Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Officer Verna Gay, who was recently named Officer of the Third Quarter of 2015 of my hometown Village of Pinecrest Police Department. During one particular incident earlier this year, Verna showed brilliant situational awareness in helping to investigate the burglary of a local business. Responding to the scene as a backup, Verna's proactive efforts led to the capture and arrest of two subjects who were involved in the crime. I commend Officer Gay for her impressive actions in support of the safety of the people of my hometown, the Village of Pinecrest. Verna's continued dedication and service help make sure our hometown remains a safe place in which to live, raise a family, and conduct business. Congratulations once again to Officer Verna Gay on this well-deserved honor.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, Monday, November 9, marks the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the event that would foreshadow the crimes against humanity that the Nazis would commit against 6 million Jews and other religious and ethnic minorities. Inspired by incitement from the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, regime members, and party loyalists issued orders to local officials to target and attack the Jewish community. Often disguised in plain clothes to perpetuate the false narrative that these were spontaneous attacks and the expression of the public sentiment toward the Jews, the pogroms of Kristallnacht had an immediate and chilling impact. Mr. Speaker, mobs roamed the streets freely attacking Jews in their houses, destroying their businesses, and forcing them to perform public acts of humiliation. Nearly 300 synagogues were destroyed while Jewish artifacts and archives were confiscated. Approximately 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses and shops were vandalized and looted; and to add to the disgrace and punishment of having their livelihoods taken from them and destroyed, the Jews were blamed for the events of Kristallnacht, and they were fined for damages--the then equivalent of $400 million. Over 30,000 Jews were arrested and then transferred to some of the Nazi's most gruesome and notorious concentration camp sites during the events of Kristallnacht. Nearly 100 Jews were killed on the night of November 9, 1938, and into the morning the next day. Yet, Mr. Speaker, this was only the beginning. Facing little public backlash, the Nazi regime took the events of Kristallnacht as a signal of support for their cruel treatment of the Jewish community and quickly imposed restrictions against the Jews that would lead up to the Holocaust. Mr. Speaker, Kristallnacht is a solemn reminder of what can happen when people allow anti-Semitism, incitement, and hatred to carry on unabated. Kristallnacht was the manifestation of fear and scapegoating and was not only allowed to take place, but was the direct result of a people's indifference to the hatred of a religious minority. And indifference is, indeed, all that is needed for evil to take root, for evil to expand. That is precisely why we must commemorate these tragic events that mar our collective past and that mark one of humanity's darkest periods, and why we must rededicate ourselves to the vow of: ``Never again.'' This is particularly important in today's environment, as Israel finds itself plagued by a new round of terror and violence that has been spurred upon by incitement and anti-Israel indoctrination from the Palestinian authority and its so-called leaders. In the past month and a half, there have been nearly 60 random knife attacks against Israeli citizens, five shootings, and six car rammings. Yet, where is the condemnation from the international community? Instead of speaking out against these attacks, the United Nations Human Rights Council invited Abu Mazen, and he used his platforms to spew out his harmful and inciting rhetoric. Responsible nations must condemn, not ignore, Abu Mazen's words and his actions. Last month, Secretary Kerry said that leaders need to lead; and, this week, this body stood up and said enough is enough. The House passed a resolution I offered, alongside my south Florida colleague, Congressman Ted Deutch, that condemned the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attacks from within the Palestinian authority. The House also passed a resolution that encouraged our government to do more in the fight against anti-Semitism and to work more closely with the governments of Europe to step up their efforts to battle the alarming rise of anti-Semitism across the continent. And we need to do more at home, especially on our college campuses. Too often, Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism is being disguised as an anti- Israel political attack, manifested primarily through the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, the BDS movement. We have a moral obligation to stand up against these acts.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to support the Step Forward to Cure TSC 5K Walk taking place at Florida International University's main campus, my alma mater, on Saturday, November 14. Tuberous sclerosis complex, or TSC, is a rare genetic disease with no known cure that causes uncontrolled tumor growth. I know of one young man from our community, Max Lucca, who was diagnosed with TSC when he was only 2 weeks old. Because of the love and care provided by his parents, doctors, and nurses, he has thrived, in spite of constant health challenges. The walk's theme this year is ``Super Heroes,'' and Max Lucca is, indeed, a super hero. I encourage all south Floridians to walk to help find a care for TSC, to benefit young super heroes across the country just like Max Lucca.