Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Okavango Delta supports the economic livelihood of a million people in that region. It is in a desert, but the Okavango River flows into that desert and makes a home to the largest remaining population of elephants in the world. This ecosystem spans three countries. It starts in the highlands of Angola, and it flows through Namibia and Botswana. Like other regions across Africa, there is a challenge here in the poaching and trafficking of threatened species in the delta. That poaching of elephant, black rhino, and hippo is increasing. I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of poachers and organized criminal networks across the continent. Wildlife trafficking and profits from poaching provide a key funding source for international criminal networks and for terrorists. These deadly groups undermine regional stability. They spread violence. They disrupt local governance. They have a devastating impact on the economic opportunities for members of the community. This legislation provided by our good friend here, Mr. Fortenberry, H.R. 4819, is the Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals Act of 2018. This DELTA Act is an opportunity to be proactive and protect this part of the world before it is too late. It strengthens coordination among the Governments of the United States and Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to address these poaching threats and to support local communities in this greater Okavango River Basin. A few months ago, I led a bipartisan delegation to the region, and I saw the critical need for these countries to work together to preserve and protect this magnificent landscape. I had not been in Angola since the beginning of that war, and to go back to see Angola today and have an opportunity to meet with the chairman of the committee responsible for conservation there--she is, in fact, herself a park ranger--and to see how Angola has emerged from years of civil war and unrest and is now looking to the international community for partnership and for support is heartening. With Angola's immense natural resources, we are already seeing, unfortunately, foreign governments--for example, Beijing--pushing unwise development that threatens to siphon off this critical water source. Obviously, to siphon off this water source, it would devastate the river basin. This is why we must act now to protect the animals and communities that call the region home. Animals and poachers, of course, know no boundaries. The water doesn't know any boundaries. In order for conservation efforts to be successful, we must take a transboundary approach. I was proud to be the author of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act some years ago. I think it was in 2004 that it was passed. We saw how increased coordination across national borders can be successful in protecting critical landscapes and combating poaching threats. This DELTA Act looks to build on these proven successes, which have set up national parks now in seven landscapes across Africa. This legislation strengthens the coordination among the Governments, as I said, of the United States, Angola, Botswana, and Namibia. It does that by leveraging partnerships with the private sector, with nongovernment organizations, and with regional bodies. It prioritizes wildlife trafficking and anti-poaching programs in this greater Okavango River Basin. And it promotes responsible economic growth for local communities through responsible natural resource management. Again, I thank the bill's author, Representative Fortenberry, and our fellow co-chairs of the House International Conservation Caucus, Representatives McCollum and Cuellar, for their leadership and steadfast efforts to keep conservation and anti-poaching efforts alive here in Congress and to help us drive these efforts. I want to thank Ranking Member Engel and, of course, from New York, Joe Crowley, for their work on this legislation. It is deeply appreciated, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), a member of the Committee on Appropriations and the author of this landmark legislation.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the greater Okavango River Basin is home to the largest remaining elephant population on this planet, but like other regions across Africa, we know that poaching and trafficking of threatened species is increasing. We know that greater transboundary cooperation is essential to protect the basin in order to combat poaching threats and, obviously, to encourage the responsible management of water resources. The U.S. currently supports programs in Africa to combat poaching threats and promote economic growth, but greater coordination and diplomatic engagement with these governments, these governments working together to streamline these programs and galvanize support from partner countries also in the region, is essential. We do this not only to protect these threatened species, but also because it is in our national security interest to do so. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important measure. 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. 3030) to help prevent acts of genocide and other atrocity crimes, which threaten national and international security, by enhancing United States Government capacities to prevent, mitigate, and respond to such crises, as amended.

