Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a coauthor of this bill.

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 in the Record.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 230.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 187) relating to efforts to respond to the famine in South Sudan, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE of California. 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 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in July of 2011, all of us here celebrated the establishment of the world's newest nation. Finally, South Sudan had emerged after more than 20 years of brutal suppression by the government in Khartoum and a war that saw some of the worst human rights atrocities of our time. They emerged out of that. Tragically, though, the celebration was short-lived. By December of 2013, a long-simmering rivalry between two leaders--South Sudan's ethnic Dinka President and ethnic Nuer Vice President--exploded in violence, and South Sudan became embroiled in yet another deadly civil conflict. Today, over 100,000 people are starving to death; 5.5 million people--half of the population--are at risk of starving by July; and 3.6 million people have been displaced by conflict and famine with 7,000 newly displaced South Sudanese crossing the Ugandan border each and every week. In February, famine was declared in two of the areas that have experienced the heaviest fighting. Let's be clear: the famine unfolding across South Sudan is completely manmade. The leaders who have unleashed this horror upon the citizens that they are meant to represent--Salva Kiir and Riek Machar--have plundered billions of dollars in oil revenues and donor investment, manipulated ethnic tensions, and armed proxy militias. They have, as we can share with you, recruited child soldiers, killed U.N. peacekeeping forces, and forcibly displaced millions of their citizens--civilians who have been run from their homes. Lifesaving humanitarian supplies have been looted by the government and by the opposition. The government has blocked humanitarian access through bureaucratic manipulation and through sheer brute force. Humanitarian workers have been deliberately targeted. They have been abused, raped, and murdered with impunity. Yes, humanitarian workers. South Sudan is now the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarians. It is also the most dangerous place for their own citizens because they are treated the same way by these two so-called leaders. And those South Sudan leaders have, in effect, become exactly like the government in Khartoum that their people fought against for decades. This is appalling. This is unconscionable. It cannot stand. Congress, working with our Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, and many other concerned countries, must make sure those who bear responsibility for this calamity are held to account through sanctions and other tools. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the ranking member of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee, for introducing this timely and important resolution, which seeks to bring attention to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in South Sudan, because in South Sudan it gets worse by the day. It has not mattered what arguments we have brought to bear against the President and the Vice President. Many world leaders and many of us have had these arguments face-to-face. This resolution makes clear that the U.S. Agency for International Development should have the flexibility to tailor their response by using market-based food aid where appropriate, and U.S. commodities where needed. We need to ensure that food is not being used as a weapon in this civil war, and flexible food aid can help. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this resolution and, more importantly, in continuing to demonstrate the compassion of the American people through lifesaving humanitarian assistance. Deep, arbitrary cuts to U.S. humanitarian assistance programs at a time when we are facing famine in four countries beset by violence--including countries where we are fighting designated terrorist groups--would be reckless and irresponsible. Millions of lives are hanging in the balance. It is in the U.S. interest to respond in South Sudan, just as it is in these other countries. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

Mr. ROYCE of California. 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. Mr. Speaker, many of us knew President John Garang who tragically died after many years of trying to secure freedom for the people of South Sudan, tragically died in a helicopter crash. He was the father of his country. He was also one who always championed peaceful coexistence among the tribes in South Sudan. He was very different than obviously the current competing warlords for that position. I had worked with Don Payne's father. Don Payne, Jr., spoke of this issue of the genocide resolution. We passed that resolution through this House together. As a matter of fact, we brought it before the Human Rights Council. Don Payne and I traveled up to New York to raise this issue. What is shocking to us about the current circumstances in South Sudan is the effort being undertaken by the world community in order to try to step in and provide some measure of peace. Of course, we have talked today about what has happened to the people of South Sudan, what has happened to our own aid workers there. But if we reflect for a minute that Rwandans have lost their lives there, when we were dealing with this genocide issue in Sudan, we took Don Cheadle, the actor who portrayed Paul Rusesabagina, who was also with us on that trip. We went into Sudan in order to document the genocide that was going on, to speak to some of the survivors. We brought in a Nightline camera crew. Yes, we have, in this case, brought the world community along to a certain extent. But here is part of the tragedy: those Rwandan peacekeepers were