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	[House Hearing, 114 Congress]
	[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






	VARIOUS MEASURES

	=======================================================================

	MARKUP

	BEFORE THE

	COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

	ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

	SECOND SESSION

	ON

	H. Res. 374, H. Res. 650, H. Con. Res. 129,

	S. 1252 and S. 284

	__________

	MAY 18, 2016

	__________

	Serial No. 114-181

	__________

	Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs



	[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]






	Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
	or
	http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
	______

	U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

	20-174PDF WASHINGTON : 2016
	-----------------------------------------------------------------------
	For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing
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	COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

	EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
	CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
	ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California
	DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
	STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
	JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
	MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
	TED POE, Texas BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
	MATT SALMON, Arizona KAREN BASS, California
	DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
	TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
	JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
	MO BROOKS, Alabama AMI BERA, California
	PAUL COOK, California ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
	RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas GRACE MENG, New York
	SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
	RON DeSANTIS, Florida TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
	MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
	TED S. YOHO, Florida ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
	CURT CLAWSON, Florida BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
	SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
	REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin
	DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan
	LEE M. ZELDIN, New York
	DANIEL DONOVAN, New York

	Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
	Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director



















	C O N T E N T S

	----------
	Page

	MARKUP ON

	H. Res. 374, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Singaporean
	independence and reaffirming Singapore's close partnership with
	the United States.............................................. 2
	Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 374 offered
	by the Honorable Eliot L. Engel, a Representative in Congress
	from the State of New York................................... 6
	H. Res. 650, Providing for the safety and security of the Iranian
	dissidents living in Camp Liberty/Hurriya in Iraq and awaiting
	resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner for
	Refugees, and permitting use of their own assets to assist in
	their resettlement............................................. 11
	Amendment to H. Res. 650 offered by the Honorable Eliot L.
	Engel........................................................ 17
	H. Con. Res. 129, Expressing support for the goal of ensuring
	that all Holocaust victims live with dignity, comfort, and
	security in their remaining years, and urging the Federal
	Republic of Germany to reaffirm its commitment to this goal
	through a financial commitment to comprehensively address the
	unique health and welfare needs of vulnerable Holocaust
	victims, including home care and other medically prescribed
	needs.......................................................... 18
	Amendment to H. Con. Res. 129 offered by the Honorable Ileana
	Ros-Lehtinen, a Representative in Congress from the State of
	Florida...................................................... 23
	S. 1252, A bill to authorize a comprehensive strategic approach
	for United States foreign assistance to developing countries to
	reduce global poverty and hunger, achieve food and nutrition
	security, promote inclusive, sustainable, agricultural-led
	economic growth, improve nutritional outcomes, especially for
	women and children, build resilience among vulnerable
	populations, and for other purposes............................ 24
	S. 284, A bill to impose sanctions with respect to foreign
	persons responsible for gross violations of internationally
	recognized human rights, and for other purposes................ 61
	Amendment to S. 284 offered by the Honorable Edward R. Royce, a
	Representative in Congress from the State of California, and
	chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Honorable
	Eliot L. Engel............................................... 74
	Amendment to S. 284 offered by the Honorable Dana Rohrabacher, a
	Representative in Congress from the State of California........ 80

	LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
	APPENDIX

	Markup notice.................................................... 88
	Markup minutes................................................... 89
	Markup summary................................................... 91
	The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher: Material submitted for the record 92
	The Honorable David Cicilline, a Representative in Congress from
	the State of Rhode Island: Material submitted for the record... 96

	VARIOUS MEASURES

	----------


	WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016

	House of Representatives,

	Committee on Foreign Affairs,

	Washington, DC.

	The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:06 a.m., in
	room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edward Royce
	(chairman of the committee) presiding.
	Chairman Royce. This committee will come to order.
	Pursuant to notice, we meet today to mark up several
	bipartisan measures. So, without objection, all members may
	have 5 days to submit statements or extraneous material into
	the record.
	All members were notified yesterday that we intend to
	consider our first four measures en bloc. And so, without
	objection, the following items previously provided to members
	will be considered en bloc and they are considered as read.
	We have House Resolution 374, regarding the partnership
	between Singapore and the United States, and the Engel 78, an
	amendment in the nature of a substitute. We have House
	Resolution 650, regarding the safety and security of Iranian
	dissidents living in Camp Liberty in Iraq, and the Engel
	amendment 80 to House Resolution 650. We have House Concurrent
	Resolution 129, regarding the dignity, comfort, and security of
	surviving Holocaust victims, and the Ros-Lehtinen amendment 45
	to House Concurrent Resolution 129. And then we have the Senate
	bill 1252, the Senate-passed Global Food Security Act.
	[The information referred to follows:]

	[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]