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, this Monday, November 9, marks the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass. The Greater Miami Jewish Federation will be commemorating this tragic and horrible event with a community rally on Sunday, November 15, at 4 p.m., at the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach. Kristallnacht marked the beginning of one of humanity's darkest periods: the Holocaust. It serves as a solemn reminder of what can happen when people allow anti-Semitism, incitement to violence, and hatred to carry on unabated. What happened on Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass? 267 synagogues were destroyed. 7,500 Jewish-opened businesses were looted and were vandalized. Up to 30,000 Jews were arrested. Almost 100 Jews were killed, not to mention the untold number of violent attacks that took place that night. And the brutality and inhumanity only got worse from there, as Nazis would go on to murder 6 million Jews over the next few years because they were members of the Jewish faith. I plan on joining the Greater Miami Jewish Federation on Sunday, November 15, to stand united with our community to vow never again. Honoring the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Kendall and Coral Gables

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Kendall and Coral Gables for supporting individuals who are suffering from these diseases in South Florida. The stigma that surrounds depression and bipolar disorder is not only unfair, but it discourages people from seeking the help that they so desperately need. In the United States alone, depression impacts 21 million adults. It costs $23 billion in lost work productivity. Depression impacts our families, our coworkers, our neighbors, our friends. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Kendall and Coral Gables is a unique, peer-directed organization that pairs those afflicted with depression with role models who have been down that road before to help them regain stability and focus. I want to thank everyone involved with the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Kendall and Coral Gables for being valuable members of our community and for the important and inspiring work that each staff member and professional does.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the esteemed chairman of our full committee, Chairman Royce, and Ranking Member Engel, who is before us today, for their leadership and for helping us to mark up and vote on this resolution at the subcommittee and at the full committee, thereby landing us right here on the floor this afternoon. I would also like to thank my friend and dear south Florida colleague, ranking member of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, Mr. Deutch, for joining me in introducing this important resolution condemning the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement from within the Palestinian Authority. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, as we have seen over the past 2 months in Israel, violence and terror are on the rise, and hardly a day goes by when we don't hear about yet another attack against innocent Israelis. Since the most recent round of attacks began on the Jewish New Year in mid-September, there have been nearly 60 stabbing attacks, 5 shootings, and 6 car-ramming attacks, resulting in 10 deaths and scores more injured. Let me repeat that again, Mr. Speaker: 60 stabbing attacks, 5 shootings, and 6 car-ramming attacks, resulting in 10 deaths and many people injured, not to mention the psychological toll that these acts of terror have taken on Israelis. Today--today--Mr. Speaker, there were two separate stabbing attacks in two different cities. An 80-year-old woman was among the victims, showing that these random attacks can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. When Israeli citizens cannot walk out of their homes to go to work or they cannot walk out of their homes to go to the grocery store for fear of yet another terrorist attack, we must hold the Palestinian leadership accountable for its incitement and its unwillingness to ease tensions in the region. The resolution before us, Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 293, unfortunately is the consequence of the continued failure of the Palestinian leadership. Instead of working toward achieving lasting peace with Israel, what is Abu Mazen, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, doing? He is undermining the peace process. Instead of encouraging the Palestinian people and leading them toward a better future, Abu Mazen's divisive actions are tearing the Palestinians apart, leading them into despair, into hatred, into violence. Instead of calling for an emergency meeting with Palestinian leaders to discuss a way to walk back the rhetoric, a way to calm the tensions, no, Abu Mazen called for an emergency meeting at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the preferred platform to spew anti-Israel hatred. Why? In an effort to delegitimize the Jewish state