Ted Poe

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, having lived in Texas all my life, I, like many other Texans, have been to the Texas border numerous times. I have been to the border from San Diego to Brownsville while I have been in Congress, the entire length of the border. Some things are working on the border, and one of those things that is working is a wall in the big cities. One of my friends from El Paso likes to talk about how El Paso is the safest city in America. Well, one reason is El Paso has multiple fencing, a canal, and a river between the U.S., Texas, and Mexico. The sheriff of El Paso told me after that fencing was created, cross- border crime is almost nonexistent. That is one reason--not the only reason--why El Paso is the safest city in America is because they have a wall, a fence, the Rio Grande River--a barrier. Let's use that term. Sure, not everybody from Mexico is coming to commit crimes, of course not, but a wall works. It also works where they have fencing in San Diego. It also works where they have fencing in Brownsville, Texas, between Brownsville and Mexico. It stops and reduces the cross-border individuals coming in without permission. So a partial fence will work. This bill, let's make it clear, is not a complete border wall of the whole border. It is only 74 miles. And we need to do everything. We need to have that 74 miles. We need to have aerostats in the air. We need to have more Border Patrol on the ground. We need to have all types of technology to have a virtual wall, if you will, to protect the United States' security. People need to come to the United States. We want people to come to the United States, but come the right way. Lastly, as my friend from Tyler, Texas, said, the drug cartels are the major problem, and the criminal gangs, like the MS-13 gang, are the ones who come into the United States because there is no barrier to stop them. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Jennifer Mamola represents the very best of America. She volunteered for the Peace Corps at 26 and served in Uganda. While there, tragically, she was hit from behind by a drunk driver, breaking both of her legs. Her life changed forever. When she returned home to America, she faced an uphill battle to get treatment and endless bureaucracy. After 3 months, the Peace Corps stopped covering her medical costs and sent her to face the bureaucracy of the Department of Labor. Instead of serving as a resource, the Peace Corps' postservice unit was no help at all. When she reached out asking for mental health services, they ignored her. She has undergone four surgeries and endless hours of agony. America's angels abroad deserve better. My legislation will ensure that Peace Corps volunteers have medical care in foreign countries and in America when they return home. I want to welcome Jennifer to the House Chamber today. Congress appreciates her service as a Peace Corps volunteer, and we must provide help for wonderful people like her. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for filing this amendment. Mr. Chairman, the VA has been using taxpayer dollars to have experiments on dogs. It is hard to believe that would occur in our culture today. I have had three Dalmatians over the years, and I know there are a lot of other people who have dogs. They have service dogs that are used by our vets and our agencies. And the thought that our Veterans Administration would go ahead and torture dogs in the name of science and experiments is not acceptable; it is just not. If citizens committed these acts that the VA is committing on dogs, under most laws, that would be animal cruelty. They could be prosecuted and go to jail. But because it is the VA, because it is a government agency, that doesn't apply. But we do want the agency to stop torturing dogs in the name of science. There are better ways that they can spend the money, better ways they can figure out how to help our veterans besides taking careless actions against, as my friend from Virginia said, man's best friend. And if it's going to be man's best friend, maybe we shouldn't be, or we should not be torturing those dogs for any reason. So I support the amendment.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I want to thank him and the ranking member for moving this legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the whole world. Out of 195 countries, they are the worst country in the world when it comes to exporting terrorism. The mullahs in Tehran not only support worldwide terrorist groups, terrorist groups that have American blood on their hands, they resort to terrorist tactics to extort and blackmail the American people. For decades, Iran has held American citizens in prisons unlawfully. They detain these Americans under the charge of espionage. We all know that this is just a ploy to extract concessions from the United States. Earlier this month, we learned that Iran threw another American citizen in jail last year. This time it was a Princeton Ph.D. student conducting research in Iran for his dissertation. This student is now being held in Iran's most notorious prison, Evin Prison. If anyone thought that Iran was going to moderate as a result of the nuclear deal, these ongoing unlawful detentions are evidence to the contrary. Iran has been emboldened, and there is no indication they will stop this tactic of terror. We need to get the attention of the barbaric mullahs that seem to take delight in imprisoning Americans and even Iranian citizens for political reasons. We know at least eight Americans currently languish in Iranian jails. Iran is not content with just holding these Americans. They are actively working to extract payments and concessions from the United States, like sanctions relief, as a condition for their release. This is old-fashioned textbook extortion. This resolution will send a clear message to the mullahs: Release the Americans and return them to their homes. Let the American hostages go. I was glad to see the new sanctions imposed by the Treasury in April on the Tehran Prisons Organization. More pressure is needed by our country. I urge the administration to spare no effort to secure the release of American hostages. These hostages have been held by Iran too long, and Iran has proven that they do not respond very well to carrots. Since we gave away the courthouse and the mineral rights in the Iranian deal, maybe it is time we pull out the stick. As Teddy Roosevelt said: ``Speak softly, and carry a big stick.'' And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, during the long, dark, lamentable days of World War II, Serbians and Americans forged a bond in a secret mission that remained classified for almost 60 years. What was known as Operation Halyard became the largest rescue operation of American airmen in history. It would not have been possible without the courage of the Serbian people. In 1944, as the Allies advanced into fortress Europe, American bombers based in southern Italy began to strike Germany's vital oil supplies in Romania. The 15th Air Force launched nearly 20,000 sorties into Eastern Europe to degrade Hitler's war machine. To do this, they had to fly over Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. As many as 1,500 pilots and airmen were shot down during these dangerous flights. Serbians who had been resisting German forces since 1941 risked their own lives to rescue American aircrews and