Ed Royce

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. This is not a new cold war. President Reagan ended the cold war. The way he did that, frankly, was by leading, but also with a strategy which drove down the price of oil and gas, which was the stranglehold, which not only Russia had over Eastern Europe, but also funded the ability of the former Soviet Union militarily to carry out an expansion program. Today, you have the circumstance where President Putin relies almost solely--70 percent of the exports, 52 percent of the budget, as I indicated--from a monopoly position on oil and gas. That is why I think it is very important that we understand what the polls and what the Hungarians understood when they exported 2 billion cubic yards of gas last year to Ukraine in order to try to keep the ability of Russia from manipulating the situation into leading to the very chaos that was brought about. We need to understand, when the U.S.-EU annual summit just occurred and the EU asked us to be part of a program to ship gas into that market in order to offset this monopoly control and pricing by Russia, that we should be part of this. This is part of this bill. Also part of the bill is the important consequence of communicating to the people in that region and offsetting the propaganda that Russia right now is sending into the country. We address that issue, as well, in this legislation, as well as good governance issues, and the steps that are needed in order to reform the economy inside Ukraine in order to set up the rule of law, independent courts. The polls are on the ground working on this issue right now. The United States needs to support that effort. This sends one last message that, if you are in the business of helping to invade a country, there will be consequences. I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the new Prime Minister of Ukraine will visit Capitol Hill tomorrow, and this resolution is a strong show of support in the House. It shows we will support the people of Ukraine as they try to build a democratic country, a country that is more prosperous, a country that is free of illegitimate outside influence. It also sends a clear message to the leaders and elites in Russia that annexation of territory in a neighboring state will not extend Russia's influence but will instead lead to political and economic isolation. Let me also speak to the issue of Russia's state-controlled gas company, Gazprom. They have just threatened to cut off supplies to Ukraine. This is not new. In the past, disputes over natural gas supplies and prices and debts have resulted in Russia shutting off the pipelines in Ukraine in January of 2006 and in January of 2009, not surprisingly, in the middle of the winter, when they would inflict the most damage. These actions also hit several countries in Europe, which are heavily dependent on Russian gas that transits by pipeline through Ukraine. Those countries are Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Romania. This shortfall would reverberate throughout Europe. I believe it is very important that we pass this resolution out today. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 499) condemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation, as amended.

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 499, a very important declaration of support for the people of Ukraine in this time of peril. This measure condemns Russia's unprovoked aggression in clear and in unmistakable terms. The U.S. has a strong interest in a democratic and prosperous Ukraine and a Ukraine with its territorial integrity intact. I would like to take this time to recognize, also, Ranking Member Engel for coauthoring this bipartisan resolution, and I would also like to thank the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for their work to strengthen this resolution at last week's markup where it passed unanimously. This resolution is an important part of the larger effort to aid Ukraine and impose real costs on Russia, to give Russia something to weigh in the balance, something to take into account for its unacceptable action in the Crimea section of Ukraine. Among other resolves, the resolution condemns the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation, and it declares that the Ukrainian people have the right to determine their own future free from outside interference. Importantly, the resolution calls on the administration to work with our allies to impose visa, financial, and other sanctions, as appropriate. Russia's actions cannot go unchallenged. To show Moscow how isolated its aggression has made it, world leaders are speaking out. Today, the House of Representatives is joining those voices. Ukraine's new government is confronting an economic and financial crisis brought on by years of mismanagement and corruption by previous government officials, and it is doing this while under military invasion and economic coercion by neighboring Russia. The new government in Kiev cannot succeed without strong and rapid support by the international community. Last week, the House acted quickly on a loan guarantee provision. This is conditioned on Ukraine's undertaking fundamental economic reforms to stabilize its economy. Addressing Ukraine's energy security must be part of our response here. While the United States recently became the world's largest producer of natural gas, Russia is still the largest exporter. Moscow freely uses its energy resources to advance its foreign policy goals, including by blackmailing countries which are dependent on Russia. Russia has repeatedly used its natural gas to pressure Ukraine economically and politically. It recently announced that it will significantly hike its prices, a deliberate effort to squeeze Ukraine in order to worsen its current economic crisis and to control it politically. Fortunately, we have a readily available option to help counter this threat, namely, reducing the current impediments to exports of American natural gas to Ukraine. While Vladimir Putin is selling oil and gas around the world, we still maintain major restrictions on selling our energy to all but a handful of countries. We should end these self-imposed sanctions on our energy exports to Ukraine. This would undermine Putin's influence. It would bolster our allies throughout Europe and create jobs at home. I urge all Members to support this important measure, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, March 7, 2014. Hon. Ed Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Royce, I am writing with respect to H. Res. 499, ``Condemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation.'' As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions in H. Res. 499 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, I agree to discharge our Committee from further consideration of this resolution 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. Res. 499 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 resolution or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to H. Res. 499, 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. Res. 499. Sincerely, Bob Goodlatte, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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. I would like to begin by thanking the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating) for his work on this resolution, as well as our ranking member of the committee, Eliot Engel of New York, and also recognize the long, hard work that Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and Mr. Gerlach of Pennsylvania have put into their engagement on this issue with Ukraine. I would also add that, if we do not recognize that Russia is using energy as a weapon, we are missing what is really going on in Eastern Europe and Central Europe. It was, in part, Ukraine's reliance on Russia's energy that pushed the now-deposed Ukraine President Yanukovych to abandon the trade deal with the European Union. It was that attempt to pressure him, and he was tempted by promises of discounts on natural gas. He was pressured by the threat of turning off the valve on that gas. He was pressured to turn toward Russia instead of to the European Union. We believe that Ukraine should have the right to trade with Russia and with the European Union--to trade east and west and north to Poland and south to Moldova. This should be the decision of the Ukrainian people. I believe the administration must do far more to isolate Russia diplomatically than it has to date and that the Treasury Department should also make clear that the U.S. is on the lookout for Russian enterprises, especially banks, that are involved in illicit activities such as the transfer of stolen Ukrainian assets. We must remember that the purpose of our pressure on Russia is not simply to punish aggression and certainly not to escalate the confrontation but, instead, to move Putin toward a resolution that protects the independence and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. That is the goal that all of us share, and I urge all Members to support H. Res. 499 and to stand with the people of Ukraine. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close.