where he further fanned the flames of violence once again, as he has been doing, Mr. Speaker, since he assumed leadership. Already the perpetrators of these acts of terror are being glorified--yes, glorified--hailed as heroes, hailed as martyrs. Last week, in fact, the Palestinian Authority named a street after a Palestinian terrorist. What did that person do? He fatally stabbed two innocent Israelis in Jerusalem. But where is the world's condemnation of this? What is the response from the international community? Silence. Too often we see attempts to place this false moral equivalence between the Israelis' actions and the Palestinians' because too many are unwilling to accept the truth, and that is that the Palestinian leadership is the problem, not the solution, to the peace process. We cannot allow Abu Mazen's words and Abu Mazen's actions to continue to go unpunished because, as we have seen over the past month and a half, they have consequences and innocent people have died. Today, Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to send a clear message to Abu Mazen, that his words and actions are unacceptable, that we condemn these actions, and that we hold the Palestinian Authority responsible for inciting these recent acts of terror against Israeli citizens. Palestinian leaders have been indoctrinating the Palestinian people with incitement against Israel for generations, and that is not something that is easily reversed. But by passing this resolution tonight, Mr. Speaker, we are sending a message to the Palestinian leader that this behavior will not be tolerated and it will not be unaddressed. This is an opportunity to start to hold Abu Mazen and the PA accountable for their words, accountable for their deadly actions. I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning anti-Israel and anti- Semitic incitement in all of its forms. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), who is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 293) expressing concern over anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement within the Palestinian Authority, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), who is a member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the chairman of our committee, Mr. Royce, for his help in bringing this resolution to the floor after the markup in the subcommittee and the full committee. I want to thank Mr. Engel for his steadfast support of doing everything that is humanly possible to support efforts in getting peace in the Middle East and his support for the democratic Jewish state of Israel. I want to thank Mr. Deutch, who is my partner on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee. He has been a person who understands the many obstacles to peace that the Palestinians encounter because of their failed leadership, and the responsibility lies in that leadership. I have had the opportunity to travel to Israel with Mr. Deutch, and I am very thankful for his friendship and for his guidance. I also want to thank Mr. Poe and Mr. Zeldin--valued members of our Committee on Foreign Affairs--for their perspectives on how to reach peace, because, when all is said and done, this is what this resolution is all about. We are condemning the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement to violence by the Palestinian Authority, but we do so because this is antithetical to the cause of peace, which is what this body is all about and what the United States' foreign policy is based on in the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Salmon). He is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and the author of this important measure.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the chairman of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, Congressman Matt Salmon, for introducing this important resolution. Taiwan is indeed a strong ally of the United States, one which shares our interests and values, including an enduring commitment to democracy and the freedom of expression. Taiwan is a beacon of freedom in the Pacific, serving as an inspiration for the world's oppressed, and it serves as a model for future democratic transitions. Unfortunately, however, Taiwan is under increasing pressure from an aggressive China that is attempting to assert its dominance in the Pacific and to isolate Taiwan on the international stage. One organization that China has prevented Taiwan from joining is INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization. INTERPOL was created, Mr. Speaker, to promote international cooperation between criminal police authorities; but because of undue Chinese pressure, Taiwan is no longer a member of INTERPOL. Taiwan is forced to receive less effective, secondhand information about international criminals and their illicit activities. Likewise, Taiwan cannot share the law enforcement information that it gathers in order to benefit INTERPOL. In China's efforts to exclude Taiwan and in the efforts of some nations to accommodate China, they have ended up hurting Taiwan and the entire international community in the process. So we have this bill before us, Mr. Speaker. This bill by Congressman Salmon directs the President to request observer status for Taiwan at INTERPOL, to urge other INTERPOL members to support it, and for the President to develop a strategy to ensure the participation of Taiwan. I am pleased to support