▶ 0:08:58A quorum being present. The committee on foreign affairs will come to order. The committee is meeting today for consideration of a number of bills. Before we begin that, we'll start with the pledge of allegiance. Sorry, Greg. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
▶ 0:09:41The committee is meeting today for consideration of HR747 to impose sanctions with respect to Chinese producers of synthetic opioids and opioid precursors to hold Chinese officials accountable for the spread of elicit fentinyl and for other purposes introduced by Representative Bar. HR1 1998 to require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons engaged in piracy and for other purposes introduced by Representative Jackson of Illinois.
▶ 0:10:10HR2635 to support the human rights of Weaggguers and members of other minority groups residing primarily in the Shin Jang Weaguer Autonomous Region and safeguard their distinct identity and for other purposes.
▶ 0:10:23Introduced by Representative Kim, HR2619 to require a report on sanctions under the Robert Levenson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act and for other purposes introduced by Representative HR1422 to impose sanctions with respect to persons engaged in logistical transactions and sanctions evasion relating to oil, gas, liqufied natural gas, and related prochemical products from the Islamic Republic of Iran and for other purposes.
▶ 0:10:52Introduced by Representative Lawler, HR2503 to require the development of a strategy to eliminate the availability to foreign adversaries of goods and technologies capable of supporting undersea cables and for other purposes. Introduced by Representative Kaine. HR2683 to provide for control of remote access of items under the export control reform act of 2018 introduced by Representative Lawler.
▶ 0:11:18HR260 to require a strategy to impose financial or material support by foreign countries and non-government organizations to the Taliban and for other purposes introduced by Representative Burchett HR2643 to require the Secretary of State to submit an internal and annual report to Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti and impose sanctions on political and economic elites involved in such criminal activities. introduced by ranking member Meeks.
▶ 0:11:49The chair announces that requests for recorded votes may be rolled and he may I may recess at any point. Without objection, so ordered. Pursuant to House rules, I request that members have the opportunity to submit views for any committee report that may be produced on today's measures. Without objection. So ordered. I now recognize ranking member Meeks for any opening statement that he may have. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 0:12:16Uh just before I turn to the inb block, I want to raise an issue that I think should uh concern uh all of us on both sides of the aisle, and that's our shared responsibility to conduct oversight of the agencies within our jurisdiction. Late last month, the administration notified us of its intent to reorganize USAD, an agency it has already tried to gut.
▶ 0:12:40Now, I've sent and despite sending repeated letters requesting more information, the State Department has failed to respond in a meaningful way. So, I know that we may differ on how best to deliver foreign assistance, but we should all agree that Congress has a duty to conduct oversight.
▶ 0:12:58And that's why every Democrat on this committee has signed a letter asking you to call Secretary Rubio to testify publicly on this proposed reorganization and to also hold the notification until all of our requests for information are satisfied. So I'm hoping, Mr. Chairman, that we can work together and you can commit that we will be bringing the secretary forward to testify sometime in the very very near future. Does the ranking member yield back?
▶ 0:13:26I no I just want to hope that we can work on that so we can get that done. Absolutely. I'll respond when you're I'll let you finish. um thank you again. I support the four uh in block. Oh, he hasn't called the build up yet. So nope, not quite yet. I'll wait. I'll yield back then at at this particular time. That was just your opening statement. Very good.
▶ 0:13:55I now recognize myself for an opening statement and simply to respond uh to the ranking member. I know Secretary Rubio looks forward to coming before our committee. Uh we've already had Pete Morocco, director of the office of foreign assistance uh right here in this room before our committee and uh these and other individuals look forward to joining us as well to speak about the waste, fraud and abuse that they've been rooting out of agencies and the reconstruction of these agencies uh for the purpose of creating the best possible command and control uh for any of these agencies to make sure the
▶ 0:14:25maximum accountability for any US taxpayer dollar uh being sent out the door by the Department of State or any underlying agencies. for the purpose of going to foreign countries, foreign NOS's, foreign nonprofit, foreign terrorist organizations, or foreign anything else. And uh in that, we will now return to consideration. We will begin consideration of an unblocked package of bills.
▶ 0:14:48Pursuant to notice, I now call up the measures and their amendments that were circulated in advance, which without objection will be considered unblock, and each measure is considered as read, and the amendments to each are considered as read and are agreed to. And without objection, after remarks, the committee will vote to order measures the measures favorably, reported on block as amended, if amended, and each measure so amended shall be reported as the single amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 0:15:17Reading that, I always feel like I'm in a MontiPython movie because it uses the word amendment so many times. The measures in block packages are, as I already stated, HR747 to oppose sanctions with respect to Chinese producer of synthetic opioids and opioid precursors and to hold Chinese officials accountable for the spread of elicit fentinyl. HR198 to require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons engaged in piracy and for other purposes.
▶ 0:15:49HR2635 to support human rights of weaguers and members of other minority groups residing primarily in the Shinjang prog province and for other purposes. HR2503 to require the development of a strategy to eliminate the availability of foreign adversaries of goods and technologies capable of supporting undersea cables and for other I would now like to represent uh recognize rank member Meeks again for any opening statement that he may have on the unblock package.
▶ 0:16:19Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, I support the four bills on the inb block and I want to thank you and the sponsors of each of the bills for working with me to reach bipartisan consensus working together in that regards. I do want to highlight two bills in the in block. First, let me acknowledge Representative Jackson's piracy bill HR1998. Attacks on maritime shipping endanger in innocent lives, raise the cost of goods, and destabilize local communities. Unfortunately, they have come become more common.
▶ 0:16:49Ships traversing the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aiden now face two major threats. from the Houthis who continue to perpetuate piracy on the high seas and from Somalia pirates who are plundering and pilgrimaging at rates unseen in decade. Sanctioning pirates makes sense and I thank Representative Jackson for his leadership on this bill.
▶ 0:17:14I'm also proud co-sponsor of Representative Kim's Wega Policy Act HR 2635. This committee has played an important leadership role in pushing for the protection of weaguers and other minorities in Shenzhen uh in the face of genocide and forced labor. But our work isn't done because Beijing's repression isn't done.
▶ 0:17:35This is all good bipartisan bill and I hope that it serves as a clear signal to the Trump administration about what Congress wants because thus far the Trump administration has cut congressionally authorized programs that support human rights in China, including for projects focused on empowering Chinese and we related diaspora groups to combat transnational repression and promote religious freedom.
▶ 0:18:00And despite the fact that Radio Free Asia helped break the story about China's program for of detention, re-education, and forced labor in Shenzhing, this administration is now trying to shutter radio free Asia as we speak. So I thank Representative Kim and Representative Barra for their leadership on this bill. And with that, I yield back. Thank you, Ranking Member Meeks.
▶ 0:18:22Do any other members seek Any Republicans seek recognition first? Representative Perry is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I don't know.
▶ 0:18:44I I kind of seek in recognition to see if I can get some questions answered regarding HR 1998, which is to require the imposition of sanctions with respect to foreign persons engaged in piracy and for other purposes. I just don't know mechanically how that's going to happen. Um, and so that's why I'm seeking some answers.
▶ 0:19:06I don't think anybody on the committee, left or right, supports the piracy generally conducted by the Houthis or those associated with the Houthis. But I I I don't know if we know these people's names. I don't know if they have anything to sanction. I don't know if we're going to sanction their Johnboat or their flipflops or their t-shirts or their AK-47. I don't know if we're going to sanction people in Iran that are supporting the Houthi.
▶ 0:19:35So, I don't know, Mr. Chairman, if you'll engage in a colloquy. Do you understand how this sanction regime is going to work? I'm I'm all for ending the piracy. I just don't literally understand mechanically how this is going to happen. Yeah. Thank you, Representative Perry. I'm free to engage with you. Yes, sir. Good. So, uh when is Representative Jackson here right now?
▶ 0:19:56uh you'll be able to obviously speak in a moment about it, but uh obviously this goes to the administration to go out there and look at any alien uh that the secretary deems uh under the secretary of homeland security uh has in need of being sanctioned, right? I mean, that's the obvious part of this.
▶ 0:20:15uh the secretaries of these administrations through our intelligence will go out there and figure out exactly which individuals which quite often will be let's say classified information uh because of the sources and methods by which they find these individuals. Uh but just like we're looking at the targeting of individuals kinetically they will seek individuals in the same way to target with sanctions that maybe won't be targeted kinetically. And so to say that in the best way that I can, not in a classified environment.
▶ 0:20:44I hope that answers your question. So So to be clear, would this be sanctions on people supporting piracy that aren't necessarily involved in the piracy itself? I think this should be looked at as being written in an open way to target anybody that has been a part of these piracy activities. Okay?
▶ 0:21:04uh in in any way, shape or form uh that the administration can say they were financing, they were providing intelligence, they were looking for uh the targets of opportunity. They were a part of the network of conducting uh attacks of piracy on the targets of opportunity in any way, shape, or form. I would consider that the the scope of this policy. All right. You yield to Representative J. I'll recognize him in a minute if you're if you're yielding back. I'm yielding back.
▶ 0:21:30Unless you're trying to have a colloquy with Well, I I would like to have a colloqui with Mr. Jackson. I think we still have Is the clock going? I don't even see the clock going right now. So, I'm not in charge of the clock, Mr. Chairman. Very good. Somebody didn't start the clock, so we'll make sure we start that from now on. And uh Representative Jackson is recognized. Thank you, Congressman Perry. Thank you, Congressman Mace. chairman.
▶ 0:21:53Um due to the nature of this, this is classified information and it has to deal with primary and secondary sources that are um fueling these um organizations that are making these attacks. So I would leave it at that. But these came out of briefings. I yield back. Mr. Chairman, I yield. Thank you for the questions, both of you, and the comments both of you. Do any other members seek recognition? Where are we looking? road to Democrat side.
▶ 0:22:25Representative Amo. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Oh, you switch. I didn't even see you switch spaces. There you go. Looking this way. We move quickly. Um, Mr. Chairman, I'm I'm grateful to the opportunity to uh speak uh in support of the Weaguer Policy Act of 2025. I'm proud to co-sponsor uh this piece of legislation. For decades, weaguers have been a politically persecuted minority uh by the Chinese Communist Party.
▶ 0:22:52But starting in 2001, the CCP ramped up its authoritarian crackdown, stripping away rights, separating families, and subjecting weaguers to inhumane conditions just because of their culture, heritage, and religion. Professor Ilam Toi is one of the many Uiger victims suffering at the hands of Xi's regime. Professor Tooti is an economist who has spent his life focused on promoting peaceful relations and mutual understanding.
