Chris Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you, Dr. Fleming. Thank you for your leadership on so many issues, including the conscience rights issue. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Huelskamp).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Young).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you so much, Mr. Young, and thank you, as a new and very rising star leader in our efforts to defend life. Your eloquence is greatly appreciated. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining? And I want to thank Mr. Flores again for another very moving speech on behalf of the most basic human right, the right to life.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), my friend and colleague.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Doug, thank you very much for your excellent remarks reminding us that Planned Parenthood alone is directly responsible for killing 7 million unborn babies. That is a staggering loss of lives killed by one organization. So thank you for your leadership. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin, Sean Duffy. Sean offered legislation late last year that would have protected States that decided to defund Planned Parenthood. It passed overwhelmingly, and I want to thank him for his leadership as well.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Martin Luther King's niece Alveda King has had two abortions. She made one of the most passionate comments and speeches I have ever heard when she said: How can my uncle's dream survive if we murder the children? She is now pro-life. She says: The other co-victim in every abortion besides the baby is the mom. And she is a victim herself. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois, Peter Roskam, a great leader on pro-life, first in the legislature in Illinois, and now here in Washington.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much, Peter. Those were outstanding comments about right to life and history as well, and we will prevail over time. So I want to thank you. I would like to now yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Austin Scott.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you so much for those comments. I couldn't agree more that the megatrend in society is to embrace the unborn. It is the ultrasound technology--the window to the womb--that has made the difference. So thank you for your outstanding comments. I would like to now yield to the gentleman from Ohio, Steve Chabot, the prime sponsor of the partial-birth abortion ban. It is one of the most hideous methods of abortion and has awakened many Americans to the violence that is inherent in every abortion. Steve Chabot is the man who wrote that law.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Thank you very much, Chairman Chabot. Chairman Chabot also is the full committee chairman of the Small Business Committee and has done yeoman's work on behalf of the unborn since he has been here, which is for a very long time. I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my friend for his eloquent remarks. I just want to conclude, Mr. Speaker. Some day future generations will look back on America and wonder how and why such a seemingly enlightened society so blessed and endowed with education, advanced science, information, wealth, and opportunity could have failed to protect the most innocent and the most inconvenient. History will not look favorably on today's abortion culture. I do believe we must replace it and work tirelessly to replace it with a culture of life. Modern medicine and scientific breakthroughs, especially the widespread use of ultrasound, has shattered the pernicious myth that unborn children are mere blobs of tissue and that abortion is anything but an act of violence. A few years ago I met with Linda Shrewsbury, an academic and African American with a degree from Harvard, who spoke and said: ``The lies that brought me to that day and its sorrowful aftermath are crystal clear in my mind--falsehoods and deceptions that concealed the truth about abortion. Lies planted in my thinking by clever marketing, media campaigns and endless repetition led to a tragic irreversible decision--the death of my first child.'' ``At age 20, I had no inkling of the mental and emotional darkness I was about to enter.'' ``After spending many years in denial, I did eventually find healing. When I understood and rejected distortions about fetal development, doublespeak about choice, rights, planned and wanted children, I understood the reality and victimhood of my aborted child. I understood the absence of moral bases for choosing to 'dis-entitle' an innocent human being of life. When I embraced truth, truth set me free and I finally gained inner peace.'' We believe that there are two victims in every abortion: the unborn baby and the mother. Linda Shrewsbury found peace. We need to protect women from the violence of abortion, as well as babies. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his great work on this bill. Subsidized by over $500 million taxpayer dollars each year, Planned Parenthood dismembers or chemically poisons a baby to death every 2 minutes, killing over 7 million innocent children since 1973. Planned Parenthood is Child Abuse, Incorporated. Now undercover videos have exposed in numbing candor several high-level Planned Parenthood leaders gleefully talking about procuring children's internal organs for a price, all while altering gruesome dismemberment procedures to preserve intact livers, hearts, and lungs from freshly killed babies. Far too many politicians, Mr. Speaker, including our Nobel Peace Prize-winning President and much of the media, continue to ignore, trivialize, and even defend these gross human rights abuses. So know this: We will not be deterred in exposing this Planned Parenthood scandal no matter how aggressive and misleading the cover- up. End taxpayer funding to those who commit these cruel and inhumane acts in this subsidy for Planned Parenthood. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act and urge all of my colleagues to vote to dismantle Obamacare by repealing the most damaging aspects of this egregiously flawed law. The legislation before us today will send a strong message on behalf of the millions of Americans who lost or were forced to switch their healthcare coverage and/or doctors, as well as those facing additional charges, higher copayments, and larger annual fees as a result of Obamacare. I have supported, and the House has passed, legislation to repeal Obamacare in its entirety many times but today's vote is different. Through the reconciliation process, which allows for expedited consideration and a simple majority vote in the Senate, today's bill will be placed on the President's desk. The President will have to decide if he stands on the side of the American people or continues the misguided policies squeezing middle class families. In particular, the bill repeals the individual mandate--where American are coerced into purchasing expensive insurance packages many do not want or need, and many cannot afford. Unfortunately for the millions who cannot afford to purchase Obamacare insurance, the penalties are expensive too. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report issued last month, this year the penalty for noncompliance will spike 47%, up from $661 in 2015 to a whopping $969. The report also states that for 7.1 million uninsured Americans, the penalty is still cheaper than the least expensive insurance option available to them through Obamacare. Since the law did little to address affordability and the increasing cost of obtaining coverage, the federal government--the IRS, no less--will now take money out of the pockets and pocketbooks of Americans, further penalizing the uninsured. The President and Obamacare supporters promised otherwise, but health insurance still remains out of reach for many Americas. Additionally, those who had quality affordable coverage that they were comfortable with have seen unwelcome changes that they likely would not have had to face--but for Obamacare. The Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act will also--fully and permanently--repeal two misguided tax increases harming businesses, innovation and middle-class Americans: the excise tax on employer-sponsored health insurance, aka ``the Cadillac tax,'' and the medical device tax. This legislation moves us a step forward in the process of repealing Obamacare's mandates, tax hikes and slush funds and begins undoing the damage inflicted on individuals, businesses, our economy and our national debt. But we can do more to address these inadequacies of our healthcare system and provide alternative reforms and solutions. We have the ability to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health care. I am a longtime supporter of a number of positive reforms that can replace Obamacare including: reforming the private health insurance market so patients and their doctors are in charge of medical decisions; encouraging healthy behaviors; incentivizing innovation; ensuring insurance portability and the availability of high-risk pools; reforming Medicare to be a model of efficiency; modernizing the tax code to make health insurance more affordable; and strengthening the health care safety net so no one is left out. Finally, the bill before the House today defunds Planned Parenthood. Subsidized by over $500 million taxpayers' dollars each year, Planned Parenthood dismembers or chemically poisons a baby to death every two minutes--killing over 7 million innocent children since 1973. Planned Parenthood is ``Child Abuse Inc.'' Now, undercover videos have exposed in numbing candor, several high level Planned Parenthood leaders gleefully talking about procuring children's internal organs for a price all while altering gruesome dismemberment procedures to preserve ``intact'' livers, hearts and lungs from freshly killed babies. Far too many politicians including our Nobel Peace Prize winning President and much of the media continue to ignore, trivialize--even defend--these gross human rights abuses. So know this: we will not be deterred in exposing this Planned Parenthood scandal, no matter how aggressive and misleading the cover- up. End taxpayer funding to those who commit these cruel and inhumane acts.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep appreciation for the leadership and commitment of one of New Jersey's most dedicated public servants, Colonel Angelo Candelori. For over 30 years, Colonel Candelori has volunteered countless hours and offered exceptional guidance and insights as a member of the Fourth Congressional District's Service Academy Nominations Board--a task he has taken most seriously and accomplished with great success. Year after year, Colonel Candelori has ``sweat the details,'' tenaciously poring over the applications of prospective Service Academy nominees. With great scrutiny and wisdom he has interviewed every young man and woman, recommending only those whom he and his two colleagues on the board felt were most deserving of my congressional nomination. I have benefitted greatly from Colonel Candelori's expertise, discernment, dedication, and desire that our armed services receive only the best, bravest and brightest officer applicants. And so, too, has the United States military. Having served for 32 years in the United States Marine Corps and the reserves--a tenure that overlapped with his time on our Service Academy Board--Colonel Candelori relied on his knowledge and judgement, as well as years of military training, to help identify young applicants best suited to become America's next generation of military leaders. With honor, integrity, courage and dedication, Colonel Candelori easily embodies the Marine Corps motto ``Semper Fi''--proving to be ``always faithful'' to the United States of America, his fellow Marines, and all members of our armed forces. If you knew Colonel Candelori personally, you would know that his dedication to his community and his commitment to public service is evident beyond his military career. For many years Colonel Candelori was a member of the Hamilton Township Planning Board and the Hamilton Township Development Review Advisory Board. His positive impact in many local and state volunteer and/or civic organizations resulted in his designation as a Point of Light by President George H. W. Bush. Colonel Candelori was also named a recipient of the U.S. Secretary of Energy's Community Service Award and the Enrico Fermi Federation Achievement Award. Colonel Candelori's leadership is recognized internationally as he was knighted with the title of Cavaliere in the Order of Solidarity by the government of Italy. He served as president of the Societa Cavalieri d'Italia and is a past trustee of the Italian-American National Hall of Fame and a past president of the Enrico Fermi Federation. Mr. Speaker, to say that Colonel Angelo Candelori is a patriot and a gentleman would be an understatement. He is a community leader who has advanced the common good, and a remarkable, dedicated husband and father. Colonel Candelori and his wife, Elaine, have been married for over 55 years. The Candelori's first started dating when Elaine was in 8th grade and the Colonel was a freshman. Fast-forward to today and now they are the proud parents of four--David, Eric, Aliza and Matthew; the grandparents of eleven; and the great-grandparents of two. What an enduring legacy of love and devotion and goodness. This year, as he steps down from his more than three decades of assisting in the vetting and selection of military academy nominees, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Colonel Angelo Candelori for his dedicated service to the citizens of New Jersey and to our country.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, each day, our newspapers, magazines, radios and television screens are filled with images of people fleeing territory controlled by the Islamic jihadist group known as the Islamic State of al-Sham, or ISIS. More than half of the 635,000 refugees--an estimated 53 percent--in Europe are from Syria alone, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees or UNHCR. While violence plays the major role in the impetus of Syrians to leave their homes, Shelly Pitterman of the UNHCR testified at a hearing I chaired on October 20th that the main trigger for flight from refugee camps or shelter in nations like Jordan is the humanitarian funding shortfall. In recent months, he told us that the World Food Programme cut its program by 30 percent, and the current Syrian Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan for 2015 is only 41 percent funded. The UNHCR expects to receive just 47 percent of the funding it needs for Syria over the next year. One year ago this month, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a report that detailed a worsening humanitarian situation in Syria. An estimated 12.21 million were in need of humanitarian assistance, including 7.6 million internally displaced people and more than 5.6 million children in need of assistance. An estimated 4.8 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in hard to reach areas and locations. Those numbers have not improved as the conflict has continued. By the third international pledging conference on March 31, 2015, the crisis had become the largest displacement crisis in the world, with 3.8 million people having fled to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, in addition to those internally displaced. In support of the Syria Response Plan and the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan, international donors pledged US$3.8 billion. However, according to the Financial Tracking Service at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or OCHA, only $1.17 billion of $2.89 billion in the plan had been received as of December 7th. This constitutes only 41% of what is considered necessary by OCHA. Last week's hearing focused on the plight of persecuted religious minorities in Syria and Iraq, which constitutes genocide, and the failure of much of the international community to live up to their pledges of humanitarian assistance, factors which ``push'' refugees to Europe and beyond. In particular, we will examine violence targeting religious minorities such as Christians and Yezidis (a non-Islamic religious minority) in territory controlled by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. This past September, the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum undertook a ``Bearing Witness'' trip to northern Iraq to investigate allegations of genocide being committed by ISIS. In a report entitled ``Our Generation is Gone'' The Islamic State's Targeting of Iraqi Minorities in Ninevah,'' the report stated that: ``Based upon the public record and private eyewitness accounts, we believe the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) perpetrated crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing against Christian, Yezidi, Turkmen, Shabak, Sabaean-Mandaean, and Kaka'i people in Ninevah province between June and August 2014. In our interviews, we heard accounts of the forcible transfer of populations, severe deprivation of physical liberty, rape, sexual slavery, enslavement, and murder perpetrated in a widespread and systematic manner that indicates a deliberate plan to target religious and ethnic minorities. Some specific communities--notably the Yezidi, but also Shia Shabak and Shia Turkmen--were targeted for attack.'' Mirza Ismail, Chairman and Founder of the Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International, testified that the Yezidis are on the verge of annihilation. Chaldean Bishop Francis Kalabat testified that, ``There are countless Christian villages in Syria who have been taken over by ISIS and have encountered genocide and the Obama administration refuses to recognize their plight.'' Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, calls on the Obama administration to publicly acknowledge that genocide is taking place against the Christian communities of Iraq and Syria. Mr. Anderson testified that ``vulnerable religious minorities fear taking shelter in the camps of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees because of religiously motivated violence and intimidation inside the camps.'' ``Syrian Christians'', he notes, ``and other vulnerable minorities are disproportionately excluded from the U.S. Syrian Refugee Resettlement Program due to reliance on a functionally discriminatory UNHCR program.'' Dr. Gregory Stanton, President of Genocide Watch and research professor at George Mason University, in his testimony entitled ``Weak Words Are Not Enough'', he states, ``Failure to call ISIS' mass murder of Christians, Muslims, and other groups in addition to Yazidis by its proper name--genocide--would be an act of denial as grave as U.S. refusal to recognize the Rwandan genocide in 1994.'' The administration reportedly is considering declaring the ISIS treatment of Yezidis to be genocide, but there is no indication that Christians will be included. That's absurd. Such an action would be contrary to the facts and tragically wrong. Last year, a United Nations resolution determined that both Yezidis and Christians were being particularly targeted by ISIS. A group of Christian leaders recently wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry to present their case for treating Christians the same as Yezidis in this matter, but they have not received a reply thus far. As we attempt to end the ISIS threat, we must consider how to help ensure religious pluralism in Syria and Iraq in the future. That will not be an easy task since animosities have grown during the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, exponentially so during the rise and reign of terror of ISIS. Nevertheless, unless we consider how to help make these lands safe for religious minorities, we will continue to see them chased out of their traditional areas even if there is no ISIS. Our witnesses last week provided us a picture of the ongoing struggle faced by religious minorities in ISIS territory, and hopefully, they will help us to begin the discussion of making these areas safe for their people in the years to come.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, last month, I chaired the fourth oversight hearing this year on implementation of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act. The Goldman Act empowers the executive branch with powerful new tools and a myriad of ways to successfully resolve parental child abduction cases. Like any law, however, it is only as good as its implementation. Historically, 750-1,000 American children are unlawfully removed from their homes each year by one of their parents and taken across international borders. International parental child abduction rips children from their homes and takes them away to a foreign land, alienating them from the love and care of the parent and family left behind. Child abduction is child abuse. Its negative impact on the children and left behind families can last for years--even a lifetime. Two of our witnesses at the hearing--like many who were there and are around the country--know first-hand the trauma, the tears, the excruciating pain, and the longing and heartbreak of parental child abduction. David Goldman's son Sean was abducted to Brazil and unlawfully retained for approximately 5\1/2\ years. Mr. Goldman tenaciously pursued every legal means of return including expert counsel in his quest to bring Sean home. Today father and son are thriving. Captain Paul Toland continues his heroic 12 year quest to bring his 13 year old daughter, Erica, home from Japan. Captain Toland refuses to quit or be deterred despite years of frustration and setbacks--such is this father's incredible love for his precious daughter. Our first hope is to prevent, or at least mitigate the number of, abductions and the State Department is to be commended for implementing a provision of the Goldman Act that adds children that a judge has determined to be at risk of abduction to a ``no fly'' list. In 2014, we saw a decrease in the number of new abductions--150 fewer new cases than the previous year. But I am concerned that the State Department has chosen not to impose any sanctions on any of those nations found to have engaged in a ``pattern of noncompliance.'' The Goldman Act, however, requires State Department action on individual cases that have been pending for more than a year if the foreign government has not been taking adequate steps to resolve the case. The Goldman Act also requires action when, collectively, a country has high numbers of cases--30 percent or more--that have been unresolved for over a year; or if the government is failing in their duties under the Hague Convention or other bilateral agreement; or if their law enforcement fails to enforce return or access orders. The Goldman Act not only shines a light on a country's record through the annual designation of countries showing a ``pattern of non- compliance'', it holds countries accountable and incentivizes systemic reform. Actions escalate in severity, and range from official protests through diplomatic channels, to public condemnation, to extradition, to the suspension of development, security, or other foreign assistance. The Goldman Act was designed to raise the stakes on the foreign country's inaction or obstruction, and move the country to end the nightmare of abduction. In July we reviewed the State Department's first annual report on abduction and access resolution rates around the world. The annual report had some major gaps and misleading information, some of which were corrected by the Supplemental Data posted by the State Department in August. Tragically, in contravention of both the spirit and letter of the Goldman Act, the State Department failed to list Japan--with more than 50 abduction cases--among the 22 countries showing a ``pattern of noncompliance'' and therefore eligible for Goldman Act sanctions. This glaring omission sent the unfortunate signal that pre-Hague Japan cases were no longer a top priority--cases like that of Sgt. Michael Elias who has been denied any contact with his two young children, Jade and Michael, after they were abducted to Japan in 2008. In September the State Department sent to Congress its first 90 day report on actions it took to bring the 22 most difficult countries to the resolution table. Those actions included demarches, judicial rulings, and meetings--all of which are necessary and of value--but noticeably absent was the imposition of any number of meaningful sanctions prescribed by the Goldman Act. I respectfully submit that this was a missed opportunity to convey to ``pattern of non-compliance'' nations that the United States is absolutely serious about resolving parental abduction. The imposition of sanctions says we mean business. (Sanctions are imposed on an entity to enforce civil rights laws and other policies of paramount importance) Notwithstanding section 103 of the Goldman Act, the Report makes no mention of MOUs or bilateral agreements to resolve cases--including and especially cases that existed prior to Japan's ratification of the Hague. I--and others--have raised this concern for several years, especially for victims of Japan's policies. Perhaps Assistant Secretary Bond