Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, part of the tragedy of this can be seen in what happened in Garissa National Park in Africa. The jihadists hit that park in order to take those tusks, in order to get that hard currency and trade those tusks for weapons and for bullets, and then used that weaponry to turn on Garissa University. Now, remember, these are jihadists. The one thing that Al-Shabaab has in common with the Janjaweed and with these other jihadi organizations is a hatred--just as Boko Haram has this hatred--a hatred of those who study. So what did they do? What did they do when they had their hands on those weapons? They then went to Garissa University and slaughtered 145 students after slaughtering the elephants in the parks. There is a direct link when jihadi organizations, as Judge Ted Poe shared with you, carried out these attacks to recruit, to show that they have got the power to kill, that they have got the power to exterminate, to annihilate not just these animal species but human beings as well. Mr. Speaker, time is not on our side. Each day of inaction means more animals poached, and the coffers of terrorist organizations and rebels grow full because the criminal syndicates that buy the ivory give them the weapons and give them the money. That has to come to an end. Since the time we started this debate, as Mr. Engel pointed out, two elephants have already been poached, have been slaughtered, because one is killed every 15 minutes in Africa. It is quite possible, as Mr. Engel said and as Mr. Poe alluded, that our children could grow up in a world without rhinoceros, without elephants, and it is no exaggeration. Certainly the forest elephant is going to be wiped out; the black rhino is going to be wiped out. Do we want to live in that kind of a world? Do we want to allow that to happen on our watch? The Global Anti-Poaching Act combats today's unprecedented levels of poaching and wildlife trafficking by holding foreign governments accountable, by adding greater consequences for traffickers in this illicit trade, while also assisting those park rangers on the ground who, frankly, need our help, need the help of our intelligence services, need our satellites and other capabilities, and need a better way in which to defend themselves and those parklands across Africa. Some years ago, myself and another Member of this body authored legislation to help set up these national parks across Africa, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act, which Clay Shaw and I authored. But today these terrorist organizations are in the parklands themselves, slaughtering these species. I would like to thank the Members that have been involved in putting this together and, also, some from the other committees that assisted us, like Chairman Goodlatte of the Judiciary Committee and Chairman Bishop of the Natural Resources Committee, for their constructive input and assistance in getting this legislation to the floor. And, of course, I would like, in closing, to recognize, again, Ranking Member Engel and Representatives Poe, Smith, and Bass for their valuable contributions. I urge all my colleagues to seize this opportunity and vote for H.R. 2494 and then help us bring a little pressure to bear to get this bill out of the Senate. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to recognize Mr. Engel's commitment to conservation on this planet and to his work on this legislation as well. I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. He is an original cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an exchange of letters between myself and the chairmen of the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees. Mr. Speaker, the very disturbing reality is that some of the world's most majestic animals have become ``blood currency'' for terrorist organizations and rebel groups. Some of the same radical organizations that carry out terror for political purposes get their resources by the sale of rhino horns and ivory through the slaughter of these animals in order to fund their terrorist operations. Poachers are taking advantage of under-equipped and undermanned park rangers. As we watch this play out across the sub-Saharan continent, they are decimating elephant and rhino populations and trading their tusks. In the 1980s, over 1 million African elephants roamed the continent's forests and savannahs. That is not that long ago. Today, there are less than 500,000 left. With this explosion in poaching, at these current rates, in about two decades, they will vanish. The rhino would vanish. In South Africa, home of the one of the largest rhino populations, poachers killed an average of 14 rhinos per year in the 1990s and 2000s. Last year, they killed 1,200--the top year on record. This is bigger than security. This, frankly, is a security issue for the entire planet. As we watch what is developing with these organizations, wildlife trafficking is now the most lucrative criminal activity--certainly, one of the most lucrative--around the world. I saw an estimate that poaching in Africa is worth $10 billion in annual income for these radical organizations. The Foreign Affairs Committee has held several hearings and briefings in which we learned how nefarious groups like al Shabaab, the Janjaweed, and Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army benefit from trafficking in wildlife and trading the ivory for guns. An average-size tusk is worth 25 cases of fresh ammunition in central Africa. Twenty- five cases will enable rebel groups to