Aumua Amata Radewagen

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of David Thomas Pangelinan Perez, who passed away on February 16, 2026. He is preceded by his wife, Maria Luisa Cruz Paulino, to whom he was married for 53 years; and survived by seven children, fifteen grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. David was born in Guam on August 19, 1937. He retired as a Department of the Army civilian after 35 years of service, traveling on assignment in Asia, Europe, and throughout the U.S. After retiring he worked with the government of the Federated States of the Micronesia living in Pohnpei, and then in Guam and Tinian as an elementary school and Chamorro language teacher. He was one of the founding members of the Guam Society of America in Washington, D.C., serving as both president and treasurer. He was a WWII history buff and enjoyed watching Japanese historical dramas and Sumo. He was also his family's de-facto record keeper, with an extremely knowledgeable memory of the ``Gollo'' family genealogy. David was a bright and affable man, always able to bring smiles to those around him. He was a dear friend to me, as was his wife, Maria. I cherish his memory and kindness as he goes to his final resting place alongside her. He was beloved by many and will be sorely missed.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Polynesian Association of Alaska (PAOA), a non-profit organization that is celebrating their 20th Anniversary. Over the span of two decades, this organization has committed itself to educating Pacific Islanders across various domains, including health and social services, employment, culture, language, voting, education, immigration, and more. PAOA was founded on November 16, 2004, in Anchorage, Alaska, following a Samoan Computer Language Senior Class led by Lusiana Tuga Hansen. This non-profit entity was formally established and registered in the City of Anchorage and the State of Alaska on February 1, 2005, and achieved 501(c)(3) status on June 16, 2006. Since its establishment, it has functioned as the leading organization for the Pacific Island community in Alaska from 2005 to 2025. PAOA's mission is to empower and educate individuals and families while promoting pride and acceptance of all cultures and instilling the best values they embody. The organization currently has 53 registered members and 19 Board Members. Their vision is to ensure that the Pacific Island community in Alaska and beyond receives support in education, employment, and cultural enrichment. I want to thank the group for their continued dedication to Polynesian cultural and community values in Alaska and for their contributions to the Pacific Islands region at large.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act. I represent the beautiful islands of American Samoa in the South Pacific. This bill implements into statute the most recent changes to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty that was negotiated between NOAA and other signatory countries to the treaty. These changes are important to support the American fishing fleet in the South Pacific, of which many boats call American Samoa home. These changes improve the operational conditions and flexibility for the fleet, which is America's last true distant-water fishing fleet. Mr. Speaker, I thank the bill's cosponsor, the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case), for his support of this legislation. ``Live long and prosper.'' ``Soifua ma ia manuia.''

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Staff Sergeant Isaako Fa'atoese Malotumau, as we mark the 10th anniversary of his passing. Isaako Malotumau was born on October 18, 1950, in Aoa, American Samoa. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 9, 1970, and completed basic and infantry training at Fort Ord, California, by November 1970. His first assignment was as a rifleman in South Vietnam from December 1970 to April 1971, followed by service with the Rangers until he was captured on April 24, 1971. After 704 days as a POW, he was released on March 27, 1973. He served in various roles, including Test Supervisor at Fort Ord and Redeye Team Chief in West Germany, until his honorable discharge on June 26, 1978. Isaako died on September 10, 2014, and was buried in Tacoma, Washington. His Bronze Star Medal citation reads: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24th August, 1962, takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal to Specialist Fourth Class Isaako Fa'atoese Malotumau. United States Army, for meritorious achievement as a Prisoner of War while engaged in operations against an opposing armed force in North Vietnam during the period of February 1971 to May 1972. In an atmosphere of enemy harassment and brutal treatment, he continued to establish and maintain communications through unusual and ingenious methods, which resulted in American and Allied prisoners presenting a posture of increased resistance to the enemy's wishes and at the same time improving prisoner morale. His loyalty, diligence and devotion to duty were in keeping with highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. SSG Malotumau was a Pastor of the New Life Samoan Assembly of God, Tacoma. WA with over 2 decades of ministry. He is survived by his lovely wife of 40 years, Pr. Talatalaga Finau Mikaele--Malotumau, whom he married on April 27, 1974. They had 6 children and 9 grandchildren at the time of his passing. We honor his legacy and thank him and his family for their public service that continues to benefit the Pacific Islander community to this day.