hide them from patrolling Nazis. One of them was Serbian George Dudich, the father of Elaine Dudich, my chief of staff when I was a judge in Texas. For months, George Dudich and the other Serbians aided downed Americans, caring for and protecting the pilots, and then smuggling the aircrews back to Allied lines. By August 1944, hundreds of other downed aircrews were being sheltered by the Serbian guerillas. The OSS, the predecessor to the CIA, devised a plan to evacuate the Allied pilots in a daring mission coordinated with the Serbian resistance. On August 10, unarmed American C-47s flew numerous sorties deep into enemy territory and landed at an improvised airfield built and protected by local Serbians near the village of Pranjani. By the 18th, more than 500 Allied airmen had been secretly rescued and flown back to Italy. Here on this poster you see the Serbian resistance, along with American aircrews that had been downed, moving them to hiding from the Nazis that were patrolling the areas. For over 60 years, this bold, unbelievable secret operation was kept classified. Our alliance with Serbia and the Serbian people goes back even further to the First World War. One hundred years ago, Serbia stood up to the aggression from the larger Austrian-Hungarian empire. We should admire such defiance against overwhelming odds. Serbia's stand against tyranny also set events in motion that would lead the U.S. to take up the cause of freedom in Europe in World War I. That common devotion to liberty and the spirit of the Halyard mission still lives today with the close ties between the United States and Serbia. As was the case in both World Wars, Serbia and the United States still face shared threats. We work together now to preserve each others' security. Serbian soldiers serve along with U.S. forces in fighting terrorism in Afghanistan, and Serbia is a partner in keeping terrorism from spreading in Serbia and in Europe. However, Russian propaganda efforts in the country are particularly strong and anti-Western. We must be vigilant to thwart the Kremlin's efforts to poison our relationship with Serbia. Fortunately, Serbia's integration into the West has continued to move in spite of Russian disinformation. In 2006, Serbia joined NATO's Partnership for Peace and, in 2015, signed an Individual Partnership Action Plan with the alliance to strengthen cooperation. Serbia has no stronger supporter for increased integration with the EuroAtlantic community than the United States. So for more than 100 years, we have been friends with the Serbian people. And as co-chair of the Serbian Caucus, along with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver), I want to welcome Serbian Ambassador Matkovic and his staff to the House Chamber today. With our shared events in Operation Halyard, our combined history, and our fight for freedom, the American people are forever grateful for those Serbs who came to America's rescue during those bleak days of World War II. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, sitting a mere 20 feet away from the man that raped and trafficked her daughter, Jennifer waited anxiously in the courtroom as the judge prepared to announce the sentence. The amount of pain and turmoil this criminal inflicted on her family could never be undone. A few years ago, this man pulled up alongside Jennifer's daughter as she walked down the street. He lured the 15-year-old into his car, and he sexually assaulted her. He then took her to a motel and began forcing her to have sex with numerous men for money. He posted an ad about her online offering buyers a chance to ``play with innocence.'' He literally stole her youth, her happiness, and he sold her to the highest bidder. When Jennifer finally heard the judge's sentence, she wept with tears of joy--180 years in prison for the trafficker, from the right-thinking judge. Let the word get out to deviants and traffickers and buyers: Our children are not for sale. There is a price to pay for the trafficker who sells our kids. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, and I also thank the ranking member for their work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken to our military leaders, and they said that the biggest threat to the United States is North Korea. Strategic patience is over. It is time for strategic sanctions. This bill will go a long way to tighten the screws on little Kim and bring the dictator to his knees. We can no longer stand by meekly while North Korea terrorizes the world. This bill includes my bill that has already passed the House that calls on the State Department to reassess if North Korea should be on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. Let us not forget that North Korea helped supply Syria with chemical weapons. It has given Iran ballistic missiles and advice on how to develop its own nukes. North Korea and Iran's evil cooperation is even going on as we speak today. They are now working together to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach American shores. This bill also puts China in the crosshairs. Chinese banks have enabled the Korean regime to avoid sanctions and build its illegal weapons programs. China even provided the vehicle used to launch North Korea's new ICBM. China also uses slave labor from North Korea to help North Korea avoid sanctions already in place. China needs to understand how its support for Kim will not only endanger the United States and South Korea, but it also endangers its own security. Mr. Speaker, by targeting these rogue nations, we show we will not go away quietly in the darkness of silence. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last Friday night, an Israeli family sat down for Shabbat dinner to celebrate the birth of a new grandchild, but a 19-year-old Palestinian terrorist put an end to this joyous occasion. The terrorist brutally attacked the Salomon family with a large knife. Pictures of the family's home show a white floor stained red with the blood of the innocents. A father and two of his children were murdered that night. Upon learning of the tragic event, Palestinians in Gaza took to the streets to sing, dance, and celebrate. No Palestinian leader has even condemned this grizzly attack. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, this is our U.S. tax dollars at work. The millions the United States sends to the Palestinians are funneled to terrorists and their families through the so-called martyrs fund. The leaders we prop up glorify terrorists and incite violence. The American people refuse to continue this insanity. We refuse to continue enabling terror against the Israeli people. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Saudi Arabia is a crucial ally in the fight against terrorism. Many of the same terrorist organizations that threaten the United States also desire to overthrow the Saudi government and break our partnership. It's a key member of the coalition to fight ISIS, with its pilots flying alongside Americans since day one of the campaign in Syria. Last year, Riyadh adopted strict laws prohibiting fundraising for terrorism, jointly designating support networks for al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Saudi intelligence has assisted in preventing terrorist plots targeting the U.S. In 2010 Saudi assistance helped foil an attempt by al-Qaeda to conceal bombs on a cargo plane en route to the United States. The Saudis are also battling Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. These rebels not only threaten the Kingdom but also targeted our own warships and destabilize the Red Sea trade routes. The current diplomatic standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar demonstrates that Riyadh is willing to take a stand against state sponsorship of terrorism in the region. This is all encouraging. However, the Saudis still have much more they need to do at home to counter the sources of extremism in the region. The battle against terrorism will uitimately have to be fought and won on the battlefield of ideas. Saudi Arabia has simply not done enough to defeat extremist ideology. The Kingdom is playing the role of both arsonist and firefighter when it comes to Islamic extremism. Nowhere is this more evident than the textbooks Saudi Arabia produces to teach its youth. For far too long Saudi Arabia's education curriculum has inspired the very ideology that is at the root of many terrorist organizations like ISIS and al-Qaeda. Saudi textbooks are full of anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, and calls to violence that have incited students both at home and across the world. This poisonous ideology has provided the groundwork for generations of radicalization and extremism. In fact, ISIS adopted official Saudi textbooks for its schools in 2015 until the terrorist group could publish its own. Moreover, its export of hateful material through Saudi-funded schools abroad has helped spread the toxic ideology to more tolerant and open Muslim communities in countries such as Kosovo and Indonesia. While the Kingdom has repeatedly pledged to remove extremist content from its curriculum, troubling language remains in many of the most recent editions of Saudi textbooks. In 2006 the Saudis committed to eliminate all passages that promoted hatred towards any religion by 2008. Yet even today textbooks include content that discourages befriending ``infidels,'' claims the goal of Zionism is world domination, and encourages ``fighting'' any polytheist or infidel who refuses to submit to the supremacy oflslarn. This intolerance is unacceptable and directly contributes to the widespread persecution of religion minorities that plagues the Middle East. Another passage in a current Saudi textbook for middle school students states that ``the mujahideen who are doing good deeds for the sake of Allah . . . should be given transportation, weapons, food and anything else they may need to continue their jihad.'' Messages such as this undermine the Saudis own counterterrorism efforts. By indoctrinating children into the belief that people of other faiths are inferior or are a threat to Islam, Saudi Arabia is ensuring future generations of extremists that will join the ranks of terrorist groups. This is not to ignore that some positive steps have been taken. In recent years the Kingdom has introduced passages that denounce terrorism and encourage dialogue with other faiths. But these steps only send mixed messages to easily influenced young minds so long as the more extreme messages remain. The State Department and previous administrations have also failed to hold their Saudi counterparts to past pledges. The State Department has even refused to publish reports that shed light ori these troubling textbooks for fear of embarrassing our Saudi partners. While we appreciate Riyadh's contribution to our overall counterterrorism efforts in the region, we must hold them accountable for their role in fueling the very extremism we are trying to combat. It is in both our countries' interest. In the fight against terrorism, we all need to be on the same page. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I was joined by some Members of Congress, along with other Americans, in taking a stand for the First Amendment right of freedom of expression. We stood across the street from the Turkish Embassy, where, a few weeks ago, Turkish President Erdogan was visiting. But while a peaceful protest was taking place in May, Dictator Erdogan's security detail crossed the street and assaulted and beat up U.S. citizens protesting the rogue regime. People were injured. The outlaws escaped arrest and fled to Turkey. No apology was issued by the Turks, but, rather, the government justified the assault on Americans. Erdogan should not be welcome back into the United States until he apologizes. Also, the culprits must face justice in American courts. The First Amendment right of freedom of expression is the First Amendment because it is the most important of all of our rights. No foreign tyrant can assault the First Amendment or assault Americans without consequences. This should never occur on our soil. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a new soccer stadium in St. Petersburg, a luxury apartment complex in Moscow, all brought to Russia by North Korean slaves. That is right. These slaves get almost no wages, no holidays, with little food or sleep. Little Kim not only enslaves his own people at home, he runs an international slave trade. The slave network brings in $2 billion to $3 billion every year to the North Korean military complex and helps little Kim evade sanctions. This is state-sponsored human trafficking and slavery. The slaves are not just sent to Russia. It is troublemakers like China and Qatar, too, that are slave destinations. Secretary Tillerson has called upon all countries to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions to sever or downgrade diplomatic relations with North Korea in order to financially isolate that country. It is time these countries comply with the United Nations resolutions, and we must send a united message to North Korea: End your slave trade and stop the saber rattling. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the United States is finally holding China accountable for its longstanding human trafficking abuses. In the State Department's 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report, China was downgraded to the worst level: tier 3. This means that, in the past year, the Chinese have done little to nothing to end human trafficking, which is nothing more than modern-day slavery in this communist nation. China's crimes include state-sponsored forced labor, sex trafficking, and trafficking of children, men, and women from other countries. This puts China alongside some of the world's worst offenders of human rights: Russia, Syria, and Iran. It illegally detains and tortures its own people, as well as U.S. citizens that are there. It also restricts the fundamental human right to free speech and freedom of religion. China is allowing labor and sex trafficking to flourish in its borders. Now the entire world knows what has been taking place behind their great wall of brutality: abuse. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Thornberry for yielding time. Mr. Chair, Pakistan has been supporting all kinds of terrorist groups for years, including those with American blood on their hands. But instead of penalizing Pakistan, the government has been rewarding them with hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid. Some of that money goes to support terrorists. Previously, we placed conditions on military aid to Pakistan, but these conditions are only focused on Pakistan cracking down on one terrorist group, the Haqqani Network. Meanwhile, Pakistan is aiding and abetting a long list of terrorists in the region, including the Taliban in Afghanistan. My amendment No. 100 places a new condition on any aid to Pakistan. The condition requires the administration to certify that Pakistan is not providing military, financial, or logistical support to any terrorists operating in Pakistan or Afghanistan. This forces Pakistan to make a long overdue choice: either go after terrorists or lose millions of dollars of American aid. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Chair, my amendment is similar to an amendment of mine that passed the House 243-180 in the FY2017 NDAA. This amendment mirrors language that I have introduced called the SEND Act. While the Department of Homeland Security--not the Department of Defense--is tasked with maintaining the safety of our southern border, it has long received help and assistance from the DOD and our military. One of the ways the DOD helps the border patrol is through the transfer of equipment it deems ``excess'' to its needs. Under current law, the transfer of this ``excess'' equipment already gives preference to counterdrug, counterterrorism, and border security activities. My amendment simply takes that preference a step further, giving border security preference for a few specific pieces of equipment which are particularly useful for border security applications: unmanned surveillance vehicles including Aerostat blimps, night-vision goggles, and Humvees. The border patrol is the first and last line of defense against those criminal gangs. In my home state of Texas, and in other border states like New Mexico and Arizona, the war against the cartels is an ongoing affair. Cartels are involved in labor and sex slavery. Just last week in Southern Texas, border patrol agents raided a home to find 37 illegal immigrants, including three children. These men, women and children were being held by cartel drug runners for ransom. I've been to the border countless times, Mr. Chair. I've spoken with the men and women who have sworn to protect the good folks of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico from the dangerous people who cross the southern border. A Texas Ranger told me that they are outmanned, outgunned, out- financed and out-equipped by the drug cartels. I've heard firsthand the need these men and women have for new equipment, specifically the equipment I just listed. In fact when I recently visited the border in April, I met with the Border Patrol in the Rio Grande sector and they informed me that in areas where they were using Aerostat surveillance blimps, crossings were way down. When asked what we could do to help the sector, the answer was clear: More Aerostat blimps. Well, that is what we are trying to do here with this amendment, Mr. Chair. This idea isn't new. In 2010, with our help, the excess equipment program sent 6 excess military Humvees to Texas Border Sheriffs. Often, before this transfer, the border sheriffs were forced to chase the drug cartels in Crown Victorias. This amendment mandates that DOD give border security applicants an additional preference for the equipment listed in this amendment. I've heard from our agents down on the border and this is the equipment they need. Let's put this ``excess'' equipment to use on the southern border in the war against the drug cartels and help bring security, peace of mind, and more safety to those Americans living in the area.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Peace Officers Miguel Moreno and Julio Cavazos of the San Antonio Police Department were responding to a routine call when they were approached by two individuals. Suddenly, one dastardly criminal pulled out a firearm and began shooting at both officers. As the shots rang out, both officers were hit. 32-year-old Officer Moreno took a bullet to the chest, collapsing to the ground. Officer Cavazos ran to his fellow officer, Moreno, pulling him out of the line of fire despite being shot himself. He fired back at the outlaw, hitting the mark; and, in my opinion, justice was then served. Despite Cavazos' quick actions, 32-year-old Officer Moreno succumbed to his injuries. Another life needlessly stolen from the thin blue line. Miguel Moreno was a 9-year veteran of the force. He woke up each morning ready to serve and protect his community. His life was stolen by an evil villain with no socially redeeming value. Moreno stood for everything that is good in America. As we mourn his loss, we should thank the good Lord that such people as he ever lived. He was part of the rare breed, the American breed. Our peace officers are the best we have. America needs to stand with peace officers. We should stand with the thin blue line--the line that separates the lawful from the lawless. God bless Officer Moreno and his family. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as fireworks boomed in the sky above the Bronx, 48-year-old law officer Miosotis Familia sat in a mobile command unit. She was a good officer. Known for her no-nonsense approach to law enforcement, she was friendly with the neighborhood, spoke Spanish, and was always quick with a smile and a wave. But suddenly, an evil outlaw appeared at her window and, with a heart fatally bent on mischief, pointed a .38- caliber revolver through the window and pulled the trigger, cold- bloodedly murdering Officer Familia. She wore the uniform with the badge, the shield over her heart. Officer Familia was one of 10 siblings from an immigrant family from the Dominican Republic, and she had three children of her own. Our men and women in blue are being targeted, gunned down for simply wearing the uniform, gunned down by the scourge that prey on the police. Congress should take action and protect those who serve our Nation every day, all day, on the streets of America. Senator Cornyn and I have introduced the Back the Blue Act of 2017, which increases the penalties for the soulless criminals who intentionally target the law enforcement community. Peace officers are the last strand of wire in the fence between the law and the lawless, between good and evil. Taps has been played for the end of watch for Officer Familia. Her life may be gone, but her service and sacrifice are a reminder of those who give their lives to the thin blue line. So back the blue, Mr. Speaker, back the blue. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, July 4, 1776, Philadelphia, 56 misfits, rebels, and freedom fighters all filled a small room with the intent to form a new nation. They pledged their lives, their honor, and their futures on one simple idea: that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As these ideas were put forth on paper, it was clear to the Founders that governments are instituted among men to preserve those rights. In that hot room, these 56 men put together the first foundation of our government, declaring independence from King George III. From July 4, 1776, forward, the term ``independence'' has defined America. After 7 long, grueling years of war, America gained that independence. So Tuesday, as Americans across the Nation watch parades packed with patriotic red, white, and blue and families gather for picnics, hot dogs, barbecue, and fireworks, all small towns and big towns throughout the country will remember and pay tribute to our Founders who instilled those three principles in our government: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Stars and Stripes are forever. Happy birthday, America. Happy Fourth of July. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate South Korean President Moon Jae-in on his recent election. He will be visiting the U.S. this week and I'd like to be among the first to extend a hand of welcome. South Korea is one of the United States' most critical allies. Not only do our two nations share a thriving economic partnership, but we cooperate closely on some of the most important security threats facing our world. South Korea's neighbor to the North is one of these threats. Little Kim is no friend to the United states and he is no friend to the Republic of Korea. I look forward to seeing how President Moon and the Trump Administration use this opportunity to deepen our friendship and further our economic and security cooperation. The U.S.-ROK alliance was forged in blood and continues under our shared commitment to democratic principles. Working together, we can combat the forces of evil in this world. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot. We hear every day about healthcare. This is a healthcare bill. It is for the health of Americans, the physical health of people, so that they have the right to good health, health that is sometimes prevented by those people who are foreign nationals that commit crimes in the U.S., go to prison, get deported, go back, come back to the U.S., and commit another crime. It is a healthcare bill. And I would hope that our friends on the other side would vote for at least one healthcare bill this year, and this is that bill. The idea that a person could commit a crime in this country, get deported, come back, commit more crimes back and forth across the border, as we have heard, and continue to do it with lawlessness and arrogance is nonsense because the law is not enforced. Our cities talk about the immigrant communities that live there. I live in Houston, Texas. This bill helps protect the immigrant population. We have got MS-13 gangs, criminal gangs, who come to the U.S. They set up shop in our immigrant communities, they terrorize those communities, and they do it with lawlessness because they believe, if they ever get caught, they will eventually be able to come back into the United States and continue their wicked ways. This bill helps prevent that. If cities do not want to protect their immigrant communities, and law enforcement does not want to help enforce the law, then those communities shouldn't get Federal funds for law enforcement. That is what these two bills do. So I would hope Members of Congress would understand the importance that this bill deals with criminal aliens that run through the United States committing crimes, get deported, and continue to come back. This legislation helps us, all together, to protect the American health of everybody--those people who live in big cities and those people who live in small cities. It is a bill that protects the people who live in the United States and makes them healthier because we make sure that those people, who want us to be unhealthy by their criminal violent acts, are not in the United States. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have always thought that people from Texas should get more time because we talk slower, and might even think slower. But, anyway, I appreciate the 12 minutes, and I will use it. Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor, and other Members are cosponsors, of a bill that will provide expedited visa protection and processing for Christians and Yazidi refugees from the Middle East. They are targets of genocide in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, and Libya, and we hope to expedite visas for those people who are trying to flee religious persecution. Hopefully, the President of the United States will address the issues of human rights violations in Vietnam. Members of Congress, including myself, have asked the President to address this when he deals with the country of Vietnam. And, of course, there is other legislation sponsored by Mr. Trent Franks from Arizona which calls upon the U.S. to use its influence in the United Nations to condemn the ongoing sexual violence against women and children of religious faith. These young women and girls are being sexually assaulted because of their religious faith or their religious beliefs. A lot of that is being done by ISIS. Mr. Speaker, just a couple of other things. Watchdog groups report that each month 332 Christians are killed by their faith and 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed. Of course Christians, like other religious minorities, have been persecuted for years. A little history is in order here, Mr. Speaker. In this country, we have religious freedom. We are a nation that believes that all people should have religious freedom. When our Forefathers got together and they declared independence from Great Britain, which we will celebrate next Tuesday, and they got together and they wrote the Constitution, they added 10 Amendments to the Constitution. The First Amendment of the Constitution is not first by accident. It is first because it is the most important of all rights, and there are five rights in the First Amendment. The first right in the First Amendment is the most important right. Here is what it is, and I will read just a portion of the Constitution, Mr. Speaker: ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'' Religious freedom is the number one right of Americans. It doesn't just say to believe what you want to believe. It says you have the right to practice it, to get out there and practice it, even in public, number one. Number two, ``Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress. . . .'' There are five rights in the First Amendment. The first one: religious freedom. Many, many people came to this new world seeking religious freedom. That is why they came here, primarily Christian religious freedom. They were being persecuted in Europe. They came to the United States and made sure that we do not persecute people of religious faith. The opposite is true. It is a right. I feel very strongly, as I think most people do, that it is the first right, and it is the most important right. And it is a human right. It is not just a right for Americans. It is a right for all people. People in Syria, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, and all those countries I mentioned, those people--who we don't know who they are--have the right, the human right, of religious freedom. That is a basic right of all people everywhere. I hope that we as a people encourage other people and governments throughout the world: Let folks worship the way they want to worship because it is a human right, and, I believe, that we have gotten it from the Almighty. And the last thing I would comment on is we need to be careful in this country that we don't end up persecuting by legislation or by the judiciary, infringing upon the First Amendment, the first right, of the free exercise of religion. That is a story for another day, Mr. Speaker. So, as we get close to the Fourth of July, the Declaration of Independence--our ancestors got together and said they wanted freedom, and they pledged to themselves and to others their sacred honor. Many of them lost everything, the war between us and England, the biggest and most powerful empire that had ever existed. It took over 7 years, but it was worth it. That is why the Fourth of July is important, because it is a declaration of independence. And it is also, as Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence, a statement of human rights--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments are instituted among men to secure those rights. Mr. Speaker, on the Fourth of July, we need to remember our country, remember the people who lived here and gave us this country, and it is our job to make sure we keep it. And that is just the way it is. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, tonight I want to talk about persecution, worldwide, of people of the Christian faith. We don't hear much about Christian persecution through world media, and I think it is important that Americans understand that persecution of minority religious groups throughout the world continues, and especially continues against Christians. Each month, Mr. Speaker, 332 Christians are killed, 214 churches are destroyed, and 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians. Once again, every month, 332 Christians are killed, 214 churches are destroyed, and 772 forms of violence are committed against individuals of the Christian faith. In 2013, Christians faced persecution in 102 out of 190 countries. For the second year in a row, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the entire world. In 2016, 90,000 Christians were killed for their faith worldwide. In 2016, roughly 600 million people were prevented from practicing their faith through intimidation, forced conversions, bodily harm, or even death. Many Christians are brutally murdered simply for their belief in Jesus. Oppression is not limited to Christians worldwide. Religious minorities throughout the world are restricted in their practices or persecuted for their beliefs. Eighty-two countries, worldwide, require people in minority religious groups in that country to register with the government, while 99 countries restrict their practicing of religion. Here are the top 10 Christian persecution countries in the world. It is no surprise that North Korea is number one on the hit list that wants to punish and persecute Christians. Little Kim takes delight in torturing people, especially people of religious beliefs, including Christians. Christians are often sent to prison camps for just owning a Bible. Those Bibles are smuggled in through other countries, but generally they come from South Korea. Approximately 80,000 to 120,000 are imprisoned in labor camps for their religious beliefs. That is 80,000 to 120,000 people are in prison camps, labor camps, because of their religion in little Kim's dictatorship of North Korea. So, number one is North Korea. I will give you the other nine, Mr. Speaker. Somalia is number two; number three is Afghanistan; Pakistan is number four; Sudan is number five. Of the 10 worst countries for Christian persecution, number six, no surprise, is Syria. Iraq is number seven; Iran is number eight; Yemen is number nine; and Eritrea is number 10 of the top 10 countries that persecute Christians for simply believing in the Christian faith. The Pew Research Council says 95 percent of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa have instances of government harassment or use of force against religious groups; 75 percent had instances of government harassment against even Muslims, people that believe differently than the government faith. In Asia, there has been an uptick in persecution by governments in Islamic extremism. Christians in this region are targeted by national religious movements--the Muslim, the Hindu, and the Buddhist--in countries like Pakistan, India, and Myanmar. Christians around the world routinely face blasphemy laws for simply speaking about their faith. A country that I haven't mentioned yet is Communist Vietnam. Yes, Mr. Speaker, whether we leave off that phrase Communist Vietnam, they are still a communist country, an atheistic country. New laws led by the government punish anyone who dares to practice their religion or speak out against the authoritarian regime. New laws are being used to crack down on citizens' basic human right of the right to believe and practice their religion. New rounds of arrests this year are proof. Human Rights Watch says 110 people are prisoners of conscience or imprisoned in harsh conditions after unfair trials. These prisoners are not criminals, but the government thinks they are criminals because they practice their religion. They are advocates for human rights and social justice. They are pastors and priests. They are in jail for believing in the Almighty. Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh has been in prison in Vietnam since 2011. Mr. Speaker, I might add here that prisons in Vietnam haven't changed much over the years. It is still a Communist country, and when you go to jail in Vietnam, you are in a prison like no other. Those prisons still exist, and they house people because the government puts people of Christian faith in jail. Pastor Nguyen has been tortured and beaten. He has no contact with his family. They give him food, and they make fun of him because in the food they give him, they break up glass and put the glass in that food. He is being held in solitary confinement, and all because he took a stand for Christianity and he told officials--and he told officials from the United States--about his treatment in jail. The security officials not only give him physical torture, they give him mental torture as well. His wife has also suffered for her faith. Last year, she was beaten and jailed while peacefully campaigning for religious freedom. You see, Mr. Speaker, when they go out in Vietnam and advocate the human right of religious freedom, the Government of Vietnam persecutes them for that--beats them, tortures them, and puts them in jail. Americans need to be aware of what is taking place in this country and others. His wife suffered for her faith, but she continued to preach the word even against this evil injustice. Even to this day, the Vietnamese Communists harass her as well as her husband who is incarcerated. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim majority nation. But there are communities of Hindus and Christians and Buddhists. These three groups of religious individuals are persecuted because they are not the faith of the government. There is an alarming shift in tolerance. Indonesia used to claim and be, to some extent, tolerant of other religious faiths other than the Muslim faith. They were proud of that. But there is a shift in the government to not tolerate religious minorities. Recently, the governor of Jakarta was sentenced to prison for 2 years for blasphemy against the Muslim faith. His charge is based on statements the governor made about the Koran that were seen as offensive to Islam, therefore offensive to the government, and there he goes, off to jail in Indonesia. Religious tolerance and free speech is being lost, while in Indonesia hard line Islamic forces are encouraging this persecution. Pakistan. Pakistan is a country I have talked about frequently on this House floor, but Pakistan churches have been bombed and people have been killed. In one town, a 14-year-old Christian boy, because he was a Christian, was beaten and set on fire. Persecution of the young. Persecution of the elderly. All because of their religious faith. In Pakistan, Pakistan not only persecutes Christians, they persecute other Muslims who don't agree with the government position on Islam, including the Murji'ah. In the