this legislation. I believe that the United States should be helping Taiwan's meaningful participation in all international organizations and entities in which it has expressed an interest in participating. Taiwan's exclusion from organizations like INTERPOL is dangerous. It is a dangerous practice. It hurts the international community just as much as it hurts the people of Taiwan. We must not allow U.N. politics or China's efforts to isolate Taiwan to exclude it from international organizations. It is, therefore, crucial that the United States provide the kind of military assistance, economic assistance, and political assistance that will allow Taiwan to resist any type of Chinese coercion. The Taiwan Relations Act, together with the Six Assurances are the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and we must always keep it as our guiding beacon. I know that this is a sentiment that is greatly shared by the members of our Foreign Affairs Committee and by the chairman of our committee, Mr. Royce of California, because the friendship between the people of the United States and Taiwan has cemented into one of the most cherished partnerships. I look forward to the United States Government demonstrating its continued commitment to the people of Taiwan with the passage of Mr. Salmon's bill. I want to thank, again, Chairman Salmon for introducing this important resolution. I am pleased to offer my support, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to Mr. Salmon, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the esteemed chairman of our committee, who is here with us now, manage the rest of the bill.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1853) to direct the President to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization, and for other purposes.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this bill.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to lend my support to the Miami Walk to End Alzheimer's, and I urge my fellow south Floridians to come out to Museum Park in downtown Miami this Saturday, November 7, to help advance Alzheimer's support, care, and research in our community and, indeed, across our great Nation. Alzheimer's is a growing problem in Florida, with over half a million seniors impacted. And it is not just patients who suffer. Family members and caregivers, too, often bear the brunt of this tragic and emotionally draining disease. I know this personally, having lost my mother to complications from Alzheimer's on January 28, 2011. Please consider taking a few hours out of your weekend to benefit Alzheimer's awareness and research for south Florida's elderly and the families who support and love them.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Mr. Smith's bill, House Resolution 354, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe. I was an original cosponsor of this resolution. I want to highlight the work of my good friend and colleague, Chris Smith, for his leadership on this issue and, indeed, for his tireless efforts to fight anti-Semitism and support international religious freedom. I would also like to thank our fellow co-chairs of the congressional Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism for demonstrating their leadership on this issue in Congress and for raising the level of awareness and dialogue within our body related to global anti-Semitism. In recent years, Mr. Speaker, the protection and the promotion of these values have moved from being part and parcel of our foreign policy objective to not even ranking as one of our top priorities. It is time. It is way past time that we make respect for human rights and the protection of religious and ethnic minorities a top priority for our foreign policy objectives and show real leadership and show that we have the will and the moral imperative to promote our values across the world. The terror group ISIL is rising in the Middle East. It is seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate. It wants to wipe out the region's religious minorities of all kinds and anyone who does not adhere to its radical brand of Islam. This, along with an alarming rise in anti-Semitism in Europe and other attacks on religious freedom across the globe, underscores why Mr. Smith's measure before us today is so timely, is so important. It urges our government to work with European governments and law enforcement agencies in order to help them fight the rise of anti- Semitism across the continent and to make combating anti-Semitism part of our government's broader policy of promoting international religious freedom. Europe is at the dawn of a lamentably repeated and dangerous era, one of anti-Semitism, often masked through a political anti-Israel stance. If we don't move to act now, Mr. Speaker, we may see more deadly attacks, like the murder of four Jews in a kosher supermarket in Paris earlier this year. We in the United States must be at the forefront, leading the effort, helping other nations develop a more comprehensive approach to confronting the rising anti-Semitism problem. This measure before us today establishes a good framework in moving forward.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the task force members, of which I am humbled to be just a small part, Congresspersons Chris Smith, Kay Granger, Peter Roskam, Eliot Engel, Nita Lowey, Ted Deutch, and Steve Israel, all of us working together to highlight the spread of anti-Semitism and steps we must take to stem this tide. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution brought forth by the gentleman from New Jersey. I thank all of the Members who have worked on the task force to bring this forward.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, for years, I have been pushing for the United States to reexamine its relationship with UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. UNRWA employs individuals affiliated with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that openly and loudly incites violence against Israel; yet the United States--which means the U.S. taxpayer--sends nearly $300 million a year to this organization, to UNRWA without questioning, without scrutiny. Just last week, the U.N. quietly suspended several individuals after allegations of incitement were brought forth from the NGO U.N. Watch. And we thank U.N. Watch for carefully looking over this organization. These allegations, Mr. Speaker, are just the tip of the iceberg. We must not continue to send taxpayer dollars to UNRWA--again, that is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency--and, subsequently, to individuals tied to the terror group Hamas in violation of our laws. That is why, Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I reintroduced my bill that would stop all U.S. contributions to UNRWA until the organization purges its payroll of individuals who incite violence against Israel and until that organization ends all its affiliations with Hamas. Is that really too much to ask, that we should demand that before U.N. agencies get one penny of U.S. taxpayer money that they must not incite violence and that they must no longer affiliate themselves with a U.S.- designated terrorist organization? So I urge my colleagues to support this measure, to sign on as cosponsors, and to lead in the effort to fight the incitement to violence against Israel. Honoring Jacinto Acebal

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary south Floridian and one of the most highly decorated veterans of the Vietnam war, my dear friend Jacinto Acebal. Just last January, Mr. Acebal--or ``Ace,'' as we all call him--was diagnosed with larynx cancer. The news hit Ace like a ton of bricks; and, like so many others diagnosed with this horrible disease, the chances of a favorable outcome looked disheartening. However, no stranger to tough situations, Ace made a commitment to his family that he was not going without a fight. After a total of 8 chemotherapy sessions, 33 radiation treatments, and 3 different surgeries, Ace is no longer bedridden and has been declared cancer- free. So I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Jacinto ``Ace'' Acebal on this incredible milestone and wishing him many years of good health throughout his life.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge south Floridians to run or walk this Sunday, November 1, to support the Cristina M. Gomez Traumatic Brain Injury Foundation--TBI Foundation--at its first annual Cristina Gomez 5K Run/Walk at Miami Executive Airport. Cristina was a senior majoring in education at my alma mater, Florida International University, when she suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling while out on a run. While her family is encouraged by Cristina's slow, but steady, recovery, she still requires 24/7 care, and her continuing treatment is not fully covered by insurance, concerns that they share with many other families. As a result, proceeds from Sunday's event will help ensure that other traumatic brain injury victims and their families in our community receive the emotional and the financial support they need to keep hope alive. Registration is online now at cristinagomezfoundation.org.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Coral Gables native Major Greg Truitt on his retirement from the Miami-Dade Police Department. Starting off as a rookie corrections officer in his early twenties, Greg has held many roles throughout his 40 years in law enforcement before retiring as Commander of the Village of Palmetto Bay's Policing Unit. The mayor and city manager of Palmetto Bay are here in D.C. today to help honor his years of service and to join me in wishing Major Truitt good health, happiness, and all the best in the years ahead. Major Truitt's profound leadership and commitment to south Florida have allowed him to shape the lives of countless individuals throughout his impressive career. Greg has shown that there is no greater reward than the satisfaction of serving one's fellow neighbor. For having embraced this most noble of endeavors with such lofty principles, I thank him so very much. Not one to rest on his laurels since his retirement, Greg continues to volunteer his time to serve our community through his church, the Boy Scouts of America, and as a police reserve officer with the Miami- Dade Police Department. Godspeed to Greg Truitt.