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, attempts to distort definitions of religious freedom to cover unrelated or partisan issues will quickly squander that support and endanger the extension of USCIRF's mandate in the future. S. 3764 will ensure that the Commission continues its nonpartisan mission of promoting the right of religious liberty that we hold so dear as a nation. It deserves our unanimous support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, religious 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 an independent voice on behalf of religious believers everywhere. USCIRF will continue to enjoy bipartisan support so long as they focus on their core mandate, which is the protection of religious liberty around the world. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, religious persecution is a tragic reality in many parts of the world, whether it be against Uyghur Muslims in China, Christian minorities in parts of Africa and the Middle East, the Baha'i in Iran, or religious communities attempting to worship without official control by repressive regimes in Burma, China, or North Korea. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. This bipartisan bill, which unanimously passed the Senate, will continue the good work of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF. Congress created USCIRF as an independent Federal entity in 1998. Although the fundamental freedom of religion was under siege around the world, it did not receive enough attention in U.S. foreign policy. USCIRF is a body of experts who speak out on behalf of persecuted believers of any faith and push for accountability beyond what the State Department or the White House may view as diplomatically comfortable. The commission's independent voice remains critical today, as the State Department too often pushes religious freedom to the side. Although the law requires the department to designate countries of particular concern for religious freedom violations, their list of CPC countries never includes all the countries that meet the statutory criteria. Thankfully, USCIRF continues its truth telling to identify the other persecutors that should be designated. Those countries include Vietnam, where Communist authorities severely repress Christians, Buddhists, and other believers who attempt to worship outside of state control. They also include Nigeria, where Islamist militias murder Christians with impunity. They include Afghanistan, where the brutal Taliban have retaken power and moved that country back to an intolerant darkness. If any countries are countries of particular concern for serious violations of religious freedom, then those should be among them. S. 3764 is a simple extension of USCIRF's statutory authority so that the commission can continue its bipartisan, nonsectarian work on behalf of our Nation's first freedom, religious liberty. I am very pleased that this is a clean reauthorization and does not include any of the previous attempts by some in the other body to make USCIRF more partisan or to dilute its mandate with extraneous issues. Through robust oversight, we also must work to ensure that USCIRF remains focused on its true, bipartisan statutory mandate; namely, ``the annual and ongoing review of the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom.'' I thank Senator Rubio and his bipartisan colleagues who introduced this bill in the Senate where it received unanimous support. I also recognize the important work of the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Global Human Rights Subcommittee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is the author of the House side reauthorization. He has been a leader on religious freedom issues throughout his 43-year career in this House. We need to pass this bill immediately to help ensure that freedom of religion under threat from extremists and authoritarian governments around the world remains front and center. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. 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.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3764) to extend and authorize annual appropriations for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom through fiscal year 2026.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I thank Chairman McCaul for his leadership in moving this bill through committee and to the floor. I also thank my bipartisan committee colleagues for their unanimous vote to ensure greater congressional oversight of export controls. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 6614, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jackson), a Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the author of this bill.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act, introduced by my colleague from Texas (Mr. Jackson) along with Foreign Affairs Chairman McCaul. Export controls are one of the most powerful tools we have to constrain China's military modernization and rebuke its severe human rights abuses. Ultimately, the strength of our export control regime hinges on the ability to approve or deny a license to sell sensitive technology to China. That process is overseen by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, or BIS. On multiple occasions, in response to persistent committee requests, BIS has provided the House Foreign Affairs Committee with licensing data--information on whether BIS approved or denied licenses to China. The committee found that even for companies like SMIC and Huawei with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and military, BIS rarely, if ever, denied a license. This data has been essential to our committee's oversight efforts. This bill will ensure better oversight of the Commerce Department's export control policies and licensing practices. Every 90 days, the Secretary of Commerce will submit a report to Congress on activities related to items affected by export control policies, including licenses granted to foreign persons and entities on the entity list. This bill will finally give Congress the visibility it needs to conduct real oversight on licensing decisions and will help us assess where and how BIS is drawing the line on U.S. national security. At the Foreign Affairs Committee markup, H.R. 6614 was adopted by a unanimous bipartisan vote of 43-0. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6614) to amend the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 relating to licensing transparency, as amended.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I again thank Mr. James and his bipartisan cosponsors for the bill before us today. We need to unlock the investigative potential at the U.S. State Department. We need to give our Diplomatic Security agents the authority to assist in the mission of catching criminals who violate our anti-trafficking statutes. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 7089, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and the author of this bill.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support for H.R. 7089, the Global Anti- Human Trafficking Enhancement Act, introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James). We all believe that people have inherent dignity and possess equal human rights. Unfortunately, not everyone in the world respects that dignity and those rights. Each year, millions of individuals are exploited through human trafficking. They are forced to work in dangerous, brutal jobs for little or no pay. They are forced to engage in commercial sex. They are forced to marry people they don't know or to join the Armed Forces before the age of consent. All of us here believe that human traffickers must be caught, prosecuted, and punished to the full extent of the law. That is why the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Enhancement Act is so necessary. This bill authorizes the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security to investigate criminal violations of U.S. Federal antitrafficking statutes that occur overseas or involve foreign persons. Most people are not aware that Diplomatic Security is the most widely represented U.S. law enforcement agency overseas, with agents operating in over 270 foreign posts. This new authority will serve as a force multiplier for the FBI and foreign country law enforcement, who are on the front lines of pursuing traffickers and protecting victims. With this authority, Diplomatic Security agents would be able to investigate the dozens of Federal antitrafficking cases every year that currently are not pursued because of time and resource constraints at FBI and other Federal law enforcement agencies that do not have people in the far corners of the world. This proposal has been lauded by the Department of Justice, advocacy groups, and others. It responds to the National Action Plan's mandate to increase trafficking prosecutions and fight modern slavery. It was adopted in the Foreign Affairs Committee by a unanimous bipartisan vote of 46-0. Let's empower our diplomatic security agents to assist in the mission of investigating violations of U.S. anti-trafficking laws that have overseas elements by passing H.R. 7089, the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Enhancement Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7089) to authorize the Diplomatic Security Services of the Department of State to investigate allegations of violations of conduct constituting offenses under chapter 77 of title 18, United States Code, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, allowing for the expansion of the Starr-Camargo Bridge at no cost to Federal taxpayers will make a real difference in the lives of American families, especially in Texas. I urge all Members to support S. 1608, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support for S. 1608, the Starr-Camargo Bridge Expansion Act, introduced by Senator Cornyn from Texas and passed unanimously by the Senate. The development of critical infrastructure is vital for maintaining the smooth flow of goods and services. The Starr-Camargo International Bridge, a privately-owned toll bridge on the U.S.-Mexico border, serves as a crucial link spanning the Rio Grande. It connects Rio Grande City in Texas with Camargo in Mexico. This bridge is a significant commercial transit point, facilitating many hundreds of millions of dollars in trade every year. Expanding this bridge will enhance international trade and help to reduce costs for American families by improving the flow of goods. The planned upgrades will ease commercial traffic and help address supply chain issues. The proposed legislation will allow the bridge's private owners to finance the expansion and improvements through toll revenue without the use of taxpayer funds. Because it is an international port of entry, expanding the bridge requires statutory changes, which have been carefully reviewed and approved by the State Department, the Department of Transportation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As mentioned earlier, the Senate passed this measure with unanimous, bipartisan support. A House side companion bill was adopted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee by a unanimous bipartisan vote of 46-0. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.