	Chairman Royce. And after recognizing myself and the
	ranking member, I will be pleased to recognize any members
	seeking recognition to speak once on any of these measures.
	So let me start by thanking the committee's chairman
	emeritus, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, and Congressman Deutch
	for their work on House Concurrent Resolution 129. Now, this is
	the bill expressing support for Holocaust victims. We have had
	tens of thousands of victims, unfortunately, of the Holocaust
	who have come to be found to be living in poverty, living in
	poverty today, and many of those victims have unique health and
	assistance needs.
	Now, Germany has supported a number of aid programs
	throughout the years in acknowledgment of its moral obligation
	to help these victims. In fact, the German Government engages
	with members of the Claims Conference annually to evaluate
	their programs and identify any unmet needs. This year, gaps in
	home care, in mental health programs, and long-term medical
	care were all identified. Yet, despite a commitment to provide
	this assistance, negotiations on a path forward have slowed.
	So time is of the essence, of course, as these Holocaust
	victims suffer while these talks are now stalled. This
	resolution rightly calls for these talks to be accelerated and
	for an assistance plan that ensures transparency and
	accountability to guarantee funds are helping the most
	vulnerable go forward.
	After that measure, we are going to consider House
	Resolution 374, reaffirming Singapore's strategic partnership
	with the United States. Singapore has long been a very
	dependable friend and partner for us. We have a deep defense
	and trade relationship with Singapore. Today we are reaffirming
	the importance of this partnership to securing peace and
	stability in the Asia Pacific for several reasons, and one of
	these is because we appreciate Singapore's enforcement of
	sanctions on North Korea, as evidenced by a Singapore-
	registered shipping firm which was found guilty in January of
	transferring money that could have contributed to North Korea's
	nuclear-related program.
	The prosecution of this firm by Singapore sends a very
	strong signal that Singapore is taking its international
	obligations very seriously, and we are appreciative of that.
	And I also want to thank Ranking Member Engel and the chair
	of our Asia Subcommittee, Matt Salmon, for their helpful input
	on the text we are considering today.
	I also want to thank Mr. Poe for his leadership in
	introducing a very necessary measure, House Resolution 650,
	regarding the security of Iranian dissidents living in Camp
	Liberty in Iraq.
	Camp Liberty is a former U.S. military base outside of
	Baghdad that is now home to more than 2,000 Iranian refugees
	who are members of opposition to the regime in Tehran. This
	past October, 23 residents were killed in a rocket attack on
	that camp. We have been receiving information that the Iranian
	regime and their proxies in Iraq are preparing for an imminent
	attack against the camp's residents.
	The frustration with this committee is that time after time
	after time we have had the Iranian regime go forward with
	attacks on these individuals without this being blocked by the
	government in Iraq. And in the meantime, that is why Mr. Poe's
	resolution calls on the administration and calls on the Iraqi
	Government to work to provide camp residents with the
	protections they need and to ensure they are expeditiously
	resettled outside of Iraq in such safe havens as Albania and
	other countries that have agreed to work with those who have
	opposed the regime in Iran to make certain that they are safe.
	I would hope that all of our members would support this
	resolution.
	I am also happy today that the committee is restoring
	regular order and exercising its fundamental responsibility to
	authorize before appropriating by considering S. 1252, the
	Global Food Security Act of 2015. Specifically, the bill
	authorizes, for the first time in 30 years, International
	Disaster Assistance. This is the essential humanitarian account
	that provides refugees with tents and sheeting, to water and
	medicine.
	But it also authorizes, for the first time, the Emergency
	Food Security Program, the flexible, efficient, and effective
	food aid program that helps refugees when and where they need
	it most so they won't be forced to seek refuge in Europe or
	beyond, and it advances policies that will improve food
	security and better enable people to grow their own way out of
	poverty so they will no longer have to depend upon U.S. foreign
	assistance, and it does all this without increasing spending.
	Indeed, this bill, which had much input on the Senate side
	from both Republicans and Democrats, passed unanimously in the
	Senate. This committee has held numerous hearings on food
	security. The bill before us today, which passed the Senate, as
	I say, with unanimous support, reflects more than 3 years of
	careful deliberation and inclusive discussions and amendments.
	So I want to thank Mr. Smith for his leadership on this
	important legislation and urge members to help get it to the
	President's desk without further delay.
	I now recognize the ranking member for his remarks.
	Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this
	markup and for bringing these bipartisan measures forward. I am
	happy to support them all. I am grateful to all of our members
	on both sides of the aisle for their hard work.
	I will speak first about the four measures we are taking up
	en bloc. I will start with House Resolution 374, which
	recognizes a half century of independence for our close friend,
	Singapore.
	Last year, Singapore celebrated the 50th anniversary of its
	independence, and this year the United States and Singapore
	mark 50 years of our bilateral relationship. In that time,
	Singapore has become an important partner for the United States
	in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the years, we have seen our
	economic and security ties grow stronger and stronger.
	In the years ahead, as American foreign policy focuses more
	and more on Asia, we know there will be additional
	opportunities to work together with our partner Singapore on
	issues from countering violent extremism to addressing climate
	change, where Singapore as an island nation has been a strong
	leader, to pushing for peaceful and rules-based resolution to
	contentious issues like the South China Sea.
	This resolution underscores the important friendship
	between our countries, and I am happy to support it.
	We are also considering House Resolution 650, calling for
	the safety and security of the Iranian dissidents living in
	Camp Liberty in Iraq. I want to thank Mr. Poe and Mr. Higgins
	for working on this measure, which I am proud to cosponsor.
	I want to welcome our friends wearing their yellow jackets
	to this committee today. And believe me, we are very concerned
	about Camp Liberty and we are making everyone know that we are
	keeping a watchful eye to make sure that those people are
	protected.
	The residents of Camp Liberty deserve to live in dignity
	and without fear of violence. Last October's rocket attacks on
	the unarmed residents of Camp Liberty by a Shia militia with
	ties to Iran killed 24 people. It is the height of cowardice.
	We are still waiting for the perpetrators of this attack to be
	brought to justice.
	I would also note that my amendment to this resolution
	highlights Albania's commitments to resettling Camp Liberty
	residents. They have resettled 1,000 already and are
	recommitted to settling 2,000 more. I have worked closely with
	the Albanian Government in all the years I have been in
	Congress. This shows a tremendous generosity of spirit and
	commitment to care for the most vulnerable on the part of the
	people of Albania. This resolution sends a message that we
	stand with the men, women, and children in Camp Liberty and
	want to see quick and meaningful action to bring them relief.
	I will turn now to House Concurrent Resolution 129, which
	calls for Germany and for all of us to redouble our efforts to
	care for those who were victims of humanity's darkest chapter,
	the Holocaust. As a spokesman for Germany's Chancellor Angela
	Merkel recently said, ``All Germans know the history of the
	murderous race mania of the Nazis that led to the break with
	civilization that was the Holocaust. We know that
	responsibility for this crime against humanity is German, and
	very much our own.''
	Part of that responsibility, of course, is to generously
	assist those survivors who endured this evil firsthand. In a
	spirit of goodwill and friendship, this measure calls on
	Germany's leaders to do whatever it takes to properly care for
	this generation, which is getting older and dying, and I am
	glad to support it.
	Lastly, I am glad to support Senate bill 1252, the Senate's
	version of the Global Food Security Act, and I was pleased that
	the House passed our version a few weeks ago. It is simply
	unconscionable that nearly 800 million people around the world
	would live without knowing how they will get their next meal.
	Half of all the deaths of children under 5 years old are tied
	to malnutrition.
	The United States has a responsibility to help meet this
	challenge, both by helping people feed themselves and by taking
	a hard look at the root causes behind poverty, hunger, and
	instability. This bill prioritizes foreign assistance programs
	aimed at reducing global poverty and hunger. It also authorizes
	a strong investment in the administration's signature effort
	Feed the Future, as well as other State Department and USAID
	initiatives. These efforts deserve our continued support, and I
	am glad we are moving ahead with this bill.
	So thank you again, Mr. Chairman, thanks to all our