Middle East, Egypt has recently come under scrutiny because of the increase in attacks from Islamic extremists who target Christians. In May, gunmen forced Coptic Christian pilgrims from buses, took them out of the buses, and executed 28 of them because they were Coptic Christians. Palm Sunday this year, twin bombings on Christian churches in Egypt killed almost 50 people. A man cloaked in explosives snuck through security and detonated his bomb, killing 28 and wounding 70. At the same time, another suicide bomber attacked St. Mark's Church in Alexandria, Egypt, killing another 17 people, and injuring scores more. Over a 3-day period in 2013, Coptic Christians experienced the worst attack against their churches in 700 years in Egypt. Forty churches were destroyed, and more than 100 other sites were severely damaged. One boy was beaten to death for wearing a cross around his neck. He is walking down the street, he has got a cross around his neck, and, lo and behold, he is attacked, beaten to death because of his religious belief. Tens of thousands of Coptic Christians have fled the country. Well, no kidding. They are leaving because their lives depend on it. ISIS has decimated ancient Christian communities in the Middle East as well. We have this issue of governments persecuting Christians or allowing persecution to exist. But alongside this, we have this terrorist group ISIS that it is part of their mission wherever they are in the world to kill people who don't agree with their religion. And, of course, that includes Christians as well. In Iraq, before there was ISIS, there were approximately 300,000 Christians who lived in Iraq. No one knows how many remain today, but hundreds of thousands have left the country or been killed. In Mosul, for example, 10 years ago, about 35,000 Christians lived in Mosul--10 years ago. Now there are 20, maybe 30 Christians. They have been killed, tortured, or fled the country. ISIS' campaign to destroy historic sites and monuments of Christians is now something that the world media is talking about. ISIS destroyed the monastery of St. Elijah outside Mosul. This monastery stood there in Mosul for 1,400 years, and here comes the terrorist group ISIS that tears it down because it is a site where Christians practiced Christianity. ISIS has been so fervent in their killing of Christians that this House even passed legislation stating that ISIS is committing genocide against Christians. And they are. So you got ISIS in different parts of the world. One of their goals is to kill religious folks who disagree with them, especially Christians. And to some extent, they have been very successful at that. When we talk about destroying and eliminating ISIS, we need to remember that we will eliminate their genocide against Christians as well, if we destroy ISIS. In Iran, Open Doors USA ranked the persecution level of Christians in Iran as extreme. Religious police move about the city kind of like the Gestapo, and when they suspect Christians are gathering for worship, they raid the homes, arrest the leaders, and destroy Bibles. That is what the religious police, the Gestapo police as I call them, in Iran do. Iranians who come to study in the United States and become a Christian, they can't go back to Iran. They go back to Iran, Iran puts them in jail, and they suddenly disappear. Converts to Christianity face charges of apostasy and possible death sentences if they ever return. People who become Christians in Iran, who make that choice as a believer, also know that their days are numbered in Iran if the religious police catch them. In Libya, the Islamic State captured and beheaded 21 people because they were Christians. I don't think that we should be insensitive to this act of beheading folks altogether because of their religious faith. We shouldn't be insensitive because it continues on in Libya as well. In Libya, where they murdered the 21 people, the victims' families wanted to build a church in their honor. Well, as they were building the church, they were beaten by people who were of the Muslim faith to make sure that that church did not exist. And that is Libya. In Syria, the head of the Franciscans in the Middle East has reported that of the 4,000 inhabitants of the village of Ghassanieh, no more than 10 people remain in that town, and they have been killed by Assad's thugs and the militant groups like ISIS. Christians have really got it bad in Syria because everybody is after them. You got ISIS that is after them, and then you got Assad the dictator, the brutal dictator, he kills them as well. Moving on, I want to mention Russia. Russia seems to be something everybody wants to talk about. Why don't we talk about Russia and what they are doing to Christians today. I went to the Soviet Union back in the 1980s, when it was the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union persecuted people who were religious at all. I mean, if you owned a Bible, you are going to jail. If you tried to worship, you are going to jail. They constantly did that under the Soviet regime of people of any religious faith. Primarily it was Orthodox Christians, and it was also Jews. The wall came down, and now we have Putin in charge. The world needs to understand that Putin is moving in the direction of persecuting people of religious beliefs just like when he was a member of the KGB under the Soviet Union. Putin. I call him the Napoleon of Siberia. So what are they doing? Well, they are starting out with laws requiring missionaries to have a permit, and they make house churches illegal. What is a house church? A house church is where two or three are gathered together in a house in the Lord's name and try to worship. You can't do that. That is against the law. If you are going to worship, you have to get a permit to worship in a structured building, and only certain religious groups get a permit to even practice any religion. That is difficult in itself. So you have to be in a structured building approved by the government, and that particular denomination or religious faith has to have a permit to do so. If you are in Russia, you cannot practice religion online. You know, that online happens all over the world except if you are in Russia, you are not going to be able to promote any type of religion or you are going to jail. This is the greatest threat to Christianity in Russia since the Soviet days. We haven't heard much about that. We have heard other things, but this is something that we need to be aware of, the persecution of people because of religious faith. One of my daughters recently went to Russia, and she experienced and saw this very thing that I am talking about. No home church worship services, only structured buildings where you have the Russian police watching what takes place. So they are moving in a direction like they were under the Soviet days of persecuting people who have religious faith. Putin is taking Khrushchev's--I am older than you are, Mr. Speaker. I remember when Khrushchev was here. He made the comment when he was the dictator of the Soviet Union that Christianity will never exist in the Soviet Union. It cannot. I don't think it can be legislated out, but Khrushchev was determined to make sure that Christianity and other religious faiths did not exist in the Soviet Union. Of course, I believe it will continue whether or not Christians are persecuted anyway. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have left?

