Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me just start by thanking the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) who is very engaged on this issue; and my ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee as well, Eliot Engel. They introduced this bill together. For the last 33 years, the Department of State War Crimes Rewards Program has authorized the Secretary of State to offer rewards for the arrest or the conviction of certain dangerous individuals. Originally drafted to be used against international terrorists, this successful program has been expanded over the years to include the use against others who threaten our safety and our security. So this now includes drug traffickers, war criminals, and perpetrators of genocide, some of those efforts I had authored years ago. But in 2012, we expanded it further to transnational organized crime. At that time, my subcommittee held a hearing where the State Department testified that one captured target, a narco terrorist, told DEA agents that he could no longer trust anyone in his organization after a reward was offered on his head. What he said was: I felt like a hunted man. Exactly. That is the rationale behind that program, and that is why we expanded it then with my legislation and why we expand it today with the legislation of Virginia Foxx and Eliot Engel, because our goal here is to turn the table on these dangerous criminals and help ensure that they have no safe haven from justice. The bill before us today clarifies these authorities. The current statute authorized rewards for the arrest or conviction of foreign nationals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Many people often think of those things in connection with international tribunals. But the U.S. also has domestic statutes on the books that criminalize war crimes and criminalize genocide. This bill makes clear that the State Department's rewards can be used in connection with the prosecution of foreign nationals in U.S. courts for those crimes, as well to make sure that inducement is there. Tragically, these authorities continue to be necessary and we know continue to be important. We live in a world where crimes against humanity are perpetrated. We have seen two declared genocides in as many decades. One in Darfur in 2004. I remember seeing firsthand a young boy who had his hand amputated by the Janjaweed and by ISIS in 2016. Any of us can pick up our iPhone and see the results of that kind of terror. We also see tragic ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya right now in Burma. So I again want to thank Congresswoman Foxx and Mr. Engel for their work on the bill. It deserves our support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3851) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide for rewards for the arrest or conviction of certain foreign nationals who have committed genocide or war crimes, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the author of this bill.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, when we consider the human cost in terms of those who commit war crimes or crimes against humanity, I reflect on some of the victims of Charles Taylor's activities in Liberia and Sierra Leone. We saw young children who had limbs amputated at the hands of the Revolutionary United Front, supported by Charles Taylor. We have met with children whose parents have been murdered by the perpetrators of violence who believed they were beyond justice. The concept behind having the Department of State Rewards Program serves such an important purpose when we consider that it has helped bring to the bar of justice around this planet those who have been involved in war crimes. It has turned the table on dangerous war terrorists and criminals. This bill, sponsored by Virginia Foxx and Eliot Engel, continues to expand that very effort to help ensure that they face justice but, just as importantly, to send the message that others in the future who contemplate behaving like Charles Taylor or committing this kind of mayhem will also face the bar of justice. It will also encourage those who are working with them to turn them over in order to get that reward, leaving them in a state of perpetual anxiety so that they know that, at any time, anyone in their organization could turn them over for international justice. This bill helps advance that effort. Again, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and my good friend from New York (Mr. Engel), as well, for sponsoring this bill to make clear that this important authority includes justice meted out by U.S. courts under U.S. law. This makes it clear that the international provisions we seek to expand include the actions taken here in the United States, and I congratulate them for bringing this bill forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are here, really, to reaffirm a very important commitment that we have to one of our closest partners in the Middle East, and that is Jordan. I think all of us agree that, over the generations, it has been astounding the way Jordan has always offered safe haven and refuge through the generations to others. This bill gives us an opportunity to continue that close working relationship that we have with Jordan because, as we know, Jordan is locked--has been locked--in a struggle with ISIS, or Daesh, as they call it in that part of the world. They have been involved on the battlefield, and this bill addresses both the military and economic elements of the close relationship we have with Jordan. As they valiantly fight ISIS, Jordanians have struggled to absorb, most recently, more than 1 million Syrian refugees; and they are doing this, obviously, while coping with a tough economy, with an overburdened infrastructure, and with high unemployment for their youth. I have been to some of the schools in Jordan to see the Jordanians as they once again reach out a hand of friendship to help those who are in this predicament. Although Jordan has successfully worked with the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the World Bank to address some of the economic challenges, it really has not been enough to create the level of vital economic growth needed in the circumstances that Jordan is in. Economic opportunity and prosperity in Jordan are one element of our bulwark against extremist groups, against the Iranian regime, the IRGC, who seek to spread chaos and destruction, and as ISIS seeks to spread death. In addition to supporting existing efforts, including regional water and energy projects that bring needed resources and will bring increased cooperation between neighbors, this bill calls for the establishment of an enterprise fund for Jordan. This is a measure previously authorized, previously funded by this body, and this fund will help create economic opportunity through private-public partnership, through investments in small and medium enterprises, and it will also create market development in Jordan. Although not a familiar measure to many, enterprise funds have already been very successful in Tunisia, and we have seen that. We have seen that success. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our colleagues for their support for this measure for our ally and friend, Jordan, and I 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 thank my colleagues. I would like to thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, but I would also like to thank Mr. Eagle over there, Brendan Boyle, and I would like to thank Ileana Ros-Lehtinen as well. Jordan, of course, is a key partner in our struggle against ISIS and against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and other destabilizing actors in the Middle East. This bill supports our joint efforts on the battlefield and will help Jordan achieve much-needed economic growth. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and, once again, extend the arm of friendship to our closest partner, Jordan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle) be allowed to reclaim his unused time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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, we are here to talk about Ukraine and the U.S.-Ukraine cyber cooperation. Ukraine, of course, is on the front lines of digital combat as we have learned. Few countries have endured as great a level of cyber invasion and aggression as has Ukraine at the hands of Russia and at the hands of other malicious actors as well. I led a delegation of four Democrats and four Republicans into the east, into Dnipropetrovsk in the Donbass region, and we had an opportunity to hear about what is being done to try to tear that country apart. This is in addition to the invasion in the east, the occupation of the east. This is the farthest east one can go in Ukraine today, and you can see the struggle that everyday people are having with the disinformation campaign launched against them relentlessly. As President Poroshenko said, ``Cyberspace has turned into another battlefield for state independence,'' and that is so true for Ukraine. Their struggle to defend their independence and their territorial integrity from Russian aggression extends far beyond the armed conflict of the occupation of its territory. In 2014, hackers targeted Ukraine's electoral infrastructure just days before its presidential election. The following year, a malicious cyber intrusion shut down the country's electric grid, turning off the lights and turning off the heat in the dead of winter. Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including its national railway system, its major stock exchanges, and its busiest airport, have been repeatedly targeted by sophisticated cyber attacks. Most of these continuing assaults have been identified by experts as Russian in origin. By working with the government in Kiev, we can better prepare ourselves as well as our friends in partner countries against similar aggression, including combating Russian disinformation efforts that rely heavily on disseminating propaganda. That propaganda poses as legitimate news. So this bill will enhance our cooperation with Ukraine in addressing shared cyber challenges, including cybercrime and the protection of critical infrastructure. Modern society requires an internet worldwide that is open, that is reliable, that is secure, which can only be ensured if all those who seek to preserve it join forces to defeat those who wish to destroy it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), who is an esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. And besides Brendan Boyle here, he is another big Philly Eagles fan.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to also recognize and thank my colleagues, especially Mr. Boyle and Mr. Fitzpatrick, one Democratic and one Republican, both from Philadelphia, the sponsors of this bipartisan legislation. I want to thank Mr. Boyle for his work on this important bill because I think the threat to Ukraine and cyberspace is not isolated. It shouldn't be ignored. I think that when we talk to the researchers, they have warned that the attacks on Ukraine by state and by nonstate actors might be a test run for even larger additional attacks in the future on the United States and on our NATO allies. While we must bolster our own capabilities, we should also cooperate with our friends and partners such as Ukraine because we have got to be sharing best practices; we have got to improve joint capabilities; and we have got to provide that mutual assistance to prevent, mitigate, and respond to those international cyber attacks. This legislation is going to enhance that effort. And in so doing, it is going to strengthen our ability to protect our own country from those who seek to do us harm. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3445) to enhance the transparency and accelerate the impact of programs under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have been honored to serve as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for the past 5 years. Over this period, there has been no shortage of threats to our national security. But I must share with you, there have also been great opportunities--opportunities to make America safer, to make this country more prosperous through strategic investments in diplomacy, and also investments in development. This bill before us today is one example. The African Growth and Opportunity Act and Millennium Challenge Act Modernization Act seeks to facilitate trade and private sector growth in poor but relatively well- governed countries. This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa. Mr. Speaker, I would share with my colleagues the goal here is so that they can grow their own way out of poverty. What this legislation does is it seeks to help countries graduate from the need for foreign aid, while simultaneously opening doors for American businesses to break into the most promising emerging markets. For those of you who have followed this, you have watched trade double and then triple with sub-Saharan Africa. Through AGOA--as we call this African Growth and Opportunity Act-- goods produced in eligible African countries enter the United States on a duty-free basis. But to be eligible, countries must be committed to the rule of law, to eliminating barriers to U.S. trade and investment, to combating corruption, and to supporting counterterrorism activities. So AGOA, as you can see, advances U.S. interests on so many different levels. I am proud to be a member of the AGOA coalition from the beginning. I was one of the original authors of the bill and I have witnessed its transformative impact. So despite its benefits, AGOA does remain underutilized in too many countries. Prior to its reauthorization in 2015, I set out to learn why, and I traveled to many countries in southern and eastern Africa, where I met with U.S. and African trade officials, business leaders, and entrepreneurs. I visited garment factories and power stations. We saw trade hubs. I heard a lot about poor infrastructure. I heard a lot about competition with China and burdensome U.S. regulations that are difficult to understand. Then I walked into an artisan shop in Addis Ababa, and it was run by a remarkable woman. Her name was Sara Abera. I learned that she, in fact, had benefited from technical assistance through the U.S.