	members, again, on both sides of the aisle, and I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Engel.
	Our chairman emeritus, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
	Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman and
	Ranking Member. I want to thank my good friend and south
	Florida colleague, Congressman Ted Deutch, for our work
	together in crafting H. Con. Res. 129 in support of Holocaust
	survivors.
	The United States is home to nearly one-quarter of all
	survivors, and approximately 15,000 live in south Florida. We
	both have many constituents who are survivors, and as their
	Representatives in Congress, we have an obligation to ensure
	that we are doing everything in our power on their behalf. But
	many are also close and personal friends, and as their friend,
	I also have an obligation to be their voice and express their
	frustration and concerns.
	Since the 1950s, Germany has recognized that it has a moral
	obligation to Holocaust survivors and their heirs, and to
	Germany's credit, it has attempted to ensure survivors' needs
	are met and it has attempted to resolve some of the lingering
	injustices.
	However, even by Germany's own admission, its efforts to
	date have been inadequate at addressing the medical, mental
	health, and home care needs of many of the world's survivors.
	Nearly half of all survivors live at or below the poverty line.
	This is not only shameful, it is inexcusable.
	These survivors have lived through the unimaginable. The
	pain and suffering they have endured has left physical and
	mental scars that cannot be healed and horrifying memories that
	can never be forgotten. These experiences mean their medical,
	mental health, and home care needs are more complex than other
	elderly individuals. And that is why this resolution is so
	important, and that is why we are urging Germany to act
	expeditiously to honor its commitment and fulfill its moral
	obligations to all survivors.
	These individuals have very little time. The system
	currently in place is full of red tape, riddled with layer upon
	layer of bureaucracy. The Claims Conference itself is known to
	have come under increased scrutiny for the many cases of fraud
	and abuse. And the proof that this process isn't working is
	that nearly half of all survivors, as I said, still live in
	poverty, and that under the current system many died long
	before their time as a result. Survivors deserve better than
	that. They deserve to live out their days in dignity and
	comfort. The right thing to do is for Germany to provide for
	all the survivors' needs directly and to do so transparently
	and efficiently with the urgency that circumstances demand.
	I hope that all of my colleagues will join us in urging the
	German Government to do more, to do the right thing, to honor
	its obligations and commitments with the urgency demanded by
	justice and decency. I sincerely believe Chancellor Merkel's
	heartfelt expression of concern about Germany's responsibility
	to survivors and leadership on moral issues will finally
	resolve this longstanding tragedy for survivors.
	And, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to briefly say some
	words of praise and support for Judge Poe's resolution, House
	Resolution 650, that calls for the safety and security for the
	residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq. It is no secret that the
	Iraqi Government completely failed to protect these individuals
	in Camp Liberty, not living up to its commitments made in the
	December 2011 Memorandum of Understanding.
	Camp Liberty has never been given adequate protection. And
	now, with the Iran nuclear deal and Iran getting more money to
	carry out its illicit activities, I fear that Liberty will be
	an even easier and larger target for the regime than before.
	Albania has stepped up and offered these residents a
	respite from the terror. So for that, I thank Albania for its
	courage and compassion. However, I remain concerned that the
	United Nations isn't placing the urgency required to move these
	residents to Albania. There should be at least weekly charters
	for Liberty residents to Albania. There is simply no
	justification for anything less.
	I will continue to press our administration and other
	governments to do whatever we can to help the Liberty residents
	as soon as possible, and I will continue to support all of
	these Liberty residents until every last one of them is free
	from the threat of attack. I support Judge Poe's resolution and
	I commend him for his leadership on this issue.
	Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you.
	We now go to Mr. Brad Sherman of California.
	Mr. Sherman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing these
	bills up. I have cosponsored the three House bills and support
	all bills. I join with the chair and the chair emeritus and
	especially the ranking member in their remarks in favor of
	these bills.
	I want to speak briefly about H. Res. 650, a resolution
	that calls for providing safety and security to the Iranian
	dissidents living in Camp Liberty. The MEK, also known as the
	People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran, is an Iranian exile
	opposition group that was opposed to the Shah's dictatorial
	regime and is opposed to the current regime. The MEK has played
	a critical role in revealing information about Iran's illegal
	nuclear program.
	There is a tendency to look at anything in the world
	through the lens of political controversies in the United
	States, but I think, regardless of whether the Iran deal is the
	best way or not the best way to deal with Iran's nuclear
	program, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the MEK for bringing
	this information to the world and causing the United States and
	the world to focus on the problem.
	Approximately 3,000 MEK members residing in Camp Ashraf
	were transferred to Camp Liberty in 2012. The MEK members were
	protected by the U.S. military until we transferred authority
	to Iraq in 2009. Since then, the United Nations High
	Commissioner for Refugees, which has recognized the MEK as
	persons of concern and in need of international protection, has
	worked to resettle MEK members to various countries, including
	and especially Albania. Albania has already taken approximately
	1,000 MEK members and has committed to resettling an additional
	2,000, and I commend the ranking member for his amendment that
	recognizes the important contribution Albania has made and has
	offered to make in the future.
	The Iraqis promised to provide security protection to the
	MEK members in Iraq after the U.S. transferred authority to the
	Iraqi Government. However, to date, they have not provided the
	necessary protection. We have a complicated relationship with
	the government in Baghdad. It is under siege, it relies on
	American support, and it should be called upon very strongly by
	the United States to meet its minimum human rights obligations
	to protect Camp Liberty. In 2015, an Iraqi Shiite militia
	launched rockets against Camp Liberty, killed 24 people,
	injured dozens, and of course the Iraqi Government did nothing.
	This resolution, and I commend Judge Poe for bringing it
	forward, details the history of violence against Camp Liberty
	residents, including the most recent attack in 2015. The
	resolution also calls on the Iraqi Government to improve
	security at Camp Liberty. In addition, H. Res. 650 calls on the
	U.S. Government to do a better job of pushing Iraq to uphold
	its promises and urges the U.S. Government to work with Albania
	and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in the resettlement
	process.
	I strongly support this resolution and the other bills that
	are part of the en bloc. And I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you.
	We now go to Mr. Dana Rohrabacher of California.
	Mr. Rohrabacher. It has been a black mark on our country on
	many occasions when we did not stick by the people who stuck by
	us. And I have an amendment to the bill that will be coming to
	the floor, or is on the floor today, talking about Dr. Afridi
	and how we have allowed him to lay and sit in a dungeon in
	Pakistan while we still give foreign aid and military equipment
	to the people who have incarcerated him. And these people, of
	course, are putting in jail and persecuting a man who helped us
	bring to justice the murderer of 3,000 Americans on 9/11.
	Well, what we have here today is a chance to make something
	right or to try to take a step in the right direction, reclaim
	some of our honor as a country. Those residents of Camp Liberty
	are part of an organization that have long opposed the mullah
	dictatorship in Iran. The reason they were in that camp and the
	reason that they had left Iran was because they opposed an
	enemy of the United States. The mullahs have made no beans
	about it, they believe the United States is the great Satan and
	are willing do to things and have done things that have caused
	the loss of life of Americans and have put our people in
	jeopardy. Yet, here again, we have let down the people who are
	putting their lives on the line for us and we have just let
	them drift.
	I think it is time we reclaim our honor, and I support this
	resolution, H. Res. 650. And if this does not work, let's just
	commit ourselves to saying the people of Camp Liberty put
	themselves on the line for us, they risked their lives for us,
	they are now in great danger, one way or the other we will move
	to save them. And if need be, we need to bring these people to
	the United States and let them be free from the threat of the
	mullahs who also threaten our own people.
	So this is the time for us to express solidarity with those
	brave souls who have expressed solidarity with the people of
	the United States in a desperate and a very dangerous
	situation.
	I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher.
