Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4681) to limit assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or associated forces, and for other purposes, as amended.

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.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill comes at a very critical time. After 7 years of devastating civil war, the destruction inflicted on the Syrian people by the Assad regime and its allies is catastrophic. By catastrophic, we mean a half million dead and we mean 14 million souls pushed out of their homes in that civil war. Even now, Iranian-backed militias are engaged in sectarian cleansing. Ethnic cleansing was supposed to be something of the past. They are forcing people from their homes, and Russian warplanes continue to drop bombs on hospitals. Just 2 weeks ago, the regime again used chemical weapons outside of Damascus as part of an operation that has displaced 55,000 people in this latest operation. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the ranking member of our committee, Mr. Eliot Engel, because during this period of time--and we have assisted in this effort--but during this period of time, he has tried to lead in getting a solution to the problem of that civil unrest in Syria, which began with people on the streets in Damascus marching, saying: ``Peaceful, peaceful.'' From day one, he has led an effort to try to focus us on trying to resolve this crisis. Unfortunately, as the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum noted in a recent report, the situation on the ground is getting even worse in Syria, and the worst, they say, is probably yet to come. At the same time as this carnage is going on, representatives of Syria, Iran, and Russia have spread out across the international community trying to gin up reconstruction money. They will not find it here. It would be unconscionable for U.S. Government function to be used for stabilization or reconstruction in the areas under control of the illegitimate Assad regime and its proxies, and I will tell you why: because the people in those areas that they have taken over are being pushed out. And the militia that are being brought in are militia-- whether it is Hezbollah or other militia--that are not indigenous to those communities. We are not going to support the building of infrastructure that is going to benefit Hezbollah, Iran's revolutionary guards, or foreign militias recruited and paid for by the Iranian regime. If or when the day comes that the Government of Syria is no longer led by Bashar al-Assad and his proxies, then the U.S. can once again look at the prospect for assistance, if the day comes when people are allowed to return to their homes. We do have an interest in seeing a stable and secure--and not hostile--Syria one day. But until then, murder, industrial level torture, starvation, deliberate targeting of schools, hospitals, and markets, and the shameless use of chemical weapons cannot be in the remotest way possible supported by U.S. funding. Mr. Speaker, I ask that Members join with us to ensure no U.S. funding makes it into the hands of the Assad regime and his proxies. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, April 16, 2018. Hon. Ed Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing concerning H.R. 4681, the No Assistance for Assad Act. As a result of your having consulted with the Committee on Financial Services concerning provisions in the bill that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to forgo action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action with our mutual understanding that, by foregoing consideration of H.R. 4681, at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our Rule X 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. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 4681 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof. Sincerely, Jeb Hensarling, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), the primary Republican cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I would like to thank Ranking Member Engel and Representative Kinzinger for their exceptional work on this important bill. This bill will keep taxpayer dollars out of the hands of a murderous regime and its proxies. Time and again, Mr. Eliot Engel has been this body's conscience on the issue of Syria. We have acted many times, passing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act twice; adopting H. Con. Res. 121, which expressed the sense of the Congress supporting the establishment of a tribunal in Syria to try Assad's war crimes, another measure we had passed. While we have made important progress in the military campaign against ISIS, there is no end in sight to the misery inflicted on the people of Syria by Assad and his proxies. Now is not the time to turn away. As we engage, we cannot allow U.S. taxpayer money to reward war crimes. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I would again like to thank my colleagues, Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Engel, for their bipartisan leadership to hold Iran accountable, to hold them accountable for their brutality: their brutality in the 1988 massacres, and their brutality in terms of the way they are treating their religious minorities today. We know that Americans formerly imprisoned by Iran describe being subjected to electric shock and whippings. We have heard that before our committee. We have heard them say that they were denied medical care. Today, U.S. citizens, such as Siamak and Baqer Namazi, Xiyue Wang, and U.S. permanent resident Nazar Zaka, are all sitting in Iranian jails on bogus accusations of collaborating with a hostile government for espionage. And U.S. citizen Robert Levinson is still missing, and that is more than 10 years after he disappeared in Iran. Our hearts go out to these victims and our hearts go out to their families as we renew our call for the immediate release of all U.S. citizens and permanent residents held in Iran. With this legislation, we will impose tough sanctions on the regime. And we do that for its corruption, for its attacks on innocent Americans, and for its attacks on Iranians alike. Mr. Speaker, I yield back 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 concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 111) recognizing and supporting the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the 2026 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup competition to Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as amended.

