Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) be allowed to control one-half of the time in the affirmative.

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Reform and Modernization Act which I introduced, together with the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, my good friend from California (Mr. Sherman). I would also like to thank the ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from California, for his significant contributions to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, Iran, North Korea, and Syria are key elements in an expanding global proliferation network. North Korea has long been a willing merchant of death for anyone with cash and has played a crucial role in the development of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. But Iran is only one of many customers. In 2010, the U.N. Security Council released a report saying that North Korea continues to market and export its nuclear and ballistic technology. The most prominent example of North Korea's proliferation activities is its construction of the clandestine Syrian nuclear reactor that, thankfully, was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in the year 2007. Reports indicate that the reactor was based on a North Korean model capable of producing plutonium for nuclear weapons and that the project was financed by Iran. But Syria's nuclear ambitions are apparently even greater than suspected. Just last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency reportedly identified a previously unknown nuclear facility in northeastern Syria, indicating that the regime in Damascus may have been pursuing two separate paths to a nuclear weapon, one based on uranium enrichment and the other on reprocessing plutonium. One thing is clear, as with the first nuclear facility, this second one could only have been built with outside help. So it is obvious that once one of these regimes gets its hands on weapons of mass destruction, they will all have access; and then this deadly capacity is certain to spread even further. But the proliferation efforts of North Korea, Iran, and Syria are by no means limited to nuclear weapons. Theirs is an active trade between these countries and advanced conventional weapons as well, including ballistic missiles. In the year 2010, an aircraft loaded with North Korean conventional weapons was intercepted in Thailand, reportedly on its way to Iran in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions of the U.N. And there have been several interdictions of Iranian weapons reportedly destined for Syria. Clearly these represent just the tip of the iceberg. These weapons are not intended to be placed in storage. They will be used against us and against our allies. North Korea has continued to violently assault our ally South Korea, repeatedly attacking its military forces out of the blue and murdering civilians almost at will. And it is throwing vast resources into developing weapons capable of striking U.S. targets, the latest being a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile which could eventually be added to its list of items for sale. We are witnessing the Syrian regime shooting down its own people in the streets. Allowing President Assad and his thugs access to nuclear technology could exponentially multiply his regime's ability to spread destruction far beyond its borders. We know that Iran has no problem striking down innocent people in that country who dare to stand up to the regime. And Tehran continues to be a leading state sponsor of terrorism, providing weapons, money, and support to terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and even al Qaeda. This means that preventing any and every part of this proliferation network from gaining access to the weapons they need to threaten anyone is of utmost importance. Iran, North Korea, and Syria are not just helping each other. Much of the progress they have achieved on the array of weapons programs is thanks to the assistance from other foreign sources. The most recent report of the IAEA on Iran revealed that Iran has been engaged in extensive efforts to develop nuclear weapons and that these efforts include acquiring equipment, materials, and information related to nuclear weapons development. It has stated that Iran has also actively been working on a design for a nuclear weapon, including testing components. Finally, the IAEA report revealed that Iran has received crucial help on its nuclear weapons design from foreign experts. Just 2 weeks ago, on December 2, Russian officials were quoted in news reports admitting that Russia had supplied Syria's Assad with cruise missiles. According to the news reports: ``Israel fears the cruise missiles could fall into the hands of Hezbollah militants in neighboring Lebanon.'' Just think of all of the countries that have been named in these short remarks. China is not far behind, as a recent report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission indicates. The China Commission report emphasizes the enormous damage to U.S. interests being done by China's massive sale of weapons to Iran, including short-range cruise missiles. H.R. 2105 seeks to cut off the supply networks to Iran, to Syria, and to North Korea. It updates and strengthens measures to prevent the proliferation of goods, services, or technology relating to nuclear, biological, chemical, and other advanced weapons, such as ballistic missiles. It expands sanctions on individuals, on businesses, on countries engaged in assisting proliferation, embracing financial transactions, properties, and visas, among many other penalties. It also imposes restrictions on nuclear cooperation with countries that are assisting the nuclear programs of Iran, North Korea, or Syria because no country that is helping an enemy of the United States should receive any help from us. But it is not enough to put these laws on the books. They must be fully implemented and consistently enforced if they are to have the intended effect. I call upon the President to use the tools that Congress is giving to him to stop these countries from spreading their instruments of destruction even further. North Korea has already detonated two nuclear devices. Iran is getting closer to a nuclear weapon every day. Syria is following in its footsteps. Their stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction are growing, as their ballistic missile capabilities are growing. And their arsenals of other advanced weapons are being made available to enemies of the U.S. and its allies. We must act decisively to end this threat before it spreads even further. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the Record my correspondence and joint statements with the chairmen of other committees of referral on this bill. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, November 4, 2011. Hon. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Ros-Lehtinen: I am writing concerning H.R. 2105, the ``Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Reform and Modernization Act of 2011,'' which the Committee on Foreign Affairs reported favorably. As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions in H.R. 2105 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, we are able to agree to discharging our Committee from further consideration of this bill in order that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2105 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and requests your support for any such request. I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 2105, and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration. Sincerely, Lamar Smith, Chairman.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2105) to provide for the application of measures to foreign persons who transfer to Iran, North Korea, and Syria certain goods, services, or technology, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Yes. As I have stated before and will continue to state, I will reserve my time to close.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, to close on this bill, I am pleased to give our remaining time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), who is the chairman of our Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade and has been a leader in this sanctions legislation for a mighty long time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1905) to strengthen Iran sanctions laws for the purpose of compelling Iran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and other threatening activities, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) be allowed to control half of the time in the affirmative.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. A nuclear Iran is unacceptable. Our fundamental strategic objective must be to stop Iran before it obtains nuclear weapons capabilities and to compel it to permanently dismantle its pursuit of such weapons. That is the test we face. And if we fail, it will come as no consolation to the families of the victims of past and future Iranian attacks or to our allies. We don't know how much time we have left. In its report on Iran's nuclear program last November, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated that not only has Iran continued to make significant progress regarding its nuclear program, but the IAEA said that it had uncovered solid evidence that Iran has been working on a nuclear explosive device as well. Given the Iranian regime's history of concealing its clandestine nuclear activities, Tehran may very well be closer to a nuclear weapons capability than we even assume. Some estimates now place them a mere 6 months to a year away from having all the ingredients in place to build a nuclear weapon. Every day they move closer and closer to realizing their nuclear ambitions, and our nightmare scenario moves closer and closer to becoming a reality. The Iranian regime is not interested in any outcome other than a nuclear Iran, though they are happy to use negotiations to buy time to make progress in their nuclear program. Yet we know that when sanctions have been applied, even limited sanctions, they have had an impact on the Iranian regime. It is time to build on this lesson and apply crippling sanctions against the regime and its enablers. That is the purpose of the bill before us, the Iran Threat Reduction Act, which our Foreign Affairs Committee adopted unanimously last month. This legislation updates and strengthens previous Iran sanctions laws so that the United States can take effective action to address the multiple threats posed by the regime in Tehran. The bill closes loopholes in the energy and financial sanctions that are in place now and counters the regime's efforts to evade them, including by targeting the Central Bank of Iran. The bill also focuses on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the senior Iranian regime officials. Over 350 Members of Congress have cosponsored this strongly bipartisan legislation. Let us meet our responsibilities to the American people and protect the security of our Nation from this growing threat. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson), an esteemed member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. As I said, Mr. Speaker, I am going to close; so the gentleman from Ohio must use his time. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. According to our Treasury Department, Iran is a critical transit point for funding to support al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This network serves as the core pipeline through which al Qaeda moves money, facilitators, and operatives from across the Middle East to South Asia, including al Qaeda's operational commander. Also, Tehran is providing key support to the regime in Damascus, another state sponsor of terrorism that is of proliferation concern and which is currently engaged in the violent repression of the people of Syria. Iran is also directly responsible for the deaths of many Americans. It continues to sponsor violent extremist groups in Iraq and Afghanistan that have killed our men and women in uniform. Just last week, a Federal judge found that the Iranian regime provided material aid and support for al Qaeda's 1998 attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Just imagine what an emboldened Iran would do if allowed to obtain nuclear weapons and the means by which to deliver them. Remember what the regime has already said that it wants to do. Ahmadinejad has openly proclaimed that Iran seeks a world without America and Zionism; and Iran's so-called supreme leader has stated that Iran is prepared to transfer the experience, knowledge, and technology of its scientists. We should take them at their word and impose crippling sanctions on this regime, and it starts tonight, Mr. Speaker, with this bill, H.R. 1905, the Iran Threat Reduction Act. Let's pass it tonight. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 376) calling for the repatriation of POW/ MIAs and abductees from the Korean War, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, for our closing speaker, I am pleased to recognize for such time as he may consume my good friend from California (Mr. Royce), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade and a cosponsor of this important resolution.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 863 I was unavoidably detained in a national security briefing. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Bishop of New York