	We now go to Mr. Ted Deutch of Florida.
	Mr. Deutch. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Royce and
	Ranking Member Engel, for holding today's markup and for
	advancing these important legislative efforts.
	I would like to speak about H. Con. Res. 129, which calls
	upon Germany to fully fund the needs of aging Holocaust
	survivors. I would like to start by thanking my friend,
	Chairman Emeritus Ros-Lehtinen, for partnering with me in this
	effort and for her longstanding commitment to championing the
	needs of Holocaust survivors.
	I also want to acknowledge the efforts of so many of our
	constituents, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen's and my own, who have on their
	own come to Washington over the years to talk about the
	difficulties that they and so many other face. In particular,
	Jack Rubin, a constituent and friend who has testified in this
	body before, deserves thanks for his tireless advocacy on
	behalf of survivors.
	One of the great privileges I have serving in Congress is
	representing a large number of Holocaust survivors, and earlier
	this month I attended a Yom HaShoah, a Holocaust Remembrance
	Day ceremony in my district. I have been attending the
	ceremonies for more than a decade and every year there are more
	and more empty seats. A constituent of mine recently told me
	that it feels like every day he gets a call to attend another
	funeral of a survivor.
	In short, the survivor population is aging and their needs
	are increasing. Unfortunately for the roughly 100,000 survivors
	living in the United States, tens of thousands of them live in
	poverty. They cannot afford and thus do not receive sufficient
	medical care, home care, and other vital life-sustaining
	services.
	Today, we have a chance to ensure that this population,
	these survivors who made it through the darkest time in
	history, can live out their lives with the dignity they so
	deserve.
	For decades, the German Government has remained committed
	to funding survivor needs through annual negotiations and
	appropriations, and we appreciate this ongoing commitment. I
	know that this is an issue that Chancellor Merkel cares deeply
	about as she has personally reaffirmed that commitment to me.
	Unfortunately, despite the payments of the German
	Government throughout the years, significant gaps in survivor
	care remain, and German officials have acknowledged this
	shortfall. The shortfall is the most dramatic when it comes to
	home care. For survivors, the need to stay in their homes as
	they age is critical. As they approach their late 80s and 90s
	and beyond, they rely more on home care services.
	Under the current system home care is capped so that even
	the most infirm, isolated, and poor Nazi victims can receive
	only a maximum of 25 hours of home care. This amounts to 5
	hours a day, 5 days a week.
	In addition, current funding is inadequate to provide for
	additional hours. Take, for example, a constituent of mine who
	is 91 years old and survived Bergen-Belsen. He fell last month
	and suffered a fracture, followed by rehabilitation. He likely
	needs a bone procedure on his back due to the recent fall and
	he has suffered from other debilitating circumstances in the
	past that have limited his mobility ever since.
	He requires assistance with all activities of daily living.
	He and his wife share a total of 48 hours a week home care. But
	as a result of the recent circumstances and his overall medical
	history, he needs round-the-clock care, and it is, frankly,
	unconscionable that he does not receive it and that his hours
	are limited.
	Now, many of those who survived also lack family support to
	help them with their daily needs. They need transportation to
	doctor's appointments or help preparing meals. They deserve to
	be able to access the most basic care. They deserve to be able
	to meet their mental and medical health needs.
	Now, thankfully--thankfully--we have the opportunity right
	now to alleviate the suffering of Holocaust survivors. There
	are negotiations ongoing right now with the German Government.
	And this is possibly the last opportunity for Germany to
	reaffirm its commitment to comprehensively address the unique
	health and welfare needs of vulnerable Holocaust victims by
	increasing funding for survivor care so that every survivor can
	have his or her needs met.
	Now, no amount of money can ever erase the horrors faced by
	Nazi victims, but there is a moral responsibility to ensure
	that they can receive the vital services and the medical care
	to live out the remainder of their days with dignity and in
	comfort.
	Mr. Chairman, the resolution before us today urges the
	German Government to fulfill its moral and financial commitment
	to the victims of the Holocaust. It puts Congress on record
	declaring that the time to act is now and we will fight and
	watch until this is done. No more limitations on home care
	hours. Fund the needs, all of them. Complete the negotiations.
	The time for meaningful action is now. And I urge my colleagues
	to support this resolution.
	Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Deutch.
	Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina.
	Mr. Wilson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am grateful that
	once again, with your leadership and the ranking member, this
	committee is considering multiple pieces of bipartisan
	legislation.
	House Concurrent Resolution 129, sponsored by Chairman
	Emeritus Ros-Lehtinen, is particularly important to ensuring
	that victims of the Holocaust are able to live comfortable and
	happy lives. This legislation also urges the Federal Republic
	of Germany to ensure adequate resources to address the unique
	medical needs that these individuals face due to their horrific
	experiences during the Second World War. The United States must
	never forget the tragedy of the Holocaust and do all that we
	can to ensure that the rest of the world does not either.
	Next, I am grateful that the Senate version of the Global
	Food Security Act of 2016 continues to address this critically
	important issue, increasing accountability and congressional
	oversight of foreign assistance meant to address food shortages
	abroad. One of the great challenges that developing nations
	have and face is the health and well-being of their citizens.
	It is particularly encouraging to see Congress acting to help
	our friends and allies abroad.
	Today, the committee is also taking important steps, with
	the leadership of our chairman, in recognizing the cooperation
	between the United States and Singapore; protecting Iranian
	dissidents, with the leadership of Judge Ted Poe; and imposing
	sanctions against human rights abusers. I applaud the great
	work behind this legislation and urge their passage. And I
	yield back my time.
	Chairman Royce. Mr. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania.
	Mr. Boyle. I thank the chairman and ranking member for
	taking up today's measures. I would like to speak on one of
	them in particular, H. Con. Res. 129, introduced by
	Subcommittee Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Deutch.
	I thank both of them for introducing this legislation and I am
	proud to cosponsor it as it has an important impact for my
	district of Philadelphia and Montgomery County, PA, which has a
	significant population of Holocaust survivors, a number of whom
	are personal friends.
	This resolution urges Germany to provide increased
	assistance for the most critical needs of Holocaust survivors.
	While I appreciate Germany's financial and moral commitment to
	Holocaust survivors thus far, even German officials admit that
	current gaps in assistance exist today.
	Constituents of mine, a married couple age 86 and 93 who
	are Holocaust survivors, reside in a two-story row house with
	stair glides provided by the Jewish Family and Children Service
	of Philadelphia through the Claims Conference. Their two
	children reside out of State. The husband has been having
	significant physical and cognitive decline over the past few
	years. His attending needs are great, but they are not medical
	at this time. He should be able to remain safely in his home
	with enough support.
	His wife is unable to attend to most of his needs due to
	her own aging issues. The greatest issue for her husband is
	that he is a fall risk due to strength and ambulation issues.
	He is also suffering from wartime nightmares and wakes up
	through the night and needs to be calmed down. His wife cannot
	do this as she must get sleep, lack of sleep greatly affecting
	her own health.
	So if JFCS of Philadelphia was able to provide more hours
	of home care for them both, they would have an aide take care
	of both of their needs. Her needs are suffering as a result of
	her taking care of his needs.
	The Holocaust survivor population is aging. They are now in
	their 80s and 90s. It is important to acknowledge that an
	estimated 100,000 Holocaust survivors live in the United States
	and--and I think this is the most galling statistic--nearly
	half of all Holocaust survivors live below the poverty line.
	Let's make sure these brave survivors live out their lives in
	dignity. And I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Judge Ted Poe of Texas.
	Mr. Poe. I thank the chairman, and I would like to discuss
	a matter that we have discussed a lot since 2009, and that is
	the folks, the good folks in, first, Camp Ashraf, and then Camp
	Liberty, who, while they have been in these camps, bad things
	have happened to them.
	Every time we meet, it seems that there have been more
	assaults, more murders, more rocket attacks against these folks
	who have lived in these two areas. Many of them are here today.
	Their families are in Camp Liberty. Some of their families have
	been killed since 2009. And I admire their perseverance.
	But there are about 2,000 members of the Iranian opposition