continue to rampage and terrorize civilian populations. The U.S. has invested a great deal of resources in trying to bring stability to the countries where these armed groups operate: Somalia, Sudan, and the Congo. All of that effort and investment are undermined when these terrorist organizations and rebel groups find these new financial lifelines. We remember the situation with blood diamonds. Well, for the last decade and a half, it has been ivory and rhino horns. Mr. Speaker, to address this crisis, the Global Anti-Poaching Act tackles wildlife trafficking in several ways. This legislation designates those countries that are ignoring wildlife trafficking and allows the Secretary of State to withhold security assistance from the worst offenders. In some wildlife trafficking cases, foreign governments have been found complicit. A ``naming and shaming'' of these countries is the minimum we can do if we are to contend with the poaching explosion. We know from some of our antitrafficking legislation how much pressure this does, in fact, put on foreign governments. Countries in Asia that are driving the demand for wildlife products also come under the spotlight in this bill. In the same tactic of naming and shaming that this legislation establishes, it has been used, as I mentioned, not just with traffickers, but also in drug trafficking cases. It is a way to force other countries to become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. To make this big business riskier for those who are involved in it, the legislation makes wildlife trafficking an offense under racketeering and money laundering statutes, going after the international networks that are taking profits out of this. It is the terrorist organizations on the ground doing the work, but it is the international criminal syndicates that then move the ivory around the world. We also have to stop that demand for the ivory. The legislation directs that any seized assets from these new penalties go toward the conservation of the very species that were trafficked. So when moneys are obtained from those involved in the pipeline, it can be employed for that purpose. Mr. Speaker, tackling poaching can protect exotic wildlife, increase security, and help Africa's development. One of the fastest growing sectors in Africa is ecotourism. In 2014, the industry contributed $70 billion to the African economy and directly employed 8 million people. These majestic animals drive tourism in Africa. They drive sustainable development there. But if we don't bring the slaughter to an end, there might not be any of these animals to see in a few years. The park rangers on the front lines trying to stop the slaughter at the hands of poachers are outmaneuvered and outgunned. This bipartisan legislation will help even out the fight by pressuring the administration to provide vital security assistance, including vehicles as well as intelligence and surveillance tools, to these park rangers. We know the security and economic consequences if today's poaching rates go on unchecked: terrorist and rebels fund their dangerous activities, and the African economy takes a major hit. The legislation before us today is a chance to change this course and to reverse this course back toward one of sustainable development; back toward one where, in the future, people from around the globe can go to Africa and see these magnificent animals and participate in building the economy through ecotourism in Africa. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary. Washington, DC, October 15, 2015. Hon. Ed Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing with respect to H.R. 2494, the ``Global Anti-Poaching Act,'' which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary. As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions in H.R. 2494 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, I agree to discharge our Committee from further consideration of this bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2494 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and asks that you support any such request. I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 2494 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H.R. 2494. Sincerely, Bob Goodlatte, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2494) to support global anti-poaching efforts, strengthen the capacity of partner countries to counter wildlife trafficking, designate major wildlife trafficking countries, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material.

Mr. ROYCE

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, as a strong original cosponsor. I want to thank Mr. Engel, and I want to thank Mr. Salmon and Mr. Brad Sherman for this legislation. Taiwan is a nation of 23 million people. It is a booming democracy, with a free and open media. It is a loyal friend. It is a loyal partner to the United States. Taiwan is engaged in important missions worldwide. We see the results of a lot of that engagement. Ebola is one most recently on our mind. When Ebola hit West Africa, it was Taiwan that donated 100,000 sets of protective equipment that were used to stop the spread of Ebola. It was Taiwan that gave so much in financial resources to help the sickest in Liberia. Taiwan today is assisting those who have been forced out of their homes by terrorists, whether it is in Syria or Iraq; yet, despite its active and constructive role internationally, Taiwan is excluded from many international organizations because of its political status. While Taiwan voluntarily adheres