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer).

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Havel's zeal for liberating oppressed people did not diminish in later years, when he continued to advocate for democratic reforms in places such as Belarus, Burma, Cuba, and Iran. In reference to his role as a democratic activist, Havel simply wrote: We never decided to become dissidents. We simply went ahead and did certain things that we felt we ought to do, that seemed decent for us to do, nothing more nor less. The legacy of this freedom fighter serves as an inspiration for peaceful, democratic activists today. It is fitting, therefore, for us to pass this resolution and provide for a bust of Vaclav Havel to be displayed in the Capitol Building, the workplace of our great democracy. There alongside similar images of the great champions of freedom--Winston Churchill, Louis Kossuth, Raoul Wallenberg--his statue will remind future generations of the impact one man can have in the advancement and in the protection of liberty. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the original cosponsors of this resolution, as well: Majority Leader Cantor, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Whip McCarthy, Minority Whip Hoyer, Appropriations Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey, and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, with whom I worked particularly closely in trying to advance the values of Vaclav Havel.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, as the author of this resolution, I rise today to honor the life of a rather extraordinary man, Vaclav Havel. As we watch the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, I think it is important to reflect upon the life of the man who led the people of Czechoslovakia out from under the thumb of the totalitarian system he had grown up under, out from under the Soviet Union, and played a very key role in the founding of not one, but of two vibrant European democracies, one of them the Czech Republic and the other the Slovak Republic. I remember a young Croatian journalist, with tears in his eyes, saying, if only we had had someone, someone like Vaclav Havel, when it came to the divisions in the former Yugoslavia. Because, as he stated, the ideals that Vaclav Havel had enunciated, political pluralism, tolerance, and democratic capitalism, the way forward, the same way forward as was broadcast by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty-- broadcasts, by the way that were never heard in Yugoslavia; we never broadcast there. But he said those themes managed, without the loss of a single human life, for Vaclav Havel not only to bring independence for the Czechoslovakian people, but then to set up a separate Slovakia and a separate Czech Republic after the referendum. As a playwright, Vaclav Havel revealed the absurdity he lived under under communist ideology. He discredited--he discredited--the repressive Czechoslovak Communist regime, and following the brutal Soviet suppression of the 1968 Prague Spring, which was a movement for greater political liberalization, Havel was banned from the theater. Their attempt to silence him was to not allow his words to be heard. But instead, they greatly underestimated his passion for freedom, because instead of succumbing to their intimidation, Vaclav Havel became the voice and increased--increased--his political activity. Havel played the central role in drafting the now famous Charter 77 Manifesto and was a founding member of the dissident organization based upon those very principles, and in 1979 he founded the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted. These and other opposition efforts earned him multiple stays in prison as a so-called guest of the Communist authorities. But Havel and the cause of freedom prevailed. Following the successful Velvet Revolution of 1989, Vaclav Havel became President of Czechoslovakia, and that was by a unanimous vote of the Federal Assembly, and that ended 41 years of repressive Communist rule. The following year, Czechoslovakia held its first free elections in four decades, resulting in overwhelming support for Havel to retain the Presidency. As leader of an independent Czechoslovakia, Havel presided over the peaceful separation of the Czech and Slovak Republics, a momentous and challenging task. As President of the Czech Republic, he paved the way for the country's entrance both into NATO and into the European Union. A strong supporter of Radio Free Europe, President Havel invited this U.S. international broadcaster to move to Prague, offering the former Czechoslovak Parliament building as a headquarters for them. And when some questioned the broadcaster's role after the fall of communism, Havel stated: We need your professionalism and your ability to see events from a broad perspective.