	movement MEK. Once again, they are unarmed and they live in
	Camp Liberty, Iraq. They live there because they have been
	forced out of Iran, a country that tolerates no political
	opposition, and if they were to be returned to Iran they would
	be killed.
	The mullahs in Iran fear and hate the MEK. MEK basically
	just wants freedom in Iran, free elections. But it turns out
	that the long arms of the mullahs in Tehran reach out to Iraq,
	where these folks have been for a long time. Last October,
	residents came under intense rocket attacks in Iraq. Twenty-
	four people were killed, dozens of others were injured, and the
	IRGC claimed the assault and warned that more would follow.
	These kinds of attacks--there have been seven, if I can
	remember correctly, on the people in the MEK that live in
	Iraq--have claimed the lives of 140 people. Not one person has
	been held accountable for these murders. Not one person has
	been arrested or gone to jail for these murders that occurred
	in these camps. Thirteen hundred others have been injured and
	seven have been kidnapped. The residents live in constant fear
	of another attack. Their only crime is opposing the tyrants in
	Iran.
	H. Res. 650 condemns these attacks. I want to thank the
	ranking member for his amendment that makes this resolution
	even better. But the resolution condemns the attacks and urges
	the Iraqi Government to bring those responsible to justice.
	Those in the Iraqi Government who claim links to the IRGC
	should not be put in charge of the camp. Several years ago,
	Chairman Rohrabacher and myself went to Iraq and we wanted to
	see Camp Ashraf, and the Government of Iraq was so irate that
	we wanted to visit what was happening in the camp before they
	were moved to Liberty that Chairman Rohrabacher and myself were
	told to leave Iraq. We were evicted, kicked out of the country.
	That is how much support the Iraqi Government gives to the
	mullahs in Iran about the camps. Of course, we didn't leave. We
	stayed anyway and did what we wanted to do. But that shows you
	the Government of Iraq's position on that, because we just
	merely wanted to see for ourselves the living conditions of
	these, I think, very patriotic people.
	So Iraq is not a safe place for those residents. They
	should be resettled to a third country. As Iran's influence
	continues to grow in the region, we must show our strong
	support for these dissidents. They want freedom for their
	fellow countrymen, but for the last 30 years that pursuit has
	cost them and they have had to flee the country they love and
	lose many of their family members. We should do all we can to
	urge their protection.
	It is important that the Government of Iraq allow the
	residents to sell the property at Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf.
	It is their property. It does not belong to the Government of
	Iraq. And once again, I want to thank Ranking Member Engel for
	his amendment that makes this clear. As it stands now, the
	Iraqi Government is only allowing the residents to take the
	clothes that they are wearing on their back. They can't even
	take their laptop computers. This is their property. It doesn't
	belong to Iraq. And the folks that leave Camp Liberty and go
	other places should be allowed to take their personal property
	whatever country that they go to. This is only right. Justice
	demands this. So I thank the chairman and the ranking member
	for their support of this legislation, this resolution, and I
	hope that we don't have to meet again and there are more
	casualties in Liberty because we have not helped get these good
	folks resettled to another country.
	I yield back. Thanks for the remaining time.
	Chairman Royce. Well, thank you for your eloquence on this
	issue, Mr. Poe, but also thank you for introducing it.
	Are there any other members seeking time?
	Mr. Chabot of Ohio.
	Mr. Chabot. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be brief. And I
	am supportive of H. Res. 650 and 129, but I will speak briefly
	on H. Res. 374.
	As former chair of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, I
	always paid very close attention to the U.S.-Singapore
	relationship, and it is a very tiny country who really holds
	exceptional importance to the U.S. We have a longstanding
	security relationship with Singapore, and our commercial ties
	with them have strengthened significantly over the past half
	century.
	I think that this link in all likelihood is only going to
	intensify as the global economy further intertwines and our
	partners in the Asia Pacific place greater emphasis on an
	American presence there to help combat growing maritime
	threats, specifically from the PRC, from China. As we know,
	they are not only building islands now, much to the chagrin of
	their neighbors from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, et
	cetera, but they are actually militarizing those islands right
	now. And this administration has done not very much, virtually
	nothing of substance to push back on this, which is a real
	shame.
	This legislation recognizes the importance of ensuring a
	strong U.S.-Singapore strategic partnership that encourages
	regional stability and highlights the significance of the U.S.-
	Singapore economic relationship. The bill promotes greater
	cooperation on cybersecurity and information-sharing efforts,
	both issues that are exceptionally relevant to protecting the
	region, both militarily and economically. So I am very
	supportive of this one in particular and the other ones that I
	mentioned and urge my colleagues to support them. And yield
	back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you.
	Hearing no further requests for recognition, are there any
	further amendments? Hearing none, the Chair moves that the
	committee adopt the items considered en bloc.
	All those in favor, say aye.
	All opposed, no.
	In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the
	measures considered en bloc are agreed to. And without
	objection, the measures considered en bloc are ordered
	favorably reported, as amended, and staff is directed to make
	any technical and conforming changes.
	Also, without objection, the Chair is authorized to seek
	House consideration of those measures under suspension of the
	rules.
	Moving on to our final measure, I now call up Senate bill
	284, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
	Without objection, the Senate-passed text of S. 284, as
	modified by Royce 102, the bipartisan manager's amendment
	provided previously, will be considered base text for purposes
	of amendment.
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	Chairman Royce. After recognizing myself and the ranking
	member, I will be pleased to recognize any member seeking
	recognition to speak on the underlying bill before we move on
	to the amendments.
	Now, this bill, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
	Accountability Act, authorizes sanctions against foreign
	nationals responsible for significant corruption or responsible
	for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights
	which are committed against individuals seeking to promote
	human rights or to expose government corruption.
	Today's manager's amendment strengthens the Senate text,
	specifically, the amendment requires that any sanctions
	recommendations made to the President must have the support
	from both the chair and the ranking member of the requesting
	committee. By mandating a joint referral, this bill ensures
	bipartisan support for any action the President may take.
	In addition, the amendment brings the Senate text into
	compliance with House rules regarding sunsets. The inclusion of
	a sunset to this legislation ensures that Congress has the
	opportunity and has the responsibility to review the
	application of sanctions authority after 3 years of being on
	the books.
	I want to thank the ranking member and others who worked
	with us to craft this amendment. I urge all members to support
	the bill's passage. And we will go to--yeah, Mr. Engel is on
	his way. Do any other members seek recognition?
	Mr. Rohrabacher.
	Mr. Rohrabacher. I rise in support of the legislation and
	what it is trying to accomplish. And let's make very clear that
	I have a long track record of supporting efforts by our
	Government in the area of civil liberties and especially in
	terms of opposing kleptocracies and violent dictatorships, et
	cetera. And in this case, what we are actually trying to do is
	right. We are putting in place a mechanism in order to make
	sure that those people who control other countries and have
	committed major human rights abuses don't get off scot-free,
	and that is a good thing.
	And let me just note that my amendment that will be coming
	up afterwards does not in any way disagree with the purpose of
	the bill. I will be voting for the bill. But my amendment will
	question as to whether or not the title should include a
	specific name of a case.
	So I rise in support of this legislation. I think it is
	what Americans should be for. That is standing up to gangsters
	and brutes overseas who commit violent acts and are engaged
	with human rights abuses. However, there is a question about
	the name, which I will be bringing up in an amendment later on.
	So thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher.
	Mr. Cicilline of Rhode Island.
	Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by
	thanking you and Ranking Member Engel for holding this markup
	today.
	As always, I am pleased that this committee has come
	together in a spirit of bipartisanship to pass legislation that
	deals with a variety of important issues and was very proud to
	cosponsor the bills we just passed that were introduced and
	passed in a bipartisan way. And I appreciate the opportunity to
	speak this morning in strong support of the Global Magnitsky