▶ 0:23:20Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, he has been horrifically punished for his work. Since 2014, he has been detained as a political prisoner. He has had no contact with his family or loved ones since 2017. In Congress, I am proud to be an advocate for Professor Toi on Tom Lanto's Human Rights Commission, elevating his story and pushing for his release. It's why I wholeheartedly support the Weaguer Policy Act to help Professor Toi and other Weaguer prisoners just like him.
▶ 0:23:51This bipartisan bill would direct the Secretary of State to work toward the release of political prisoners and hold the Chinese government accountable for their human rights abuses against the Weaggguers. We must speak out against the ongoing human rights abuses in the Jing Jang Weaguer Autonomous Region. This bill is an important step towards fulfilling that obligation and fighting back against China's oppression. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I yield back.
▶ 0:24:19Any other representatives recognition? Representative Bar. Thank you. I move to strike the last word word and speak in support of my legislation HR747 included in the onbank. This bill is titled the stop Chinese fentanel act. Uh Mr. Chairman, the fentanyl crisis, as you know, is one of the largest threats to our country and continues to plague so many of our families and neighbors across the United States.
▶ 0:24:50Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45. And fentanyl is responsible for nearly 70% of these deaths. Deaths involving synthetic opioids continued to rise in 2022 with 73,838 overdose deaths. Each one of these is a terrible tragedy.
▶ 0:25:12From September 2023 to August 2024, 57,997 Americans died of an opioid opioid overdose. In 2023, 1,984 Kuckians lost their lives to a drug overdose. Sadly, I've met with many of uh my constituents who have lost loved ones to this epidemic.
▶ 0:25:35Unfortunately, this scourge has spread with the help uh the malign help of our greatest strategic threat, the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party. In just the past two years, the Office of Foreign Asset Control or OFAC at Treasury sanctioned more than 300 targets for drug trafficking.
▶ 0:25:54We know that China has historically been and remains the primary source of fentanyl in global circulation through the production of precursor chemicals and outsourcing final production to cartel laboratories mainly in Mexico and then exploitation of our open southern border over the last four years.
▶ 0:26:12That's why it's paramount to not only secure our southern border, but that this committee pass my legislation being considered here today, HR747, the Stop Chinese Fentel Act, which passed the House on suspension last Congress. My bill amends the Fentanel Sanctions Act to expand the definition of quote foreign opioid trafficker unquote to include certain Chinese entities and government officials who fail to take steps to prevent opioid trafficking subjecting them to sanctions.
▶ 0:26:42This bill requires the president to determine whether the heads of the Chinese National Narcotics Control Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Customs, and the National Medical Products Administration of the Government of the People's Republic of China are foreign opioid traffickers, and we suspect many are. We must attack the production of fentanyl by targeting the source of precursors in China.
▶ 0:27:07Make no mistake, Chinese producers of synthetic opioids and opioid precursors and senior government and Chinese political officials culpability does not end when their precursor products land in Mexico or illegally cross our southern border. We must look at every step of fentanel's deadly supply chain and hold our adversaries accountable. This is a real urgent and massive national security crisis.
▶ 0:27:34The threat from China is multiaceted, but there are entities and persons in China who are literally complicit in poisoning and killing Americans. This bill targets the sources of the fentanyl surge and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation once again in a bipartisan way and I yield back. Thank you, Representative Bar. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Dean is recognized. Thank you, Chairman Mast and Ranking Member Meeks.
▶ 0:28:02Uh, I too rise in support of Congressman Bar's legislation HR747, the Stop Chinese Fentanel Act of 2025. I think it's a very aptly named numbered bill because I have for a long time called what we are suffering here in this country uh a jetliner a day of souls uh who die, who perish every single day.
▶ 0:28:26Hundreds of Americans die every single day in my state uh of Pennsylvania, just like your state and everybody else's. It is a jetliner a day and we have to do everything we possibly can to land that plane. That's why I thank you, Representative Bar, for this. The opioid crisis continues to ravage my communities like you, Representative Bar. I have been to too many funerals.
▶ 0:28:50I have visited with too many families uh who are struggling with young people, not so young people struggling with addiction. Uh as some of you may know, it's a deeply personal issue for me. My son Harry uh was addicted uh to opioids and is now by the grace of God and his own hard work uh been in recovery for more than 12 years and is helping others find recovery and also helping others who are dealing with grievous losses.
▶ 0:29:19The numbers have gone down recently. I do want to note that we went from about 110,000 people dying of overdose a year in this country. Think of that number. 110,000 people a year. In the most recent 12month period, it's down to about 84,000 a year. But that number is so cold. It's 84,000 people dying a year of overdose.
▶ 0:29:45We have to continue to find out what is going right, that the numbers are coming down, but how do we bring that number all the way down so that communities and families uh are not ravaged by these losses. We need to address the crisis from every angle, from ensuring those suffering from substance use disorder have access to needed health care. in my state of Pennsylvania through Medicaid.
▶ 0:30:11Uh a 100,000 people are working toward their own recovery through Medicaid. May we not cut Medicaid and the support that they need to thrive because you can thrive in recovery as my son is.
▶ 0:30:27We need to target all parts of the supply chain, which this bill does by sanctioning entities that produce synthetic opioid precursors, drop them down here in the United States, then ship them to Mexico only to come back as poison for our communities. So, I appreciate Congressman Bar's leadership on this bill and on this issue. I encourage all my colleagues to join me in supporting HR 747, May we land this plane. I yield back.
▶ 0:30:57Representative Kim is recognized. Thank you, Chairman Mest and Ranking Member Mix for holding today's markup uh and for considering my bipartisan bill HR 2635, the Weaguer Policy Act. I also want to thank uh my colleagues uh Representative Ammy Bara and again uh ranking member Mix for joining me in introducing this bill as original co-sponsors and I would like to also thank Representative Amo for speaking in support of this bill and sponsoring it as well.
▶ 0:31:27They under the Chinese Communist Party or CCP, wiggers and other ethnic minorities have been victims to genocide in modern-day concentration camps simply because of their linguistic, cultural, and identities.
▶ 0:31:43Meanwhile, we human rights advocates and family members of detainees are intimidated and harassed by the CCP's transnational repression campaigns The fact that this happens here on US soil is unacceptable.
▶ 0:32:02The Waguer Policy Act directs the Secretary of State to lead and coordinate all US government policies, programs, and projects that support wiggers and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Shing Jang Wiger Autonomous Region. It also aims to protect individuals in the wiger diaspora community who are subject to the CCP's transnational repression.
▶ 0:32:28The wiger policy act passed the house last Congress with broad bipartisan support. The version we are considering today has common sense edits that also protect Wigu advocates and diaspora members outside of the Shing Jang Wigu autonomous region and creates a mechanism for them to report incidents of transnational repression.
▶ 0:32:55It also incorporates technical changes from the Senate version of the bill without authorizing any new funding. The Wiguer Policy Act will equip the US with the tools needed to support the basic human rights and distinct identities of wiggers and other ethnic minorities who are subject to the CCP's inhumane treatment.
▶ 0:33:19I urge my colleague to support this bill and also the unblock uh that I see many of the bills including um the Chinese um fentinel act uh of 2025 introduced by representative uh bar. Thank you so much and I yield back the balance of my time. Any other members seek recognition? Representative Kaine is Thank you Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:33:46I'd like to begin by thanking Chairman Mast for his leadership on this issue and for working alongside me to address these concerns. The Undersea Cable Control Act HR2503 is a targeted bipartisan effort to protect the US National Security and Technology by limiting access to undersea cable infrastructure from foreign adversaries, especially the Chinese Communist Party.
▶ 0:34:13Undersea cables 99% of trans oceanocianic digital traffic, enabling trillions in daily financial transactions, according to the International Cable Protection Committee, and adding 649 billion to the US economy in in 2019 alone. They are the digital backbone of the modern global economy and they are vulnerable.
▶ 0:34:37This bill directs departments of commerce and state to develop a strategy to eliminate foreign adversaries access to key technologies used in undersea cables. It also strengthens our export controls, requires transparency in public reporting, and fosters cooperation with allies to safeguard our standards and our infrastructure. I urge my colleagues to support the Undersea Cable Control Act. And I thank this committee for considering this important piece of legislation. I yield back, Mr.
▶ 0:35:07do any other members seek recognition? I now recognize myself for 5 minutes. I rise in support of this unblocked package and I want to thank each of the members for their their work on these bills on both sides of the aisle. It's important work. I know it was thoughtful and it's done with a great deal of deliberation. HR 747 to stop Chinese fentinel. It's important that we go out there and as we look at laws, we pay attention to the semantics of what we're doing.
▶ 0:35:34And by expanding the definition of who is identified as a foreign opioid trafficker, we are doing something that better enables us to go out there and stop the spread of these opioids across our borders and to combat every individual that's a part of moving these opioids across our borders and distributing them, manufacturing them, selling them. It's an important part of this process for us and I applaud the work on that piece of legislation. for HR2543, the Underseas Cable Control Act.
▶ 0:36:03It is common sense for the United States of America to prevent foreign adversaries from gaining access to items necessary for supporting undersea cable projects. We don't support our adversaries. And if we're supporting our adversaries, then we are being stupid about policy. So, I applaud this piece of legislation that's making sure that that is not the case for the United States of America as it relates to undersea cables. HR2635, the Weaguer Policy Act of 2025.
▶ 0:36:31It chastises China for the continued repression of Weaguer Muslims and requires them to cease all government sponsored crackdowns, imprisonments, and detentions of people throughout their aimed areas and repressing these ethnic, cultural, and political and religious identities.
▶ 0:36:49As we look at China and we look at other countries across the globe trying to decide whether they want to align with the United States of America and our allies or China and their allies, it should be a laughable idea for any nation across Latin America or Africa or Europe or anywhere else that they look at the globe and they say, "I want to align with China and Xi and Russia and Putin and uh and North Korea and Kim and the Ayatollas
▶ 0:37:19of Iran versus aligning with the United States of America and NATO and EU and Israel and Australia and Japan and our allies and the lifestyles that we can clear that the world can clearly see our populations are are afforded versus what is afforded by the governments of countries like China and the repression that they conduct on their own people to include the imprisonment and the detention of these ethnic
▶ 0:37:49and cultural groups. And so I applaud the work on this piece of legislation as well. And the final piece of legislation, I'll speak on this unblack unblocked package, the Sanction Sea Pirates Act of 2025. It needs to be the policy of the United States of America to deter and combat piracy. It's affected us for many years.