Mr. ROYCE

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chairman emeritus and Middle East Subcommittee chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and, of course, the author of this bill.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. When we are speaking of this issue, I think Members should reflect that we are speaking of an Israel that faces from a regime in Iran that actually speaks of wiping Israel off of the map, a regime in Iran that seeks to acquire a nuclear weapons capability and the missiles to deliver nuclear weapons, a regime in Iran that has a proxy called Hezbollah. I remember a Deputy Secretary of State calling that organization the ``A team'' of terrorism in the world, Hezbollah. Hezbollah is greatly expanding its size and its influence, and it is doing so not only in Lebanon but in Syria, which neighbors Israel. It is an organization that has, probably, some 70,000 rockets by now that are aimed at Israel's population centers. We think of an Israel challenged by the proliferation of al Qaeda-affiliated organizations throughout that region. We think of the ongoing threats from Hamas to the south and the Palestinian Islamic jihad. Those are severe challenges, but Israel never has been as strong as it is now. Think of Israel's dynamic entrepreneurial culture there. For those who have been to Tel Aviv, it is inspiring--it is unbelievable-- the entrepreneurial spirit, the innovative culture. You get a better sense of why Israel is so strong but also a sense of why the bond between the United States and Israel is so great. It is that dynamic economy and society that are building blocks for Israel's qualitative military edge and its relationship with the United States. The benefits that we get from U.S.-Israel relationships, like the development of the Iron Dome, is very strong. I think that was probably built for 10 percent the price or cost, and now all of our allies are interested in acquiring that Iron Dome; and at the same time, when you think about the Iron Dome, you think of something that we in the United States thought was impossible to develop, but in Israel, engineers did so. Mr. Speaker, this legislation today stands by our values; it stands by our interests; and it stands by our ally Israel. It is legislation all Members of the House should support. Seeing no additional speakers, 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 pass the bill (H.R. 938) to strengthen the strategic alliance between the United States and Israel, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of this legislation. This is the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Declaration. I want to begin by thanking the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros- Lehtinen) and thanking the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Ted Deutch, for their leadership in authoring this important measure. Israel's strategic reality has been fundamentally transformed. As it looks to its borders and looks beyond those borders, the threats to Israel are changing, and they are growing. These threats challenge Israel's qualitative military edge and that is its ability to counter and defeat any credible conventional military threat. It challenges it in ways that have, perhaps, never been quite so daunting. Myself, Eliot Engel, Ted Deutch, and others, had an opportunity last year to travel to Israel to see the effects, see the efforts, by Israel to counter the rocket attacks that come in from Gaza by Hamas. I had an opportunity back during the second Lebanon war, during the war with Hezbollah, to actually see the effects in August of 2006 of what was happening with rockets firing into Haifa. On a daily basis, the city was under siege. There were literally 600 Israelis--Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, Druze Israelis--who were victims of these attacks from the communities in Haifa who were in the trauma hospital, and every day, these rockets would rain down. This was not just the handiwork of Hezbollah and of Hamas that we saw last year--no. This was with rockets provided by Iran--by Iran and Syria. In the rocket attacks that I saw in 2006, those rockets--every one of them--the cone of those rockets had 80,000 ball bearings, and they would be fired on schools, on homes, on the hospital itself, that was a target. That was done to create the maximum number of civilian casualties. Well, so it is, in terms of the challenges that Israel faces, again, those challenges now because Iran is supplying the weaponry. In response, the Congress continues to do everything in our power to support Israel from its security to supporting its economy. That is the intention, Mr. Speaker, of this legislation that Mr. Ted Deutch and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen have brought before this body. It is a matter of shared values, shared experiences, and shared interests between the United States and Israel. This legislation will not only expedite the provision of critical security assistance to Israel and require more frequent and detailed reporting on Israel's qualitative military edge, as well as a report on joint efforts to address the other threats--asymmetric threats that Israel faces, but it will also focus on expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest by supporting a range of joint activities from civil space cooperation to homeland security measures. Finally, it will dramatically expand our cooperation with Israel on energy production. It will link the two economies in important ways, and that is why I, again, thank Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Ted Deutch for bringing this legislation before us. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC, January 22, 2014. Hon. Ed Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing to you concerning the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Homeland Security in matters being considered in H.R. 938, the United States- Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013. I recognize the importance of H.R. 938 and the need for the legislation to move expeditiously. Therefore, while we have a valid claim to jurisdiction over certain sections of the bill, specifically, section 5(f), I do not intend to request a sequential referral. This, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that nothing in this legislation or my decision to forego a sequential referral waives, reduces or otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Committee on Homeland Security, and that a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest will be included in the Committee Report and as part of the Congressional Record during consideration of this bill by the House. I also ask that you support my request to name members of this committee to any conference committee that is established to consider such provisions. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Michael T. McCaul, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), an esteemed member of our committee but also one who has been extremely focused on ensuring Israel's qualitative military edge.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding to me. I also thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), our chairman emeritus, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) the ranking member, for their working together to craft this bipartisan resolution, a resolution that is focused on supporting Venezuelans, supporting their right to free expression, their right to democracy, their right for those who yearn to return to the rule of law, and, frankly, not just democratic norms, but just the most basic respect for human beings. In recent weeks, Venezuela has been rocked by nationwide protests against the government of the late Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro. I as I watched events unfold on CNN, they began as student protests. Students were going through the streets explaining that they were against rampant street crime, and they wanted the protections of the state rather than the predatory nature of what was happening with these armed gangs. Those protests have since evolved into a referendum on the government's statist policies, their destructive economic policies, the government's near elimination of civil society's freedoms in Venezuela. Maduro's heavy-handed response, frankly, I think all of us see this now as having really worsened this crisis. We are in a situation now where more than a dozen Venezuelans have been killed, and many students have been grievously wounded. Even more than that have been jailed. The leading opposition figure right now is in prison. These parliamentary gangs that we talked about that are so predatory, that roam the streets and commit these crimes, now they threaten civilians who are trying to peacefully express opposition. The President of the country has threatened to release, in his words, all of the military force of the country against those who oppose him, against the opposition. Even one sitting governor who had long allied himself with Hugo Chavez was driven to say that the government has gone too far. He took to the radio and said: I am against putting down a peaceful protest with weapons. Precisely. Precisely--and that, of course, is why the international community is concerned and we are concerned here today. All of this, of course, is taking place in our own Western Hemisphere, just a 3-hour flight from the United States. As a major energy producer positioned along drug trafficking routes, Venezuela's instability harms the interests of all in the Western Hemisphere. Venezuela once had a strong democratic tradition. We would like to see that democratic tradition returned. We think the right of free expression is an important human right. Speaking out in support of those who share this vision, as we are doing today, I think is an important step in realizing that goal, and that is why I again commend Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Engel for this resolution that they have brought forward.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding my recent absence from the House on Monday, February 10. On this day, I was unavoidably detained in my district. Because of this absence, I missed votes on the House floor. I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall Nos. 55, 56 and 57. personal explanation