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I thank the gentlelady from Ohio for yielding to me, and I congratulate her for her leadership on this very important fiscal issue that really permeates throughout our society and throughout our families and throughout the entire budgetary crisis that we find ourselves in. I'm so pleased that for the first time in nearly 15 years the House will be voting this week on a constitutional amendment to balance the Federal budget. As a mother and a grandmother, I have long supported this proposal. It will ensure that we fix the burden--and that's what it is, the burden of endless deficits that has fallen on future generations. Unfortunately, as you know, Mrs. Schmidt, the need for this amendment has never been greater. A constitutional amendment can set us on a path to long-term fiscal stability and restore confidence after decades of deficits. Two years ago, the United States experienced its first trillion- dollar Federal budget deficit. We thought things were bad then. Last year, we experienced our second trillion-dollar deficit. We thought things were bad then. This year, our annual deficit has reached over $1.3 trillion, the third trillion-dollar-plus deficit in our Nation's history. It took the United States over 200 years, from the presidency of George Washington to the presidency of Bill Clinton, to amass the amount of debt that was added since the year 2006. That is shocking. And according to the U.S. Treasury Department, our Nation's debt currently stands at nearly $15 trillion. Think of that astronomical amount, $15 trillion, which amounts to--how much is that per person? Because the figure is so large that we can't fathom, we can't really appreciate what it is. It amounts to a $47,900 tax for every living American. The debt has sharply increased to nearly 100 percent this year, the highest level since World War II. These are alarming statistics. Growing debt increases the probability of a sudden fiscal crisis during which investors would lose confidence and the government could lose its ability to borrow at affordable rates. If we do nothing, the annual deficit will grow to consume nearly one-fifth of the entire U.S. economy, and the debt would grow to Greece-like levels of over 100 percent. I believe that just as our families and neighbors--like the lady you show there on that poster--have had to tighten our belts during this recession, well, then, the Federal bureaucracy must do the same. While the budget reforms that we have passed in the House were a good start, only a constitutional amendment can ensure that we will not stray from the path of a balanced budget as we did 10 years ago. A constitutional amendment will help ensure a future of stability for our children and for our grandchildren. So I urge all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of this balanced budget amendment. It's history in the making this week, and I thank Mrs. Schmidt for her leadership and for trying to straighten out this fiscal insanity mess that we find ourselves in.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I thank my good friend from New Jersey for the time. I rise in strong support of this Coast Guard reauthorization bill that is being considered on the floor today. I have the unique pleasure of representing over 265 miles of pristine coastline, ranging from Miami Beach all of the way down to Key West. In fact, two of the largest Coast Guard sectors in the United States, Sector Miami, commanded by Captain Christopher Scraba, and Sector Key West commanded by Captain Pat DeQuattro, are located in my congressional district. As such, ensuring that the brave men and women of the Coast Guard have the tools they need to effectively patrol our coast is of utmost concern to me and to all of the residents in my congressional district. This legislation before us is a fiscally responsible reauthorization of the U.S. Coast Guard and will include practical reforms which will ensure greater efficiency in the replacing of aging assets and improved utilization of all of its resources. This is particularly important in my district as our two sectors have been working day and night to stop drugs from being smuggled into our country. These drug smugglers are becoming more sophisticated and more brazen in their efforts to bring illicit drugs to our shores. Just last month alone, the U.S. Coast Guard seized and then unloaded over 2,300 pounds of marijuana and nearly 900 pounds of cocaine in Sector Key West. Without providing upgrades to our aging assets, it will become more and more difficult to keep pace with these drug smugglers as their technology attempts to surpass ours. That is why I rise in strong support of this Coast Guard reauthorization bill, and I thank Dr. Frank for giving me the time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 31) directing the Secretary of the Senate to make a correction in the enrollment of S. 1280, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1280) to amend the Peace Corps Act to require sexual assault risk-reduction and response training, the development of a sexual assault policy, the establishment of an Office of Victim Advocacy, the establishment of a Sexual Assault Advisory Council, and for other purposes.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. For 50 years Peace Corps volunteers have given their generous talents and skills to help the poor in developing countries, thereby increasing understanding between diverse cultures. Peace Corps volunteers live within the communities that they serve, and they are often located in places with unreliable access to communication, nor to the police, nor for medical services. And historically, sadly, media have underplayed the dangers of serving in the Peace Corps and they have underreported or overlooked any criticism or any problem related to the Peace Corps. But now their own volunteers, the Peace Corps' own volunteers, have come forward with a demand for change. Congress has had several previous opportunities to help pass reform legislation to help the Peace Corps better protect its volunteers overseas. But, sadly, these efforts and these previous attempts have fallen short. Now we have this bill, Senate bill S. 1280, that has had bipartisan and bicameral support and was drafted with the input from the Peace Corps itself and from the volunteers also. It is unacceptable that U.S. citizens, Peace Corps volunteers, do not enjoy protection from regional security officers who are stationed at our overseas diplomatic posts because their role in protecting volunteers has not been clearly defined. Regional security officers are United States law enforcement officials. They're deployed overseas, and they are in the best position to serve U.S. citizens and work with their foreign law enforcement counterparts to seek justice on behalf of crime victims. As the Peace Corps Inspector General reported over 18 months ago, further delay in forming this Memorandum of Understanding could compromise volunteer safety and hinder response to crimes against volunteers. The language in this bill states that if the MOU is not entered into within 6 months of the bill becoming law, then the Director must report to the committee on the reasons for failing to meet this deadline, along with a detailed certification on steps taken toward meeting this requirement in a timely fashion. This language is the result of extensive bipartisan consultation, including regular discussion with our counterparts in the Senate. This bill is a substantial step forward and will help address longstanding safety and security problems for volunteers. For the brave victims who came forward and for Kate Puzey who gave her life in the service of the Peace Corps, help us pass this bill. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.