▶ 0:38:12And this piece of legislation authorizes the president to sanction any foreign persons, any, that's the important word here, that knowingly engage in piracy off the coast of Somalia or in the Gulf of Aiden. That's a worthy cause for the United States of America, considering the way that we have been affected by piracy throughout those waters. And again, I just want to applaud each of the members for their work on these pieces of legislation.
▶ 0:38:41And there being no do any other members seek recognition first of all. Very good. There being no further discussion, does any member wish to offer an amendment to the unblock package. There being no amendments, the committee will proceed to consider the noticed items on block. Pursuant to the previous order, the question occurs on the measures unblock as amended if amended. All those in favor signify by saying I. I.
▶ 0:39:09All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the measures considered unblock are agreed to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table and staff is authorized to make any technical and conforming changes.
▶ 0:39:26Pursuant to the previous order, the committee of the committee each member each measure is ordered favorably reported as amended if amended and each measure so amended shall be reported as a single amendment in the nature of a substitute. Thank you.
▶ 0:39:56Very good. Pursuant to notice, I now call up HR2619, no paydays for hostage takers act. The bill was circulated in advance and the clerk shall designate the bill. HR 2619 to require a report on sanctions. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is considered read and open to amendment at any point.
▶ 0:40:24Is there any discussion on bill? Representative Almo is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Iran's hostage taking diplomacy is an affront to international law, respectable state conduct, and human decency. There must be consequences for such actions and a strategy to combat this malign policy and bring our people home.
▶ 0:40:53Balancing these equities is not easy and it's not simple. That's why we need a plan and that's why I support bill. Look, there are some things that I would like to see changed in this bill. I'm worried that some language in the text would undermine longstanding treaty obligations that the United States has upheld for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations. I want to make sure that we uphold our sovereign obligations during this period of uncertainty and unsteadiness.
▶ 0:41:21We also need to balance freedom to travel with national interests. When we negotiated this bill last Congress, chairman uh ranking member Meeks secured some changes to the text which did not uh necessarily fix all of his concerns, but represented a reasonable compromise for achieving bipartisan legislation. And so we look forward to further discussing this bill uh with its new sponsor, Representative Bomb Goutner, alongside uh Chairman Mast.
▶ 0:41:51And we'll vote yes to advance this legislation at this time. I yield back. Any other members seek recognition? Representative Bombgartner is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let's be clear. This bill is about stopping the business model of hostage taking and illicit arms dealing. Iran is running a criminal enterprise. Kidnap Americans, hold them for years, and then cash in when a deal is made.
▶ 0:42:18Every time we send money, even with conditions, we tell them that the scam works. Well, that stops now. This bill upends this practice. And we say something else loud and clear. If you're a terrorist or a WMD proliferator under US sanctions, you don't get to stroll into New York and play diplomat. That kind of hypocrisy ends here. I'm proud to stand with colleagues on both sides of the aisle who know who know that American lives aren't bargaining chips and that real deterrence means real consequences.
▶ 0:42:49I thank you for this hearing this bill, Mr. Chair. And with that, I yield back. Thank you, Representative Bumgartner. Do any other members seek recognition? Seeing none, I recognize myself for five minutes. I want to thank Representative Bumgardner for his work on this piece of legislation. It's important one to just acknowledge what's taking place.
▶ 0:43:07Provide findings and statements of policy acknowledging what the Iranian regime's long history of hostage taking and wrongful detention of US nationals has done when it has taken place, how is it has taken place and and as a result recognize what we need to do to combat that. Various sections of this bill I find specifically important.
▶ 0:43:27Section six, which requires the president to provide to Congress an itemized list of blocked or frozen assets belonging to Iranian persons globally with a violation of more than with a a valuation of more than $10,000. I look forward to reading that list. Section seven, which urges the administration to carry out coordinated international efforts to find, freeze, seize, and confiscate assets of individuals and entities who have been sanctioned for involvement in Iran's hostage taking.
▶ 0:43:57This is how we fight back. This is one of the ways, one of the tools in our tool chest to fight back. And I look forward to seeing this piece of legislation pass. I will conclude my comments there and ask if there's any further discussion on the bill since I've spoken. We're not to amendment. Do you have an amendment? I heard that, but we're not quite to amendments yet. So, we'll get to you. Uh, there being no further discussion on the bill, the committee will move for consideration of amendments. Does any member wish to offer an amendment? Representative Jacobs is recognized. Mr.
▶ 0:44:26Chairman, I have an amendment at the The clerk shall distribute the The clerk shall report the amendment. Amendment to HR 2619 offered by Miss Jacobs of California.
▶ 0:44:54Without objection, further reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The representative is recognized for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm incredibly proud that San Diego has a strong, vibrant diaspora community, including from Iran. Annually, tens of thousands of Americans travel to Iran to reunite with relatives, to celebrate milestones, and to maintain the familial bonds that distance in politics stretch but never break.
▶ 0:45:19That's why I find section 9 of HR2619, which says that the secretary of state should invalidate US passports for travel to, in, or through Iran, to be so concerning. Restricting the freedom of movement of ordinary families in the US doesn't make any sense and doesn't strengthen our national security. The State Department has already recognized and warned Americans of the risks of traveling to Iran like kidnapping, detention, or instability.
▶ 0:45:44Instead of imposing punitive restrictions on our citizens, we should enhance our strategies to protect them. Rather than an outright ban, my amendment would direct the State Department to report to Congress the current dangers associated with travel to Iran, assess the efficacy of existing advisories and propose enhanced measures for communicating risks and protecting our citizens abroad. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment which upholds our core values while working to protect Americans abroad. I back. Gentle lady yields back.
▶ 0:46:13Uh does any other member does any member seek recognition? Sure. Representative Bombgartner is recognized. Uh thank you uh Mr. Chair. I recommend that we oppose uh this uh amendment. The US Secretary of State has the authority to restrict travel based on risks. This is precisely what we've seen done across both Republican and Democratic administrations for countries with similar track records of hostage taking like North Korea. These authorities are clearly outlined in the findings this amendment seeks to cut.
▶ 0:46:44I oppose this amendment which clearly seeks to downplay the regime's long-standing track record of taking American citizens hostage. The Iranian regime is threatening to take even more hostages as tensions with the US over the nuclear program rise. Our government needs to be proactive to address this risk, not reactive, and we should oppose this amendment. Yield back. Representative yields back. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Almo is recognized. Chairman, uh I support uh Representative Jacobs's uh amendment.
▶ 0:47:14This amendment addresses uh the concerns I previously shared about restrictions on Americans freedom of movement where the Secretary of State uh were the Secretary of State to take the step to invalidate US passports for travel to Iran.
▶ 0:47:29I appreciate the serious risks that US travelers to Iran may encounter and have welcomed uh the State Department's level four travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping, the arbitrary arrest and detention of US citizens, and the danger of civil unrest. I al also welcome efforts to expand indicators in its travel advisories specifically related to the risk of wrongful detention abroad.
▶ 0:47:56But it is not a small thing to potentially limit the freedom of movement of thousands of Americans, including Iranian Americans, with loved ones in Iran, by invalidating US passports for travel to Iran. So, I support Representative Jacobs's amendment, which asks only for precisely what we need here, a more detailed understanding of the eminent danger to public health or physical safety of US travelers to Iran, what the State Department is doing to communicate travel risk, and what more
▶ 0:48:26it needs to do so effectively. I yield. Gentleman yields back. Do any other members seek recognition? Recognize myself. If I rise in opposition to this amendment, Secretary N section 9 specifically uh of the bill proposed maintains authority to restrict the use of United States passports for travel to use in countries or areas that the secretary has deemed is a country or area in which there is an imminent danger to the public health safety
▶ 0:48:56of United States travelers. This is something that in 2017, the Secretary of State declared United States passports invalid for travel to in North Korea. This was reaffirmed for North Korea in 2023. It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should declare United States passports invalid for travel to, in, and through Iran due to the imminent dangers that we know exist and that are fluid on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
▶ 0:49:25We see these these threats not going away but certainly morphing on a daily basis and we see that uh certainly as demonstrated as a result of the individuals detained there there is absolutely im imminent threat and I do again say that I rise in opposition to this amendment.
▶ 0:49:45I yield back the balance of my time to myself I guess uh and is there any further discussion on this right. Thank you. There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Representative Jacobs. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No.
▶ 0:50:15In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. Mr. Chairman, and the amendment is not agreed to. I request a roll call A roll call vote has been requested. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments? Thank you.
▶ 0:50:38There being no further amendments, further proceedings on this measure are postponed. Thank you. back. Thank you.
▶ 0:51:04Pursu pursuant to notice I now call HR422, the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025. The bill was circulated in advance and the clerk shall designate the bill. HR 1422 to impose sanctions with respect to persons and gateful transactions. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is considered read and open to amendment at any point.
▶ 0:51:28Without objection, the law or amendment in the nature of a substitute is of a substitute circulated to members in advance shall be considered as read and will be treated as the original text for purposes of amendment. Is there any discussion on this bill? Yep. Mr. Chairman, Representative Lawler is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:51:53The Iranian oil trade and the regime's massive profits from it must be shut down immediately. Iran has made billions of dollars from its oil trade with revenue skyrocketing due due to the Biden administration's failure to enforce meaningful sanctions. Under four years of President Biden alone, Iran brought in more than $200 billion dollars in oil profits. Let me be clear.
▶ 0:52:19Iran's oil revenues directly finance its brutal oppression at home, uranian enrichment and missile development programs, and its proxy terrorism across the Middle East and around the globe. This money flows to the world's most dangerous terrorists in the Middle East and around the world, including Hamas, the PIJ, the Houthis, and more.
▶ 0:52:41Last week, witnesses testified before this committee that the IRGC and goods force control nearly half of Iran's oil exports. This clearly demonstrates the close ties between Iran's oil industry and its proxy terror operations. If I have anything to say about it, this revenue stream will be terminated.
▶ 0:53:02My bill before us today, the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act, will give the Trump administration the tools it needs to end the Iranian oil trade once and for all. It presents enablers of this trade with a clear choice. Stop doing business with Iranian oil or lose access to US dollars, our markets, and all the benefits that come along with that access.
▶ 0:53:25This legislation places secondary sanctions on additional entities enabling Iran's oil exports, including foreign banks facilitating transactions, insurers backing tankers transporting Iranian oil, shipping registries, and pipeline developers. We are determined to dismantle this illicit trade from every angle. Iran's oil trade survi survives only because a network of enablers chooses profit over principle.