can tell us if any bilateral agreements or MOUs are in the works. The report details the State Department's efforts to persuade India to ratify the Hague Convention--a step that if not combined with an MOU to resolve current abduction cases, which number about 75, we risk replicating the extraordinary misery endured by left behind parents after Japan ratified the Hague. If India ratified the Hague it will--like Japan--grandfather preexisting cases out of the convention resolution process. Bindu Philips, mother of Albert and Alfred, has struggled with her ex-husband in Indian courts for the return of her sons for nearly nine years. Ravi Parmar has been fighting for his son's return for three years. Section 201 of the Goldman Act also requires the State Department to conduct a review of individual cases pending 12 months or more to discern whether the foreign government has taken adequate steps to resolve the case or whether actions are warranted. This is the ``individual case'' trigger for actions (as opposed to the ``pattern of noncompliance'' country trigger). Despite a half-dozen Congressional letters from various members of Congress asking for Sec. 201 reviews of egregious cases, the State Department, to my knowledge, has not done a single review, much less applied actions. I am encouraged by a press statement by Secretary of State John Kerry. While noting that the Goldman Act provides ``additional tools to advocate for the return of abducted children'' he states ``there can be no safe haven for abductors. The Department of State will continue to use all the tools available to us to help those involved in international parental child abduction cases to resolve their disputes and move forward with their lives.''

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, last week, I convened a hearing on an extremely urgent issue, focused on addressing what may very well be the next global health crisis: drug resistant tuberculosis. Just as Ebola surprised many at the ferocity with which it spread, all of us must be concerned that the world is not fully prepared to meet the threat from this highly contagious airborne disease which killed 1.5 million people last year alone. That translates to over 4,000 people a day--4,000 lives that ended prematurely, including young children. The World Health Organization released its Global Tuberculosis report just over a month ago and appealed to the world to beef up efforts to combat TB, and yesterday, in Cape Town South Africa, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease concluded its annual meeting, having gathered experts in fighting TB from all over the world. These are positive signs, showing that the global health community continues to surge toward ending TB by 2035--or sooner. While most TB is curable if diagnosed and patients strictly adhere to a treatment regimen, some 6 million new cases of TB were reported to WHO in 2014. However it is likely that the number of people who contracted TB far exceeds this number--and may be as high as 9.6 million people. These people need to be diagnosed with a diagnostic that is fast and reliable and able to detect drug resistances, and treated, so they can lead healthy productive lives. On a myriad of fronts there is reason for hope. For example the Expert MTB/RIF can diagnose TB and resistance to rifampicin within two hours, an amazing breakthrough. As CDC's Tom Friedman testified, this new diagnostic holds great promise. This new diagnostic holds great promise in enabling rapid detection of drug resistance, and the U.S. Government has led the global effort to scale up access to this test. The increase in the proportion of drug-resistant TB cases diagnosed and started on treatment over the past several years is largely attributable to the scale-up of this test. Yet the tragic fact remains that some 480,000 new cases of hard-to- treat cases of multidrug resistant TB--a disease which often hits the poorest of the poor--are estimated to have occurred in 2014, yet only about 25 per cent of these, or 123,000 cases were detected and reported, leaving a whopping 75 percent undetected and untreated. Given the ease at which TB can spread through the air--especially through coughing--and the fact that people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible, one can see how left untreated MDR TB and its even more pernicious cousin, XDR or Extensively Drug Resistant TB can be catastrophic to individuals and wreak havoc on public health and public health systems. To illustrate how fragile health systems can be overwhelmed, a course of treatment for normal, drug susceptible TB costs roughly between $100 and $500, depending on the country. For MDR TB, the cost is roughly between $5,000 and $10,000 per patient. To respond fully to the TB crisis, the WHO estimates that some $8 billion per year is needed. Unfortunately, there is a global budget shortfall of about $1.4 billion. We need to lead not only in terms of providing funding, but also in terms of encouraging others--other countries, but also the private sector and foundations--in meeting this need by closing this gap. Now is the time for a significantly enhanced response. A sustained focus on tuberculosis prevention today will save lives and money tomorrow, helping people the world over as well as protecting the homeland from what otherwise could become a global pandemic. Our 3 witnesses from the hearing are extraordinary leaders in the health field and experts on TB. They--like many on subcommittee-- believe we can at least mitigate TB in the short term and eliminate this deadly infectious disease by 2035, just as we have successfully fought polio. It takes political will, however, and an investment of resources that will pay dividends for healthier people in the long run. The subcommittee will continue to work hard on combatting TB, along with members of the House Tuberculosis Elimination Caucus, whose co- chair is my good friend from New York, Ranking Member Eliot Engel, who joined the hearing last week. We also had some very outstanding leaders in the global fight against TB who briefed us and gave testimony at the hearing.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, first of all, our distinguished chairman, Chairman Pitts, for his extraordinary work on this legislation. I also want to thank Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Pallone, and, of course, Chairman Upton for his strong support of this reauthorization. In the Senate, we have had a tremendous team of Orrin Hatch, Jack Reed, Richard Burr, and Al Franken, who again worked in a very bipartisan way to ensure that this life-affirming, lifesaving legislation not only made it through the Senate, but was beefed up, made stronger. People talk about the lack of bipartisanship. I do believe this is one of those bills where we have all come together to try to say-- whether it be bone marrow or adult stem cells in the form of cord blood--that it be made available to as many people as possible in the most usable and efficacious way. Mr. Speaker, just let me say--and we know this and I will try not to be too redundant because I think the chairman has explained it--the bill under consideration by the House today does reauthorize through 2020 two critically important and complementary programs, the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory. It is especially appropriate during this time of gift-giving to reauthorize these life-giving programs. Americans willing to give the gift of life to others are at the heart of the success of this program. In reauthorizing it, we are grateful for the adult donors willing to provide bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells as well as mothers who donate their child's cord blood through public cord blood banks. Under the National Cord Blood Inventory program, Mr. Speaker, contracts are awarded to cord blood banks to collect cord blood units donated after mothers give birth. Around 4 million births occur in the United States every year. God, in his grace and love, has left a gift that then gives life and helps to cure diseases, including leukemia and other devastating blood- related diseases, left after that birth. Again, cord blood and the placenta itself is teeming with stem cells that are, again, highly efficacious in curing and mitigating disease. Americans have access to more than 12 million adult volunteer donors and 209,000 cord blood units through Be The Match. The