Chris Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this resolution.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the U.N. Security Council should move immediately to establish a Syrian war crimes tribunal. H. Con. Res. 121, which I introduced, is a bipartisan piece of legislation backed by Chairman Royce as well as by Eliot Engel and others, calling upon the administration to pursue this policy goal, including using our voice and vote at the United Nations. Mr. Speaker, past ad hoc/regional war crimes tribunals, including courts for Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and the former Yugoslavia, have made a significant difference, holding some of the worst mass murderers to account with successful prosecutions followed by long jail sentences. Who can forget the picture of the infamous former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, with his head bowed, incredulous that the Special Court for Sierra Leone in 2012 meted out a 50-year jail term for his crimes against humanity and war crimes. According to the Syrian Center for Policy Research, approximately 5 years of wanton bloodshed in Syria has killed either directly or indirectly an estimated 470,000 people. Other estimates put the death toll at a quarter of a million. While the United Nations long ago abandoned estimating the death toll due to its inability to verify the veracity of the numbers, the war in Syria has caused a massive loss of life, including genocide against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities, especially women and children. The International Syria Support Group, co-chaired by the United States and Russia, as we all know, brokered a cessation of hostilities that kicked in on February 27 that applies to all parties except ISIS and al-Nusra. While we all hope and pray the cease-fire holds as it goes into the third week and humanitarian groups gain access to sick, frail, and at-risk people, the atrocities committed against Syria's population demand accountability and justice. There have been--I think I should point this out because many people who are following the news know this--numerous violations of the cease- fire by Assad and his forces. In an opinion piece in Newsweek a few hours ago, it was noted that ``regime forces are openly bombing and, in some cases, launching ground operations to capture key rebel territory without making any pretense of attacking the Nusra Front.'' Further, the Syria Ceasefire Monitor ``reports 111 violations as of March 9--almost all perpetuated by the Assad regime or Russian forces.'' A Syrian court is needed for all the past, present, and--God forbid-- likely future atrocities being committed in Syria. Rigorous investigations by a new Syrian court, followed by prosecutions, convictions, and serious jail time for perpetrators of crime on all sides will not only hold those responsible for war crimes accountable, but will send a clear message that such barbaric behavior has dire personal consequences. The victims and their loved ones, Mr. Speaker, deserve no less. Can a U.N. Security Council resolution establishing a Syrian war crimes tribunal prevail? Yes, I believe. With a serious and sustained diplomatic push by the United States and other interested parties, past success in creating war crimes tribunals can, indeed, be prologue. Notwithstanding Russia's solidarity with Serbia during the Balkan war, especially with Slobodan Milosevic, the International Criminal Court Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was unanimously approved. Ditto for the special court in Sierra Leone in 2002. The Rwanda tribunal was created in 1994, with China choosing to abstain rather than to veto that court. At a Syrian war crimes court, no one on any side who commits genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity would be precluded from prosecution. As I said, in the early 1990s, the Russians knew that the Yugoslav court was designed to hold all transgressors liable, whether they be Bosnian or Croats and not just Serbians and, again, they didn't veto that particular court as it was established. I believe the Russians and the Chinese can be persuaded to support or at least abstain from blocking establishment of such a court. An ad hoc or a regional court has significant advantages over the International Criminal Court, or the ICC, as a venue for justice. For starters, neither Syria nor the United States is a member of the ICC, although mechanisms exist to push prosecutions there. The ICC, however, has operated since 2002, and only boasts of only two, two, just two, convictions. By way of contrast, the Yugoslav court convicted 80 people; Rwanda, 61; and Sierra Leone, 9. Moreover, a singularly focused Syrian tribunal that provides Syrians with a degree of ownership could significantly enhance its effectiveness. I chaired a Congressional hearing on establishing a Syrian war crimes tribunal back in 2013, and included such great leaders as David Crane, the former prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, and founder and chairman of the Syria Accountability Project. Mr. Crane testified that the Syria Accountability Project has collected data ``and built a framework by which President Assad and his henchmen''--this is his quote--``along with members of the opposition can be prosecuted openly and fairly.'' He and his team have ``developed a crime base matrix which catalogs most of the incidents chronologically and highlights the violations of the Rome Statute, the Geneva Conventions, as well as domestic Syrian criminal law.'' Significantly, with respect to the ICC, Mr. Crane testified that ``it lacks the capability and the political and diplomatic sophistication to handle such a mandate.'' Indeed, I would like to relay some words that I had with David Crane just a few hours ago; and he reminded us that it is important that the Congress continue the quest to seek justice for the oppressed and work on justice for the Syrian people, in particular, as we recall the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the civil war in that country. Tomorrow, March 15, marks the fifth anniversary of this horrific conflict. Finally, Mr. Speaker, accountability that is aggressive, predictable, transparent, and applicable to all perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity on all sides of the divide must be pursued now. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman) for his very eloquent remarks and strong support for this resolution. I urge support and passage of this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 75) expressing the sense of Congress that those who commit or support atrocities against Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities, including Yezidis, Turkmen, Sabea-Mandeans, Kaka`e, and Kurds, and who target them specifically for ethnic or religious reasons, are committing, and are hereby declared to be committing, ``war crimes'', ``crimes against humanity'', and ``genocide'', as amended.

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