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the United States and Israel share the same principles and values: fundamental ideas like freedom, democracy, respect for the rule of law, and human rights. Our nations also share, sadly, the same security concerns, like fighting terrorism and seeing stability in the Middle East, two issues that seemingly grow worse for the entire region day by day, but especially for Israel. Many of the recent tragic terror attacks and incidents of violence in Israel have been incited by both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, with Abu Mazen openly inciting the violence himself. Tomorrow the Foreign Affairs Committee will mark up a resolution that I introduced alongside my south Florida colleague, Congressman Ted Deutch, which condemns the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement by Abu Mazen and the Palestinian Authority. When Israeli citizens cannot walk out of their homes to go safely to work or to go to the grocery store for fear of another terrorist attack, we must hold the Palestinian leadership accountable. Abu Mazen is also threatening Israel at the United Nations, where he seeks to delegitimize Israel and seeks unilateral Palestinian statehood. Just last month, Abu Mazen told the U.N. General Assembly that Palestinians would not abide by past agreements, proving, once again, that he is no partner for peace. This morning a maneuver was foiled at UNESCO when the P.A. attempted to include incendiary text in a resolution that claimed the Western Wall was part of a Muslim holy site; and, next week, Abu Mazen is scheduled to speak at a special meeting at the U.N. Human Rights Council. You have got to be kidding: Abu Mazen speaking at a Human Rights Council. President Obama must hold Abu Mazen accountable instead of continuing to give him a pass for his actions and show that actions have consequences. But these aren't the only challenges that Israel faces. In addition to the terror inside Israel, it remains surrounded by threats like ISIL, Iran, Syria, challenges that are shared by the United States. The Iran deal is riddled with loopholes, with ambiguities, and with outright dangerous provisions, including a sunset clause that paves the way for a nuclear-armed Iran in as little as 15 years--just bide the time. It also includes the lifting of the arms embargo against Iran and the lifting of sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program. In addition, the Iran deal releases billions of dollars that is allowing the regime to increase its terror financing and helps fulfill its destructive ambitions in the Middle East. For years, Congress, not the administration, has led the charge to push back against Iran and to sanction it through an effective sanctions program that constricts its energy, transportation, and financial sectors. It is now up to Congress to be proactive again, to get out in front of the Iranian deal, and to ensure that the administration holds Iran accountable and will not allow incremental cheating, because it is almost impossible to see this administration scuttling the deal for anything less than a major violation on Iran's part. We need to develop stronger sanctions against Iran for its illicit behavior and ensure that the administration fully enforces the sanctions on the books. While the U.N. resolutions implementing an arms embargo and restricting Iran's ballistic missile program are still in place, Iran is already testing our resolve. It is violating these resolutions. It test-fired a ballistic missile, and it continues to ship arms to Assad and Hezbollah to use against the people of Syria and against Israel. Congress must move to enact additional sanctions against Iran, and we must designate and sanction Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force, because they will be the big winners in this sanctions relief. We must target Hezbollah and Iran's other proxies because you can be sure that, with Hezbollah, it is only a matter of when, not if, it decides to attack Israel. We must ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Hezbollah and from other outside threats. With Iran providing Hezbollah with more advanced rockets and missiles, even with precision-guided systems, Israel is facing an enemy with almost 150,000 rockets pointed at every major city in Israel. Congress needs to get more funding to Israel for its David's Sling system, for its Iron Dome system; and we need to do it sooner, rather than later. Israel is an oasis of freedom in a desert of tyranny, a desert of terror and instability; and it is absolutely vital, Mr. Speaker, that Congress and Israel stand together to face these challenges united. The President won't do it. The Congress must.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, this morning an initiative aimed at delegitimatizing Israel was defeated at UNESCO. Abu Mazen is set to head to the U.N. Human Rights Council for an emergency meeting next week where he will surely spew more of his dangerous rhetoric and even further inflame the tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis. The U.S. has had a clear policy of defending Israel from these biased attacks at the U.N., but recently we have seen perhaps a troubling shift in policy by the current administration. The administration's refusal to stand publicly and firmly with Israel emboldens groups at the U.N. to push forward with these initiatives and undermines longstanding U.S. policy. If the administration won't counter these efforts at the U.N., then Congress must use every tool at our disposal to hold these agencies and Abu Mazen accountable. Mr. Speaker, we must send a clear message to all the member states at the U.N. that Congress stands with Israel and that we will not allow these efforts to continue that seek to undermine the Jewish state, our best ally, and the U.N.