program's Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Coordinating Centers make information about bone marrow and cord blood transplants available to donors and patients. The Office of Patient Advocacy helps support patients and families dealing with a life-threatening diagnosis. The Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database tracks results. Again, if you want to know how something is working or not, you track it, and you are constantly recalibrating it in order to make it better. Today's bill is the second reauthorization of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, a law that I authored a decade ago, joined by Artur Davis of Alabama, legislation that, again, cleared the Senate with the great help of Senator Orrin Hatch. That law built upon the excellent work of our distinguished, late colleague Bill Young of Florida to facilitate bone marrow transplants and created a brand-new national umbilical cord blood donation and transplantation program. Dr. Jeffrey Chell, the CEO of NMDP/Be The Match, has noted that, for many diseases, including blood cancers and sickle cell anemia disease, cellular therapy is the best hope for a cure. As he told Chairman Pitts and his committee, the patient population rising the most quickly is the elderly population, growing by double digits every year. The reason for that is that the medical conditions for which transplant is often the only cure tend to occur in older populations; diseases like acute leukemia, myelofibrosis, and others. Breathtaking scientific breakthroughs have turned medical waste, post-birth placentas, and umbilical cord blood into medical miracles, treating more than 70 diseases--some say as many as 80--including leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia. Let me just conclude by pointing out that, during consideration of the Senate HELP Committee, language was added to direct relevant agencies to study the state of science using adult stem cells and birthing tissues to develop new therapies for patients. Last year I visited Celgene Corporation in Summit, New Jersey, to learn of their extraordinary efforts to use cord blood to heal diabetic foot ulcers and how they turn amniotic membrane, an old placenta, into wound management that now has advanced past stage 3 clinical trials to the approval and regulatory filings stage. Again, I want to thank the chief cosponsor, Ms. Matsui; Mr. Jolly; and Mr. Fattah. Again, this is a bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, the bill under consideration by the House today reauthorizes through 2020 two critically important and complementary programs--the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and National Cord Blood Inventory. During this time of gift-giving, it is incredibly timely to reauthorize these life-giving programs. Americans willing to give the gift of life to others are at the heart of the success of this program. In reauthorizing it we are grateful for the adult donors willing to provide bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, as well as mothers who donate their child's cord blood through public cord blood banks. Today, Mr. Speaker, under the National Cord Blood Inventory Program (NCBI), contracts are awarded to cord blood banks to collect cord blood units donated after mothers give birth. These units are then made available through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program also called the Be the Match Registry. The Program provides a single point of access, enabling those in need of lifesaving transplants to search for a match via an integrated nationwide network of bone marrow donors and cord blood stem cells. Americans have access to more than 12 million adult volunteer donors and 209,000 cord blood units through Be The Match. The Program's Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Coordinating Centers makes information about bone marrow and cord blood transplant available to donors and patients, and the Office of Patient Advocacy helps support patients and families dealing with a life-threatening diagnosis. And the Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database tracks results. The leadership of Senators Orrin Hatch, Jack Reed, Richard Burr and Al Franken was invaluable in shepherding this vital bill through the Senate. And special thanks to both Chairmen Upton and Pitts for their outstanding leadership and help on this bill, as well as the strong support by Ranking Members Pallone and Green. I am deeply grateful to original cosponsors Ms. Matsui, Mr. Jolly and Mr. Fattah for their important contributions. Today's bill is the second reauthorization of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, a law that I sponsored a decade ago joined by Artur Davis of Alabama; legislation that cleared the Senate with the incomparable help of Senator Orrin Hatch. That law built upon the excellent work of our distinguished late colleague Bill Young of Florida to facilitate bone marrow transplants and created a brand new national umbilical cord blood donation and transplantation program. Dr. Jeffrey W. Chell, CEO of NMDP/Be the Match has noted that for many diseases including blood cancers and sickle cell disease, cellular therapy is the best hope for a cure. He told Chairman Pitts' subcommittee that the patient population ``rising the most quickly is the elderly population . . . growing by double digits every year, and the reason for that is the medical conditions for which transplant is often the only cure tend to occur in older populations for diseases like acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, myelofibrosis and others.'' Breathtaking scientific breakthroughs have turned medical waste--post birth placentas and umbilical cord blood--into medical miracles treating more than 70 diseases including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia. Not only has God in His wisdom and goodness created a placenta and umbilical cord to nurture and protect the precious life of an unborn child, but now we know that another gift awaits us immediately after birth. Something very special is left behind--cord blood that is teeming with lifesaving stem cells. In addition to currently treating more than 70 diseases like sickle cell anemia and leukemia, cord blood units from NCBI banks are also made available for research on future therapies. In groundbreaking research, Dr. Kurtzberg of Duke University also testified last June that ``in addition to use in patients with malignant and genetic diseases, cord blood is showing enormous potential for use in cellular therapies and regenerative medicine. Cord blood derived vaccines against viruses and certain types of cancers are currently under development and in early phase clinical trials. Cells, manufactured from cord blood units are being developed to boost recovery of the immune system. Cells regulating autoimmunity (Regulatory T cells) are also in clinical trials. These approaches, which often utilize cord blood banked in family banks, may help patients with Type 1 Diabetes, as well as other diseases.'' Dr. Kurtzberg further testified that she and others are developing uses for cord blood to treat acquired brain disorders. ``Over the past six years'' she said ``we have initiated trials of autologous (the patient's own) cord blood in babies with birth asphyxia, cerebral palsy, hearing loss and autism . . .'' Dr. Kurtzberg has also said ``We've learned that when donor cells are infused into one's body, they go to the brain and help heal the brain. When a child has a brain injury around birth, we can use their own cord blood cells to correct the damage that's occurred.'' Inportantly, during consideration in the Senate HELP Committee, language was added to direct the relevant agencies to study the state of science using adult stem cells and birthing tissues to develop new therapies for patients. Last year, Mr. Speaker, I visited Celgene Corporation of Summit, New Jersey to learn of their extraordinary efforts to use cord blood to heal diabetic foot ulcers and how they've turned amniotic membrane--an old placenta--into wound management that has now advanced past stage 3 clinical trials to the approval and regulatory filings stage. H.R. 2820 authorizes $265 million over five years and will ensure that thousands of present-day and future patients benefit from the exciting field of regenerative medicine.