▶ 0:53:55Willingly supporting a regime that sponsors terrorism. This bill ensures their days are numbered. Without these enablers, the regime's oil operation will collapse. And that's what we're counting on. This bill makes clear it's US policy to rigorously enforce sanctions against all entities involved in the illicit oil trade. and it will be a huge step to get there and make this policy a reality.
▶ 0:54:21I strongly support this bill because it's essential to fully implement our maximum pressure campaign against Iran. I'm proud to have worked on this bipartisan legislation alongside my colleague and Middle East and North Africa subcommittee ranking member Sheila Sherilis McCormack and urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on this bill today. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Representative Meeks is recognized.
▶ 0:54:52Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I support the ANS by Representative Lawler. You know, in a bipartisan way, this committee is acutely aware of the nefarious activities of Iran and the need to starve them of the funding required to operate their illicit nuclear program and support their terrorist proxies. With Iran so close to having enough highlyenriched uranium for multiple nuclear bombs, we must move quickly.
▶ 0:55:18We know that China is helping Iran by purchasing Iranian oil and gas despite current primary sanctions. This legislation bolsters current law by tactically increasing the scope of sanctions to address ongoing Iran China sanctions evasion by adding authorities to sanction and bank or foreign financial institutions, insurance provider, flagging registry, pipeline construction or operation facility for liqufied natural gas that supports this
▶ 0:55:48illegal trade. I would like to thank the bill sponsors, Mr. law for working with us to make this a responsible sanctions package by including a national security waiver, a humanitarian waiver, and a waiver for the safety of the ship's crew. And I ask this committee to help us maintain these provisions as the legislation moves through a future conference process.
▶ 0:56:12Again, I support this amendment and the nature of a substitute to HR1422 and ask for its passage. and I yield the balance of my time. Representative yields back. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Sheris McCormack is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for considering my bipartisan bill HR422, the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act.
▶ 0:56:39I also want to thank Congressman Lawler for partnering with me in advancing this bipartisan bill. One of the main tools to help curb the Iran's development of nuclear weapons and its continued funding of its terrorist proxies is sanctions. The United States must take all necessary measures to prevent Iran from de developing a nuclear weapon and to halt its support for terrorism.
▶ 0:57:02The Enhanced Iranian Sanctions Act strengthen sanctions on foreign entities, enabling Iran's illicit oil trade. This legislation is about protecting American interest, defending our allies, and standing firm against a regime that threatens global security. But it also is a statement of our values. We believe in freedom, in democracy, and in the right of people everywhere to live life without fear of state violence. This is not about abandoning dipl democracy or diplomacy.
▶ 0:57:33On the contrary, we know that diplom diplomacy is strongest when backed by leverage. This bill helps restore that leverage. We also ensure that this legislation includes humanitarian protections because we do not and will not punish the Iranian people for the actions of their government. This is a targeted approach that strikes at the heart of the regime's ability to fund terror and repression without closing the door to engagement if and when Iran is ready for that course.
▶ 0:58:02This bipartisan legislation will tighten sanctions on Iranian oil, a crucial source of its revenue for the regime, enhancing the security of the United States and our regional allies, including Israel. I want to thank my colleagues, over 175 of them, who have co-sponsored this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this critical piece of legislation and I yield back. Representative yields back. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Recognize myself for five minutes.
▶ 0:58:30So I want to thank the the sponsors and the authors of this bill. Representative Lawler, Representative Sherless McCormack. This is common sense legislation. It supports the president's maximum pressure campaign against Iran. Iran has absolutely been an enemy of the United States of America for many decades. They've killed my friends, our service members on the battlefield. They've attacked our our allies in attack after attack after attack.
▶ 0:58:53This bill authorizes the sanctions on foreign persons engaged in refining, processing, transferring or selling oil, condensates, petroleum, petrochemical or products from Iran, which is the main funding arm for Iran to support their terrorists, their their terrorist activities. So I applaud this work uh and I support this uh piece of legislation, rise in support of it. And in that uh is there any further discussion on this? All right.
▶ 0:59:24There being no further discussion of the bill, the committee will move to consideration of amendments. Does any member wish to offer an amendment? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask for its consideration at this time. Representative Lawler, you are recognized. The clerk shall distribute the Lawler amendment in the nature of a substitute. While they are distributing the Lawler amendment in the nature of a substitute, the clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 0:59:54Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR1 1422 offered by Mr. Lawler of New York. Without objection. Further reading of the amendments is dispensed with and the representative is recognized for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:00:08I want to thank uh my colleague uh the ranking member of the Middle East North Africa subcommittee, Representative Sheila Shurilis McCormack, as well as the ranking member uh of this uh entire committee uh the Representative Gregory Meeks of New York uh for working with us to make this uh a bipartisan bill to address some of the uh concerns uh of my colleagues.
▶ 1:00:33And so I'm uh happy to introduce this amendment so that we can uh advance this bill forward with broad bipartisan support. And I yield back. Representative yields back. Do any other representatives seek recognition? Representative Meeks is recognized. I u support the amendment and thank Mr. Lola for working with us. It matches what we have talked about a good bipartisan bill. So thank you Mr. Lola. You back. Do any other members seek recognition? Recognize myself. I too rise in support of the amendment nature of substitute.
▶ 1:01:02Do any other members seek recognition? Thank you. There being no further discussion, do any members wish to offer an amendment to the law or amendment in the nature of a substitute?
▶ 1:01:24Seeing none, you. There being no further amendments, the question now occurs on the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Representative Lawler. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no.
▶ 1:01:50In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed There being no further discussion on amendments, I move that the committee report HR1422 as amended to the House with a favorable recommendation. All those in favor of reporting to the House with a favorable recommendation signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no.
▶ 1:02:18In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. M Mr. Chairman, can we have a roll call vote? Oh, sorry. Yes. A roll call vote has been requested and pursuant to the previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. I mean, You want to take yes for an answer? Yes. Sure. Yes.
▶ 1:02:46I withdraw my uh request. Very good. Roll call vote is not Without objection. No roll call vote. So Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table and staff is authorized to make any technical and conforming changes. And we'll pull up the next piece of legislation.
▶ 1:03:19Thank you. I'll give you these. Yeah. What am I? You're welcome. Same thing. And I'll give you this one. All right. Pursuant to notice, I now call up HR2683, the Remote Access Security Act. The bill was circulated in advance. The clerk shall designate the bill.
▶ 1:03:42HR 2683 to provide for control of remote access for items under the without objection the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is considered read and open to amendment at any point. Is there any discussion on the bill? Representative Lawler is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to extend my thanks to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their partnership on this critical national security legislation. Today, China represents one of our nation's greatest geopolitical threats.
▶ 1:04:12The Chinese Communist Party actively undermines our security by stealing intellectual property, launching cyber attacks, and exploiting every loophole possible to gain access to cutting edge US technology. Their goal is clear, to surpass the US economically and militarily, and they're willing to do whatever it takes, including using our own technology against us. We cannot stand idle and allow that to happen.
▶ 1:04:40Right now, our export control policies have a significant loophole that puts America's security at risk. China is working tirelessly to exploit our advanced technology, and it's clear why we need immediate action.
▶ 1:04:55US export control policies are governed by the export control reform act of 2018 or ECRA which empowers the Bureau of Industry and Security to restrict sensitive technologies from falling into adversarial hands. Under this law, export controls apply specifically to the export, reexport or incountry transfer of controlled items. Unfortunately, existing authorities don't cut it anymore.
▶ 1:05:23Today, as technology has developed rapidly in the last few years, many sensitive technologies can be accessed remotely through cloud services. As a result, companies aligned with the Chinese Communist Party have been exploiting remote access loopholes and are using American technology to advance their AI development, military capabilities, and potentially much worse. As threats evolve, our laws must evolve to keep pace.
▶ 1:05:49The Remote Access Security Act clearly defines remote access and adds remote access provisions straight into ECRA, empowering BIS with the authority to extend existing export controls to cloud-based technologies. We collaborated directly with BIS to craft tight, effective language to close this loophole. and we worked in a bipartisan manner because protecting American technology and our national security is a priority for us all.
▶ 1:06:19Our goal here is clear and it is to end the exploitation of our export control swiftly and effectively. I urge all of my colleagues here and in the Senate to move quickly to pass this legislation into law. And I want to thank some of my co-sponsors, co-leads on this. Uh Brad Sherman of California, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, and Rich McCormack of Georgia.
▶ 1:06:43Uh and this is something that has broad support including from the chair and the ranking member of the China Select Committee uh as well as uh the chair and ranking member of the South and Central Asia subcommittees uh in uh this Congress and this committee. So, uh, I thank Chairman Mass for allowing this bill to to come, uh, to the markup and look forward to its passage. I yield back. Is there any further discussion on the bill?
▶ 1:07:12There being no further discussion of the bill, the committee will move to consideration of amendments. Does any member wish to offer an amendment? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and I ask for its consideration at this time. You weren't recognized, but you stated it anyways. The clerk shall distribute the law or amendment in the nature of a substitute. Thank you. Clerk shall report the amendment.
▶ 1:07:40Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 2683 offered by Mr. Lawler of New York. Without objection, further reading of the amendment is dispensed with. Representative Lawler is recognized for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:07:53Uh again, this uh amendment is an effort to address uh some concerns from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and uh make sure that this bill uh is bipartisan uh and has strong bipartisan support as we seek to crack down on China's efforts uh to use US technology uh against us. So I thank uh my colleagues for working with me and uh look forward to its passage. I yield back the balance of my time. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Meeks is recognized.
▶ 1:08:23I support the ANS uh by I I support the ANS by Representative Lawler. The Biden administration imposed unprecedented semiconductor export controls against China in October of 2022 and tighten those controls in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Since the initial controls, PRC companies and others have been trying to find workarounds to circumvent these safeguards.
▶ 1:08:49One search avenue has been assessing chips remotely via cloud computing. For instance, in 2023, the Financial Times reported that some PRC artificial intelligence companies were skirting US controls to ac access high-end US chips through the use of cloud providers.
▶ 1:09:09The bill in front of us today provides the Bureau of Industry and Security the statutory authority to control not just the physical export of technology but also remote access to it. The bill amends the export control reform act of 2018 to add a definition of remote access and provides authority to control remote access items.
▶ 1:09:32I want to thank Chairman Mass and Representative Lawler for working with me on this bipartisan ANS and I was able to secure some important changes that make the bill stronger. First, we require national security justification for any new regulations consistent with the version of the bill that passed the House last Congress.
▶ 1:09:53We also added a congressional consultation section to ensure that this committee is informed about new regulations in a timely manner so that we can conduct proper oversight. So I support this measure and I urge all of my colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time. Representative yields back. Do any other members seek recognition? Recognize myself for five minutes. I want to thank the representatives for their work on this bill and this amendment in the nature of a substitute. It's important.