	Human Rights Accountability Act, the bill introduced in the
	Senate by Senator Cardin and here in the House by our colleague
	Chris Smith.
	This important legislation builds upon the achievements of
	the Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which was signed
	into law in 2012, and has been an important tool in targeting
	those in the Russian Government who are complicit in the death
	and subsequent coverup of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
	The Global Magnitsky bill authorizes the executive branch
	to impose sanctions against individuals responsible for gross
	human rights violations against persons seeking to expose
	government corruption or promote human rights and freedoms. By
	expanding the scope of the sanctions beyond the Russian
	Government, this legislation sends an important message to
	those who seek to suppress human rights around the world that
	they will not be able to benefit from the U.S. financial system
	or travel to this country if they partake in gross abuses or
	corruption, which, unfortunately, we have seen with increasing
	regularity around the world in recent years.
	I commend the leadership of Senator Cardin and of my
	colleague Congressman Smith in introducing this legislation and
	getting us to this point.
	According to Freedom House, freedom around the world has
	been in steady decline for 10 years, and 2015 had the steepest
	decline yet. The war in Syria, the resulting refugee crisis,
	the rise of extremism have all contributed to crackdowns in the
	name of so-called security and a general decline of human
	rights in every region of the world.
	I am particularly concerned by the uptick in abuses against
	vulnerable populations who are already at grave risk in many
	countries. In particular, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
	transgender communities around the world have experienced
	horrific violence and violations of basic human rights that
	puts individuals in these categories at grave risk for injury
	or death simply because of who they are.
	Yesterday, the world commemorated the International Day
	Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which is
	dedicated to raising awareness of the terrible discrimination,
	violence, and other violations committed against LGBT
	communities around the world. To be clear, we are not talking
	about marriage or bathroom laws in the international context.
	LGBT people abroad face horrific persecution, threats, constant
	harassment, lack of access to health care, marginalization,
	violence, and death because of their status or perceived status
	of being gay, lesbian, or transgender.
	Some illustrations. In The Gambia and sub-Saharan Africa,
	President Yahya Jammeh has threatened to personally ``slit the
	throats'' of gay men found in his country and has arrested and
	tortured a number of gay men, including one who was beaten so
	badly in detention he needed to be hospitalized. In Indonesia,
	this year the Defense Minister publicly called the LGBT
	community a threat that must be defeated with ``kind of modern
	warfare.'' Last year in Brazil, a transgender teen was beaten
	to death and two Sao Paulo police officers implicated in her
	death were freed because the judge did not believe they
	``seemed like criminals.''
	Numerous reports of horrific murders of allegedly gay men
	have come out of territories controlled by the Islamic State,
	including men being thrown off tall buildings, then stoned to
	death by crowds incited by homophobic rhetoric. In Russia, the
	Duma is considering legislation to follow up on its infamous
	anti-homosexual propaganda bill with legislation making it
	illegal to come out as gay, punishable with jail time.
	Unfortunately, I could go on and on with additional
	examples.
	Because of the particularly heinous nature of the
	violations routinely committed against LGBT communities around
	the world, I intended to offer an amendment to this legislation
	clarifying that the persecution of the LGBT individuals and
	those protecting their rights are included in the abuses
	sanctionable by this legislation. However, it is my
	understanding, after speaking with our chairman on this
	subject, that he agrees with my assessment that these rights
	are, indeed, included in the legislation.
	And with that, I would probably yield before I conclude to
	the chairman.
	Chairman Royce. Well, yes, thank you for raising this
	point.
	Certainly, around the world we have witnessed some truly
	severe human rights violations, some directed at people solely
	on the basis of their professed or perceived sexual orientation
	or gender. In a number of African countries, gay people are at
	risk of being killed or jailed for life, and in places like
	Russia and Iran, we see authorities trying to ban even the
	discussion of sexual orientation. And, of course, there was the
	brutal murder of a USAID employee and gay rights activist in
	Bangladesh just last month. This was an abhorrent crime.
	And I want to make clear that the internationally
	recognized human rights referenced in the Global Magnitsky Act
	apply to all people, including those who identify as LGBT, and
	the committee is planning a hearing for later this year on the
	alarming threats to fundamental human rights worldwide.
	So I look forward to working with the gentleman on that,
	and today it is important that we advance this legislation that
	promises to improve human rights of all.
	Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for
	your consideration of this. I look forward to working with you
	and other members of this committee to ensure that the rights
	of LGBT individuals and other vulnerable minorities receive due
	consideration here at the committee, and I think a hearing on
	this matter would be a great step forward. And with that, I
	yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you.
	Other members seeking recognition?
	Mr. Higgins.
	Mr. Higgins. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member
	Engel. Thank you for holding this important markup today. I am
	pleased that we will be considering House Resolution 650, a
	resolution introduced by Congressman Ted Poe, which would
	reiterate our strong commitment to the residents of Camp
	Liberty by providing for their safety and expedited
	resettlement.
	Since 2009, seven attacks at Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf
	have killed 140 residents, with over 1,000 wounded. Despite
	pledges to provide for their safety, the Government of Iraq has
	failed to live up to this commitment and some of its forces may
	have been complicit in these attacks.
	Approximately 2,000 residents of Camp Liberty are currently
	awaiting resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner
	for Refugees. We must work with the U.N. and the Iraqi
	Government to expeditiously relocate these individuals before
	any more harm befalls them. In the interim, the Government of
	Iraq must provide for the safety and security of this
	vulnerable population.
	I look forward to the passage of this resolution. I yield
	back the balance of my time.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Higgins.
	Other members seeking recognition?
	Mr. Engel.
	Mr. Engel. Mr. Chairman, again, thank you for convening
	this markup. I also want to thank you for bringing forward our
	last bill, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability
	Act. This is a product of many years of hard work by
	Representatives Smith and McGovern here in the House and by
	Senators Cardin and McCain in the Senate.
	This bill would authorize the President to sanction foreign
	individuals who commit gross violations of human rights, as
	well as government officials involved in significant acts of
	corruption. It would allow the chairs and ranking members of
	relevant congressional committees to send names of potential
	violators to the administration, and requires a determination
	of whether those people meet the criteria for sanctions.
	This measure builds on the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which
	created a similar process for people inside Russia. This
	legislation would send a powerful message that human rights
	abusers and corruption aren't just internal matters, they are
	the concern of all countries, and they should not be permitted
	to go on with impunity.
	So I urge support for this important legislation. Thank
	you, again, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to all our members. I yield
	back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Engel.
	We now go to Mr. Brad Sherman of Los Angeles.
	Mr. Sherman. First, I want to commend the gentleman from
	Rhode Island for focusing on LGBT rights, and especially thank
	the chairman for his comments, the colloquy, and the upcoming
	hearing. LGBT rights are human rights.
	I heard the gentleman from Orange County on the name
	``Magnitsky'' being in the bill. On the one hand, this bill
	really isn't focused on Magnitsky or on Russia. It deals with
	our human rights approach worldwide. And the Magnitsky case is
	inspiring to many. I know the gentleman from California
	believes that some of what we believe about that case is not
	true. But I would point out that there are many other inspiring
	cases.
	On the other hand, the author of a bill who works so hard
	on it usually gets to suggest a title. This bill has gone
	through the Senate, has been the product of all the Senators
	and House Members that the chair named. So I realize the
	gentleman from California feels strongly that Magnitsky's name
	should not be part of the title and look forward to the
	comments of our colleagues here on that issue.
	Chairman Royce. Does the member have an amendment at the
	desk? And I am not suggesting that the gentleman should offer
	an amendment. I am just commenting that he makes an interesting
	point, and I see both sides of that point. And I am not trying