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 on this measure.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood). I thank him for introducing a resolution which expresses the broad bipartisan agreement that the United States supports the United Bid Committee's effort to jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup competition. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the World Cup is its most important competition. Hosting the tournament would be a win for the United States and for our neighbors in Canada and Mexico as well. The United States has not hosted a FIFA World Cup since 1994, but 24 years later, we still hold the all-time attendance record. Over 3\1/2\ million people attended those matches. I remember. I was there in the stands for the games in L.A. The economic revenue generated by the 1994 tournament generated more than double what was expected. The 2026 tournament is expected to break revenue and attendance records. FIFA has already announced that it will be the first time in tournament history that 48 teams, instead of 32, are going to compete in the World Cup. The addition of more teams will mean more economic opportunities for American cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco to host and entertain visitors from around the country and around the world. The FIFA World Cup, much like the Olympics, has a long tradition of bringing countries together in a competitive but peaceful environment. Mr. Speaker, I 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, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I would like to, once again, thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), and I also thank the 40 cosponsors who have been pushing this important, bipartisan resolution. By passing this resolution, we show our support for the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the excitement of the World Cup tournament to the United States once again, for the first time since 1994. Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous support for this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2219) to increase the role of the financial industry in combating human trafficking, as amended.

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 on this bill in the Record.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is on human trafficking, which, put another way, is modern-day slavery. It continues to devastate the lives of millions of people; and whether we are talking about trafficking, labor trafficking, which is indentured servitude or, basically, slavery, or whether we are talking about underage children that are frequently trafficked for sexual exploitation by these criminal syndicates, the results are the same. The results to these broken lives, due to these perpetrators of these disgusting acts who prey on these vulnerable and defenseless people, leave in their wake the broken lives of these children and of those who are trafficked for labor. These are not faraway crimes, as the Members here know from their own districts. These are crimes in the United States; and if you go to Los Angeles and ask the District Attorney, or you ask the District Attorney in Orange County, what is the average age that children are trafficked into these brothels or into these syndicates, they will tell you the average age now is 14. When you ask them why, they will tell you because a 14-year-old or 15-year-old is much less likely to put up resistance once she has been kidnapped or enticed by some Romeo into this kind of conduct. I think of the survivors when I think about this, the ones that many of us have met who share their stories with us, and I think of Angela Guanzon. She was labor-trafficked, working in an abusive workplace day- in, day-out, 16 hours, 18 hours, never seeing the light of day, sleeping on the hallway floor. Survivors have taught me that the horror of trafficking lies not in the statistics that we talk about here, but in the stolen lives of these people. Why is this so common? How can it be that we have so many instances of this? It is common because it is profitable and because these people, these children and others who are trafficked, have very little resistance. That is why. The International Labor Organization estimates that it is a $150 billion business in illegal profit made from forced labor each year, making human trafficking the third most valuable criminal enterprise in the world. And guess what? If your gang is involved in this instead of in drug crimes, they are much less likely to experience violence themselves because their victims cannot really fight back. They are in a line of work where they can lord their violence over their victims. Traffickers are laundering their money through financial institutions that they can access with the click of a keyboard; and cutting off their access to the banking system is critical to putting an end to these illegal operations once and for all. The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2018 will help law enforcement and financial institutions identify and report suspected human traffickers so that they can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In California, by the way, we had, a few years ago, put a new law on the books that allows us, if we can catch them, to put them away for over 20 years. I want to thank my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee, especially Chairman Hensarling and Ranking Member Maxine Waters, for their important