Tom Malinowski

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am proud to stand with the 409. It is nice when we can pass important legislation with such a large majority, and I sometimes wonder about the 16. I don't know quite what is going on over there, but maybe the gentleman can tell me afterwards. In closing, the Stafford Act entitles disaster-impacted States to HMGP grants after the disaster so that they can learn from the damage and protect their communities in the future. The ability to complete post-disaster mitigation projects should be accessible to communities in a much more timely manner. H.R. 1917 does that. It will empower States to cut through the red tape and complete acquisition projects much more quickly and with fewer burdens. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1917. This bipartisan bill, sponsored by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, makes it easier for municipalities to access Federal funds to protect people and property from disasters, like the major floods that have hit my State of New Jersey and other States across the country. For every one taxpayer dollar invested in mitigation, up to $13 are saved. The vast majority of FEMA's mitigation investments are made via the Agency's longest running mitigation grant program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, which began in 1989. Since then, more than $5 billion have been obligated to HMGP projects, but due to various issues, including lack of capacity and burdensome red tape, more than $1 billion of these funds have gone unobligated. Mr. Speaker, $1 billion in unspent hazard mitigation funds translates to a minimum of $4 billion in unrealized disaster recovery savings in the communities that were unable to advance these mitigation projects. This bill begins to cut the red tape and make it easier for communities to start their projects early while still taking advantage of the HMGP grants to complete their hazard mitigation projects that involve acquisitions. In short, H.R. 1917 helps communities access funding to complete mitigation projects that will save lives, property, and taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1917, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1917) to modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard mitigation assistance programs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I strongly agree with Representative Deutch. I have always believed the first principle of foreign policy is to call things by their proper name. Sometimes we have to be pragmatic in our dealings around the world, but always start by being honest. Hizballah is a terrorist organization. Say it. The European Union should do so, as well. Today, we are being heard again on a bipartisan basis--loud and clear--and I hope the European Union hears our message. I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute and 30 seconds to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning).

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 558, urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. I thank first my dear friend, Ted Deutch, the chairman of our Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism for reintroducing this important legislation which previously did pass the House in the 115th Congress. When Ted departs our Foreign Affairs Committee in October, we are all going to miss his voice, particularly on issues regarding the Middle East, and his tireless advocacy in defense of American interests and those of our allies around the world. Now, despite all we know about Hizballah, a murderous, terrorist organization that also serves as an Iranian proxy in the region, our friends and partners in the European Union only include Hizballah's military branch, not its political branch, on its list of sanctioned terrorist organizations. The Government of the United States, in contrast, makes no distinction between its two branches and includes Hizballah in its entirety on the U.S. foreign terrorist organization list because we know they are one and the same. The European Union is long overdue in coming to the same realization. Congress is pleased that many individual European countries have acted despite the position of the E.U. as a whole. The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council have also designated Hizballah in its entirety. So it remains troubling that the E.U., an organization that shares so many of our values, interests, and policy goals, continues to allow Hizballah's political wing to operate freely, advancing Hizballah's violent agenda around the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 558) urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 558, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I thank, once again, my colleagues, Representatives French Hill and Brendan Boyle, for introducing this critical legislation. I hope all of our colleagues will join us in supporting it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6265.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6265, the CAPTAGON Act. I would like to first thank Representatives French Hill and Brendan Boyle, as well as Members from both sides of the aisle for reintroducing this bipartisan legislation and addressing an important issue which continues to fuel the Assad regime's coffers and campaign of brutality. Despite condemnation from the United States and the international community, Bashar al-Assad's military has continued its relentless assault on the Syrian people committing reprehensible crimes against humanity upon them. Even as American and European sanctions restrict this regime's ability to transact and deal internationally, its campaign of brutality continues to seek sources of revenue around the world. One of these illicit sources of revenue is the smuggling of the narcotic stimulant drug, Captagon, which is trafficked to, in, and around Syria, and has become a cash source for the Assad regime to enrich itself and prolong its atrocities against Syrians. Though initial steps have been taken by the State Department, our intelligence community, and the Drug Enforcement Agency to work with allies and partners to counter this traffic, more can and must be done. So the CAPTAGON Act would require the Federal Government to develop an interagency strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics trafficking and networks linked to the Assad regime in Syria. It also requires reporting on such efforts and on coordination with our partners. This is an important step in ensuring we can use every tool we have to stop the spread of Captagon in the region and to choke off illicit revenue for this brutal regime. Mr. Speaker, I thank the bipartisan group of Members, including you, Mr. Speaker, for presenting this measure. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, September 19, 2022. Hon. Gregory Meeks, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Meeks: This letter is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 6265, the ``Countering Assad's Proliferation Trafficking And Garnering Of Narcotics Act'' or the ``CAPTAGON Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to forgo action on H.R. 6265, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference. Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman.

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

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6265) to require a strategy by the United States Government to disrupt and dismantle the Captagon trade and narcotics networks of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank, again, my colleagues, Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul, for introducing this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7338, the Russia Cryptocurrency Transparency Act introduced by the chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representatives Meeks and McCaul. I also acknowledge Chairwoman Waters of the Financial Services Committee, who has been deeply engaged on cryptocurrency issues for years and has shown such tremendous leadership on the topic. Russia's illegal, immoral, and indefensible invasion of Ukraine has placed renewed focus on how the Putin regime evades sanctions and continues to fund itself. One answer is cryptocurrency. Virtually unregulated globally, cryptocurrency technology has increasingly become a tool for people seeking to avoid financial sanctions. While there are legitimate and responsible companies that police their platforms and products, there are also products like cryptocurrency tumblers that have little or no value to society other than helping people evade sanctions and launder money. At the same time, the people of Ukraine have demonstrated the potential value of cryptocurrency. Some refugees, for example, have found that it is a particularly useful way to conduct cross-border transactions, and the sale of nonfungible tokens has been used to support Ukraine and its people. Balancing these tradeoffs is not easy, but Chairman Meeks' bill, I believe, strikes the right balance. It will provide necessary transparency and information about these practices to ensure that our foreign policy is up to the challenge of adapting to this new technology. I strongly support the measure, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7338, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7338) to require congressional notification prior to payments of Department of State rewards using cryptocurrencies, authorize the appointment of a Director of Digital Currency Security in the Office of Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation of the Department of State, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3895) to extend and authorize annual appropriations for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom through fiscal year 2024.

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8520) to establish certain reporting and other requirements relating to telecommunications equipment and services produced or provided by certain entities, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1456) to amend the Peace Corps Act to reauthorize the Peace Corps, better support current and returned volunteers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1456, as amended.