▶ 1:10:20It closes a loophole in our export and control reform act of 2018 by offending by amending the law and adding the term remote access, something that wasn't uh considered appropriately at the time. This bill provides a definition for remote access and reassurances to innocent companies that they're not going to be held liable for an export control violation if they are hacked. And it ensures that Congress is kept fully informed of any anticipated regulations of remote access items.
▶ 1:10:48And so again, I want to thank the members for their work on this piece of legislation. Again, do any other members seek recognition before I close this out? No. There being no further discussion, uh, do any other members wish to offer an amendment to the Lawler amendment in the nature of a substitute? There being no further amendments, the question now occurs on the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Representative Lawler. All those in favor signify by saying I.
▶ 1:11:19I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Very good. No roll call vote has been requested. Mr. Chairman, we'll get there.
▶ 1:11:43Representative Lawler, hold on one There being no further amendments, I move that the committee report on HR2683 as amended to the House with a favorable recommendation. All those in favor of moving it to the House with a favorable recommendation signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. I request a roll call vote. Mr. Chairman, a roll call vote has been requested.
▶ 1:12:10Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be And on to the next piece of legislation. No, I'll take all this away. Next bill. Thank you.
▶ 1:12:41Ready. All right. Pursuant to notice, I now call up HR260, no tax dollars for terrorists act. The bill was circulated in advance, and the clerk shall designate the bill. HR260 to require a strategy to oppose financial or material support by foreign countries and non-governmental organizations to the Taliban and for other purposes. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is considered read and open to amendment at any point. Is there any discussion on the bill?
▶ 1:13:15Yes, sir. Mr. Chairman, Representative Burchett is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This bill, HR260, uh focuses on three main issues. And this bill is brought to my attention by Navy Seal, Sean Ryan, and a friend of his, legend, who was who goes by that name because of uh uh his death threats. He's a former uh he's an Afghani that fought on our side. Um it does three things, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:13:42keeps financial and material support out of the hands of the Taliban. Number two, reports on cash assistance programs. And three, reporting on the Afghan Fund and the Afghan Central Bank. Since December of 2021, Mr. Chairman, the United States has sent over 5 billion in cash to Kabul. This money has been taxed and stolen by the Taliban. Yet, we continue to send it, oddly enough. And that definitely needs to end.
▶ 1:14:12The State Department needs to ensure that any daggum aid, whether financial or material, does not go to terrorists in Afghanistan. We need to have a clear understanding of the influence the Taliban has on not just international aid, but the Afghan banking system as well. They will hate us for free. Mr. Chairman, when this bill was originally introduced at the end of 2023, it did not mention non-governmental organizations or NOS in Afghanistan.
▶ 1:14:43However, our understanding of the reality on the ground has changed. During a hearing last year, former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken admitted, and he admitted that over 10 million had been paid to the Taliban. Contacts within Taliban resistance forces have provided me with a different narrative. According to them, nearly all of the cash and aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban.
▶ 1:15:10It is time we know what is going on and implement a strategy to make sure this aid goes to those who need it. I want to thank you and I yield back the remainder of my time. The gentleman yields back. Is there any further discussion? Representative Meeks is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now, in the last Congress, I was very pleased to work with Mr.
▶ 1:15:28Burchett, my friend, to negotiate a bipartisan agreement on this bill passed through committee uh that this bill passed through committee unanimously and it passed the house uh on the House floor under suspension of rules. Earlier this month, I also agreed with the majority to send this bill straight to the floor for consideration.
▶ 1:15:50Unfortunately, the bill sponsor would not agree and instead the text we have before us does not include any of the bipartisan changes we had previously negotiated. I intend to seek amendments to improve this legislation and restore many of the safeguards that have been removed. I believe the history of this legislation shows our willingness to negotiate in good faith on this issue.
▶ 1:16:15Oversight of US policy and assistance in Afghanistan does not have to be a partisan topic. We've long shared bipartisan support for Afghan allies who stood with us during our war effort in Afghanistan and for vulnerable groups, especially women and girls and for the need to conduct rigorous oversight of our spending in the country. It is the Trump administration who is threatening to upend that consensus.
▶ 1:16:42The administration has moved to shutter key programs supporting our Afghan allies. Just last week, in the dead of the night, the Trump administration appears to have unilaterally terminated more than $560 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. In contravention of appropriations law and without any consultation or briefing with Congress, despite numerous requests.
▶ 1:17:09So, how does risking a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan advance US national security? How does abandoning vulnerable Afghans or undercutting NOS's help of the most vulnerable serve our interests? These are serious questions that demand absence. So, in the absence of amendments, my personal judgment is to oppose this bill. And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. Representative yields back.
▶ 1:17:39Do any other representatives seek recognition? Representative self is recognized. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I have a simple question. On page four of the bill, the Secretary of State in consultation with the administrator of USAID, uh, I just want to make sure that uh, uh, we that reads correctly in ter in light of the recent changes. Thank you. Which line are you I'm looking at line 22 on page four. Say that again. Line what?
▶ 1:18:08Line 22 on page four. Very good. One moment. Mr. Self. Okay. Is that changed?
▶ 1:18:53Very good. So, you'll add an amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute. Correct. You will add an amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute. Okay. Or you could do an amendment. Sure.
▶ 1:19:23Thank you, Mr. Self. Uh there is an error there and it will be corrected in terms of a technical change when it comes to the floor. Does that satisfy your question? Do you yield back? Absolutely, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. Thank you for bringing that up, Mr. Self. I appreciate it. Do any other members seek recognition? Recognize myself for five minutes. this bill.
▶ 1:19:47It requires the Department of State to develop and implement a strategy to discourage foreign countries and non-government organizations, NOS's from providing financial and material support to the Taliban. That's important for the United States of America. We don't have an embassy there. We don't have diplomatic relations with the Taliban and they are a terrorist organization.
▶ 1:20:12This includes by using US provided foreign assistance to discourage countries and organizations from providing support to the Taliban. We don't want American tax dollars in any way, shape or form going to the Taliban. And my colleague, Mr. Meeks, pointed out that this was a bill that was discussed in the last Congress.
▶ 1:20:34And one of the things that I would point out and I I encourage discussion with your members about any consideration of voting no on this as as we come to this as a recorded vote later because in the last Congress that was negotiated months before there was a Seagar report released that spoke of their their groundbreaking findings about how taxpayer dollars were benefiting the Taliban through NOS's.
▶ 1:21:02number one and number two just how many NOS's refused to even speak to Seagar and talk about what they were using dollars for. That negotiation took place before that as one of the things uh that should be discussed uh about any consideration of of possibly voting no on on this bill. It is important for us that we have transparency where our dollars are going or not going.
▶ 1:21:31I would agree with you and that includes through uh NOS's and especially NOS's that are working with the Taliban. In that that concludes my remarks for this. Do any other members seek recognition? There being no further discussion of the bill, the committee will move to consideration of amendments. Does any member wish to offer an amendment? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Representative Meeks is recognized.
▶ 1:22:03The clerk shall distribute the Clerk shall report the amendment. Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR 260 offered by Mr. Meeks of New York. Strike without objection. Further reading of the amendment is dispensed with and representative Meeks is recognized for five minutes.
▶ 1:22:34This amendment is actually very simple. It is the version of the bill which passed this committee in a unanimous recorded vote and the house by voice a voice vote in the last Congress. It restores a number of the changes that I believe keep the legislation focused on its intended purpose to curb genuine financial and military and material support for the Taliban.
▶ 1:22:59For example, it clarifies that the bill applies only to assistance that is inconsistent with US law policy. Without that kind of clarifying language, a foreign partner who is doing exactly what Republicans say they want other countries to do, step up to share foreign assistance burdens with the United States could be cited in this report.
▶ 1:23:24This amendment also ensures implementing part partners are not a risk are not put at risk by the report on cash assistance. makes technical changes that would make the bill more realistic to implement and prevents reports or strategies which continue indefinitely. Another long-standing Republican pet peeve.
▶ 1:23:49These are common sense fixes that I believe we could have made before this markup just as we did in the last Congress. Nevertheless, I hope that my colleagues would once again unanimously support this language and then we can start moving and try to have a bipartisan bill. And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. Do any other members seek recognition.
▶ 1:24:18Uh, Representative is Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I want to applaud you and this committee for bringing forward a slate of bills that are uh, I believe will have strong bipartisan support today because I do believe our approach to foreign policy should be rooted in bipartisanship whenever possible. That's why I am speaking in strong support of ranking member Meeks's amendment which would reaffirm this committee's commitment to bipartisanship.
▶ 1:24:47As the ranking member has already stated, Democrats and Republicans came together last Congress to overwhelmingly pass a negotiated and bipartisan bill that included critical projection protections for NOS's providing humanitarian assistance in vulnerable areas that may be under control of the Taliban. I'm concerned this bill's new reporting requirements will threaten the safety of international aid workers. Afghanistan continues to be one of the most violent countries for aid workers. Dozens have lost their lives.
▶ 1:25:15Many more risk kidnapping, sexual assault, and other forms of violence. We should be protecting these life-saving workers, not exposing them to additional risks. To be clear, we should be doing everything we can to ensure taxpayer dollars are not being diverted or misused by the Taliban. However, with 23 million people in Afghanistan, roughly half its population requires humanitarian assistance.
▶ 1:25:38So, we should not take lightly this life or death impact of any disruption of US foreign assistance for those living under the Taliban's repressive rule. Apart from the material changes to the bill, I want to beat the drum again that rejecting this amendment is abandoning a bill negotiated last Congress that secured unanimous committee approval before advancing to the House floor and passing under suspension. Foreign affairs uh need not be a partisan issue. It is about safeguarding American interests and promoting global stability.
▶ 1:26:07So again, I know our markup to date and the success of this bill and last Congress shows that we can negotiate and work together um to find these bipartisan wins. I urge my colleagues to reject that approach and return to the bipartisan framework being offered by the ranking member so that uh our committee and our country may continue to be served well. I urge my colleagues to vote and support this amendment and I yield back. Do any other representatives seek recognition? Representative Burchett is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:26:36I understand this amendment is a copy of the legislation that passed our committee uh last Congress, but I oppose the amendment for a couple of reasons. First, since the previous bill's introduction in 2023, we have been made aware of s seriously concerning activity as it relates to how the Taliban treats non-governmental organizations or NOS. Now, we know about 70% 70%, Mr. chairman of the aid work being done in Afghanistan is done by NOS.