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Jeff Fortenberry and his lead cosponsor, Anna Eshoo, for their extremely important resolution, H. Con. Res. 75, as amended, calling on the Obama administration to declare the annihilation of Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities, for what it is, a genocide. On December 4 of last year, a coalition of prominent religious leaders wrote President Obama and stated, ``Christian and Yazidi minorities in Iraq and Syria are being targeted for eradication in their ancient homelands solely because of their religious beliefs.'' They had been prompted by reports of an ``imminent'' State Department finding that ISIS was committing genocide against the Yazidis, a finding they ``wholeheartedly'' endorsed, but were ``deeply troubled,'' like we all were, that the genocide of Christians was going to be bypassed or excluded. Apparently press reports had claimed that the rationale for excluding Christians was that, unlike the Yazidis, Christians had a choice to convert to Islam and pay an Islamic tax, or be killed, tortured, enslaved, or held hostage. In direct rebuttal of that argument at a hearing that I held on December 9, Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, stated: Many times the payment of the tax is not presented as an option for these Christians. In instances where the Yazidi tax has been enacted or extracted, it has failed to ensure that the Christians could live as Christians, that they were protected from rival jihadists, or even other members of ISIS, or that the amendment of payment was not raised over time until it became impossible for some of them to pay, causing the family's home, and even their children, to be confiscated, and the adults to be killed or forced to become Muslims. It is a very, very poor argument that has been made by the State Department, so we believe they have made this. Hopefully, they will rectify it. Let me also point out to my colleagues that the Genocide Convention defines genocide as ``the killing and certain other acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.'' The religious leaders who signed the December 4 letter compiled extensive files supporting a finding that ISIS' treatment of Iraqi and Syrian Christians absolutely meets this definition. They include: Evidence of ISIS assassinations of church leaders; mass murders; torture, kidnapping for ransom in the Christian communities of Iraq and Syria; sexual enslavement and systematic rape of Christian girls and women; its practices of forcible conversions to Islam; its destruction of churches, monasteries, cemeteries, and Christian artifacts; and its theft of lands and wealth from Christian clergy and laity alike. They went on to cite ``ISIS' own public statements taking credit for mass murder of Christians, and expressing its intent eliminate Christian communities from the Islamic State.'' The letter recounted how ``ISIS jihadis have stamped Christian homes in Mosul with the red letter N for Nazarene in the summer of 2014,'' pointing out how the ``elimination of Christians in other towns and cities in Iraq and Syria began long beforehand.'' Mr. Speaker, I held a hearing 3 years ago extolling and urging the administration to recognize the genocide against Christians, and our witnesses, the private witnesses who spoke, gave instance after instance of crimes against Christians that were done simply because they were Christians. At a December 9 hearing, we heard from four witnesses. I mentioned one a moment ago, Carl Anderson, from the Knights of Columbus. We also heard from Dr. Stanton, of Genocide Watch, who said, ``Failure to call ISIS' mass murder of Christians, Shiia, Muslims, and other groups in addition to the Yazidis by its proper name, genocide, would be an act of denial as grave as the U.S. refusal to recognize the Rwanda genocide back in 1994.'' Bishop Kalabat, a Chaldean bishop, was extremely pointed in his remarks when he said that ``the Obama administration, including President Obama himself, have neglected to mention that the ISIS atrocities were committed against Christians. They rightly mention atrocities committed in Iraq against the Yazidis, and they are horrific.'' The bishop went on, ``But there are also atrocities of rape, killings, crucifixions, beheadings, hangings that the Syrian and Iraqi Christians have endured, and they are intentionally omitted.'' He compellingly stated that ``the U.S. Government should not turn a blind eye to the genocidal atrocities faced by Iraq's ethnic and religious minorities, including the Christians, the Yazidis, and others.'' Finally, in very, very powerful testimony, the head of Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International, Mr. Ismail, stated that though his people, the Yazidis, were on the verge of annihilation, he called upon the administration not to neglect the others who are also on the verge of annihilation, and said, ``the Yazidis and the Chaldo-Assyrian Christians face this genocide together.'' Now is the time to act. We cannot let the cries of the victims go unheeded as we once did when we confronted the genocide in Rwanda and other genocides that have occurred around the world. Mr. Speaker, I therefore urge my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 75. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), the author of H. Con. Res 75.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank Mr. Fortenberry for his very eloquent remarks and for reminding us that this is an existential threat to Christians, but really, as well, to civilization. I thank him again for the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York (Mr. Donovan). He is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes to close. I thank my good friend, Mr. Sherman, for his good, bipartisan, strong remarks expressed today during both of these debates on the war crimes tribunal and now on Mr. Fortenberry's genocide resolution, another bipartisan piece of legislation. I want to thank my colleagues for their moving words today. Judge Poe, again, hit the nail right on the head, as did our friend from New York. I think we need to say it and we need to say it with exclamation points, that declaring genocide is a solemn and extremely serious step not to be taken lightly. I am very proud of the work that the Foreign Affairs Committee did. I want to thank our chairman, Ed Royce, and the ranking member, Eliot Engel, for their work on this resolution. All of us understand the seriousness of calling crimes genocide. It represents an assertion that a legal definition has been met and that we are witnessing acts of physical and mental violence intended to destroy a group in whole or in part. The targeted depravity of ISIS against the Yazidis, Christians, and other minorities more--I will say it again--more than meets that definition. But far more than the legality, speaking clearly of genocide, is an appeal to the conscience of the world. It evokes the moral gravity and the imperative of never again. The United States must not wait any longer to find its voice and call these bloody purges what they are: genocide. We and our partners must defeat ISIS so that Christians, Yazidis, all religious communities, and all the people of Syria and Iraq, can live in peace, free from this grotesque persecution. I urge passage of the resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2426) to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization, and for other purposes.