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, over more than 70 years we have developed a strong strategic partnership with India. We have a lot in common when it comes to national security and counterterrorism. But our partnership doesn't end there. Our trade relations have grown increasingly stronger over the years. In 2016, our trade with India totaled nearly $115 billion, making India our largest goods trading partner. Over the past year, we've also been exporting more and more LNG to India. 65 percent of Indians are under 35 and the U.S. has more natural gas than we can use. Trade in energy with India just makes sense. It helps both of us and deepens our bilateral ties. Earlier this month, Secretary Perry approved an LNG export application that will send 1.8 billion cubic feet per day to India: Mr. Speaker, the world's largest democracy and the oldest democracy are natural partners. Our shared values and interests ensure that our strategic partnership of over 70 years will endure. And that's just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to tell Megan's story from her point of view and her beliefs. She was smart, kind, ambitious, and funny. She loved other people. After attending high school in Austin, Texas, she enrolled in the University of Alabama. She had a beautiful life--that is, until she was sexually assaulted in January of 2015. After a night of drinking with her friends, Megan was ready to go home and go to bed. However, a finely dressed young businessman who referred to himself as ``Sweet T'' offered to give her a ride. You see, Mr. Speaker, ``Sweet T'' was from the richest family in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and just so happened to be a big financial backer of that university. Megan didn't remember climbing into his sleek Mercedes, but she woke up at his Southern mansion and knew something was wrong. Megan said she resisted his initial advances and repeatedly told him she wanted to go home. He refused to do so. Instead, he sexually assaulted her, and then he fell off to sleep. She tried to get out of the room, but the door was locked. Desperate to escape, Megan climbed out of the mansion's second-story bedroom window and went to his car looking for her keys. It was there that she discovered a handgun Sweet T had in the car all the time but took it for her safety on her walk home. Doing everything a rape victim should do, she immediately called the police and went to the hospital. But it is here, Mr. Speaker, that the system, she says, started to fail her. The hospital wasn't sufficiently trained in sexual assault procedure and botched the rape kit. Megan then went to the police station to give her statement about what happened to her. But it was there she was treated with disdain and disbelief by Tuscaloosa's police department. After all, Megan was claiming that the son of one of the wealthiest families in Tuscaloosa had raped her. Despite her insistence that she said ``no,'' the police did not believe her. She said they didn't want to believe her. An officer asked her why she didn't punch or kick the rapist. The police thought it must have been consensual since she did not violently resist the attacker, and they moved on. But, Mr. Speaker, rape victims can never move on. It is something they carry with them for the rest of their lives. The scars left by the rape do not fade away for victims. Mr. Speaker, I was a prosecutor and judge in Texas for over 30 years. I met a lot of rape victims, and I learned how these attacks sometimes devastate their lives forever. Sexual assault is a very different type of crime. It rips the identity, the self-worth, and the very soul of the victim apart. It is the victim's belief, in some cases, that it is a fate worse than death. It is easy to second-guess what someone should or should not have done after emotional trauma of sexual assault, but Megan believed she did everything a rape victim is supposed to do: She sought help, but she found none. The university failed her. The counselor assigned to her knew of the rapist's family name, so the university wouldn't give her any assistance and provided no other counselor. Megan was dismissed, ignored, blamed, and forgotten. In the months following the sexual assault, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She was so depressed, she left the school and returned to Texas. Still feeling like there was no way to escape her pain, Megan took her life. Rape, Mr. Speaker, is never the fault of the victim. She deserved better. Now, I don't know whether the perpetrator in this case is guilty or not. I am giving you Megan's point of view. But what Megan believed was that she was failed by the hospital, law enforcement, and the University of Alabama. This past February before her death, Megan filled out a mental health clinic intake form at her new school, Southern Methodist University. One question asked if there had been any major losses, changes, or crises in her life. She wrote: ``Raped, bullied by police, and I changed university.'' Mr. Speaker, it is important and it is imperative that we understand victims of sexual assault. She got the death penalty for being the victim of sexual assault. She is not here to tell her story today, and I am telling it for her. And that is just the way it is.

Mr. POE of Texas

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the day that Osama bin Laden, the world's number one terrorist, met his maker was a great day in the war on terror. But finding America's most wanted terrorist hiding in Pakistan was no easy feat. Pakistani Dr. Afridi worked with our CIA to help determine and confirm Osama's hiding place in Pakistan by using DNA evidence. But after Osama bin Laden was killed, Pakistan threw Dr. Afridi in jail. Why? Because he helped the United States find Osama bin Laden. Pakistan claims to be United States' number one counterterrorism ally, yet they hypocritically hold this hero in a Pakistani prison. Pakistan is no friend of the United States. They are on the wrong side on the war on terror. Pakistan hid Osama bin Laden from the world. Dr. Afridi deserves a medal for aiding the elimination of Osama bin Laden, not life in prison. Pakistan should free him, and it is time to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism. And that is just the way it is.