contributions to this legislation. This legislation will not only bolster our efforts to combat human traffickers' use of our domestic financial institutions, but it is going to encourage other countries to cut off traffickers from their global financial system. This bill is going to update the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report to require a country-by-country assessment of whether foreign governments have a framework in place to prevent financial transactions involving the proceeds of severe forms of human trafficking. Now, these annual reports, as we know, which the State Department uses to rank countries' efforts to combat trafficking, are taken very seriously in foreign capitals. They have helped to reinforce global norms of responsible behavior. I say that because when we first introduced this some years ago, we have seen 120 governments now enact national anti-trafficking laws in order to try to comply with the reports that we do through our audits through our State Department in these other countries. They do not want to be shamed. When we name them, we shame them, and so we get compliance. This will assist on that as well. It is a critical first step for enforcement. So, as the center of the global financial system and the leading country in terms of combating human trafficking in the world, the United States must take all possible steps to address this crime and, for this reason, this bill, H.R. 2219, deserves our unanimous support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just begin here by recognizing Representative Bill Keating, who brings to this issue--I just want to acknowledge this. We don't have that many District Attorneys, former District Attorneys in this body who have the experience of law enforcement in terms of dealing with the types of criminals that go into this line of work, and he brings that expertise and has assisted greatly in this. I just wanted to acknowledge that before the body today. I acknowledge also the contribution of Congressman Chris Smith, who, I think it was in 2000, as I recall, originally brought before us this very idea of how to combat human trafficking internationally. He has worked on many, many issues, the International Megan's Law, and many others. But this idea of how we could hold governments around the world to account, this idea of the TIP Report, and then, on top of it, the enforcement, so that it meant something; the idea that he would get on a plane and go and make certain that our consulates and our embassies overseas were carrying out that audit, and that the victims had someone to explain this to; that NGOs had someone to talk to about what was going on in-country, so that, country by country by country, he could identify situations where underaged children were being trafficked or being exploited. I just wanted to acknowledge that the gentleman has really been dogged all of these years in moving this issue, and thank him again for what he has done for humanity, frankly. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, with Chairman Smith present, I want to speak on the legislation which he previously brought up, the legislation prior to this bill. I want to join him--I am a cosponsor of his legislation--in support of H. Res. 128. He and Karen Bass and other Members have worked together as cosponsors of this legislation, and I want to say the Ethiopians are a very proud people. They have a very rich heritage and a very rich history. Ethiopia is a very important partner for the United States. It has asserted regional influence through rapid economic growth, as we know, and strong cooperation with us on our security initiatives in the region. It has that commitment that it constantly shows towards combating radical jihadist extremism, and it has made notable strides to address domestic challenges of health and child survival and food security. We have both made trips out there to see that progress, and we celebrate these accomplishments. Ethiopia has come a long way from the devastating famines of the 1980s, and it has achieved much of the benchmarks. Most of the benchmarks that the Millennium Development Goals have set out for it to date have been met. This resolution recognizes the need to continue a close partnership between the United States and Ethiopia to continue that momentum. But it is because of these important bilateral ties that we must ensure that Ethiopia is respecting good governance and democratic values. Deeply ingrained ethnic divisions, marginalization, and years of conflict provide unique governance challenges for the country. Advancing democratic values is never easy, but they are the best way to further Ethiopia's progress and to further our robust bilateral relationship. Reports of widespread human rights abuses and crackdowns on freedom of expression and excessive force against peaceful protestors are unacceptable. The Government of Ethiopia has released thousands of political prisoners in the last few months, and this is a welcome development. However, the recently reimposed state of emergency criminalizes peaceful assembly and allows state security forces to arrest citizens without charge. This state of emergency must be lifted immediately, which is what this resolution also calls for. The United States must hold the Government of Ethiopia accountable to the peaceful voices of their citizens, while allowing for inclusive political participation and respecting human rights and freedom of expression. All parties must come to the table in order to advance democratic principles and chart the course for a prosperous, inclusive, and peaceful Ethiopia; otherwise, stability and economic progress will suffer over the long term. There is cause for hope, and I commend Dr. Abiy Ahmed for his recent appointment as Prime Minister. I am so encouraged by his call for increased political competition and in defense of fundamental human rights. We hope that, under his leadership, the government will enact meaningful political and social reforms. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank my colleague Representative Coffman for his work on this resolution. Mr. Speaker, returning to the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act, I want to again thank my colleagues, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, Chairman Hensarling, Ranking Member Waters of the Financial Services Committee, and, of course, Bill Keating for their support of this important legislation. And I thank Mr. Chris Smith again. I have seen some real reasons for hope that I think, when we are talking about a topic that is this grim, it is good to remind ourselves of how awareness can lead to coordinated action and how that, then, can lead to freeing people from this bondage, especially freeing children from this bondage. In southern California, we have had great involvement from concerned citizens, certainly from our NGO community, the local law enforcement. I have a trafficking task force that I put together some years ago to bring all of these forces together and work also with victims-- survivors, as they refer to themselves--working together to drive these forms of exploitation out of our community; and I have seen some of the effectiveness, especially last October, with the good work of the FBI shutting down, across this Nation, so many of these rings. But if we are going to be successful in ending this horrific trade, not just here but worldwide, we have got to cut traffickers off from the financial system. These criminals are laundering profits through that financial system far too easily. This bill will help end that easy access, and it is certainly going to strengthen the tools for law enforcement to fight these crimes against human dignity. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate my good friend from Ohio, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. On this historic occasion--as Marcy becomes the longest-serving woman in the history of this House--I am honored to stand by her side. As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I have seen firsthand the personal passion Marcy brings to protecting democracy and freedom around the globe. Nowhere is this more evident than in her work on behalf of the people of Ukraine and the diaspora here in America. As co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, she has been a tireless advocate for the democratic transition in Ukraine--and especially championing the rights of Ukrainian women. She has sponsored legislation supporting freedom and human rights in Ukraine, in addition to promoting the important role that women play in Ukraine's economy. This is because Marcy understands the critical role that Ukrainian women can and must play in their country's future--as educators, leaders, entrepreneurs, and peacemakers. Likewise, she wants to see more opportunity for women all around the world. I am particularly grateful for her support for my Committee's efforts to ensure that women and girls are empowered by, and included in, U.S. diplomatic efforts abroad, including legislation to promote the inclusion of women in peace negotiations and peacekeeping efforts. Marcy has also long been supportive of the Committee's efforts to promote girls' access to education. Here in the United States, of course, Marcy has proven her commitment to promoting women's rights. I am proud to join her in sponsoring the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, aptly numbered, H.R. 19. Alongside our good friend from New York, Carolyn Maloney, we are, as Marcy put it, seeking ``to record the history of over half of our citizenry in a way that brings them into full view.'' I have no doubt that when we succeed in building the first National Women's History Museum, Marcy Kaptur will be prominently represented. Marcy is an inspiration to women and girls across the country who aspire to lead--who aspire to participate in their democracy. I am proud to have partnered with her on these and so many other issues, and am thankful for her years of service.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I am rising in strong support of the rule on the underlying bill. Included in this package of bills before us today is the National Securities Exchange Regulatory Parity Act. This is a bipartisan bill, and it is to ensure that future regulation can keep pace with--and not stifle--innovation in our equity markets. The SEC's interpretation of the current law has created a two-tiered playing field by giving unintended preferential treatment to three named exchanges. Now, one of those three no longer exists. Enactment of the National Securities Exchange Parity Act would strike references to particular stock exchanges in the 1933 Securities Act, and the bill would make it clear that the blue sky exemption from State-by-State registration is extended to all national securities exchanges registered with the SEC. So why is that particular exemption important? If you were to ask anyone from Massachusetts, for example, who