	to inspire any action by any member.
	Mr. Rohrabacher. I have an amendment at the desk.
	Chairman Royce. The clerk will report the amendment.
	Ms. Marter. Amendment to S. 284, offered by Mr. Rohrabacher
	of California, page 2, line 2, strike ``Magnitsky.''
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	Chairman Royce. The Chair recognizes the author to explain
	the amendment.
	Mr. Rohrabacher. Yes, my amendment is very simple. I mean,
	it would change the name of the bill simply by removing the
	word ``Magnitsky'' from the bill. So we would then call it the
	Global Human Rights Accountability Act, which is more accurate
	than to put ``Magnitsky'' in the middle of that. I mean, the
	fact is this bill isn't just about Russia. It is about setting
	an international standard. By putting ``Magnitsky'' in the
	title, we are taking a gratuitous slap at Russia and we are
	confusing people about the real purpose of this bill.
	The purpose of this bill is not just to attack Russia. We
	already have legislation doing that, specifically on Magnitsky.
	And basically, we should be very proud that we are setting an
	international standard and not confuse it by adding one case.
	Let's note about this case, there has been a lot of talk about
	it. It is confusing. We need to look into this and ask some
	serious questions before we just accept what is being handed to
	us.
	In the 1990s, Russia was in economic chaos as it shifted
	from state control to a market economy. At this time, you had
	very notorious characters arise in Russia and coming from
	outside of Russia to exploit that situation for their own
	situation. We saw the rise of oligarchs who were not just
	Russians, but other people as well, and they ended up walking
	away with billions of dollars. Some of these foreigners,
	including Mr. Browder, who was Mr. Magnitsky's boss, walked
	away with billions of dollars. Let me note that Mr. Browder is
	not a U.S. citizen. He gave up his citizenship at a time to
	shield himself from major tax liabilities. So we have people
	there.
	And I notice that he sent a letter to us talking about
	kleptocracy, and here is a man himself who made billions of
	dollars in the middle of this chaos. And there is a major
	question--and that is what this whole issue is about--as to
	whether $230 million worth of taxes the Russian Government
	deserved from those billions of dollars made by Mr. Browder,
	whether or not those--that he legitimately paid this or whether
	or not he was trying to shield that.
	Mr. Magnitsky was the man who helped keep his books. He was
	arrested. And the question is whether or not what he went
	through and the horrible confinement that he was kept in and
	treatment that he was given was the Russians trying to find
	out--have him say where is the money that Browder hid, or is it
	that he had some information that showed corruption on the part
	of the Russians. And I will have to say that it is possible
	either one of those explanations could be true, but we don't
	know enough.
	I would put for the record, submit for the record now, Mr.
	Chairman, an article from The New Republic and an article from
	The Wall Street Journal that calls into question this account
	that we have been told over and over again.
	Let me note that there was a major, one of the most
	respected documentary filmmakers, an anti-Putin documentary
	filmmaker from Russia who started to do research on this and
	was going to have a documentary condemning the Russian
	Government on this, and he came away after the investigation
	changing his basic belief and believing instead that Mr.
	Browder has actually had a PR campaign to cover up some of his
	own activities in escaping this tax liability.
	So let me just note that also Mr. Browder has, from what we
	are told, and there is evidence that indicates, that he has
	threatened to sue NBC for a documentary that says something
	else than what he would like presented about this Magnitsky
	case.
	So let me just say, this is a confusing situation and there
	are serious questions that need to be addressed, and there is
	no reason, as I say, when we are setting up this global
	standard, that we need to include another factor that adds
	confusion to the purpose of the case.
	So with that said, I would ask my colleagues just, let's
	name this the Global Human Rights Accountability Act. We can be
	proud of that. I have always been a proud supporter of human
	rights measures throughout my career. And I think this
	actually, by doing this, we take away the confusion.
	And I think it is striking a blow to say what we want is an
	explanation, what we want to base this on is truth, not just
	some gratuitous slap at Russia by some, and at the same time
	backing up the claims of a guy who made billions of dollars at
	a time when Russia was economically confused.
	So with that, I would ask my colleagues to join me in what
	I consider to be a very rational and reasonable proposal, that
	we make this the Global Human Rights Accountability Act instead
	of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
	Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher.
	Do any other members seek recognition to speak on this
	amendment?
	Mr. Engel.
	Mr. Engel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
	Let me first say, with respect to my good friend and
	classmate from California, I have to oppose this amendment.
	Sergei Magnitsky was a lawyer who worked to shine a light on
	corruption, fraud, and theft by authorities inside Russia. As
	we well know, opponents of Russia's increasingly authoritarian
	regime don't get the benefits of due process or rule of law. So
	he was thrown in prison, held for a year with no trial, denied
	medical care, subjected to horrific conditions, and beaten by
	prison guards in the final hours of his life. His basic rights
	and dignity were pushed aside when he was dying in a Russian
	prison cell, but now his name and his story have become
	synonymous with efforts to advance human rights and fight
	corruption.
	There is a good reason we put his name on a law years ago,
	and we should reject any attempt to revise history or sweep it
	under the rug. We should not be apologists for Putin. We should
	not be worried about offending Putin or his incredibly more and
	more authoritarian regime. Let the chips fall where they may.
	Stripping's Magnitsky name from this bill dishonors his
	work and diminishes the tragedy of his death. So with all due
	respect to my good friend, I urge my colleagues to oppose this
	amendment.
	I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Other members seeking recognition?
	General.
	Mr. Perry. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
	While I have the consummate respect for my good friend from
	California, I must disagree with him on this particular issue.
	And I think that it is a good thing any single time that we
	highlight the atrocities, whether they are imposed on one
	individual or millions of individuals, by the Russian state, by
	the U.S.S.R., the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. And any
	time we can highlight things like the Katyn Forest massacre of
	thousands of Poles or the Terror-Famine in Ukraine, up to 6
	million Ukrainians murdered by the Soviet Union and the Russian
	dictators, I think it is a good thing.
	And so with those reasons in mind, I will oppose this
	amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.
	Chairman Royce. Thank you, General Perry.
	Mr. Albio Sires.
	Mr. Sires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
	And I really appreciate all your hard work, especially on
	this bill, but I must disagree with my colleague from
	California. I think to worry about what Russia feels about
	this, the name of this bill, when they are just moving away
	from democracy and becoming more dictatorial every day, I
	really do not agree with removing this name. If we remove this
	name, maybe we should add Fidel Castro to the bill. That may be
	more appropriate.
	Thank you.
	Mr. Connolly. Would my friend yield?
	Mr. Sires. Absolutely.
	Mr. Connolly. I thank my friend.
	My friend from California knows how much I do respect him
	and like him. But I felt listening to him like I was watching
	RT, Russian Television.
	His argument is essentially three points. Well, there is a
	lot of confusion over the circumstances. We don't know whether
	he was beaten to death because he was himself corrupt or they
	were trying to get intelligence out of him, as if that could
	ever be justified.
	Secondly, it is a gratuitous slap at Vladimir Putin and
	Russia. Actually, of course, it is the very opposite. It is
	calling them out for behavior that absolutely fails even the
	minimal standards of international norms with respect to
	jurisprudence and protection of those in custody.
	Thirdly, with his billions, being an oligarch, who knows,
	maybe there were lots of reasons to justify this. There can
	never be any reasons to justify it.
	I would make the opposite argument of my friend from
	California. We must put this name on this bill. We must make it
	clear to Vladimir Putin and his friends in Russia that there
	are international standards we will adhere to and insist they
	adhere to.
	And so I think we have to reject this amendment on its face
	overwhelmingly and make a collective statement from this
	committee, on behalf of this Congress, that we take note and
	that we are not going to let up, and that unacceptable behavior
	by Mr. Putin, whether it be in the Crimea or in a prison cell
	involving Sergei Magnitsky, you will adhere to civilized
	international norms of behavior because we are going to insist
	on it. And when you don't, we are going to call you out.
	I yield back.
	Mr. Cicilline. Mr. Connolly, will you yield?
	Mr. Connolly. The time is Mr. Sires'.
	Mr. Sires. Yes, I yield.
	Chairman Royce. The gentleman yields.
	Mr. Cicilline.
	Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
	I too oppose this amendment and encourage my colleagues to
	vote against it. And I just want to say that I thank my good
	friend, Mr. Rohrabacher, actually for giving us an opportunity
	to again remind people about the circumstances of this case and
	the naming of this legislation.
	There are really no doubts about the veracity of the case
	of Sergei Magnitsky, who was only 37 years old when he was
	killed in Russian Government custody after exposing wide-scale
	corruption and tax fraud by Russian officials. After arresting
	Mr. Magnitsky for the crimes he exposed, they allowed him to
	die in horrific circumstances.
	The Russian Government then continued its campaign of
	smears and vilification, turning on Magnitsky's boss, Bill
	Browder, after he refused to let the case simply disappear.
	They convicted Bill Browder in absentia of the tax evasion that
	Magnitsky had led the charge to uncover. And even more galling,
	they had the audacity to convict Mr. Magnitsky posthumously; in
	fact, the first such prosecution in Russian history.
	The Russian Government has had no shame when it comes to
	the case of Sergei Magnitsky, the details of which have been
	pored over, verified by multiple sources, and verified again.
	To allow the Russian Government any modicum of influence over
	this legislation, including its name, would be shameful and
	would dishonor the work of Mr. Magnitsky, Mr. Browder, and all
	of those men and women in Russia and around the world who fight
	against corruption and human rights abuses.
	I have here a Daily Beast article published today which
	outlines the length the Russian Government has gone to, to
	discredit, smear, and vilify Mr. Magnitsky and to oppose this
	legislation. And with the chairman's permission, I would like
	to submit it for the record.
	And I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and
	support the underlying legislation, the Global Magnitsky Human
	Rights Accountability Act.
	Chairman Royce. Without objection, subject to the length
	limitations and committee rules, all members have general leave
	to submit related materials for the record.
	Mr. Chabot. Mr. Chairman.
	Chairman Royce. Mr. Chabot seeks recognition.
	Mr. Chabot. Mr. Chairman, move to strike the last word.
	Chairman Royce. Mr. Chabot, you are recognized.
	Mr. Chabot. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, it doesn't mean I
	support his amendment, but I yield my time to the gentleman
	from California.
	Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much for yielding that
	time. And by the way, thank you for your expressions of
	friendship and respect for differences of opinion. That is all
	right. We are in a country where we do respect each other when
	we have disagreements and that is one of the things that makes
	our country great.
	Back to this particular issue, I will just have to say that
	there is ample evidence, enough evidence that major magazines,
	like New Republic and The Wall Street Journal, have called into
	question the details of this case as to whether or not what is
	being presented is not something that has been a major effort
	on the part of a multi-billionaire who made his profit at a
	time when there was chaos and confusion in Russia and basically
	became one of the oligarchs.
	What we should be talking about is basically, when we are
	talking about whether this title is appropriate, what are our
	standards of truth in this case? Do we know absolutely what the
	truth is? And I am saying that there are enough people who are
	credible.
	And the fact that we have Mr. Browder threatening a major
	television network in the United States, threatening them with
	a lawsuit if they have any major documentary on this issue. We
	also have a man who is renowned in Russia for making
	documentaries that oppose Putin, who launched an effort to do a
	documentary on Mr. Magnitsky. And guess what, as he went on, he
	began to realize it did not make any sense, the story that was
	being presented, which is that Magnitsky was being kept because
	he was exposing some Russians, government officials of
	corruption, as compared to he was being held because the
	Russian Government knew that there was $230 million in a tax
	liability that they did not have the funds that Mr. Browder was
	eligible, that was his tax liability.
	So I think that this is a murky issue. It is not cut and
	dry. And I know that over and over again it has been repeated
	that it is cut and dry and it is not. And I have tried to be an
	honest person myself, and the bottom line is that we, by taking
	this name out, in no way are we changing the standard of what
	we have and what our Government is going to have when it comes
	to this type of behavior of foreign officials.
	The downside of this, let me be very clear about this, the
	Russians feel it is a gratuitous slap just at them. And because
	of that, they have changed a law in Russia dealing with
	Americans' ability to adopt children, Russian children. Now, I
	would oppose them doing that, but that is what they did. And
	there is a side effect to this that is harming some children
	and some people here who would like to adopt Russian children
	who are in very much in need, and it is based not on trying to
	force us to change our standards, but at least trying to force
	us to take what they considered a gratuitous slap out of the
	title of the bill.
	So with that said----
	Mr. Connolly. Would my friend yield for a question?
	Mr. Rohrabacher. I certainly will.
	Mr. Connolly. The name of the bill is the Magnitsky bill,
	not the Browder bill. Is that not correct?
	Mr. Rohrabacher. To the degree officially, that is correct.
	Mr. Connolly. Thank you.
	Mr. Rohrabacher. All right. But the name of the bill should
	be, instead of that, should be Human Rights Accountability Act
	and not anybody's name.
	So with that said, I yield back the balance of my time. I
	appreciate my colleague yielding the time to me, and I yield
	back to him.
	Mr. Chabot. Reclaiming my time, I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Do any other members seek recognition to
	speak on this amendment?
	Mr. Randy Weber of Texas.
	Mr. Weber. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
	When Edward Snowden was running from American officials he
	landed in Moscow eventually. American officials pushed Putin to
	either extradite him to America or to kick him out of Russia.
	Putin commented that he didn't have any control over who was in
	Russia.
	Dana, you referenced The Wall Street Journal, so it
	reminded me that Dan Henninger in that article at that time
	said that that was ridiculous what Putin said because when
	Russian officials didn't want somebody in Russia, on Russian
	soil, they either removed him from it or put him under it. So
	that is their reputation.
	I yield to my friend from Pennsylvania.
	Mr. Perry. Thank you for yielding to my good friend from
	Texas.
	Just in response to my other good friend from California,
	which I must vehemently disagree with on this, when he says we
	are not sure of the facts, we are not sure of the facts, let me
	tell you what facts we are absolutely sure of. We are sure of
	the facts of the Terror-Famine in the 1930s where the Russian
	Government murdered by starvation up to 6 million Ukrainians
	and took their land. We are sure of the facts of the Katyn
	Forest massacre of World War II and the massacre of the Poles
	that were blamed on the Germans. We are sure of the facts of up
	to 45 million untimely deaths at the boot of communism and
	socialism under the Russian Government. And we are sure of the
	fact that Vladimir Putin is a former KGB agent and he is
	coalescing power not in a democratic way, but an authoritarian
	way, and is likely responsible for the untimely and unpleasant
	deaths of many that we don't know about. But we do know about
	this one.
	I think it is our duty to remind the American people every
	single day that we can, until they change their ways, what the
	Russian Government, what the U.S.S.R. has stood for, what
	Communism and Socialism has meant for the world, world over,
	since World War II.
	And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
	Chairman Royce. Do any other members seek recognition?
	Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question
	occurs on the amendment.
	All those in favor, say aye.
	All those opposed, no.
	In the opinion of the Chair, the noes have it, and the
	amendment is not agreed to.
	Are there any other requests for amendment at the desk.
	Hearing no further amendments, the Chair now moves that the
	committee agree to S. 284's amendment.
	All those in favor, say aye.
	All those opposed, no.
	In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and S. 284,
	as amended, is agreed to. Without objection, S. 284, as
	amended, is ordered favorably reported as a single amendment in
	the nature of a substitute. Staff is directed to make any
	technical and conforming changes and the Chairman is authorized
	to seek House consideration under suspension of the rules.
	So that concludes our business for today. I want to thank
	Ranking Member Engel and all of our committee members for their
	contributions and assistance with today's markup.
	The committee is adjourned.
	[Whereupon, at 11:22 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]





	A P P E N D I X

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	Material Submitted for the Record


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	Material submitted for the record by the Honorable Dana Rohrabacher, a
	Representative in Congress from the State of California

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	Material submitted for the record by the Honorable David Cicilline, a
	Representative in Congress from the State of Rhode Island


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