▶ 1:27:07They should absolutely be included in this legislation. Small NOS do not have the protection of an organization like the United Nations. Everybody knows that. And if the State Department is to implement a strategy to keep tax dollars out of the hands of the Taliban, NOS's should have that protection. They should have that protection. Now, here's the the fact that you need to listen to. Also, it's estimated there are around 1,000 NOS operating in Afghanistan today.
▶ 1:27:37A thousand. We need to know who these groups are that are receiving our tax dollars. Secondly, there is a weekly influx of cash being sent to Kabul. Anti-Taliban contacts tell me approximately $40 million, $40 million in cash is flown to Afghanistan weekly. That's American taxpayers dollars. In November of 2022 alone, $280 million was flown to Kabul.
▶ 1:28:05This year, over 200 million has been delivered. This cash is deposited into the Afghanistan International Bank and then it's transferred to Afghanistan Central Bank. Afghanistan's central bank is currently under control of the Taliban. I don't trust the Taliban to properly distribute $40 million every week only to aid workers. I don't see how anybody can on either side of the aisle. Mr.
▶ 1:28:30Chairman, the State Department must move quickly to end this practice, which is why the reporting timeline has been shortened compared to last Congress's version of the bill. Every week, every week, Mr. chairman is $40 million that we cannot cannot account for going to the Taliban. I would sincerely urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment and I yield back. Representative yields back. Do any other members seek recognition?
▶ 1:28:59recognize myself for five minutes and I I rise in opposition to this amendment in the nature of a substitute and would again encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to to rise against this amendment because there has been an important change that has taken place to what is the mediest part of this amendment and that addresses whether NOS's are or are not included in who will be reported on if There are dollars going
▶ 1:29:29out the door from an American taxpayer to a foreign country, foreign NGO, foreign adversary, foreign terrorist organization of which when we're talking about the Taliban, it's pretty much all of the above. The American people deserve to know and their representatives deserve to know where are those dollars going. Not the alternative is literally this amendment is asking that we cover our eyes and say I don't want to know where that money is going.
▶ 1:29:59It's going to an NGO. I'm covering my eyes. I'm covering my ears. Don't tell me who's spending the money and what they're actually spending the money on. That is what the request of this ANS is. Especially in light of again what I mentioned uh previously. There was a Seagar report that came out, a special investigator general on on Afghanistan that released their their groundbreaking report on the tens of millions of dollars that were spent by NOS's going directly to the Taliban.
▶ 1:30:28That's not disputed. That's something that that was actually taking place. Tens of millions of dollars of American taxpayer dollars going directly to the Taliban. And beyond that, the fact that there were hundreds, if not thousands of NOS's that wouldn't even report to the special investigator general about what they were doing. Basically saying, "No, I'm not going to tell you." Or here's a middle finger, or here's whatever. Sorry, we're not going to let you know what it is that we're doing.
▶ 1:30:58Go pound That's what's changed since the previous negotiation and what's being put forward right now in this amendment in the nature of a substitute. Uh there was no Seagar report at that time to this moment right now.
▶ 1:31:15And in my opinion, that is uh undoubtedly the most important and the mediest part uh of why to oppose this ANS and to go with the uh Burchett version of this bill because we deserve that accountability of where those dollars are going. And it would be wholly irresponsible for any of us to say again, I'm going to cover my eyes. I'm going to cover my ears.
▶ 1:31:40Don't tell me what NOS's those dollars are going to and don't tell me what those NOS's are doing with those dollars and don't tell the NOS's that they have to report back to us about what's going on there. And it really begs even further question which is if it's a non-government organization, why are they receiving dollars from the government? That's an even bigger question, but I suggest that be addressed at a different time. Um, again, I'll make these points.
▶ 1:32:08Seagar found that the Taliban had received tens of millions of dollars, American taxpayer dollars, uh, via NOS's operating in Afghanistan. Fact. Unfortunately, we do not have a list of those NOS. Hasn't been given to us. This legislation would change that. The US has turned a blind eye to uh NOS's and foreign countries propping up the Taliban regime. Uh, and that's going to change.
▶ 1:32:34And for far too long, these NOS's have carried out misguided programming that enables the Taliban to strengthen their grip on the country. And again, the worst part of that is that there has been no trans transparency about it from the State Department. And in fact, I think ignoring really in many cases what was that Seagar report. So, uh that concludes my comments on this amendment in the nature of the substitute, which I recommend a no vote on. Do any other members seek recognition?
▶ 1:33:14right. No other members seek recognition. There being no further discussion, a question now occurs on the amendment offered by Representative Meeks. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Name. No. I'm sorry. I'm a no. Used to saying I. You almost got me. All those in favor, let's try this one more time. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those in opposed signify by saying no. No.
▶ 1:33:41In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. Mr. Chairman, I ask for a roll call. A roll call vote has been requested. Pursuant to the chair's previous announcement, this vote will be postponed. Are there any further amendments? I have an amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman. Very good. Representative is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise to address the grave and I'm sorry, you're going to distribute the amendment.
▶ 1:34:12We'll get to that one moment. There we go. Clerk shall distribute the Clerk shall report the amendment. Amendment to HR 260 offered by Mr. Heating of Massachusetts page. Without objection. Further reading of the amendment is dispensed with. And the representative is recognized for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:34:42I rise to address a grave and pressing issue. The Taliban's systematic oppression of women, girls, and Afghan nationals who courageously served alongside US forces during our mission in Afghanistan. My amendment ensures that the State Department remains focused on a strategy to support these vulnerable groups, support for which has for years had strong bipartisan support within this committee.
▶ 1:35:05I firmly believe that it's critical the US continues to deprive the Taliban of the financial resources it desires and ensures that foreign governments are not materially supported supporting the so-called Taliban government. That's why in the last Congress, I supported a bipartisan version of this legislation that ranking member Meeks has introduced as an amendment and the nature of a substitute. I had hoped that there'd be bipartisan consensus on that matter.
▶ 1:35:31Yet, the Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan poses significant threats to US counterterrorism and human rights issues. In particular, the Taliban's continued persecution of women and girls and their targeting of Afghans who bravely supported the United States throughout the war is despicable and necessitates congressional action. Since retaking Afghanistan, the Taliban has imposed draconian measures that have effectively erased women from public life.
▶ 1:36:02Last year, the Taliban enacted new vice and virtue laws requiring women to fully cover their bodies, including their faces in public. These laws also prohibit women, from speaking or having their voices heard, outside their homes. Afghanistan remains the only country where girls are banned from education beyond the sixth grade.
▶ 1:36:27This dis this denial not only violates their basic rights but also has farreaching consequences for the country's development and stability. At the same time, the Taliban are hunting down the interpreters, guides, and support staff who are indispensable to our operations in Afghanistan, often placing themselves and their families in grave danger to assist our troops. We must honor our commitments to support and protect these heroes.
▶ 1:36:54This is why I strongly support expediting special immigration visas and advocating for the international organization for migration refuge progressing center that was established in Pakistan. My amendment ensures that any state department strategy to counter the Taliban includes consideration of the groups that most need our support, women, girls, and our Afghan allies who risk their lives for us.
▶ 1:37:21I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and yield back the balance of my time. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Meeks is recognized. I support the Keading Amendment. Support for the Afghans who fought and worked alongside the United States in Afghanistan as well as Afghan women and girls who have faced sustained oppression under the Taliban have long been areas of strong bipartisan agreement.
▶ 1:37:47This amendment will ensure the department regularly reports on how the administration is advancing those important goals. There have been reports that the administration is considering dismantling the care office at the state at state that leads Afghan relocations despite a bipartisan law that I was proud to work with Miss Titus and Mr.
▶ 1:38:09Bard uh and Chairman McCall to enact in the last Congress to formally authorize care and the office of the special envoy for Afghan women and girls. The department has not been responsive to requests to provide additional information on these changes. Supporting Mr. Keading's amendment will send a message that these congressional priorities are too important for the administration to neglect. Yield back.
▶ 1:38:39Do any other members seek recognition? Recognize myself for five minutes. The Burchett bill requires that there be a strategy, development of a strategy to discourage foreign countries and non-government organizations from providing financial and material support to the Taliban. That's the purpose of this bill. I want to thank my colleagues on the other side for working with us to come to a conclusion on amendment that I can support.
▶ 1:39:08And this amendment what it it would do is it would insert the following about strategy. The strategy shall include efforts to support Afghan women and girls who are suffering under the Taliban edicts in a way that, as the purpose of this bill states, does not support the Taliban and efforts to relocate eligible, fully vetted, at risk Afghans and Afghan allies located inside and outside of Afghanistan to the United States or third countries. And I think those are very important things to mention.
▶ 1:39:39It has to be in a way that does not support the Taliban. And as we look at individuals uh moving out of their country of origin, they have to be fully vetted. So I do rise in support of this amendment. I want to thank my colleagues uh across both sides of the aisle for working with us and the author of the bill as well. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Bombgartner is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm encouraged by those words and would like to support the amendment as well too.
▶ 1:40:04Uh uh when uh when I worked in Helman Province off base uh in southern Afghanistan, um I so remember hiring our first uh female Afghan uh employee on our counter narcotics team and the threats that she went through uh from the Taliban. Um to have that position and still remember uh talking to her husband uh and the cultural aspects of her working for us.
▶ 1:40:32Uh uh we still have uh my wife and I have been successful in working with other Americans to get a number of our Afghan counterparts we worked with into the US who are targeted by the Taliban, but there are still a number of our team members who are in Afghanistan and Pakistan and at risk of retribution. So I very much support the underlying aims of this amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Do any other members seek recognition? There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Representative Keading.
▶ 1:41:03All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Are there any further amendments? good.
▶ 1:41:22Clerk shall distribute the The clerk shall report the amendment. Amendment to HR260 offered by Miss Kla Gudv of California page. Without objection. Further reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the representative is recognized for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 1:41:49Uh my primary concern is that this legislation is unfortunately out of sync with the administration's changing foreign policy and international assistance posture toward Afghanistan. I agree with the sponsor that it is incredibly important for international assistance to be supporting the people of Afghanistan and not bad actors like the Taliban.
▶ 1:42:15But I don't know if this bill's focus is still relevant given that the administration has eliminated our foreign assistance tools and appears to have terminated all remaining humanitarian awards in Afghanistan just this past weekend. Ending these life-saving programs that previously received waiverss rips away a lifeline for the most vulnerable Afghans.
▶ 1:42:36Additionally, if the goal of the bill is to increase oversight of potential avenues of support for the Taliban, I think it's important to include the administration's growing engagement with the Taliban in the past month.