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the retirement of Rudy Hanley. As a former State Senator and Congressman for the last 30 years, I have met many people along the way who are advocates for one cause or another, resources that I come to rely on for advice, supporters, and a few that become friends. But there are really very few, who become all of those things, and who are trusted confidents, respected advisors, and true friends. Rudy Hanley is all of those things to me. I've known Rudy since my days as a California State Senator. I wasn't the Chair of any committees, I wasn't in leadership, but Rudy came to talk to me about something that he was passionate about--credit unions, and what they could do for their members, who were often low to middle income, and who sometimes needed a little extra help. One of my favorite Rudy stories is that of his ``Turkey Loan.'' One year, Rudy noticed that some of his members were having a hard time buying the groceries for their Thanksgiving dinner, because they didn't get paid until the following week. So, Rudy offered them a ``Turkey Loan,'' where they could come into the credit union, sign a piece of paper, and walk out with a hundred dollars in cash to purchase their groceries. It wasn't a formal loan, but you know, Rudy told me that they never had anyone who didn't pay the loan back. And I think that was probably due in large part to the fact that they respected Rudy, and appreciated the fact that he respected them, and cared for them. I also respect Rudy immensely. He is a man of great integrity, who works hard, studies hard, and who has been very successful in life. But despite that success, he has never forgotten who he works for--and that is his members. And he has continued to go above and beyond his job at the credit union, to advocate for them in Sacramento and in Washington, DC. He also has been my ``go to guy'' when it comes to policy questions that affect credit unions. Not only does he understand the issues better than anyone I know, he is honest and I know that he will always give it to me straight. And so, I am really going to miss having Rudy at the helm of Schools First, and as an official advocate for credit unions in DC. But I also know that Rudy will always be fighting for credit unions, if even in an unofficial capacity. And as a friend, I am happy for Rudy and for Catherine, who have earned this retirement. And I hope that it means that Marie and I will get to see more of them in the years to come. God Bless you Rudy! And Congratulations!