Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Chairman, with all due respect to the arguments on moral equivalency with respect to Iran, the reality is that this is a government that starts its morning prayers with: ``Death to America. Death to Israel.'' The Ayatollah makes it clear he means it. So, yes, we should try to remove the plank from our eye, but we should not remove our eyes from the fact that what we have in terms of policy being directed from the Ayatollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a policy that calls for the destruction of the United States of America. Now, Mr. Chairman, this bill has a powerful goal, and it is to expose the corrupt nature of the Iranian regime. But when we talk about why, the answer is because the personnel responsible for carrying out these assassinations, that have us concerned about carrying out terror are, in fact, the leadership in Iran of these organizations that we attempt to identify here. That is the job of doing terror research and cutting off terror finance. That is what we are supposed to be doing. This regime claims to be more than a government. It claims to be a revolution. They call themselves the Islamic Revolution. But when you look at it closely, as this bill requires the Treasury Department to do, the regime in Tehran resembles something else, a criminal enterprise, because, from the Supreme Leader to the Revolutionary Guard, these so-called servants of the Revolution control one-third of the Iranian economy because they seized it. They seized everybody's privat property in terms of these companies. The Supreme Leader's empire alone is worth $95 billion. This is called the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, or Setad. It holds stakes in just about every sector of the Iranian industry, including finance, oil, and telecommunications. These funds are not simply used to enrich Iranian officials. That is not our problem here. It is not that they are propping up the regime. It is thanks to Iran's lack of money laundering control they are easily used to destabilize the entire region. That is what they are doing now by funding terrorism abroad and fueling Iran's ballistic missile program at home. These ICBMs, by the way, they announce, are intended for us. So that is why, as this bill says, the Treasury Department--and the bill notes this--has identified Iran as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern. This means that any transaction with Iran risks supporting the regime's ongoing illicit activities, their terrorists activities. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague, Mr. Poliquin, for introducing this bill and Chairman Hensarling for working with us to get it to the floor.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. 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 in the Record on this measure.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 407) condemning the persecution of Christians around the world, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me begin here by thanking the gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative Glenn Grothman, for his work on this resolution. As many in our country are preparing to celebrate this season of peace and joy, thousands of Christian believers around the world are marking the holiday in a much more somber way. They are marking this holiday under a threat of persecution and under a threat of violence. Pope Francis has said: ``When we read the history of the first centuries, we read of so much cruelty toward Christians. I tell you: There is the same cruelty today, and to a greater extent.'' Those were his words. According to research, Christians today are more targeted for attack than any other body of believers. While about 30 percent of the world's population identifies as Christian, 80 percent of all reported acts of religious persecution right now are directed at Christians. Open Doors charity reports that, each month, around the world, 300 Christians are murdered--this would be for their faith--and more than 200 churches and properties are destroyed. This is each month. Over 770 acts of violence are committed against Christians, including beatings, abductions, rapes, arrests, and forced marriages. For example, across the Middle East there are historic Christian communities that are only one or two generations away from extinction. These were the indigenous people to this region. In Iraq, there are now fewer than 250,000 Christians remaining of a community that once had more than 1.4 million believers. Last Congress, the House took the lead in declaring the violence against Christians committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria as genocide. Since then, Congress has pushed hard to make sure that these vulnerable communities are protected and receive the assistance that they need. I have visited these communities up in northern Iraq, and I can attest to the amount of persecution that they have been through. Of course, our brave men and women in uniform deserve our praise for leading the fight to destroy ISIS, the so-called caliphate, allowing for the safe return of Christians and other religious minorities in the region. We are blessed to live in this country free to enjoy our religious festivals in peace and security. We must not turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening elsewhere in the world. With passage of this measure, we acknowledge the disturbing rise in persecution of Christians around this globe and recommit our Nation to support the religious freedom of all people. We also call on other world leaders to end persecution of Christians and other religious minorities that are also persecuted at the national, local government, and community level. This includes persecution, of course, by violent non-state actors like terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS. With this call to action, we work to advance our Nation's historic goal to promote ``peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Mr. Engel for his leadership in bringing these issues to the floor and, certainly, our colleague, the cosponsor of this resolution, Carolyn Maloney. I thank, again, Congressman Glenn Grothman for authoring this important resolution here. Christians around the world are being assaulted, raped, tortured, and murdered. Believers in North Korea, for example, have ``disappeared'' by the hundreds. They are hidden away in labor camps for decades. Many of them are worked to death, as you know by the conditions in those camps. The reason they are there is they attempted to practice their faith: Christianity. We know that, at the hands of ISIS, brutal atrocities have risen to the level of genocide. Wherever ISIS goes, you see the consequence in the terror that is visited upon Christians, Yazidis, Jews, and other races. In terms of the positioning that ISIS had in the Middle East, they had ready access to the Christian communities. Having visited those Christian communities in the aftermath of those attacks as they escaped into the Kurdish regions, it was absolutely heart-wrenching to hear the accounts of the survivors about what had happened among the Christians and Yazidis. These are just a few of the examples of the persecution against Christians that is happening around the world. I urge my colleagues to join me in this call to world leaders to work to stop the global persecution of Christians. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), the author of this resolution.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 357) reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States and Canada, recognizing bilateral cooperation that advances United States national interests, and urging increased bilateral cooperation on security, economic issues, and energy, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan). He is the author of this resolution.