to the rules and the regulations of international organizations like the U.N., it is barred from participating. It is barred from being included in U.N. treaties against transnational organized crime and nuclear proliferation. This is not good for Taiwan, and it is not good for us. To better protect its citizens and all the people around the world who travel there, Taiwan is seeking observer status in the International Criminal Police Organization, which many know as INTERPOL. This organization enables police from 190 member countries to work together to make the world a safer place through information sharing, capacity building, and response coordination between police departments. That is 190 countries, but Taiwan is not included. The legislation before us today will help to secure observer status for Taiwan at INTERPOL. The measure requires the President of the United States to develop and execute a strategy to ensure that Taiwan participates in INTERPOL's next General Assembly meeting, which is coming up in Indonesia. This will bring better international law enforcement cooperation with one of our most important partners: Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, by way of history, Taiwan had full membership in INTERPOL starting back in 1964, but Taiwan was ejected from the law enforcement group in 1984, when the People's Republic of China applied for membership. Since then, Taiwan has relied on delayed secondhand information that they get from the United States about international criminals and global criminal activities, and that, frankly, makes Taiwan more vulnerable to security threats. Likewise, Taiwan cannot share the law enforcement information it gathers to the benefit, frankly, of INTERPOL and the rest of the community and all of the members of INTERPOL, all the police organizations that try to rely on that. And, of course, we are part of that. We could utilize that benefit. Mr. Speaker, the fact that Taiwan must rely on a convoluted process, with an added layer of bureaucracy, to access this critical information makes no sense. Taiwan regularly hosts the type of megaevents which often, unfortunately, attract terrorist activity, or they could. For example, in 2009 Taiwan hosted the World Games and had to rely solely on the United States to vet athletes and media lists, and with the U.S.' help, several suspicious persons were, in fact, identified. They were denied entry into Taiwan. In 2017 Taiwan will host the Summer Universiade, a student sporting event in which 900 athletes from 170 countries are expected to attend. This event is second only to the Olympics in the number of participants and countries that are represented. There must be a more streamlined way for Taiwan to access information from INTERPOL. As the number of visitors from Taiwan to the United States has grown exponentially, there is an urgent need to ensure that Taiwan's police forces have real-time access to information on criminal activities and on threats. Taiwan entered into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in 2012. Since then, the number of Taiwanese visitors to the United States has increased by nearly 42 percent. From my home State of California, the increase in visitors from Taiwan has been a boon to the economy. I am proud to have worked on Taiwan's entry into the Visa Waiver Program because I know that, as a result of this agreement, Taiwanese Americans in southern California have a much easier time staying connected to their families, and business travelers are having an easier time, too. That is why I am also supporting Taiwan's participation in Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry program, which will make two-way travel even easier. Mr. Speaker, strengthening Taiwan's law enforcement capabilities benefits American citizens as much as it does the Taiwanese. Every year tens of thousands of Americans travel to Taiwan, and this bill will certainly help Taiwan's police forces protect American citizens traveling in Taiwan. INTERPOL's constitution allows for observers at its meetings by police bodies which are not members of the organization. And so I am confident Taiwan will be able to be an observer. H.R. 1853 will support Taiwan's efforts to gain observer status with INTERPOL. It is going to improve everybody's security. Mr. Speaker, we must constantly be pressing to ensure that security across the globe is protected. Taiwan's unique political status has thus far hindered its inclusion in INTERPOL and is a vulnerable loophole for criminals and, frankly, for terrorists to target. With this piece of legislation, we are sending a clear message that safety is a priority. I want to again commend Representative Matt Salmon of Arizona, chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and, of course, Mr. Engel and Mr. Sherman for authoring and introducing this important measure. I appreciated working with them on it. I will just say this of Mr. Salmon as well. He has a longstanding interest in Taiwan. His leadership on this measure is very much appreciated by all of us. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the author of this measure, and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control the time. Mr. Smith, as U.S. chairman of the Helsinki Commission, works with our European allies to improve the security and improve the safety of these Jewish communities in Europe. We appreciate his authorship of this resolution.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 354) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe.