tried to invest in Apple during its IPO, State regulators banned the stock for being ``too risky'' under rules ``aimed at weeding out highfliers that didn't have solid earnings foundations.'' Today, Apple is up 43,000 percent and is flirting with a $1 trillion market cap. The bill before us today increases the number of securities that will not be forced to register on a State-by-State basis, while maintaining important investor protections. The SEC is and will remain the primary enforcement agency of securities fraud. This bill in no way impacts the SEC's oversight or enforcement authority. The SEC must also still approve individual exchange listing standards; they simply won't be allowed to preset the standards. State-by-State securities registration not only potentially locks out investors from promising opportunities like Apple, but it can have significant negative economic consequences by chilling public offerings and, obviously, innovation. The National Securities Exchange Parity Act encourages new exchanges to become listing venues and a source of capital for companies looking to go public, to expand, and to hire more workers. The bill is identical to language included in the larger regulatory reform package already passed by the Senate Banking Committee, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense, technical fix. It is good for market competition. It is good for capital formation. I urge passage of the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, international law of armed conflict prohibits the use of innocent men, women and children to deter an attack. This cowardly and disgraceful strategy is known as using human shields. And it's rightly deemed a war crime. Yet since the violent takeover of Gaza in 2007, Hamas has repeatedly put the lives of Palestinian civilians at risk by brutally using them as human shields. Hamas also terrorizes Palestinians--the very people they claim to represent--with summary executions and torture in Gaza. Hamas regularly launches indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations in Israel from densely populated positions in Gaza, often in or near schools, mosques or hospitals. Hamas also routinely forces Palestinian civilians to gather on the roofs of their homes to act as human shields. This means that every time Hamas fires a rocket, it is committing not one, but two, war crimes: targeting civilians in Israel while shamelessly using human shields in Gaza. Today, the Gaza Strip is a terrorist sanctuary on Israel's borders. The legislation we are considering today, H.R. 3542, appropriately holds Hamas responsible for its repeated use of human shields--as well as their enablers, like the Iranian regime. It imposes targeted sanctions and calls for action at the United Nations Security Council to put an end to this heinous practice. The world cannot let terrorists embed forces among civilian populations, using them as human shields, without taking action. I thank the gentleman from South Carolina, Representative Wilson, for authoring this legislation and urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, forty-five years ago, after the signing of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, 556 American military personnel and twenty-five civilians boarded American C-141s and finally ended their long, extremely trying captivity in Vietnam. For most Americans, Operation Homecoming marked the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict. However, the heroes that survived torture and mistreatment within Vietnamese prison camps, such as the infamous ``Hanoi Hilton,'' know that the job is not finished. One of our most sacred vows to members of our Armed Services is that no American soldier will be left behind on the field of battle. None understand this better than the gentleman from Texas, Congressman Sam Johnson--fighter pilot, prisoner of war, and American hero. Colonel Sam Johnson's 29 years in the Air Force was marked with valor and selfless service. A combat veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, he was twice awarded the Silver Star, our nation's third highest award for gallantry in action, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor and heroism in aerial flight, in his more than eighty career combat missions. Since regaining his freedom 45 years ago, Congressman Johnson has remained a staunch advocate for veterans and their families, as attested by being awarded the National Patriot award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's highest civilian accolade, for his tireless work to help improve livelihoods and to provide closure for families of missing U.S. soldiers. The Department of Defense estimates that more than 82,000 U.S. personnel have still not been accounted for from previous wars and conflicts. We must ensure that we do everything we can to fulfill the promise to our nation's heroes: that we will not leave anyone behind on foreign battlefields. As this resolution importantly recognizes, cooperation with foreign governments is key to efforts to recover, identify, and account for all missing U.S. personnel. I thank the gentleman from Texas, Sam Johnson, for his life of service, and for authoring this legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

Mr. ROYCE of California

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 pass the bill (H.R. 1997) to encourage United States-Ukraine cybersecurity cooperation and require a report regarding such cooperation, and for other purposes, as amended.