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, it was over 60 years ago that free people around the world pledged to never again stand by in silence as oppressed people are annihilated in a genocide. Unfortunately, since then, we have witnessed mass atrocities and genocide in places such as Bosnia, the Rwandan genocide, Cambodia, Burma, and in the ISIS strongholds in Syria and in Iraq. The United States has often been a leader in responding to these and other humanitarian crises--not soon enough, in many cases. However, there is more, obviously, that can be done, and U.S. efforts have been largely reactive and disjointed, with little transparency or oversight. This bill is the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act. It would correct these deficiencies. This act would require an annual report of administration actions to prevent and respond to potential genocides and mass atrocities, and it would mandate the identification of countries that are at risk of such crimes against humanity. This act also requires that all Foreign Service officers, who often are at the forefront of U.S. efforts to address atrocities ever since our Ambassador in Armenia was the first to sound the alarm on the Armenian genocide, be trained to deal with early warning signs, conflict assessment, mediation, and other responses. All of this will better enable our government to develop a coordinated response as a crisis is developing and, ultimately, to save lives. With its name, this bill honors the legacy of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and it furthers our commitment to his call, for it was his call for ``never again''--never again by strengthening the U.S. Government's coordination on efforts to prevent, mitigate, and respond to genocide and other mass atrocities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, July 17, 2018. Hon. Edward R. Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: On June 22, 2018, H.R. 3030, the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018 was referred to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (the Committee). In order to expedite the House's consideration of the measure, the Committee will forgo consideration of the measure. This courtesy is conditioned on our mutual understanding and agreement that it will in no way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the Committee with respect to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matter contained in the legislation or any similar measure, nor will this waiver inhibit the Committee's ability to address issues of concern going forward. I appreciate your support to the appointment of Members from the Committee to any House-Senate conference on this legislation. I also appreciate your including this letter in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. Thank you for your assistance with this matter. Sincerely, Devin Nunes, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), who is the author of this legislation.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, for her leadership on this important bill. I also thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, for his support, along with Mr. Sherman, on this bill. Passage of this legislation sends a strong message of the continuing U.S. commitment to respond to genocide and to respond to mass atrocities as they emerge, with effective and coordinated programs that will best protect the most vulnerable. The U.S. must be a world leader in efforts to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4989) to require the Department of State to establish a policy regarding the use of location-tracking consumer devices by employees at diplomatic and consular facilities, and for other purposes.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, I thank Mr. Castro and Mr. McCaul, the co-authors of this legislation. I know Mr. McCaul knows some of the dangers that our diplomats face overseas. In his past service to the United States, he has been in parts of this dangerous world, and this is what our diplomats face. As they work to prevent armed conflict, there are armed combatants on the other side of those issues. As they try to combat terrorism, as they are working out there to empower women or to open new markets for U.S. exports, they are in tough environments. In turn, it is our job to ensure that our diplomats have the information and resources they need to stay safe while they serve our country overseas. Now more than ever, everyday devices such as smartphones include location tracking capabilities. While these are enormously useful tools, they also, obviously, present security concerns as users' locations can then be tracked by others, by hostiles. For the thousands of State Department employees who work overseas, this is a real concern. It is a real security risk. While the State Department has longstanding and thorough policies on the use of these devices while in embassies and in consulates, the Department has no such policy to guide personnel outside Department grounds. And that is where we send them, outside the Department grounds. So the bill before us today addresses this security gap. It mandates that the State Department develop a comprehensive, modernized policy on devices that contain tracking capability. It also requires that all current and future diplomatic staff be briefed on the new policy and current best practices for using devices that are enabled with local tracking features. The objective is to build in a culture of safety and self-awareness. Technology is advancing every day, and we must not allow our agencies to expose personnel to new risks. I urge my colleagues to support this act, 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), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the coauthor of this measure.