-East Africa Trade and Investment Hub. She was now exporting to the United States through AGOA. I learned that she was, though, an exception to the rule. She is not the rule. Other than Sara, there were very few businesses and very few business leaders and entrepreneurs that seemed to have the knowledge of how to access AGOA. To fix this, the bill before us today would make information about AGOA available to an easily accessible public website. This bill also urges U.S. Embassies in eligible countries to more consistently promote AGOA and trade hubs, and it seeks to bring greater transparency to commitments made at annual AGOA forums to followup on these commitments. So this bill strengthens the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is already one of our most effective tools for incentivizing policy reform and unlocking market-based growth in developing countries. It increases the MCC's flexibility to promote regional trade, collaboration, economic integration. It does this by allowing up to two simultaneous compacts with an eligible country. It also improves transparency and accountability. It does that by streamlining and strengthening congressional oversight. Trade and free-market principles, frankly, if we think about it, have helped lift more than 1 billion people out of poverty over the last decade. But it is not just this humanitarian goal that leads us to invest in communities abroad. It is clear that investments targeted towards greater health, towards growing a healthier society, and towards growing a more sustainable society also helps advance U.S. security and economic interests. It is, therefore, vital that we ensure that two of our most impactful development and trade facilitation tools--that is the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and our Millennium Challenge Corporation--are efficient, effective, and fully utilized. This bill will do exactly that. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this important measure, and I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, 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 H.R. 3445, the AGOA and MCA Modernization Act, so that the bill 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.R. 3445 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 reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close if the gentleman has no other speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will sum up here. What this bill does is unlock a greater potential for AGOA, for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, so communities in Africa can strengthen their own economies and become U.S. trade partners rather than aid recipients. It also enhances the impact of MCC by accelerating regional economic integration trade. It is good for American taxpayers. It is certainly good for job creators in the United States. It is good for our national security. It is good for Africa--for the people of Africa. I think this legislation is the product of more than 2 years of negotiations. It enjoys very broad support. As I say, it doesn't cost the taxpayers anything. I really want to thank some of the Members who worked hard on this. I thank Representative Karen Bass for her good work, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Ranking Member Engel, and Representative Chris Smith; Senators Corker, Cardin, Isakson, and Coons. I thank them for their help on my measure here today and for their continued commitment to reducing poverty through market-based economic growth. 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 pass the bill (H.R. 3776) to support United States international cyber diplomacy, 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 on this measure.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying the United States is increasingly under attack by foreign actors online. Nobody knows this better than our members on the Foreign Affairs Committee, but especially Mike McCaul, who assisted me on this bill. As you know, Mike McCaul also chairs the Homeland Security Committee. So this legislation is focused on correcting a serious threat. Malicious cyber activities by state and non-state actors threaten our U.S. foreign policy, our security, and our economic interests right now around the globe. Last year, the intelligence community's Worldwide Threat Assessment summed this up well. As they looked at the problem, they said: ``Our adversaries are becoming more adept at using cyberspace to threaten our interests and advance their own, and despite improving our cyber defenses, nearly all information, communication networks, and systems will be at risk for years.'' But it is not just the security of our networks that the United States needs to protect. It is the very fabric of the internet itself that is increasingly under assault by governments that want to erect digital borders, that want to impose more control, and that want censorship online. The State Department has a critical role to play in promoting an open and secure cyberspace by developing international norms of responsible state behavior and deterring malicious actors from carrying out destructive cyber operations. Last year, the President signed an executive order charging the Secretary of State with creating an interagency strategy to protect the American people from cyber threats along with a plan to improve international cooperation in cybersecurity. Despite the prominent role assigned to the Department by the President's executive order and support from this body for such work, the office tasked with leading this effort for the State Department was merged into the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. The concern is that this limits the Department's ability to confront the full range of issues in cyberspace--such as security, internet access, online human rights, and cybercrime--beyond the clear economic challenges. So I believe this sends the wrong signal to Moscow, to Beijing, and to other governments around the world. The United States should make it clear that we place a high priority on the whole range of cyber issues, including cybersecurity, internet access, online rights, deterrence, and cybercrime. In testimony before the Foreign Affairs Committee--and here is the good news--I was relieved to hear our Deputy Secretary Sullivan say that this was just an interim step and that he expects cyber issues will ultimately be elevated to a Senate-confirmed role. This is exactly what this bill requires. So now, more than ever, we need a high-ranking cyber diplomat at the State Department to prioritize these efforts to ensure that we keep the internet open, keep it reliable, and keep it secure. The bipartisan Cyber Diplomacy Act is going to help counter foreign threats on the internet, it is going to promote human rights abroad, and it is going to also, by the way, create new jobs and economic growth here at home. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), who is the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

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