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank the gentleman. First of all, let me thank our distinguished chairman for offering yet another important bill in the fight against terrorism, especially as it relates to Hezbollah. The Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015, has been very adequately explained by both the chairman and the ranking member. I don't want to be redundant, but it is a very, very important bill that will make a difference. Hezbollah, as we all know, is a terrorist organization and is a proxy of the Iranian regime, which directly threatens our close ally Israel as well as ourselves. This bill would help hobble Hezbollah's ability to finance its terrorist activities, and it is strongly deserving of the support of every Member of this Chamber. This bill sends a message to the administration. It seeks to mitigate at least some of the damage that has been unleashed by President Obama's misguided policy towards Iran, and by an egregiously flawed nuclear arms deal that lifts sanctions that will free up billions of dollars for the regime in Tehran to finance anti-American and anti- Israel terror groups, such as Hezbollah. Let's not forget that Hezbollah is an organization that has attacked Americans. It not only fires missiles unprovoked--like Hamas--into Israel, but it finances all sorts of terror and bombings, including of U.S. Embassies. Many of the terrorists associated with Hezbollah were involved with the killing of the marines back in the early 1980s. One of those marines was Paul Innocenzi, from my district--from my hometown--who left behind his dear wife and children. She was left a widow, as were many others, by that horrific act of terrorism. I ask Members to support this bill. Again, I thank Chairman Royce for his leadership. I will remind my colleagues that, I think, to date, the chairman has had about 35--three dozen--hearings on Iran and on issues related to Iran. Every aspect of our misguided policy has been focused upon, as have the ideas that seek, to mitigate the damage. This is one of those initiatives. Interdict the money flow, and you can help to stop some of the terrorism.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express gratitude and deep appreciation for the leadership and commitment of one of New Jersey's most dedicated public servants, Colonel Angelo Candelori. For over 30 years, Colonel Candelori has volunteered countless hours and offered exceptional guidance and insights as a member of the Fourth Congressional District's Service Academy Nominations Board--a task he has taken most seriously and accomplished with great success. Year after year, Colonel Candelori has ``sweat the details,'' tediously poring over the applications of prospective Service Academy nominees. With great scrutiny and wisdom he has interviewed every young man and woman, recommending only those whom he felt were most deserving of my congressional nomination. I have benefitted greatly from Colonel Candelori's expertise, discernment, dedication, and desire that our armed services receive the best and brightest possible officer applicants. And so, too, has the United States military. Having served for 32 years in the United States Marine Corps and the reserves--a tenure that overlapped with his time on our Service Academy Board--Colonel Candelori relied on his instinctive knowledge and judgement, as well as years of military training, to help identify young applicants best suited to become America's next generation of military leaders. With honor, integrity, courage and dedication, Colonel Candelori easily embodies the Marine Corps motto ``Semper Fi''--proving to be ``always faithful'' to the United States of America, his fellow Marines, and all members of our armed forces. If you knew Colonel Candelori personally, you would know that his dedication to his community and his commitment to public service is evident beyond his military career. For many years Colonel Candelori was a member of the Hamilton Township Planning Board and the Hamilton Township Development Review Advisory Board. His positive impact in many local and state volunteer and/or civic organizations resulted in his designation as a Point of Light by President George H. W. Bush. Colonel Candelori was also named a recipient of the U.S. Secretary of Energy's Community Service Award and the Enrico Fermi Federation Achievement Award. Recognition of Colonel Candelori's leadership quality is international as he was knighted with the title of Cavalieri in the Order of Solidarity by the government of Italy. He served as president of the Societa Cavalieri d'Italia and is a past trustee of the Italian- American National Hall of Fame and a past president of the Enrico Fermi Federation. Mr. Speaker, to say that Colonel Angelo Candelori is a patriot and a gentleman would be an understatement. He is a remarkable, dedicated family man and community leader who has truly advanced the common good. This year, as he steps down from his more than three decades of assisting in the vetting of future uniformed military officers, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Colonel Angelo Candelori for his dedicated service to the citizens of New Jersey and to the United States of America.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, November 21 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement, which ended the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. As a member and later Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I remember those events vividly--many Bosnians and Serbs testified before the Helsinki Commission in the 1990s (including victims of human rights abuses and human rights defenders) and some have since played leading roles as elected officials. In 1991, Frank Wolf and I visited Vukovar in neighboring Croatia while it was still under siege. With a group of other Helsinki Commissioners and Members of Congress, I urged a decisive international response under U.S. leadership from the very beginning of the war. In 1995 we spearheaded a movement to lift the arms embargo on Bosnia, so that it would not present such an inviting target to Serb militias. Sadly the embargo was lifted too late for the Bosniaks in Srebrenica. Just last month I met with a group of young Bosniaks belonging to Voices of the Bosnian Genocide. It was so moving to meet with these young people--many of them were from Srebrenica--and to learn how many of them had taken up work or study that sought to bring some good out of the horrors of 1995. Many studied human rights law, or conflict resolution, or medicine. Their lives were shaped not only by Srebrenica but also by Dayton, which brought an end to the killing. Yet as public officials we have a responsibility to remember that robust action earlier in the conflict could have saved many more lives and produced better prospects for the future. Twenty years later, this Dayton anniversary offers the opportunity to assess what has been achieved in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The agreement should rightly be remembered for restoring a peace that has held to this day, and for ensuring the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dayton gave the country time to begin to heal from a horrific conflict infamous for ethnic cleansing and atrocities against innocent civilians, including the genocide at Srebrenica--which we remembered with the unanimous passage of House Resolution 310 this past July--as well as the shelling of Sarajevo and other urban centers, and the rape and death camps established by Serb militant forces at the beginning of their aggression. In this small country, over two million were displaced by the conflict, more than 100,000 were killed, and tens of thousands were raped or tortured. Scars made by crimes of this scale still remain. Dayton was a central part of an effort that helped the international community transition from a world divided between East and West in order to meeting post-Cold War challenges, including the extreme and violent nationalism and its inherent hatred for others which manifested itself elsewhere in the Balkans and Europe. For the first time since World War II, an international tribunal was established to hold persons accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Determining the fate of missing persons, using new technology such as satellite photography to locate mass graves and DNA testing to identify remains, became a priority. The NATO Alliance, previously confined to the borders of its member states, expanded its security role to operate ``out of area,'' first to restore peace and then to keep it. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also evolved to include significant field operations and new mandates ranging from election observation to police training. These developments remain relevant today. As we commemorate the accomplishments of Dayton, Mr. Speaker, we also must remember that the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina must live in its wake. It is my hope that, at the 30th anniversary of the end of the conflict, Bosnia will have made more progress and we will have more to celebrate.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I convened an oversight hearing on the 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report. Far more than simply ink on paper, this report has proven to be both prize and prod: a prize for those countries whose progress in the fight against the grave abuse of human trafficking the report acknowledges, a prod to those nations that are failing the trafficking victims within their borders. The power of the report lies in its credibility. And the credibility of the report lies in its accuracy. We must get the report right, or we will lose the most effective tool we have to help the more than 20 million victims of trafficking enslaved around the world today. Some countries openly credit the TIP Report for their increased and effective anti-trafficking response. Over the last 14 years, more than 100 countries have enacted anti-trafficking laws, and many countries have taken other steps required to significantly raise their tier rankings: Tier 1 for those who fully meet minimum standards, Tier 2 for those who are making significant efforts to meet minimum standards, and Tier 3 for those who are not making significant efforts to meet minimum standards and, indeed, may be subject to sanctions. And for those in a purgatory between Tier 2 and 3, Congress in 2003 created a ``Tier 2 Watch List'' for those which may have undertaken significant anti-trafficking steps late in the evaluation year. Unfortunately, this ranking has been misused to allow countries to escape accountability. I held the hearing yesterday due to well-founded concern that some of the rankings in the most recent report are grossly inaccurate and greatly undermine the credibility of the report. Indeed, we have massive grade inflation for certain favored countries, thereby defeating accountability, and demoralizing countries that actually made significant progress last year. The State Department heard from many House members--161 to be exact--when it was leaked that Malaysia was upgraded this year from Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List. The report justified the upgrade because Malaysia introduced--but did not pass--an amendment to their trafficking law, and allowed a limited number of their trafficking victims to work outside of detention, while keeping the rest of the victims in detention. These incomplete actions pale in comparison to the size of Malaysia's trafficking problems. Malaysia was the subject of a Reuters investigative report in 2014, which found that human traffickers were keeping hundreds of Rohingya refugees from Burma captive in houses in northern Malaysia, beating them, depriving them of food, and demanding a ransom from their families. At least two million vulnerable migrants work in the informal economy in Malaysia. NGOs on the ground tell us that traffickers operate openly and with impunity. And that those who get in their way are killed. Only three traffickers were convicted in Malaysia last year. Three- in a country of more than 30 million people. If that ratio were not bad enough, it also marks the third year of decline in convictions. Three convictions is one-third of the convictions Malaysia had in 2013--when Malaysia was Tier 3--and one- seventh of the convictions in 2012. Trafficking in Malaysia is getting worse and the Government's enforcement of the law was nearly non-existent, and yet Malaysia was upgraded. So what happened? What happened is that this Administration wanted Malaysia to be eligible to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This spring, Congress approved the Trade Priorities Act of 2015, excluding Tier 3 countries from expedited consideration by Congress, for the simple reason that Congress did not want to increase trade with countries that engage in persistent labor trafficking. Malaysia was disqualified--until their upgrade. More than ``bad optics,'' more than flouting the will of Congress, such circumventing of accountability is disastrous for the labor trafficking victims in Malaysia. Instead of demanding change before Malaysia became a major trading partner, the Administration changed our standards to give Malaysia a pass. In other words, we looked the other way to empower a slave economy. The Administration also upgraded Cuba this year to the Tier 2 Watch List on flimsy justifications--namely, that Cuba began sharing information with the U.S. on trafficking and that it convicted 13 traffickers two years ago (which is outside the reporting period). But what has changed in Cuba for trafficking victims in the last year? Cuba legally permits the pimping of 16 year old girls, is the top destination in the Western Hemisphere for child sex tourism, and does not criminalize labor trafficking at all--indeed, Cuban health care personnel who are sent abroad by the Castro regime to generate income for the government report being forced to work in medical missions, having their passports withheld and their families threatened. The trafficking rankings should not be used in hopes of bringing about better bilateral relations with Cuba; rather, better relations with Cuba should be pre-conditioned on real protection for Cuba's prostituted children and recognition of labor trafficking. The bar also seemed to be lowered this year for Uzbekistan, which was upgraded to the Tier 2 Watch List despite the fact that Uzbekistan's Government openly and unapologetically forces its population into forced labor every year during the cotton harvest. In recent years, the government has shifted away from pulling young children out of school and allowed the International Labor Organization to monitor conditions. But instead of children they conscripted adults, continuing the systematic exploitation of its population. China's premature upgrade to Tier 2 Watch List in 2014 and continued presence there in the 2015 report also raises the question--How can a country that systematically traffics its own people be anything other than Tier 3? After one year on Tier 3 in 2013, China passed a law to allegedly close its 320 Re-education Through Labor (or RTL) detention centers, which forced prisoners and other detainees to perform manual labor and padded the pockets of the government. The State Department upgraded China because of the ``reform'' in 2014. But now we know from the report itself that the government only closed ``several'' of the 320 forced labor sites, and converted other RTL facilities into state-sponsored drug detention or `custody and education' centers. In other words, China continues to force detained citizens to perform manual labor--and yet it got to keep the Tier upgrade it was given for allegedly ending this practice. Additionally, China's official birth limitation policy, in combination with a cultural preference for boys, has resulted in approximately 40 million women and girls missing from the population-- making China a regional magnet for sex and bride trafficking as men who reach marrying age cannot find a mate. Just ask the Burmese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, and North Korean women imported to meet China's demand. To wit, an estimated 90 percent of North Korean women seeking asylum in China have been trafficked. Yet China refuses these women refugee status and sends them back to possible execution in North Korea. Nothing in China's record in 2014 warrants any ranking other than Tier 3. Consider this: China convicted 35 traffickers last year in a country of 1.3 billion people. That is one trafficker out of every 37 million people. I wrote the TVPA to allow flexibility and discernment in rewarding a country for making progress over their record from the year before. And for significant--not just any--efforts that go to prosecutions, protection, and prevention. Tier rankings are a tool to aid real change, not a rubber stamp for simply holding a meeting and being a major trading partner. The rankings in this 2015 report seem to be a real opportunity lost, not just for the countries we gave a pass to but other countries whose good faith efforts at reform were not acknowledged. No country will take U.S. trafficking rankings seriously when there seems to be a `wink and nod' agreement to look the other way when it suits U.S. business or other interests. Tellingly, Reuters reports that there was a lot of infighting at the State Department between the trafficking experts, and the bureaus. This year the two sides split on 17 countries in particular--and that J/TIP lost almost all of the conflicts. Real people are suffering. Real lives are at stake.