▶ 1:42:49In a move that gave up an important source of US leverage, the administration lifted $20 million in bounties on the leaders of the Hakani network, a designated foreign terrorist organization that is responsible for some of the highest profile and deadliest attacks on Americans. If the administration is making concessions to the Taliban, Congress must be informed and consulted about what, if anything, we are receiving in return.
▶ 1:43:20There has been a bipartisan consensus that any easing of US pressure on the Taliban should be tied to meaningful progress on the rights of Afghan women and girls who suffer the greatest gender-based persecution on this planet. The administration should not change that policy without providing a justification to Congress and an opportunity for congressional input.
▶ 1:43:46My admin my amendment would bring Congress into the conversation on the most recent developments in the administration's Afghanistan policy and I urge my colleagues to support it. Uh and with that, thank you, Mr. Chair, and I yield Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Meeks recognized. I support the amendment.
▶ 1:44:10I've long maintained that we should not be afraid to talk with the Taliban when it is in our interest to do so on issues like terrorism or the wrongful detention of Americans. But removing the bounties Hayaki, how you pronounce it, is a major step that we should only make in exchange for significant concessions from the Taliban and after discussions with Congress. Thus far, the department has failed to respond to the committee's request for more information on this matter.
▶ 1:44:41So, I believe mandating a report on this concerning is concerning and unilateral foreign policy discussion decisions is an appropriate step. Yield back the balance of my time. Do any other members recognition? Recognize myself for five minutes. I rise in support of this amendment. The Hakanis are a notorious terrorist organization who are guilty of killing American service members.
▶ 1:45:06My friends, despite their efforts to rehabilitate themselves as Taliban officials, I don't know how much of a rehabilitation that is, but we'll say that that's what's taking place. The Hakani network is still a US designated foreign terrorist organization and they should be treated as such.
▶ 1:45:26The administration has the right to remove individuals from the rewards for justice program and we believe that they should be accountable for Congress for these decisions that are being made and that is why we have in fact sent a letter as well to the Secretary of State asking for answers and responses about why the Hakani network has been removed. So I do urge my colleagues to support this amendment and would ask again, do any other members seek recognition? Representative Burchett is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too support this amendment.
▶ 1:45:54And I want to thank my friend for um for presenting this. And I would also like to add that my friend Legend, who is the Afghan that goes by the the code name Legend, um had asked us to to implement something of this sort. So I'm I really appreciate my friend across the aisle and her her um heartfelt efforts on this. So thank you, Do any other members seek recognition?
▶ 1:46:24Was that you representative Volswolski or just very good there being no further discussion the question now occurs on the amendment offered by representative Kumlogger Dove. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair the eyes have it and the amendment is agreed to.
▶ 1:46:52I was just gonna say to Congressman Burchett, you know, there was a movie made about your friend, right? I am legend. Haha. Um I believe that was Will um Smith. Will Smith. I'm not But no, that was the zombies were taken over. That was a great movie though. It was actually a remake of a Charlton H movie. Um but anyway, we can talk about that later. But I don't mind going down this rabbit hole. It's okay.
▶ 1:47:21I'm I'm looking to my fashion consultant chairman Meeks for a little help here. What's the uh Are there any further amendments? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk and ask for its consideration, please. Very good. The ch the clerk shall distribute the amendment. The clerk shall designate the amendment.
▶ 1:47:52Amendment to HR260 offered by Miss Johnson, page four, line 17, insert the following. Without objection, further reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The representative is now recognized for 5 minutes. Uh, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, my amendment requires a report to Congress from the Secretary of State in consultation with USID administrator on the firing of John Sopco, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction and its effort on the oversight of the United States to Afghanistan.
▶ 1:48:23The Office of Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction was created on a bipartisan basis by Congress in 2008 to provide independent and objective oversight of Afghanistan reconstruction projects and activities. Throughout its 16-year existence, Saigar has routinely provided detailed information on all obligations, expenditures, and revenues relating to US involvement in Afghanistan, including most notably the Afghanistan papers, which gave the American people a brutally honest view
▶ 1:48:53of the state of the war in Afghanistan in 2009. Though the changing dynamics in Afghanistan, Saigar's comprehensive oversight prevented any potential duplication of efforts, assessed programs across all agencies involved, and provided best judgment on risks that could expose US assistance to potential waste, fraud, and abuse, mismanagement, or mission failure. Like the other inspector generals across the government, these in independent watchd dogs are missiondriven to save taxpayer dollars.
▶ 1:49:24In fact, most recent numbers tell us that the inspector general oversight has collectively resulted in potential savings of about $93.1 billion. That is a $26 return on every dollar invested in that oversight. And I know that this needs no introduction to this committee. Both Mr. Chairman and the bill author have repeatedly cited a positive statements on behalf of Mr. Sopco and Saigar.
▶ 1:49:50But as this bill as one of the first moves of this president, President Trump illegally purged 18 inspector generals. What was the need to fire Mr. Sopco before he could complete the final forensic audit required by this statute? What about Saigar's outstanding criminal investigations on its research or lessons learned?
▶ 1:50:09Already we know that putting this is putting accountability at risk and I ask this court this committee to strongly consider this amendment because government and transparent accountability is a priority for all of us here and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Meeks is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I support the Johnson amendment.
▶ 1:50:33You know, I was glad to work with the majority on legislation to wind down the special inspector general of Afghanistan reconstruction in an orderly manner in the previous Congress. Given the impending sunset of the office, I would have to question why the r what the rationale is to fire Mr. Sabco unless you just have a pinchant as President Trump seems to have for firing inspector generals without proper justification. I know that Mr.
▶ 1:51:00Sabco's work informed much of our committee's recent work on Afghanistan, including and I believe Miss Mr. Burchett's bill, and I hope that my majority colleagues would join Miss Johnson and I in seriously examining why he and other inspector generals for agencies under our jurisdiction were summarily terminated without providing justification to the United States Congress. With that, I yield back.
▶ 1:51:30Do any other members seek recognition? Recognize myself for five minutes. I'll start by answering the question that was just posed by my colleague. Why fire the inspector general when the program was already winding down? That's an important point to make. One, that the program was already winding down. It was in last year's NDAA to wind down this program essentially by the end of this year. Uh but why fire them? Why get rid of them? Why close us down if they're already winding down the program?
▶ 1:51:55Because if there's not a need to continue the the the Seagar, then you wind it down sooner than that. That's the purpose of winding it down sooner. That's the purpose of of ending this employment. Uh I think the Seagar was outstanding work. I wish more of my colleagues thought that the Seagar report was outstanding work. Last Congress, I chaired the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee. And I think truthfully, I I guess I say this tongue and cheek, jokingly, I think maybe Democrats should take some of the blame for ending Mr.
▶ 1:52:25Sopco's work because I don't think very many of them read the Seagar report and certainly didn't want to pay attention to the Seagar report. So maybe that's part of the reason that we're winding this down. Uh but to that point, uh it was good work that was done, but that work has come to an end. I rise in opposition of this amendment, encourage uh other members to uh vote no on this amendment, and I will ask again, are there any further comments on the amendment? Representative Perry is recognized.
▶ 1:52:53I thank the chairman and I too will be voting no on this amendment. While I do think that the Seagar did outstanding work which was often derided by my friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle dur during the duration of his tenure. Um what did trouble me near the end of his tenure is is the reason for Mr. Burchett's bill in the first place. the point that we're sending millions and millions of tax dollars, American tax dollars to the Taliban every month.
▶ 1:53:24Yet, the Seagar didn't seem to report much on that. And that's as much of an issue as anything else. Supporting our enemy, supporting those who have said they've defeated America, supporting those who abuse children and women. American tax dollars going to support that. And so, look, if you're going to take uh the good, you got to take the bad with the good. And if that was a bad report that the Seagar didn't want to make, well, I appreciate that.
▶ 1:53:54But we need all the truth here, not just the the truth that somebody wants to hear. And so, I will follow the chairman for a moment also. I'm sorry. Will the gentleman yield for a moment? Of course, I will. And you know, as you bring up this point again, I think it's important to recognize one of the big defining lines right now between the amendment in the nature of a substitute, which will come for a vote, and uh Representative Burchett's language about whether NOS's are going to going to report and be
▶ 1:54:24demanded to report about where American taxpayer dollars are going or are we going to cover our eyes, close our, you know, cover our ears, cover our eyes, and just say we don't want to know uh what NOS's are doing with the money. Everybody else tell us what's going on with the money, but NOS's you you don't have to tell us because you're considered an NGO. And that makes no sense.
▶ 1:54:45And we do know for a fact that uh within Seagar, these NOS's were literally just telling uh the the special investigator general, pound sand, we're not telling you. Very few of them reported back to Seagar. And the vast majority of them just said, we're not going to tell you what we're doing. You can't make us.
▶ 1:55:02and and that's about uh what the what Representative Burchett is changing and I think it's why it's so important and I'll make this uh point again for when this comes up on a roll call vote I would absolutely encourage members on both sides of the aisle to think about the ramifications of voting to say NOS don't have to report. Um my colleague in in my ranking member in his opening remarks uh pointed out that Congress has a duty to conduct oversight and I think we all believe that Congress has a duty to conduct oversight.
▶ 1:55:32Uh I believe that as well and and there's bipartisanship in that and that has to be for entities even if they're labeled NGO. That doesn't put some kind of special hedge of protection around them. Yes, many individuals and NOS's are doing dangerous work. There's no question about it. But that doesn't mean there is not accountability because there is dangerous work.
▶ 1:55:54Because in the end uh every I I hate to use the word power but for lack of a better word every power or authority uh that we have the opportunity to to wield comes from we the people. Every dollar comes from we the people and that has to be respected above all.
▶ 1:56:10And I would just uh in the remaining moments remind everybody that these NOS's likely aren't reporting to the Seagar or anybody else because regardless of their name, they are now run by the Taliban, the Hakani network, other terrorist organizations, taking US tax dollars and funneling them to other terrorist organizations or their own one, which is a reason they wouldn't report, which is a reason that we need to just end this charade and get to the business that Mr. Burchett is brought to the floor without a yield.
▶ 1:56:40Do any other members seek recognition? There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Representative Johnson. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment is not agreed to. Mr. Chairman, I request a roll call vote. A roll call vote has been requested pursuant to the chair's previous announcement. This vote will be postponed.
▶ 1:57:09Are there any further amendments? There being no further proceedings uh on this measure, the measure uh there being no further amendments, further proceedings on this measure are postponed and we'll move on to the next piece of legislation. Thank you. Very good. You're up.
