malls, cafes, buses, anyplace that they can target. Where there is an innocent civilian, that is their goal as a place to target, not military targets, but innocent civilian targets. Again, this is juxtaposed to Israel, which is conducting operations against terrorists specifically who hide among civilians, very unfortunately, but whom they give a warning to over and over again to try to get any civilians exposed to any danger out of that danger zone. Mr. Speaker, I am sure we can talk more about this, but I will let the ranking member speak about what he wants. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, we have the best chance for peace between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States of America that has existed in decades. There is a framework in place that has been met between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States of America. The one holdout is Hezbollah. This resolution does absolutely nothing to help garner that peace. This resolution only seeks to embolden Hezbollah. That is the only thing that it does because, again, as was pointed out by my colleague-- and I appreciate him saying this very firmly; he was very clear about this--there are no U.S. forces engaged in hostilities. Do we train Lebanese armed forces? Yes, we do. Do we provide intelligence? Yes, we do. We don't have forces engaged there, but we are working for a peace that has evaded the world for decades, and we are closer than ever. Mr. Speaker, I would encourage a ``no'' vote against this resolution because, again, it is simply undermining the peace process and really, actually serves no purpose because it asks that we remove forces that are not present. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Indian River State College (IRSC) Swimming and Diving program. IRSC has demonstrated unmatched dominance in collegiate athletics through discipline, teamwork, and a sustained culture of excellence. The men's team secured its 52nd consecutive NJCAA National Championship, the longest active title streak in collegiate sports history, while the women's team earned its 48th national title, completing a historic sweep by winning every event at the 2026 championship meet. At the 2026 NJCAA National Championships in Fort Pierce, Florida, athletes delivered record-breaking performances, including Marcus Johnson's two national records in breaststroke events, and record- setting relay swims by Noah Smith, Johnson, Zack Gresham, and Oliver Nell. Under Head Coach Sion Brinn--an alumnus, Olympian, and 13-time national championship coach--the program continues to embody excellence and community leadership. Serving over 24,000 students, Indian River State College inspires its community and represents Fort Pierce with distinction nationwide. I am pleased to extend the highest congratulations to the men's and women's Swimming and Diving teams, Coach Brinn and staff, President Timothy E. Moore, and all student-athletes who have contributed to this extraordinary legacy. These achievements stand as a source of pride for Florida's 21st Congressional District and the Nation, reflecting the power of teamwork, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness.