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to recognize the leadership of Mr. Duncan, who, until recently, served as the chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and Mr. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member, in bringing this important resolution forward. I also want to recognize Mr. Huizenga, chairman of the Capital Markets, Securities, and Investments Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee, who led the delegation this past fall with the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group in Windsor, Canada. This resolution affirms the already strong partnership we enjoy with our neighbors to the north, while recognizing that this bilateral relationship has advanced U.S. national interests. Canada and the U.S. share the longest international border of any countries in the world. Canada is one of the largest trading partners with the U.S., and our largest agricultural export market. U.S. exports of goods and services to Canada supported 1.6 million jobs in the United States last year. In addition, the U.S. and Canada enjoy a very close and vital security relationship, which is seen most acutely in our close border security collaboration, as well as in defense arrangements such as NORAD and our shared NATO mutual security commitments. Our two countries have an exceptionally close energy relationship. Canada is our largest supplier of oil, natural gas, electricity, and uranium. Our two countries collaborate on environmental concerns, particularly with our shared responsibility for the Great Lakes, which are the world's largest freshwater ecosystem and contain 20 percent of the Earth's surface freshwater. This relationship gives Congress the opportunity to reaffirm, through this resolution, our important and close bilateral ties with Canada and to renew our commitment to growing and improving that relationship to the benefit of both countries. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, December 8, 2017. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady: Thank you for consulting with the Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to forgo a sequential referral request on House Resolution 357, Reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States and Canada, so that the resolution may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I will seek to place our letters on H. Res. 357 into the Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work together as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Edward R. Royce, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to once again thank Representative Duncan and Mr. Meeks and Mr. Huizenga and Mr. Engel for their commitment to the U.S.- Canada relationship and for bringing this important resolution forward. This resolution affirms the already strong partnership that we enjoy with our neighbors to the North while recognizing that this bilateral relationship has advanced our national interests. In addition to working together on trade, on border security, on energy, Canada is also a valuable partner in security. As my colleagues know, Canada is a founding member of NATO and leads a NATO battalion in Latvia--I happen to have seen that battalion recently in Latvia--while maintaining 200 Canadian military trainers in Ukraine. Our shared values and proximity have rendered Canada one of our most important allies, and this resolution allows this body to stand together in affirming that relationship. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the author, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, and I thank Congresswoman Norma Torres, as well, and the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mike McCaul, for their work on this important resolution recognizing the U.S.-Mexico partnership and recognizing our important economic relationship. As our countries continue to work together, this resolution signals our commitment to strengthen our ties with our Mexican neighbors. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 336) reaffirming a strong commitment to the United States-Mexico partnership.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel. This is his bill. Let me also say that the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mike McCaul, who was his primary cosponsor for this, has worked hard on this resolution. It represents a broad, bipartisan acknowledgment of the importance of the relationship between the United States of America and the country of Mexico. The United States and Mexico share strong ties. Passage of this resolution will signal this body's commitment to strengthening our bilateral relationship with Mexico, a relationship that impacts Americans on a daily basis. Today, the United States is grappling with challenges, just as Mexico is grappling with some challenges. We have a deadly drug crisis where more than 1,000 people a week die from opioid-related overdoses. This is a crisis that started with overprescribed pain medication here in the United States but is now fueled by heroin and fentanyl supplied by drug cartels. We have got to strengthen our partnership with Mexico and continue working with Mexican security forces to stem the tide of these illegal drugs entering into our communities and to harden our shared border against terrorism and criminality. This resolution also affirms the strong commercial relationship between our two countries. Mexico was the second largest export market for U.S. goods last year. It affirms our long history of cooperation on environmental and natural resource issues. For example, this past September, our two countries signed an agreement to improve reservoir levels in Lake Mead and in the Colorado River Basin that will help prevent water shortages currently affecting Americans in the Southwest United States. There are, of course, areas that I think we can improve the U.S.- Mexico relationship. Mexico needs to do more to combat the corruption that has taken its toll on its citizens' trust. But this resolution comes at an important time in the U.S. with our relationship with Mexico and should signal to the people of Mexico that the people of the United States want to continue to work with Mexico on matters of mutual concern, from security to combating the illegal drug trade, to strengthening our respective economies. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues--Mr. Engel, the author, and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, the cosponsor of this measure--for their leadership and for bringing the bill here to the floor. The world has watched with great sadness as President Maduro continues to run his country into the ground, denying his citizens access to basic food and denying them access to medicine. His obsession with consolidating power has resulted in Venezuela's economic collapse, and it is a collapse created by his wrongheaded populist and socialist mismanagement that has left his country in dire economic straits. Even more disturbing to me is that Maduro's lieutenants continue lining their pockets while Venezuelan citizens go without food and medicine. This bill reiterates this body's support for the people of Venezuela by instructing relevant U.S. agencies to develop a strategy to address their immediate humanitarian needs, while supporting democracy and human rights. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Florida an additional 1 minute.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 259) expressing concern and condemnation over the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.