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of S. 2426, the Senate version of a bill that previously passed the House with strong bipartisan support. I especially want to commend Chairman Matt Salmon for authoring the House version of this important measure and Senator Gardner for doing the same on the Senate side. Their leadership on this issue is much appreciated. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today will help secure observer status for Taiwan at INTERPOL. The bill requires the Secretary of State to develop and execute a strategy to ensure that Taiwan participates in INTERPOL's next general assembly meeting in Indonesia. With this piece of legislation, we are sending a clear message that safety and security are a priority. Taiwan, Mr. Speaker, as we all know, is a model of democratization and openness, a thriving nation of 23 million people. Its successful transition from authoritarianism to a thriving democracy is a shining example for so many other nations. The sole reason that Taiwan is excluded from the international organizations is the persistent opposition of the communist government of mainland China. But China's opposition puts politics over the safety and security of people. In a world where terrorism and international drug and human trafficking networks are global in scope, the response must be coordinated globally as well. At this time, Taiwan relies on delayed, secondhand information from the United States about international criminals and criminal activities, making it more vulnerable to security threats. Likewise, Taiwan cannot share the law enforcement information it gathers to the benefit of INTERPOL members. It makes no sense to exclude Taiwan from INTERPOL due to a political pique, just as it makes no sense to exclude Taiwan from the World Health Organization, another example of the government of mainland China putting politics over the health and safety of people. But there is another reason for having a good global citizen such as Taiwan as a member of INTERPOL: INTERPOL is an organization that is in need of reform. A number of authoritarian countries abuse the INTERPOL red notice system not against criminals, but to harass political dissidents and exiles who are unable to travel internationally for fear that they will be arrested and face extradition in their home country, where they suffer persecution, imprisonment, and even death. For example, Jacob Ostreicher, a legitimate American businessman who was the victim of an extortion ring involving corrupt Bolivian Government officials and jailed in Bolivia, a matter on which my subcommittee held three hearings and for which I traveled to Bolivia with our colleague Nydia Velazquez, has, since his return to the United States, discovered that he has been red-noticed by vindictive Bolivian Government officials. The red notice effectively prevents him from traveling abroad. He is currently going through a time-consuming and costly process to clear his name. To help encourage reform at INTERPOL, we should welcome democracies such as Taiwan. I also believe strengthening Taiwan's law enforcement capabilities benefits American citizens as much as it does the Taiwanese. Every year, Mr. Speaker, tens of thousands of Americans travel to Taiwan, and this bill will certainly help Taiwan's police protect American citizens and other internationalists as they travel to Taiwan. It is a good bill. It is an important bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Taiwan already missed the INTERPOL General Assembly meeting that took place last fall in Kigali, Rwanda. Our hope is that with the passage of this bill, the United States will be able to figure out a way for Taiwan to observe the General Assembly meeting later this year in Indonesia. It is time that we insist that Taiwan be an observer to INTERPOL so that everyone can benefit from increased safety and security. Blocking Taiwan from INTERPOL is not in the interest of any nation. And as Judge Poe just mentioned a moment ago, even the People's Republic of China would benefit because this is all about trying to catch and to inhibit criminals from moving effortlessly across borders; so it is in its interest as well not to block Taiwan. I urge my colleagues to support the Salmon-Sherman bill which is before us today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, during the last several years, conflicts in the Middle East have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, primarily in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. As a result of conflicts in these countries, as well as the influx of refugees from conflict zones into surrounding countries such as Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, many of those who die are the victim of disease. Almost 17 million people in the region are in need of humanitarian assistance, including roughly four million refugees who have fled their countries and an additional 13 million people who have left their homes but are internally displaced within their countries. A hearing I convened last week examined the scope of the cholera and other disease threats to determine what can and should be done to control it and minimize their spread beyond the Middle East. The World Health Organization reported the spread of a cholera epidemic that first began in Iraq in 2007 that crossed over into Iran, Syria and is considered the region's greatest, although not only, health threat. These threats are worsened by the targeting of health workers in Syria and an Islamic State that has no experience and little interest in providing social services. Thus, cholera and other diseases are untreated, often unreported and pose a significant health threat in the region due to poor sanitation and overcrowding in areas such as refugee camps. Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease that can cause death within hours if left untreated. Roughly 80% of those who contract the disease do not develop symptoms, leaving some uncertainty about precisely how many people contract the disease annually. Scientists estimate that between 1.4 and 4.3 million people contract cholera annually, of whom 28,000 to 142,000 die. Cholera bacteria are present in the feces of infected people for one to ten days after infection and can be spread to others if they ingest food or water that is contaminated with their fecal matter. The spread of cholera is mostly facilitated by inadequate water and sanitation management and outbreaks are common in areas where basic infrastructure is unavailable, such as urban slums and camps for internally displaced persons and refugees. As devastating as this cholera epidemic has been and can be going forward, we must also remember the MERS epidemic of three years ago. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, is a respiratory illness. It is caused by a virus called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS-CoV. This virus was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. It is different from any other coronaviruses that have been found in people before. MERS-CoV, like other coronaviruses, is thought to spread from an infected person's respiratory secretions, such as through coughing. However, the precise ways the virus spreads are not currently well understood. MERS-CoV has spread from ill people to others through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. Infected people have spread MERS-CoV to others even in healthcare settings, such as hospitals. This transmission pattern is more likely when medical facilities and health workers are in short supply. The conflicts and political crises in the Middle East have brought anguish, suffering, and severe declines in health to people throughout the region. The most catastrophic case by far is Syria, where more than a million people have experienced traumatic injuries, once-rare infectious diseases have returned, chronic disease goes untreated, and the health system has collapsed. In Yemen, Libya, Gaza, and Iraq violence has limited access to health care and grievously harmed the population. According to Physicians for Human Rights last summer, at least 633 medical personnel had been killed and more than 270 illegal attacks on 202 separate medical facilities had taken place since March 2011 in Syria. Of the attacks on medical facilities, at least 51, or 19 percent, reportedly were carried out with barrel bombs. Almost all the assaults were inflicted by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. In the Middle East, threats against as well as arrests and intimidation of health workers extends beyond armed conflict to situations of political volatility, as evident in Bahrain, Egypt, and Turkey. In most of these cases, doctors and nurses who treat victims of violence are, by the very act of providing treatment, deemed guilty of anti-government activities. In Bahrain, almost 100 doctors and nurses were arrested and 48 originally charged with felonies for having offered medical care to wounded people in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, Cholera can be treated and its spread can be prevented, but diseases such as MERS pose a danger of spreading beyond the region. However, beyond the global health implications, we must consider the compounded suffering of people in the Middle East. Not only are they often in threat of violence through no fault of their own but they face preventable, treatable diseases that have gotten out of control due to conflicts. Our panel at the hearing included health experts who helped us think through the health challenges our government faces in considering how to provide the most effective assistance to people in the Middle East. The two keys to success are: remain vigilant and sustain commitment. The hearing last week was intended to demonstrate our vigilance and commitment to addressing this situation.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, a hearing I held earlier this week put a spotlight on an organization that is a critical component of a global system of intellectual property and patent protection, the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO. It is an organization that, unfortunately, appears to have lost its way under its current Director General, Francis Gurry, and is in need of major reform. We heard from whistleblowers who related how they uncovered illicit transfers of technology to rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran, and how WIPO under Director General Gurry, unbeknownst to member States, cut deals with China and Russia to open offices in those countries, potentially putting our intellectual property at risk. The hearing was about national security as much as the importance of sound governance and oversight. China, for example, has a notoriously bad record on protecting intellectual property rights--WIPO ought to be part of the solution. You may know that I serve as Chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China; Senator Marco Rubio is co-chair. Ominously, the Commission's latest annual report released last October concluded that human rights violations had significantly worsened and were broader in scope than at any other time since the Commission was established in 2002. Last week I travelled to China on a mission to promote human rights, the rule of law and democracy, which of course includes intellectual property rights. In China I not only met and argued with government leaders, but I had the privilege of writing and delivering a keynote address to students and faculty at New York University-Shanghai. Hopes in the 90's that China would eventually and inevitably matriculate from a dictatorship to democracy haven't even come close to materializing. According to the Commission's report, U.S. companies faced significant difficulties related to intellectual property rights in China. And China is not the only place where these problems persist. Two of our witnesses, Jim Pooley and Miranda Brown, recounted what they saw at WIPO, and what happened when they sought to bring to light what they saw. It is not a pretty story. It is the personal aspect of governance and oversight that I want to emphasize, because at its heart the story we heard is a human drama, about brave individuals who at great personal cost to themselves and their comfort saw wrongdoing and decided to do something about it. The hearing was timely as well as topical, as there has been an internal investigation of WIPO by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services into the allegations of wrongdoing. The results of this investigation are currently before the chairman of WIPO's General Assembly--this is a General Assembly of member states, including the United States, based in Geneva. It is incumbent upon the General Assembly chairman--Gabriel Duque of Colombia--that he act upon this report, share it with the member states, and make it publically available. We also call upon our State Department to follow up on this, and to be persistent in pushing for reform, transparency and accountability of WIPO. This week's hearing will have reverberations beyond WIPO, for there appears to be a culture of corruption at many international organizations, not only WIPO. We hear revelations, for example, about FIFA and world soccer, and how the serpent of corruption wheedles its way even into the world of sport, undermining the nobility of athletic competition. We hear of the sexual exploitation of minors occurring in UN peacekeeping missions--I chaired three hearings on that and traveled to DR Congo to investigate--transforming ostensible emissaries of mercy into envoys of exploitation, and supposed places of refuge maw pits of misery. The hearing I held this week is the first in what we hope to be a series of hearings this Congress holds to focus on the need for reform at the United Nations and its institutions, with our next in the series being on UN Peacekeepers and the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse. We believe by shining a light, we can help victims and help end corruption, bringing healing and true reform. Organizations such as WIPO are too important to be abandoned. It is essential that we conduct vigorous oversight and demand accountability to help refocus this organization on fulfilling its vital mission. Finally, I would like to thank my co-chairs from the co-sponsoring subcommittees, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Matt Salmon, and our various ranking members, for joining me at the hearing earlier this week. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen in particular has been dogged in pursuing this issue over many years now, and deserves praise for first addressing the issue of corruption at WIPO.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on The Middle East and North Africa and chairwoman emeritus of the full committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her leadership on this issue. I also thank Ted Deutch, who authored this very, very important resolution. I also thank Tom Rice and Eliot Engel for quickly bringing this legislation to the floor so that Members can vote on it in anticipation of the ninth anniversary of Bob Levinson's being held by the Iranians. Almost 9 years ago, the Levinson family wrote, in part, on helpboblevinson.com. I quote them, in part. They said: ``If you pray for Bob, we thank you. If you frequently follow the news stories and blogs about Bob's situation, we thank you. If you have spread the word about his story and continue to do so, we thank you. We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Please continue to pray for Bob. We would love to have him home for Father's Day.'' That was May 25, 2007. That, Mr. Speaker, was almost 9 years ago. In a letter to Dad, also in May of 2007, Bob Levinson's children wrote: ``Dad . . . your seven children love and miss you very much. We are writing you this letter in the hopes that you will be able to read it wherever you are and know that you are in our thoughts and prayers every minute of every day.'' The seven children continued: ``As you know, Mom is our rock. She has encouraged us to take each day one day at a time. While we are sure it will come as no surprise to you, she has amazing strength and has been an inspiration to all seven of us. ``We are all looking forward to your welcome home party. It cannot seem to come soon enough. We pray for you every day and look forward to having you come home to us safe and sound.'' The seven Levinson children continued: ``Dad, you are the best dad anyone could ever ask for, and we love and miss you more than words can say. We are so proud of you, and the world now knows what we have known all along--what an intelligent, kind, and gentle man you are.'' Again, that letter was from Bob's kids, and it was posted almost 9 years ago. Despite the emotional pain, Christine, his wife, and the entire family tenaciously press for Bob Levinson's freedom. No one in American history, as Mr. Deutch pointed out a moment ago, has been held hostage longer than Bob Levinson. His ordeal and the agony and the heartbreak of his family must end. When the reports that most of the Americans held by Iran were released but no freedom or even information about Levinson, the family was indeed crushed. In response, the family wrote: ``We are happy for the other families. But once again, Bob Levinson has been left behind. We are devastated.'' Devastated, yes, but they are absolutely committed to the return of their husband, father, grandfather, relative, and friend. Both the administration and Congress must not rest until this good, decent, and honorable American is returned to his family, friends, and a grateful Nation. So I again thank Representative Ted Deutch for sponsoring H. Res. 148 so all of us can express our deepest concern for Bob Levinson and press, as never before, for his return.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about human rights crises in Europe and Eurasia. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War, many people expected that freedom, democracy, and peace, would spread throughout Europe and Eurasia. And yet now, the religious freedom of Christians, and people of other faiths, is being regularly violated. Russia invaded its neighbor Ukraine, illegally annexed Crimea, and is fueling and funding violent proxies in the eastern Donbas region of that country. Deadly anti- Semitism is again stalking European Jewish communities. The worst refugee and migrants' crisis in Europe since World War II has engulfed the continent. Autocrats are using the law, and acting outside the law, to crush democratic opposition to their despotism. Violent anti-Semitic attacks increased 100 to 400 percent in some European countries between 2013 and 2014. Anti-Semitism, and the evil goal of killing Jewish people, is hardwired into ISIS and those it inspires. Perhaps no other group in Europe is more at risk from ISIS attacks than the European Jewish community. That is why I authored House Resolution 354 as a blueprint for vital actions that are needed to prevent another Paris, Brussels, or Copenhagen. The House of Representatives passed it unanimously and I intend to hold a hearing over the coming weeks to explore what is necessary to ensure these actions are taken. In Crimea, the occupying authorities have targeted and retaliated against the Crimean Tatar people for opposing the annexation and the rule that has followed. Crimean Tatars have been arrested, detained, interrogated, and sometimes charged with extremism, illegal assembly, or belonging to an unregistered religious group. Religious minorities, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have likewise been repressed. Crimeans who opposed or oppose the Russian takeover of Crimea, or have been unwilling to seek a Russian passport, have been at risk of a crackdown. Restrictions have proliferated, including even on the teaching of the Ukrainian language or access to Ukrainian culture. Repression is also rife in Azerbaijan. The Commission recently held a hearing on the terrible plight of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, particularly the imprisonment of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Khadija Ismayilova. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Azerbaijan leads all of the countries in Eurasia in jailing journalists. In 2015, the government imprisoned many well-known activists, including Anar Mammadli, the courageous head of EMDS, the leading election monitoring organization in Azerbaijan. He spoke the truth about the fraudulent 2013 presidential election and is still paying the price. I met with Anar's father--a very gentle man--just a few months after Anar was arrested and saw how Anar's family is suffering from this injustice. More than 40 years ago, all the countries of Europe, the United States, and Canada, formed the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, to prevent and respond to these kinds of crises. This week, I chaired a hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki Commission, where we heard testimony from Ambassador Michael Link, Director of the OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Mr. Speaker, his testimony was a reminder of the serious threats to European Jewish communities, Christians and other religious minorities, and to the rule of law in Europe and Eurasia. We must remain vigilant and ensure that the United States, as an original participating State of the OSCE, strongly supports the OSCE's efforts to ensure European Jewish communities are safe and secure, that Christians and other religious minorities are free to fully practice their faith, and that the rule of law prevails.