slaughtered in South Sudan. So were Chinese peacekeepers. So were Indian and Kenyan and Fiji and Danish peacekeepers. So were Egyptian and Ethiopian and Bangladeshi peacekeepers. So were Benin and Burkina Faso, and Chad and Mongolia. So were peacekeepers from Nepal and Nigeria and Norway, and the Philippines and Pakistan. And this is the kind of attitude that we see from these warlords against their own people and against others who try to come in to keep the peace. And this is why, frankly, in addition to this resolution, it is time--and I know the support is there in the Security Council, I know now there is the support--to cut off the arms and the ammunition going in to South Sudan that helps fuel these warlords. We have heard the passion and dedication of Congresswoman Bass of California. Of course, she has worked with Mr. Smith of New Jersey, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, to shine a light on this crisis. As always, I appreciate the assistance of Mr. Engel, the ranking member. I share the anguish of my colleagues in seeing the aspirations of South Sudan citizens dashed by kleptocrats and warlords, certainly not in the tradition of John Garang, warlords bent on maintaining power at any cost. The blood of countless civilians is on their hands, and the people of South Sudan deserve better. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to recognize the bravery and selflessness of the humanitarians who are working to save lives and bring an end to the suffering that has been imposed upon the people of South Sudan. I have personally met with humanitarian workers who have been held at gunpoint, who have been threatened, who have been abused in the worst ways. I have met with people who have carried food and medicine on their backs through swamps because there were no roads. Without their commitment, without their sacrifice, countless lives would have now been lost. And while they don't do this work for the accolades, they deserve our recognition and thanks here tonight. I urge Members to join me in honoring them today by supporting this timely resolution. 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. Speaker, 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. World Expos are designed to showcase a nation's products, the technology, the innovative spirit. And what nation on Earth produces more innovative products and technology than the United States or has a better or more skilled workforce? Simply put, when Americans compete in the world on an even footing, America wins. It is therefore in our interest to once again compete to host a World Expo. This bill does that by empowering our fellow citizens to mount competitive private bids to bring a World Expo to the U.S., and it does so while maintaining a sound legal requirement that participation in Expos continue to be privately funded. It goes further to permit private funding for the relatively modest cost to rejoin the BIE. That is why this measure has the support of Members from both parties and the administration, which has written that H.R. 534 is consistent with the President's policy to promote domestic job growth and American innovation. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this measure and give our fellow Americans the chance to compete and win a World Expo for America. I again thank the bill's committed sponsors, Representatives Tom Emmer and Betty McCollum. I want to give a special thanks to Sean O'Neill, a detailee on my staff, whose skill and dedication have made today's consideration of this measure possible. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters of support for this bill. One is from the administration, and the other is from ExpoUSA, the United States World's Fairs Council. United States Department of State, Washington, DC, April 24, 2017. Hon. Edward R. Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Department of State appreciates Congress' interest in facilitating the bids of states to host international expositions. Not only do such events potentially generate considerable economic benefits but they also create ideal opportunities for showcasing American commercial capabilities to interested international audiences. This is consistent with the President's policy to promote domestic job growth and American innovation. As the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) is the international organization responsible for selecting venues offered by bidders, the chances of U.S. bidders being selected would be greatly enhanced if the U.S. were to renew and maintain its membership in the BIE. H.R. 534, the ``U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act'', as amended, would provide the needed permissive authority for the Secretary of State to do so. Further, the Department greatly appreciates the efforts of Congress to ensure the bill is consistent with similar authorizations. Insofar as BIE has advised of the need for United States membership to be renewed by May 12, 2017, to ensure timely consideration of the Minnesota Expo 2023 bid, the Department urges that, if possible, the bill be passed quickly. This will enable the Department to take the necessary steps to renew membership, enhancing prospects that state bids to host upcoming expositions will prevail. With the U.S. membership within BIE, costs for states to bid and host will be decreased by half and provide long-term savings for U.S. businesses interested in participating in future expos, both domestically and internationally. Finally, expeditious renewal of United States membership in the BIE will return the United States to the decision-making body for future World's Fairs and Expos, offsetting the growing influence of other countries, such as China. The Office of Management and Budget has no objection to the views expressed in this letter. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Joseph E. Macmanus, Bureau of Legislative Affairs.