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7037, the DOMINANCE Act, introduced by Chairwoman Kim and Ranking Member Bera. Battles are won with the right tools and the right team, often before the first shot is ever fired. Today, America's readiness depends on more than just troops, tanks, and ships. It depends on supply chains that power our economy and power our military. The minerals used in fighter jets, missile systems, semiconductors, advanced communications technologies, and energy infrastructure are essential to American strength. When those supply chains are vulnerable, the United States of America is, in turn, vulnerable. For decades, Beijing pursued a deliberate strategy to dominate critical mineral supply chains. Today, China controls much of the world's processing and refining capacity for the minerals that underpin our industrial base and our national defense. Last year, Beijing reminded the world how easy it can weaponize that dominance when it restricted exports of critical rare earth materials, disrupting global markets without firing a shot. Congress cannot afford to ignore that warning. That is why I am proud to be a supporter of the DOMINANCE Act. This legislation strengthens America's ability to work with our allies, mobilize investment, and build resilient supply chains for critical minerals and energy technologies our economy and our military depend on. I commend Chairwoman Kim and Ranking Member Bera for their leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, the readiness of our country cannot be improvised. It has to be protected every day. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, critical minerals are the lifeblood of American industry, our military-industrial complex, and so many items or tools that we use in our day-to-day way of life. This bill is an important step toward reasserting control over what is the American economic destiny. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8665) to require the implementation of a strategy to encourage foreign partners to participate in the foreign military sales and direct commercial sales processes on a multinational basis, and for other purposes.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 8665.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it has long been recognized by our partners and allies that the American foreign military sales system is slow, inefficient, and opaque. While the benefits outweigh the costs for many of our closest allies, it takes a real investment of personnel, time, and resources for our foreign partners to be able to successfully participate in our foreign military sales. American-made defense systems remain the most effective, advanced, and sought-after in the world, but we need to keep expanding our base of foreign partners that purchase American defense systems. H.R. 8665, the Allied Defense Sales Act, is a bipartisan effort to break down barriers for smaller allies and smaller countries that do not have a longstanding defense sales relationship with the United States. This bill allows smaller countries to pool resources and participate in the foreign military sales system, expanding America's circle of equipped, interoperable allies without requiring new foreign aid spending. I thank my colleague Mr. Zinke of Montana, the sponsor of this bill, who led the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Foreign Arms Sales Task Force and has continued the important work of ensuring America remains the partner of choice for foreign defense sales. This legislation passed the Foreign Affairs Committee with broad bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it on the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), who is the chairwoman of the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we do everything we can to equip our allies, big and small, with the best U.S. defense technology, ensuring that we remain interoperable with our partners in a conflict. This legislation is a key step forward to strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base and bolstering our allies' defense capabilities with the best equipment anywhere on the globe, the United States of America equipment, which is generations beyond everybody else's. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8665, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7668) to require a report on Russian and Chinese intelligence assets in Georgia, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7668.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7668, the Countering China's Control of the Caucasus Act, introduced by my colleague to my right here from South Carolina, Mr. Joe Wilson. Now, over the last few years, there have been serious questions raised about the status of democracy and the prevalence of malign influence from U.S. adversaries in the Republic of Georgia. To this day, Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgia's sovereign territory following its 2008 invasion. Despite efforts to militarily resist Russia, concerns remain over Russia's longstanding influence in Georgia. Equally concerning is the influence of the People's Republic of China within the country. In the last few years, this led to a Chinese consortium being selected over a U.S. company for developing a massive seaport project. Competition is good, but when it comes to critical infrastructure like this, our partners should take into consideration the risks posed by the PRC. This bill would require an assessment of Russian and Chinese intelligence activities and influence within the Republic of Georgia and identify any areas of cooperation between Russia and China within Georgia. The bill would also require a strategy for the future relationship between the United States and Georgia and help us assess if Georgia is serious about a path of improved relations. Mr. Speaker, I again thank my colleague, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, for introducing this effort, and I urge my colleagues to advance this bill today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), who I suspect will tell us something about war criminal Putin.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the utmost attention to this issue, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the United States and Georgia to move forward. Doing so requires clarity on what is happening in their country behind the scenes and a responsible strategy for future engagement. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, to better inform U.S. policy toward the Republic of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6338) to require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons and foreign vessels that engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6338.

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6338, the Stop Illegal Fishing Act, led by Chairwoman Kim and Ranking Member Meeks. Illegal fishing is a national security problem. The Chinese Communist Party uses so-called commercial fishing fleets as an instrument of state power. These vessels violate sovereign waters, undermine local economies, and in the end, they support Beijing's broader campaign of coercion around the globe. This is not simply about catching fish. It is about the CCP using economic pressure, maritime intimidation, and lawless behavior to expand its influence and weaken the sovereignty of other nations. For years, China has operated in the world's worst illegal and unreported and unregulated fishing fleet. The United States cannot allow this behavior to continue without consequences. The Stop Illegal Fishing Act gives our government additional tools to identify, expose, and hold accountable those responsible for illegal fishing and the networks that do enable it. Just as importantly, it sends a clear message that the United States stands for free and open oceans, governed by rules, not governed by coercion. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Kim and Ranking Member Meeks for their leadership on this bipartisan legislation. I absolutely urge all Members to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, May 28, 2026. Hon. Brian Mast, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington DC. Dear Chairman Mast: I write regarding H.R. 6338, the Stop Illegal Fishing Act. Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. The Committee takes this action with the understanding that forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar legislation. I ask that you please insert this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration of this measure on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative manner in which our committees have worked on this matter, and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Jim Jordan, Chairman.

Mr. MAST. I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, the United States will not stand by while China uses economic coercion as an intimidation tactic. This bill is an important reminder to show our allies and our partners in the Indo-Pacific that we are the United States of America. We do not back down. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MAST

Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5248) to ensure the alignment of economic and foreign policies, to position the Department of State to reflect that economic security is national security, and for other purposes, as amended.