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the North Korean dictatorship is an existential threat that requires significantly enhanced vigilance and response. The North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016, authored by Chairman Ed Royce, will ensure that the Obama administration takes meaningful action to mitigate North Korea's cruelty, human rights abuse, and military danger. The U.S. can no longer sit on the sidelines while Kim Jong-un proliferates nuclear and missile technology and abuses and starves the North Korean people. North Korea violates every single human right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. North Korea is listed by the State Department as a tier 3 country with respect to human trafficking. It is designated as one of eight Countries of Particular Concern for engaging in egregious violations of religious freedom. Mr. Speaker, I have chaired four hearings on human rights abuses in North Korea. It is, as Chairman Royce noted, a house of horrors. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on North Korea recommended that the U.N. impose targeted sanctions on North Korean leaders responsible for these crimes against humanity. However, China blocks effective U.N. actions. This, in part, is why the Congress and the administration must act now. North Korean human rights abusers must be identified and listed so that sanctions can be appropriately applied. North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket last week reenergized concern over that country's intercontinental ballistic missile program. The launch was strongly condemned by the U.N. Security Council, which vowed to apply further sanctions. Hopefully, the Security Council's investigation now underway will also look at partner nations who purchase North Korean missile technology. Iran, to whom the administration has just released billions of dollars, is one of North Korea's nuclear partners. We should be very concerned about that. At some point, the Iranians will acquire fissile material beyond what they are allowed to produce, they may clandestinely purchase actual warheads from North Korea, or, perhaps, Iran will get enriched uranium--their stash--back from Russia. At a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing yesterday, Mr. Speaker--and Chairman Royce has had well over 35 oversight hearings on Iran--I asked President Obama's coordinator for implementation of the Iran nuclear deal where Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was sent. Where did it go? Is it in Russia? What city? Do we--or the IAEA--have onsite access to where it is stored for verifications purposes? Remember President Reagan? He said: Trust and verify. Onsite verification. Shockingly, Ambassador Mull said he didn't know where the enriched uranium is. He did say it was on a Russian ship somewhere heading to a port or to a final destination. But its specific location--we don't have a clue. Yesterday's revelation was yet another flaw in an egregiously flawed Iran nuclear deal. We know that there is a connection between North Korea and Iran. So our vigilance must be stepped up significantly. This bill is a major step. It is in fact bipartisan: Eliot Engel, again, working side-by-side with the chairman to make sure a good bill is produced.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, in 1947, in a remote area of Uganda, scientists discovered a previously unknown virus among the rhesus monkey population. They called it the Zika virus for the forest in which it was found. It is endemic to Africa and Southeast Asia. Scientists know that the Zika virus, like dengue fever and chikungunya, is spread almost exclusively through the bite of an Aedes species mosquito, an aggressive daytime biter. These mosquitoes had been significantly diminished in this hemisphere, certainly in the United States, until the recent resurgence of dengue and chikungunya disease. We know a great deal about these disease vectors, but there is much scientists admit they don't know about the Zika virus itself. Lack of knowledge and misinformation has stoked apprehension and fear among many. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) some of the reasons we don't know more about this disease include: A relatively small proportion (about 1 in 4) of infected people develop symptoms; A virus that is only detectable for a few days in infected people's blood; The failure of current tests to definitively distinguish Zika from similar viruses, such as dengue and chikungunya. The WHO recommends that all people in areas with potentially infected mosquitoes, especially pregnant women, wear protective clothing and repellants and stay indoors to the extent possible with windows closed or screened. Pregnant women are urged to postpone travel to affected areas or to diligently protect against mosquito bites if travel is unavoidable. Currently no therapeutics exist to treat Zika virus nor is there a vaccine--but that gap need not be forever. One of our witnesses at yesterday's hearing--Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIH's allergy and infectious diseases institute explained the scope of NIH research on the Zika virus as well vector control. Lessons learned from years of malaria vector control have applicability to Zika. Our two other distinguished witnesses included Dr. Thomas Frieden and Ariel Pablos- Mendez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. The U.S. Government has for quite some time promoted such tactics as insecticide-laced mosquito nets, window and door screens, small pool and container drainage and the use of strong but safe pesticides to eradicate mosquitoes. However, our programs largely are tailored for developing countries. With the reemergence of dengue fever and chikungunya in the southern United States, we have to step up our domestic efforts to control mosquitoes before warmer weather leads to an explosion of the mosquito population during an imminent epidemic in the homeland. According to Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, Ambassador of Brazil to the United States, the Brazilian government has deployed 220,000 troops and 300,000 health agents to fight the vector of the infection by visiting communities to educate the population and help eliminate all mosquito breeding grounds. Experts cite possible links with the Zika infection of pregnant mothers and disorders affecting their unborn children, although they-- including our witnesses yesterday--are quick to point out that no definitive proof of such a linkage. According to Brazil's Ambassador Machado, ``Microcephaly in newborn babies can also be caused by a number of other diseases. Health experts are dealing with something new: the link between Zika and microcephaly is unprecedented in the scientific literature and requires in-depth studies and