▶ 1:57:41Pursuant to notice, I call up HR2643, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025. The bill was circulated in advance, and the clerk shall designate the bill. HR 2643 to require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites. Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with and the bill is considered read and open to amendment at any point. Is there any discussion on this bill?
▶ 1:58:09Representative Meeks is recognized. I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing this bill forward and for chairmanis McCall for co-leading this effort. I would also like to thank and recognize Representative Surfalis McCormick for her hard work on this legislation.
▶ 1:58:30I know we all get this legislation introduced soon in the Senate, though the prior Republican co-lead got a new job as Secretary of State. The jury is still out if that was a promotion or not. But we will be counting on Secretary Rubio to continue to prioritize Haiti from his new perch. And given what the chairman said earlier about oversight and bringing folks in.
▶ 1:58:56So I hope that we'll have Secretary U Rubio here soon so that we can oversight the State Department. So Mr. Chairman, there's no way to sugarcoat the current situation in Haiti.
▶ 1:59:12Approximately one a million Haitians, including 700,000 children, have now been forced out of their homes by gang In 2024, gangs killed more than 5,600 innocent Haitians with a further 2,212 people injured and 1,494 kidnapped for ransom.
▶ 1:59:34Gang activities no longer confined to the outskirts of Porter Prince, expanding to cities and regions of the country once free from such violence. We ignore the ongoing crisis in Haiti at our own peril. Gangs able to outgun the Haitian National Police and multinational security support mission continue to launch heavily armed attacks on ports, highways, critical infrastructure, police stations, courouses, prisons, hospitals, businesses, and neighborhoods.
▶ 2:00:04They have committed gruesome massacres against civilians, even senior citizens. And for more than a year now, they have dictated Haiti's security and political situation. But not everyone in Haiti has suffered at the hands of gangs. Some members of the political and economic elite have enabled, armed, and benefited from the unrest in Haiti and are just as culpable as the gangs for this ongoing crisis.
▶ 2:00:30We have a duty to make sure that we identify and hold accountable those who fuel their country's chaos for their own profit. That is why I reintroduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, which passed this committee and the House unanimously in the last Congress. My bill requires the State Department to develop a report detailing the ties between the political and economic elite in Haiti and the criminal gangs that have run rough shard over the country.
▶ 2:01:00Should the State Department find criminal collusion between members of Haitian of Hades political and economic elite and the gangs, the legislation would impose sanction on those individuals, enabling the the anarchy and suffering in Haiti.
▶ 2:01:15The bill would also deny entry to the United States to those who are found to support gang activity who also support kidnappings and rape to control and silence communities and coers youth in and around the Port of Prince and to the service of criminal activity. We can then allow the gang leaders and those that support them to walk around with impunity.
▶ 2:01:38We must show the people of Haiti that they can chart a secure, stable, and democratic path and not allow the gangs to rule and dictate the reality on the ground. The United States must hold accountable those that try to travel back and forth from Haiti and engage in heinous criminal activity. So, I thank the chairman. I thank Meredith McCau. I thank representatives Fitzpatrick, Lawler, and Surface McCormack for supporting this measure.
▶ 2:02:07And I ask that everyone else do the same. We could not allow these individuals to go with and run around with impunity. And with that, I yield back the balance of my time. Do any other members seek recognition? Representative Sherless McCormack. Thank you so much, Mr.
▶ 2:02:26chairman and thank you to the ranking member Meeks and Chairman Emeritus McCall for introduc introducing this bipartisan piece of legislation which is truly important to not just me but also my constituents. Armed criminal gangs with the promotion of cartels continue to wreck havoc across Haiti.
▶ 2:02:44fanning the flames of worsening humanitarian crisis that has left children hungry by shining a light on the connection between violent criminal enterprises and Haiti's corrupt political and economic leaders. This critical legislation will better address the chaos that has engulfed Haiti. It is our responsibility as neighbors and allies of Haiti, as Americans, to help Haiti strengthen its institutions and preserve the rule of law.
▶ 2:03:12The instability cannot continue any longer. This bill empowers the Haitian people in their fight against not only the gangs, but also the cartels that finance, equip, and profit from the ongoing instability in Haiti. When Haiti is stable and firmly rooted in democracy, both Haitians and Americans benefit tremendously, including the entire hemisphere. Immigration will be reduced and the region will also be more stable.
▶ 2:03:41Once again, I I sincerely thank ranking member Meeks and the chair Mattis McCall and also Chairman Mass for supporting this legislation and bringing us one step closer to ending this nightmare for the entire region. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and I yield back. Do any other members seek recognition? recognizes myself for five minutes.
▶ 2:04:03I rise in support of HR2643, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025, and I thank the members for their work on this important piece of legislation. Haitian greed card holders are an important of the an important part of the American Diaspora and certainly the Florida diaspora uh as well.
▶ 2:04:22Uh, this bill, it requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress detailing ties between the criminal gangs that are destroying life in Haiti and political and economic elites within Haiti that are benefiting from these criminal gangs, a list of the the prominent Haitian gangs, their leaders, their criminal activities, areas of operation, uh, political and economic elites, again with links to them that might be supporting them, you name it.
▶ 2:04:49uh this is directly off of our shores and it's important that we pay attention to this issue and this is uh certainly one example of Congress's demonstration that we will pay attention uh to what is going on there uh in that I will ask one more time do any other representatives recognition there being no further discussion of the bill the committee will move to consideration of amendments does any member wish to offer an amendment there being no further amendments I move that
▶ 2:05:19the committee report HR2643 to the House with a favorable recommendation. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table and staff is authorized to make any technical and conforming changes. The committee will recess until 2 p.m.
▶ 2:05:50at which point we will reconvene to vote on the postponed measures.
▶ 4:10:51Further proceedings on roll call vote on amendment number 24 offered by representative Jacobs to HR2619 on which the nose had prevailed by voice vote. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will vote using the electronic voting system and the clerk will open the vote.
▶ 4:11:09The chair recommends a no Hold that.
▶ 4:11:56Mr. Isa is having issues with his technology. So just Is Connelly here or is he having an issue with us? A couple of them seem to have battery issues or something.
▶ 4:12:25We had that at financial services the other day. I see that is Kane changing his battery as well because he hasn't voted.
▶ 4:13:09How is Mr. Kane reported? Uh, he's not reported. Mr. Kane votes no. How's Mr. Isa reported? He's not reported. Isa votes no. Have all members voted? They did it by voice. Does any member wish to change their vote? We're good on that. The voice counts.
▶ 4:13:42Yes. Good. All right. The clerk will close the vote and report the tally. On this vote, the eyes are 23, the nose 27. Very good. The nose have it and the amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 4:14:09There being no further amendments, I move that the committee report HR2619 as amended to the House with a favorable I move that the committee report HR2619 to the house with a favorable recommendation. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no.
▶ 4:14:40In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion. Mr. Chair. On that I request a recorded vote. A recorded vote has been requested. Members will vote using the electronic voting voting system. The clerk will open the vote.
▶ 4:15:21How is Mr. Kane reported? He's not recorded. Mr. Kane votes yes. How's Mr. Iser reported? He's recorded yes. And how is Mr. Davidson reported? He's not recorded. Mr. Davidson votes I.
▶ 4:16:01Very good. We have them all. Do you have Mr. Kane recorded? Very good. Where are we? All right. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to change their vote? The clerk will close the vote. Report the tally.
▶ 4:16:33On this vote, the eyes are 45 and the nose are six. The eyes have it and the amendment is to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The measure is ordered favorably reported as amendment as amended and as a single amendment in the nature of a substitute and staff is authorized to make any technical and conforming changes.
▶ 4:17:02The committee postponed further proceedings on reporting HR2683 as amended favorably to the House on which the eyes prevailed by voice vote. The question now occurs on reporting the measure to the House with a favorable recommendation. Members will vote using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote.
▶ 4:17:45How is Mr. Davidson reported? Mr. Davidson is not recorded. Mr. Davidson votes I.
▶ 4:18:17Stole the words right out of my mouth. It's a good Florida Miami Dolphins Very good. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to record or change vote?
▶ 4:18:47The clerk will close the vote and report the tally. On this vote, the eyes are 51, the nos are zero. The eyes have it and the motion is agreed to. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table and staff is authorized to make any technical and conforming changes. The committee postponed further proceedings on the roll call vote on amendment number 22 offered by representative Meeks to HR260 on which the nose had prevailed by voice vote. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment.
▶ 4:19:17Members will vote using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote. Just call the vote. Just call it. Call How is Mr. Davidson reported?
▶ 4:19:47Mr. Davidson's not reported. Mr. Davidson votes no. How is Mr. Baird Mr. David uh Mr. Bay votes I. Mr. Bayard votes no. Vote. I didn't make anything.
▶ 4:20:18We're gonna ask Doge who created this There's four, Mr. Moscowitz. There's four. So,
▶ 4:20:58We just figured New Jersey and California vote the same. Are we all recorded? Are we all recorded? All right. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to record or change their vote?
▶ 4:21:29Mr. Bear, do you need to know how you're Yeah, he's a no. All right. Very good. Mr. Beard is recorded as a no. You are good with that? Okay. The clerk will close the vote and report the On this vote, the nos are 28, the eyes are 24.
▶ 4:22:01Very good. The nose have it and the amendment is not agreed to. The committee postpone further proceedings on roll call vote on amendment number two offered by representative Johnson to HR260 on which the nose had prevailed by voice vote. The question now occurs on agreeing to the amendment. Members will vote using the electronic voting system. The clerk will open the vote.
▶ 4:22:44How is Representative Baird recorded? Representative Bayard's not recorded. Representative Baird votes no. Have all members voted? Does any member wish to record or change their vote? The clerk will close the vote and report the On this vote, the eyes are 23, the nos are 28. The nose have it and the amendment is not agreed to.
▶ 4:23:25There being no further amendments, I move that committee report HR260 as amended to the House with a favorable recommendation. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed signify by saying no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the eyes have it and the motion is agreed to.
▶ 4:23:45Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table and staff is authorized to make any technical and conforming changes. Without objection. There we go.
▶ 4:24:13This concludes consideration of the members noticed by the committee for today. I want to thank all the members for participating and I now yield to ranking member Meeks for any closing comments that he may have. Just want to thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think we did this in a very orderly and timely fashion for our first markup. look forward to continuing to working with you and having Secretary Rubio before us soon. Thank you. Yield back.
▶ 4:24:40I thank the ranking member for his comments and his work and the members of the committee across the aisle for working on these bills. There being no further business to transact, the committee stands adjourned.