Mr. ROYCE. 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 materials in the Record.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Retail Investor Protection Act. The Department of Labor's proposal here is going to harm the very working class Americans that the administration claims that it is supporting. This is not hyperbole, this is not a hypothetical. I want to give you the real results of what happened in the United Kingdom when it enacted similar regulation in 2013. Here are the disastrous results: 310,000 clients were dropped; 60,000 new investors were rejected; an estimated 11 million potential savers were priced out of advice. In the face of these facts, the Department of Labor continues to insist on applying the failed philosophy of ``government knows best'' to retirement savings. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri for her leadership on this, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. ROYCE

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me again thank Eliot Engel, along with Mr. Cicilline and Mr. Connolly--cosponsors of this resolution with myself and other members of that committee--but mention in particular the decision we made to go as far east in Ukraine as we could. We traveled to the border of Luhansk and Donetsk, actually, because Dnipropetrovsk was where we flew in. To the south is Donetsk. To the east is Luhansk. One of the great advantages of having with us the ranking member--an individual who knows the country well and knows the people well, Mr. Eliot Engel--is the fact that both of his grandparents on his mother's side are from Ukraine and both of his grandparents on his father's side are from Ukraine. It is a reminder to us of the long struggle, the long, ardent effort, for independence, for some modicum of freedom, that the people of Ukraine have struggled for all of these years, a dream that finally seemed realized; and now, in the wake of that, you have the occupation of the eastern and southern parts of the country. I think it is a reminder to all of us of how we can be surprised on the world stage. The United States, in my opinion, could do more in this particular case to end the aggression. As people told us in Dnipropetrovsk--and we were there, actually. We had a service in the synagogue where Mr. Engel spoke during Passover. People asked us in each of these groups--the city council, the governor, the women's groups, the different civil society groups--they said: We can handle the fact that every skin-headed malcontent that Putin can recruit, that he radicalizes, and he trains--then they send them here, and we capture them, and we hold them in our brig until the end of hostilities--but what is a real challenge is the Russian armor, that Russian equipment out there. We can't match that. We need anti-tank missiles. Now, anti-tank weapons is what they have asked for. Many of us in Congress, myself included, have asked that we more forcefully oppose Russian aggression by giving those people on those frontlines the armaments they need to defend themselves, and the House has gone on record as taking this position. I think it would be a deterrent against Russian aggression that has brought so much suffering, and my hope is that, as we go forward, we convince the administration as well. The local elections scheduled for this Sunday are a concrete example that Ukrainians are determined to do all that they can to achieve peace throughout the entirety of that country. By overwhelmingly adopting this bipartisan resolution, I believe the House will send a clear message to the Ukrainian people that the United States remains committed to their right to have Ukrainians choose their own government and choose their own destiny. I want to thank the gentleman from Rhode Island for authoring this particular bill, and I urge its passage. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 348) supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their government and determine their future, as amended.

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

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, almost 2 years after the conflict in Ukraine began, Russian aggression there remains almost a daily regular occurrence. The fighting has taken over 8,000 Ukrainian lives, and that number is growing as Russia continues to provide weapons and support to separatists in eastern Ukraine. Last year, along with Ranking Member Eliot Engel and several other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee--there were eight of us, as I recall, including the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), who is the author of this resolution before us today--we traveled to Ukraine to see the situation on the ground. We traveled to Kyiv and we traveled to Dnepropetrovsk in the east, and we spoke with local officials. We spoke with representatives from civil society, women's groups, lawyers' groups, local government, different minority groups, a broad range of individuals--leaders of the Tatar community, leaders of the Jewish community there, and even former supporters of President Yanukovych, among many, many others. We heard that same message from everyone, namely, that they were committed to building a peaceful, united Ukraine that is free to determine its own future, and that they want to do it without outside interference. Now there is a new effort to bring peace to this war-torn region under the so-called Minsk agreements. These specify a number of measures that must be implemented by all sides, one of which is to hold local elections by the end of this year. The Ukrainian Government has scheduled these for October 25, which is this Sunday. Unfortunately, they cannot be held in the areas controlled by Russian-led separatists because intimidation and manipulation make free and fair elections impossible in these regions. But they will take place in the rest of the country where independent observers will ensure that they meet international standards, and this is to be welcomed. Their hoped-for success will be a real-world demonstration that Ukraine is continuing to implement the democratic reforms that Ukrainian people are determined to bring peace into their country with. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan resolution and reaffirm that America's commitment to Ukraine's independence and to the right of the Ukrainian people to determine their own future is strong and it is enduring. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. 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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this legislation. Increased U.S. energy exports benefit our national security and foreign policy. The Administration has created an absurd situation. While they are lifting sanctions on Iranian crude oil, they are fighting to keep sanctions on American crude oil. It makes no sense. I am, however, concerned by language that would increase subsidy payments to U.S. shipping companies participating in the ``Maritime Security Program.'' By increasing our oil exports, as this legislation does, that's already a boon to U.S. shipping. So why the government subsidy? So I will support an amendment that is to be offered to strike this provision of the bill. But Mr. Chair, if this maritime subsidy is ultimately part of this legislation, the door is then open to offset it by eliminating yet another damaging subsidy: U.S. cargo preference for international food aid. Over the past three years, the Foreign Affairs Committee has led efforts to reform U.S. international food aid programs so we could reach more starving people in less time, and for less money. A stumbling block to this effort has been a requirement in U.S. law that U.S. food aid be shipped on U.S. vessels--even though many of them are foreign-owned. This requirement remains year-after-year despite the fact that the Defense Department has concluded that relieving a portion of our food aid budget from U.S. purchase and shipping requirements would have no effect on U.S. maritime security. If maintained in this bill, the proposed increase for ``Maritime Security Program'' payments literally ``sinks'' the arguments against food aid reform. One wasteful corporate subsidy is bad enough; a second that kills our ability to reform food aid and save lives would be beyond conscience, and something I am confident this body would wisely reject.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation and appreciate Chairman Goodlatte's work to bring it to the floor. Mr. Speaker, all of us have had constituents who have adopted children internationally. These families go through a long, complex and very emotional process as they wait on legal decisions and government reviews. Along with the emotional stress can come financial stress too. In a number of cases, as wait times lengthen and lengthen, an adoptive child's American visa will expire before they are able to leave their home country. This means the American parents adopting this child have to reapply and repay hefty fees. But under this legislation, that reapplication fee can be waived if a family is faced with extraordinary circumstances outside their control. This is common sense. Mr. Speaker, passage of this bill--and the President's signature-- means immediate help for hundreds of American families seeking to adopt children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Foreign Affairs Committee has been particularly focused on this tragic and frustrating situation. These American families have been unable to bring their legally adopted children home from the DRC because of a bureaucratic chokehold by the Congolese government. In some cases, some children who had a loving home ready and waiting in the United States died in Congo's orphanages. Yes, died. Nearly every congressional district has a family impacted by this tragic policy of the Congolese government. I have met with a number of families from Southern California, who have adopted children from the DRC that they now cannot take home. Some of these families have paid over $1,000 in fees to the U.S. government--and will continue to pay more--to keep their adoptive child's visa active, while they wait in limbo for the Congolese government to do the right thing. Mr. Speaker, last month marked the two-year anniversary of the DRC suspending international adoptions. For two years these families have been hurting. The Congolese system is failing these children, for sure. But today, the American system will respond to give these families some relief during this time of distress. We are doing all we can to see that these legally adopted children are allowed into loving American homes, but for now, we can all feel good about relieving this financial burden.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the U.S.-Korea partnership and to welcome President Park Geun-hye to Washington next week. Having chaired the U.S.-Republic of Korea Parliamentary Exchange for over a decade, I have long championed closer ties between our two countries. Our alliance is one that was forged in bloodshed 65 years ago, when U.S. and Korean forces fought and died together. Our own colleagues, Sergeant Charlie Rangel, John Conyers, and Sam Johnson, fought there. Over 215,000 South Korean soldiers were killed and over 1 million civilians lost their lives. Seoul was leveled, but it has risen from the ashes to become one of greatest cities in the world. The U.S.-Korea relations have been a linchpin of security for us. We have partnered in deepening our trade ties through KORUS, in our condemnation of Japan's use of Korean women as sex slaves during the war, and, more recently, our committee unanimously passed a resolution to help Korean Americans meet their long-lost relatives separated by the war. Colleagues, let us take this partnership with South Korea to a new level.

Mr. ROYCE

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen Chris Smith, David Cicilline, and Judge Ted Poe. Two weeks ago, we were all here on the floor of the House, and we heard Pope Francis charged with those listening to his remarks of the important responsibility of safeguarding religious freedom. He stated at the White House that that freedom remains one of America's most precious possessions. Of course, that freedom is not only an American possession, and it is not only enjoyed by certain religions. That freedom flows from the inherent dignity of every human person and should be protected wherever it is threatened. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom remains a strong, independent, and authoritative voice on behalf of religious believers everywhere. This measure will ensure that it continues to pursue the Commission's nonpartisan mission of promoting around the world the right of religious liberty that we hold so dear as a nation. It deserves our unanimous support. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.