analyses. . . .'' In fact, in announcing the administration's proposal for a supplemental sum of $1.8 billion to fund efforts to combat the Zika virus, the White House statement said there ``may'' be a connection between the Zika virus and disorders experienced by newborns in affected countries. Dr. Marcos Espinal, Director of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said there is a broad spectrum of impacts for microcephaly. A fact sheet on microcephaly in Boston Children's Hospital notes that ``Some children with microcephaly have normal intelligence and experience no particular difficulty with schoolwork, physical activity, relationships or any other aspect of their lives. However, many children with the disease--especially those with more severe cases-- face: mild to significant learning disabilities, impaired motor functions, difficulty with movement and balance, speech delays.'' In the meantime, we must work harder to prevent maternal infections and devise compassionate ways to ensure that any child born with disabilities from this or any other infection is welcomed, loved and gets the care he or she needs. USAID's Ariel Pablos-Mendez testified yesterday that we need to expand ``best practices for supporting children with microcephaly.'' In like manner, parents of children with disabilities need to be tangibly supported. Ana Carolina Caceres, a Brazilian journalist born with microcephaly, told the BBC's Ricardo Senra in a February 5 interview that the condition ``is a box of surprises. You may suffer from serious problems or you may not . . . On the day I was born, the doctor said I had no chance of survival. `She will not walk, she will not talk . . .' But he--like many others--was wrong. I grew up, went to school, went to university. Today I am a journalist and I write a blog . . . People need to put their prejudices aside and learn about this syndrome.'' The hearing yesterday looked into the implications of the current and long-term threat from the Zika virus, and we assembled expert infectious health leaders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Agency for International Development to help us do so. For more than four years, I have been urging passage of my bill the End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act--H.R. 1797. The full Foreign Affairs Committee approved it last month. Since 2011, we've accelerated our discussions on the need for more study and funded efforts to identify tropical diseases and find diagnostics, vaccines and treatments of such illnesses. At that time, West Nile virus was quietly making its way across the globe, including the United States, from its origins in East Africa. Ebola virus, first discovered in a remote area of Central Africa in 1976, caused a global health crisis only two years ago. For the second consecutive year, the administration has slashed funding for global health accounts in the budget proposal released this week, including a 19 percent cut for global program on tuberculosis-- the world's leading infectious disease killer. Additionally, the administration is being short-sighted with regard to Neglected Tropical Diseases, cutting that program by nearly 15 percent. In the face of the waves of infectious disease epidemics in recent years, including multi- drug resistant tuberculosis, West Nile virus, Ebola and now Zika, the administration's habitual disregard of the increasing danger from infectious diseases is simply inexplicable. Zika has now joined the ranks of previously little-known diseases that have created global alarm. Before the next explosive health crisis appears, we must provide sufficient resources to the study of tropical diseases. H.R. 1797 authorizes the creation of Centers of Excellence to study every aspect of these dreaded diseases. Zika virus is the latest crisis but won't be the last.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize American Heart Month and to acknowledge the tireless advocacy of the staff and volunteers of the American Heart Association, and the organizations in my home state of New Jersey and across the country. They work this month, and year round, in the effort to raise awareness of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. The Association is leading the charge in increasing visibility of American Heart Month through coordinated campaigns, such as National Wear Red Day on February 5, Go Red For Women, and a congressional briefing on February 24. American Heart Month provides a critical platform to promote public awareness and heart-healthy lifestyles. The American Heart Association focuses on seven health factors and behaviors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, or CVD. These areas of prevention include smoking cessation, physical activity, healthy diet and body weight, as well as managing cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading cause of heart disease and stroke is uncontrolled high blood pressure. Outlining these areas gives us the knowledge to focus our prevention efforts in the fight against CVD. The statistics speak for themselves. CVD is the leading cause of death nationally and globally. One in three American deaths is caused by CVD, a disease which claims the life of an American every forty seconds. To fully understand what that means, in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, CVD killed over 800,000 people in America. In addition to the lives it claims, over eighty-five million Americans are currently living with CVD and its effects. CVD also has a real impact on our national economy. Annually, the economic cost of CVD is over $316 billion. $1 of every $6 spent on health care in this country is spent treating CVD. That said, there is good news. The efforts of the advocates are working. The mortality rate from heart disease has fallen by 38 percent. This is encouraging, but there remains so much more to be done. I would be remiss if I did not mention the good work being done in my home state in the fight against CVD. The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are funding nineteen Founders Affiliate research awards in the state of New Jersey. In my own Congressional district, the Meridian Health Foundation's ``Women's Heart Fund''--focused on promoting heart health in Monmouth and Ocean Counties--has worked to promote heart health awareness and raise funds for heart health at the Meridian Health System including the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital, and Bayshore Community Hospital. Each year, the Fund selects and supports a cardiac initiative. In 2015, the Fund supported the Community of LifeSavers program. Working together with the American Heart Association, Community of LifeSavers equips everyday people with the skills to perform CPR. Over 5,000 students from seventeen schools have been trained, at no cost to the schools or students, since the program's inception. I am honored to have served as co-chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition since the 113th Congress. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Coalition's establishment and our numbers have grown to over one hundred members of Congress. Over the past twenty years our bi-cameral, bi-partisan Coalition has served as a resource for all members of Congress and worked to advance federal policies that raise the quality of life for individuals with heart disease. The American Heart Association and the Coalition work in partnership to raise awareness of CVD and provide those of us making funding and policy decisions with the tools and information to address the problems most critical to those affected by CVD. Heart and stroke patients, as well as their loved ones and caregivers, need vocal advocates on Capitol Hill to ensure access to quality care and treatments. We have a duty to see that programs aimed at combating CVD, as well as medical research for prevention and treatment of stroke and heart attacks are supported appropriately at the federal level. As we look forward to promoting awareness during American Heart Month, it is important to remember that the work continues year round. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my colleagues who are fellow members of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition and thank them for their efforts. I encourage those members who have not yet joined the Coalition to do so. The Coalition will continue to work with the Association throughout the year in the fight against America's number one killer.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act (H.R. 2915). The VA estimates that 22 veterans take their own lives each day, or over 8,000 per year--more than have been killed in action since 9/11. The incidence of suicide among our veteran population is stunning, tragic beyond words, and simply unacceptable. Too many veterans have returned from fighting our enemies overseas to fighting for their lives at home. As the son of a WW2 combat veteran, I have witnessed the residual wounds of war, the struggle to cope with the post-traumatic stress that can continue for decades and the pain that a lack of access to services can cause for veterans and their families. Recognizing this great, unmet need, Congress recently enacted the bipartisan ``Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act,'' legislation targeting the gaps in the VA's mental health and suicide prevention efforts. Among other provisions, the law requires annual, independent third party evaluations of the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) programs and establishes best practices for caring for at-risk veterans. While the Clay Hunt Act is a comprehensive and well-designed law--I cosponsored and voted for it twice--there is one area where improvements could be made to maximize its impact and better assist one group of veterans: female veterans. As the House Veterans' Affairs Committee report states: In 2014, the VA released an update to the survey and found increases in the suicide rate in female users of the VA health care system. Female veterans commit suicide at nearly six times the rate of other women and that women veterans are five times more likely to commit suicide than male veterans. Yet the VA's research focuses primarily on men and little is known about the complex causes and factors that are driving the suicide rate among females who have served. The bill we are voting on today offers a modest but important step to enhance our understanding of, and hopefully help remedy, these staggering numbers. Specifically, H.R. 2915 directs the VA to identify mental health care and suicide prevention programs that are most effective and have the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans. We as a nation have a duty and obligation to repay the debt we owe to those who have fought in defense of our nation and our ideals. This bill helps ensure we better address the physical and emotional wounds of all veterans and I urge all members to support it.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, for years, the parents of the children who have been preyed upon by pedophiles--and advocacy groups like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Megan Kanka Foundation--have been very supportive of legislation to better protect our children. Through their consistent, selfless work they have helped victims of abuse and have been an important part of the bipartisan, bicameral coalition supporting this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to read their statements submitted for the record, in support of passage of H.R. 515 The International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking. January 20, 2016. Hon. Paul D. Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Speaker and Madam Leader: On behalf of ECPAT-USA, a policy and advocacy organization that has been at the forefront of the fight to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children for the past two decades, I would like to respectfully ask you consider supporting International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (H.R. 515). When ECPAT-USA first began our work, we focused on fighting sex tourism and holding Americans who traveled abroad to buy sex with minors accountable in the US for sexually exploiting children overseas. H.R. 515 or International Megan's Law protects children from this exact form of exploitation by establishing a notification system to provide advance notice of travel by registered sex offenders to destination countries. We strongly support this legislation and urge not only its swift passage but also a commitment to supporting this effort financially. The Department of Homeland Security has a proven track record of working cooperatively with foreign governments, having made 99 arrests of traveling child sexual offenders since 2003. International Megan's Law will establish the Angel Watch Center at the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that all destination countries receive a notification that a convicted child sex predator is traveling to their country. It also formalizes the process for the U.S. Marshal's Service Sex Offender Targeting Center to provide advanced notice of travel by all registered sex offenders to destination countries using Interpol notification system. International Megan's Law also coordinates communication between Angel Watch Center and U.S. Marshal's Service Sex Offender Targeting center and streamlines the international notification system. We believe that these provisions are necessary to strengthen and protect vulnerable children from potential predators. ECPAT-USA is part of a global network of over 80 ECPAT's in 77 countries all dedicated to protecting children from commercial sexual exploitation. Headquartered in Thailand, we are acutely familiar with the harm caused by sex offenders who travel overseas and continuously exploit children. As a member of the ECPAT network, we are committed to eradicating the practice of child sex tourism. For this reason, we were so pleased to see the Senate pass this bill late last year, and we applaud the efforts and dedication of the bill's original sponsor in the House Representative Chris Smith (R- NJ). We strongly urge the House to swiftly pass International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (H.R. 515). Sincerely, Carol Smolenski, Executive Director, ECPAT-USA.