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for his leadership on this very important human rights issue, as he has done so ably and effectively on all of these issues, particularly his leadership on Iran; and that, of course, would be echoed with Eliot Engel's excellent work there as well. This is a group of leaders that have made a huge difference. So thank you, Chairman Royce, for that. H. Res. 354, Mr. Speaker, prescribes specific, effective actions that government should take in response to the deadly threats to the Jewish communities in Europe. As we all know, the number of violent anti- Semitic attacks have increased from 100 to 400 percent in some European countries since 2013 alone. Murders in Paris and Copenhagen and elsewhere remind us that there are those who are motivated by anti- Semitic hate and have the will and the means to kill. I would just note parenthetically that my work in combating anti- Semitism began back in 1981, in my first term, from this very podium, speaking out in favor of Jewish refuseniks. I joined Mark Levin and the NCSJ 1 year later in 1982 on a trip to the Soviet Union where we met with men and women who were targeted by the KGB and the Soviet evil empire simply because they were Jewish. Sadly, anti-Semitism has not abated, and in recent years, it has actually worsened. This resolution calls for the United States Government to work with our European allies on specific actions that are essential to keep European Jewish communities safe and secure. It is based on consultations with the leading experts who are working directly with these communities. The resolution focuses on the formal partnerships between European law enforcement agencies and Jewish community security groups. Here in the United States, Mr. Speaker, the collaboration between the Department of Homeland Security and Security Community Network--an initiative of the Jewish Federation of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations--has been essential to protecting Jewish communities here. The formal partnerships between the Community Security Trust in the United Kingdom and the Jewish Community Security Service in France and their respective governments are also excellent models that need to be emulated. The resolution emphasizes the importance of consistent, two-way communication and information sharing between law enforcement agencies and Jewish community groups. It encourages the development of a pan- European information sharing, communication, and alerting system, and envisions governments, intergovernmental agencies, and Jewish communities working together on it. Such a system should function day- round and year-round and include training for personnel who are implementing it. The resolution also calls for European governments to support assessments in several key areas and accordingly adjust their actions and strategies. Details matter. The assessments should gather and analyze data on crimes committed, response from law enforcement, types of attacks or incidents that are most prevalent, and the types of targets that are most at risk. It is essential to understand how law enforcement agencies usually receive reports of anti-Semitic crimes and what initial actions they take when a report is filed. I remember years ago, when I offered a resolution at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, we heard that it was just hooliganism and other kinds of acts done by young people when you spray-paint a swastika on a tombstone in a Jewish cemetery, when you deface a synagogue, and you attack a man simply because he is wearing a yarmulke. Clearly, these are acts of anti-Semitic hate; yet, they were being dismissed as something that was other. Assessments are also needed on Jewish community security groups, particularly of their capabilities, resources, relationships with local law enforcement agencies, preparedness, including emergency response plans, and the extent to which their decisionmaking is based on the best available information, analysis, and practices. The resolution calls for governments to use these assessments to help these community groups develop common baseline safety standards. These standards should include, as I said before, training, controlling access to physical facilities, physical security measures, including cameras, and crisis communications. Emergency exercises and simulations, mapping access to facilities, and sharing information with law enforcement agencies should also be part of the standards. These assessments, Mr. Speaker, will help achieve the resolution's call for law enforcement personnel to be well trained to monitor, prevent, and respond to anti-Semitic violence and to partner with Jewish communities. For all of these assessments, governments should draw information from sources that include Jewish groups, law enforcement agencies, independent human rights NGOs, research initiatives, and other civil society groups and leaders. H. Res. 354 calls for safety awareness and suspicious activity reporting campaigns, like ``If you see something, say something'' here in the United States. Other aspects of the resolution include appropriately integrating initiatives to counter violent extremism and those to combat anti-Semitism and the urgency of implementing the declarations, decisions, and other commitments of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that focus on anti-Semitism. To accomplish these goals, the resolution calls for European governments to ensure that they appoint or designate senior officials with the necessary authority and resources to combat anti-Semitism and collaborate with governmental and intergovernmental agencies, law enforcement, and Jewish community groups. Finally, the resolution reaffirms support for the mandate of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as part of the broader policy of fostering international religious freedom and urges the Secretary of State to continue robust U.S. reporting on anti- Semitism by the Department of State and the Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism. I would note parenthetically that I authored the amendment to the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004, introduced and sponsored by Senator Voinovich. My amendment created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the State Department. That has proven to be a key tool in this fight. Mr. Speaker, the resolution has the support of leading organizations, and it has 89 cosponsors, including all eight of the co-chairs of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism. I would like to acknowledge, Mr. Speaker, John Farmer, Jr., and Paul Goldenberg for their tireless efforts and dedication and leadership in fighting anti-Semitism and terrorism over the years. John is a former attorney general of New Jersey and is now on the steering committee of the Institute for Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security and is the codirector of the Faith-Based Communities Security Program at Rutgers University. Paul is the executive director of the Secure Community Network and a senior adviser to the Institute and the program. Several major Jewish communities in Europe have relied on their counsel, and both have spent time on the ground within these communities. Finally, I would like to acknowledge and single out for very, very special thanks and recognition Rabbi Andy Baker, personal representative of the OSCE chair in the Office on Combating Anti- Semitism and director of the International Jewish Affairs for the American Jewish Committee. He has been critical--critical--to American leadership in Europe and in the United States in the fight against anti-Semitism. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the former chair of the full committee.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.