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 534, the U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act. As always, I appreciate the assistance of the ranking member, Mr. Engel, in expediting this legislation. I would like to commend two of our body here, Mr. Tom Emmer and Ms. Betty McCollum. We thank them and their Minnesota colleagues for their leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, this bill will enable American citizens and our businesses and State and local governments to once again compete on an even footing against foreign countries to host a World Expo here in the United States. It does so by authorizing the Secretary of State to take those steps necessary to rejoin the Bureau of International Expositions. This BIE, as it is called, is the organization that governs World Expos, and it determines which cities get to host such an event. The United States originally joined the BIE back in 1928, but it withdrew from active membership in 2001. Unfortunately, the rules of the BIE make it virtually impossible for bids from nonmember nations to compete against bids from member nations. This bill will revise this. It will reverse the longstanding position, and we can lend our support to a recent surge of American interest in once again hosting a World Expo in the United States. Citizens from Minnesota have developed a comprehensive bid and are actively competing against cities in Argentina and Poland to host the 2023 World Expo, but since these countries are BIE members, the U.S. must rejoin the BIE in order for Minnesota to compete on an even playing field when the BIE makes its recommendations to the selection committee in May. It is not just Minnesota that is interested in this. At least five other U.S. States and cities are actively exploring hosting a World Expo in the future, including Los Angeles and San Francisco from my home State of California. These cities know that World Expos create American jobs. They promote American exports. They enhance the image of America around the world. Indeed, in November, the Departments of Commerce and State submitted reports to the President certifying that the Minnesota proposal was in the national interest of the United States and had guaranteed financial support from State, from local, from private, and other sources. Members should know that U.S. law requires that the cost of hosting or participating in a World Expo be funded entirely by private donors. This bill does not change that. In fact, it reaffirms that requirement. This bill also specifically authorizes the Department of State to accept private contributions in order to cover any costs associated with rejoining the organization. Indeed, the organizers of Minnesota's 2023 Expo bid have committed to do just that. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 534 in order to once again give the American people the opportunity to host a World Expo here in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 534) to require the Secretary of State to take such actions as may be necessary for the United States to rejoin the Bureau of International Expositions, 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 any extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer). He is the author of this bill. He has worked very hard preparing this legislation for passage.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, as Major General Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Asseri made clear in a recent op-ed, the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is central to the fight against terror. Together our two countries are responding to the serious threat from ``Da'esh'' (ISIS) and other terrorist groups, Iran's continued support of terrorism, and the violent messages of religious extremism emanating from some quarters of the Middle East. Gen. Asseri's support for intelligence-sharing is a clear recognition that countering these threats goes beyond the battlefield. We are appreciative of Saudi efforts to block the flow of funding to terrorists, weakening their capacity to perpetrate atrocities against innocents around the world. We note with enthusiasm efforts by Saudi Arabia to counter the messages of violent extremism that draw vulnerable young people into the grasp of these terrible groups and applaud efforts to address the challenge of rehabilitating convicted terrorists. We are hopeful that the Saudi-led Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism will play an increasingly important role in both the fight against ISIS and efforts to push back against Iran's destabilizing activities in the region. Nowhere is this more relevant than in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has suffered both military and civilian casualties. It is imperative to push Iranian influence out of Yemen, expedite humanitarian assistance to Yemenis suffering through this conflict, and develop a coherent, long-term political framework through which the country can move forward. The United States values Saudi Arabia as a partner, and we are committed to working together in the fight against terror. I include in the Record the recent editorial by General Asseri. [From FoxNews.com, March 26, 2017] My Country Supports America's Tough Stance Against ISIS, Terror, and Iran (By Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Asseri) Published March 26, 2017 (FoxNews.com) Leaders from 68 countries gathered in Washington for a meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh (ISIL) hosted by President Trump's administration this past week. Saudi Arabia welcomes the new administration's attention to the Middle East and its support for America's friends who are fighting back against transnational terrorists such as Daesh and pushing back against Iranian interference in countries such as Yemen. As Americans would say, ``You've got our back.'' And America's support is indispensable as we stand together against a host of threats to regional stability. While meeting with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman--an architect of our country's economic, social, and governmental reforms--at the White House recently, President Trump enthusiastically endorsed the modernization drive that will make our country an even more valuable strategic partner. Similarly, our government welcomes the United States' long-standing support of the Saudi defense forces. The new administration is also toughminded about the Iranian threat to regional stability, which was magnified by the recent nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, including the United States. Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo each describe Iran as the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, while Vice President Mike Pence has called the nuclear agreement ``a terrible deal.'' Saudi Arabia is prepared to work with the United States and its allies to restrain Iranian conduct, just as we have helped to stabilize the Arabian Gulf and its energy supplies since World War II. While the US-Saudi partnership is time- tested, reaffirming this relationship is a matter of strategy, not sentiment. Since the Global Coalition's founding three years ago, Saudi Arabia has been an active partner from Day One, including sending fighter jets to the Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey to join the US-led air campaign against Daesh in Syria. On the financial front, Saudi Arabia works closely with the United States to cut off funding for Daesh and Al Qaeda. Through real-time information-sharing, we cooperate with the United States to shut down the flow of funds from western banks to Middle Eastern extremists. To ensure that charitable contributions don't subsidize terrorism, we prohibit Saudi mosques and aid organizations from transferring money outside our country. We have also taken strong steps to stop unauthorized shipments of military equipment from leaving Saudi Arabia and to prevent people from crossing our borders to join Daesh in Iraq or Syria. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is mobilizing the Muslim world against the extremist threat to our religion. Under Saudi leadership, the 41-nation Islamic Coalition is equipping our countries to fight violent extremists by training our security forces and sharing information and intelligence. Last March, in the largest joint military exercise ever in the Middle East, some 350,000 soldiers, 20,000 tanks and 2,500 warplanes from 20 countries joined together in ``war games'' in the Saudi desert to jointly train our security forces for operations against non-state armed groups. Turning from the battlefields to the battle of ideas, the Islamic Coalition is encouraging educators and scholars as well as religious and political leaders to raise their voices against those who preach violence. Moreover, Saudi Arabia has created a center which operates 24/7 to analyze social media to identify and track terrorist efforts to recruit and activate new followers. But non-state armed groups and radical preachers aren't the only threats. By conducting ballistic missile tests last month and meddling in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, the Sinai Peninsula and even the Gulf States, Iran is imperiling the stability of our region. Even more disturbingly, Iran is sharing ballistic missile technology with the extremist Houthi militia in Yemen and similar groups in other countries, thereby imperiling the security of the entire region. In Yemen, which shares a 1,100-mile border with Saudi Arabia, Iran is supporting and arming the Houthi militia, modeled on the terrorist Hezbollah movement that has destabilized Lebanon. While making Yemen ungovernable, the Houthis are attacking Saudi Arabia, having fired more than 40,000 mortars, rockets and other projectiles at our towns, killing at least 375 civilians, closing more than 500 schools and displacing 24 villages and over 17,000 people. In January, three Houthi suicide boats rammed a Saudi frigate off the western coast, killing two crew members and injuring three others. Responding to this threat, Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of 12 countries fighting to reinstate Yemen's legitimate, internationally recognized government and restore peace and security to the country. To be sure, Saudi Arabia prefers to promote stability through peaceful means, as we do by providing much-needed diplomatic and economic support to strategic allies such as Egypt and Jordan. But aggression, active destabilization and acts of terrorism, including Iran's infringements in Yemen, demand a military response. From the Cold War through the War on Terror, the U.S. has helped Saudi Arabia strengthen our defenses through joint military training exercise and ballistic defensive weapons sales, making our country the largest customer of U.S. military equipment. Today, we're working with the United States and its allies to defeat Daesh, Al Qaeda and Iranian-sponsored extremism and expansionism. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder for a secure and stable Middle East in a peaceful and prosperous world. (Major General Ahmed Hassan Mohammad Asseri is an adviser to Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister.)

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 479) to require a report on the designation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize the contribution here of Mr. Sherman, who is the ranking member on the committee, and to acknowledge also the force of his argument. Kim Jong-un is an individual who not only kidnaps his neighbors, but also, in the past, this rogue regime has become expert at transferring the methods to kill civilians to other rogue regimes around the world. And based upon his past behavior, it is only too plausible that if they get this weapon, they will do it again. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, and the dogged author of this bill who has pushed this issue for a long time.

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chairman emeritus of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and a cosponsor of this measure.