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Our diplomats serve in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. They advance U.S. interests overseas, and while they serve our Nation overseas, it is our job here to ensure that they have the information and resources that they need to stay safe. So I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this timely bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5105) to establish the United States International Development Finance 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 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, this is the BUILD Act. Across the globe, lack of access to capital is constraining economic growth, especially in the world's least developed countries. According to the International Finance Corporation, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises have an unmet financing need of more than $5 trillion every year in emerging markets, depriving them of the capital that they need to grow. Foreign investment is critical to empowering entrepreneurs, critical to creating jobs and to reducing poverty. Our country has an undeniable interest in supporting the development of vibrant and stable economies around the world. Healthy private sectors promote good governance and support thriving civil societies. It helps reduce civil strife. The resulting stability is good for our national security and also benefits U.S. exports and jobs. Increasingly, other countries are working to advance their economic and political interests by shaping overseas markets. China's One Belt, One Road initiative is estimated at $1 trillion. This dwarfs the size of the Marshall Plan that rebuilt war-torn Europe in the 1940s and 1950s. Across Africa, Asia, and beyond, Beijing is making massive investments in new construction and infrastructure projects, from the headquarters of the African Union to a port in Djibouti, where both the U.S. and China now have military bases. Beijing now owns 80 percent of this strategically located African nation's foreign debt. As the president and CEO of OPIC, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, testified to the Foreign Affairs Committee, his words: ``A condition of many of these loans is that Chinese firms, and labor, get the business. . . . This state-directed approach is not consistent with our values, which incorporate the high standards of international financial institutions related to governance, transparency, debt sustainability, environmental, and social safeguards.'' Chinese development practices have often left countries worse off-- and I have seen this with my own eyes--putting some countries into debt distress. Last December, Sri Lanka gave control of the strategic Sri Lankan port to Beijing for 99 years after it could not repay the Chinese-backed loans to fund it. That granted Beijing a foothold in the Indian Ocean and its critical shipping lanes. And due to Beijing's ``no strings attached'' financing, some of Africa's most brutal regimes have been thrown an economic lifeline that undermines democratic governance. Unlike the United States, Beijing does not have an anti-corruption standard. It is willing to fund just about any government, from Venezuela to Sudan. The U.S. cannot and should not match China's investments dollar-for- dollar, but we can and should do more to support international economic development with partners who have embraced the private sector-driven development model. However, America's development finance tool kit, which is spread across multiple agencies, is limited, it is duplicative, it is uncoordinated. So the BUILD Act will address these shortcomings. It will modernize America's antiquated development finance capabilities to address the challenges of this century. Specifically, it will merge OPIC and USAID's development credit authority into a standalone U.S. international development finance corporation with new authorities. Among these new authorities will be the ability to cofinance projects with our allies like the U.K. What this is going to do, just on the U.S. side, is this is going to double their book of business. Through the provision of loans and guarantees and limited equity investments and feasibility studies, political risk insurance, and other investments of support, the new Development Finance Corporation will mobilize private capital to provide countries a competitive alternative to the state-directed approach of Beijing and Moscow. I am pleased that this bill doesn't just merge existing functions together but also includes critical reforms to protect taxpayers, to improve government efficiency, and to make America's development finance toolkit very effective. Notably, it adopts many of the same principles as the Millennium Challenge Corporation, including the constraints analysis, which directs investment to where it will have the most impact. This bill will create a dedicated inspector general of the new corporation. It will require that the corporation prioritize support in the poorest countries and those making continual progress towards economic policies that support free enterprise, and it will create lasting institutional linkages between the Development Finance Corporation and other development agencies. This bill has got strong support from the White House, which made it a priority in its National Security Strategy and 2019 budget. In short, the BUILD Act represents a major opportunity for this Congress and the executive branch to transform and modernize our Nation's tools to support global development and increase opportunities for American entrepreneurs in these emerging markets. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, July 16, 2018. Hon. Ed Royce, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Royce: I write concerning H.R. 5105, the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of2018. This legislation includes matters that I believe fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In order to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 5105, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill does not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. Further, I appreciate your agreement to incorporate changes suggested by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure into the bill prior to floor consideration. Finally, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I ask that you support my request to have the Committee represented on the conference committee. Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the Congressional Record during House Floor consideration of the bill. I look forward to working with the Committee on Foreign Affairs as the bill moves through the legislative process, Sincerely, Bill Shuster, Chairman.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho). He is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and he is the author of this legislation.

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4989.

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

Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask for an ``aye'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.