Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives 10252017 20171025

Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, mr. Royce mr. Speaker, morph the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 1698, as amended. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material the speaker pro tempore the gentleman will suspend. The clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 1698, a bill tokes tend sanctions against iran with respect to the Ballistic Missile program of ran, and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. Engel, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, im also going to ask unanimous consent to introduce the speaker pro tempore into t letters that are exchanged with other committees of jurisdiction on this bill. The speaker pro tempore without objection. So ordered. Mr. Oyce thank you, speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i today sume the house of representatives here considers four measures, four measures that we have worked on in a bipartisan way, four measures that are consistent with the president s call for an approach to iran that addresses the full range of threats that it possesses to not just the United States but to our allies, to our partners as well. This legislation, which i have authored, along with my colleague, eliot engel, i am proud to say we now have 323 cosponsors to this bill. This is the bipartisan iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions enforcement act. And what this does is to respond to the regimes continued pursuit of intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and to angerous conventional weapons. Thanking mybegin by good friend, mr. Engel, for his hard work, mccarthy as well, in bringing this important legislation to this floor. Thany good friend, mr. Engel, for his hard work, his collaboration, along with mr. Steny hoyer and mr. Iran has already developed an of short and mediumrange Ballistic Missiles. And those missiles put our allies, our partners, as well as u. S. Forces in range. Now iran is working on intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, and i think to get the just quote i would of short our former secretary of defense, ash carter. Because he testified before congress on this issue. Hat he conveyed to us is the i in icbm stands for intercontinental, which means having the capability of flying from iran to the United States, and we dont want that, unquote. That was the way he explained this. And one of the reasons that we ont want that is that intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are inherently capable of carrying Nuclear Weapons. In fact, as one expert told the foreign intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are Affairs Committee, country that is not aspired to possess Nuclear Weapons has ever opted to sustain a lengthy and extensive Missile Program. I would take issue with that. I do know of one exception to that rule, that exception was south africa under the Apartheid Regime which did develop the atomic weapon. It is an example how sanctions can be successful because when we pass sanctions here, the consequence was they made a decision to turn that weapon back over to the iaea as well as to allow Nelson Mandela to leave jail, and they held elections. That is the exception i know of. Whether you supported the nuclear deal or whether you opposed that nuclear deal, this other issue should concern you either way. By developing the Delivery System, iran is keeping its options open. So from those who worked on the deal, the architect, one of the architects, jake sullivan, of the former administration, he made it clear to us, and this was two weeks ago, that imposing costs on iran for its continued pursuit of Ballistic Missiles and other destabilizing activity is not only, not only necessary, but justified. That is one of the architects of the agreement itself. Thats what this bill does. It requires a comprehensive investigation to identify and designate the companies, the banks, the individuals inside and outside of iran which supply the regimes missiles and supply their conventional weapons programs, and it sanctions them. And in doing so, it shuts out iranian and Foreign Companies involved in irans Missile Program. And it also shuts out the banks that back them. It shuts them out from the Global Financial system. This bill expands irans sanctions that we passed and were signed into law in august with h. R. 3364, the countering americas adversaries through sanctions act. For example, while the bill that passed over the summer specifically sanctions those who materially contribute to irans Ballistic Missile program, the bill before us today goes a step further by sanctioning those that are in the business of financing irans efforts. The conventional weapons prohibition in the bill before us are also stronger, and let me explain why. The august legislation referenced the United Nations register of conventional arms, which excludes such items as russias recent sale of the s300 air Defense System to iran. The bill before us ensures that there is no such carve out. So, mr. Speaker, members have different views on how to handle Irans Nuclear program, but when it comes to irans Ballistic Missile and conventional weapons programs, all 323 cosponsors of this bill agree, iran has no business developing or acquiring intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. And thats why its so important that we pass this bill and give the administration the tools to respond and ill reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . Mr. Engel mr. Speaker, i rise in support of this measure and i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Engel thank you. Let me thank our chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, my friend, ed royce of california, for his work moving this bill. I was pleased to join him as the ead democratic cosponsor when we introduced this we introduced this bill in march of this year. I stand by his entire statement that he just made. We have an absolute meeting of the minds on this bill and that is why we were able to get 323 cosponsors on both sides of the aisle because people understand and realize the threat that iran poses to us and to the world and to our allies. Foreign Affairs Committee has been hard at work this year devising new tools and approaches for dealing with the threat of iran. There is no doubt that iran must be one of our major priorities in our foreign policy. The worlds most prolific state sponsor of terrorism, a serial abuser of human rights, a lifeline for the murderous assad regime in syria, and the challenge were dealing with today, irans illicit development of Ballistic Missiles. The chairman and i share the view that when it comes to the nuclear deal, which we both opposed, the best path forward is to enforce the hell out of it, even while we worked to hold irans feet to the fire on all these other harmful activities. We passed this sanctions bill last summer to crack down on iran, as well as north korea and russia. While the bill before us today basically contains very similar provisions which we dealt with them and as the chairman explained we go one step further im always eager to find even more ways to dial up pressure on the regime in tehran, which is a malevolent regime, which is a regime that sponsors terrorism, which is a regime that is hostile to the United States, hostile to our ally, israel, and hostile to other our allies in the middle east. I worry that the administration isnt taking this problem seriously. So far the white house hadnt fully implemented the previous bill we sent to the president. The white houses approach to the nuclear deal sends a bad message to allies and adversaries around the world the United States might not live up to its word. Rather that extracting more concessions with iran, which i believe may be possible by working hard to build a strong multilateral coalition, the course of this may instead push iran to leave the deal and resume work on a bomb. We can never allow that to happen. So im happy that we keep passing the sanction bills, but Congress Role can only go so far. Its up to the administration to lay out its goals, devise a strategy, and implement the tough sanctions congress has passed. Its more than 60 days since we passed the sanctions bill. And the president has not mplemented it. According to the bill, which the president signed, it was supposed to be implemented within 60 days. So it sends a mixed message. Talking tough is not enough, ngress sends a bill to the white house, the president signs it, it really should be implemented. I want to urge the president and administration to listen to this congress in a bipartisan way. We passed this bill. It needs to be implemented. And this bill needs to be passed and implemented again. In the meantime, im happy to support this bill. I think this shows that we need to Work Together when it comes to iran in a bipartisan way. To show that theres really not a shred of difference that we will not stand for irans aggression. We will not stand for the mullahs threatening us. We will not stand for identify ran stomping on its own people. So i again thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue. I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to support it, and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce id like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, mr. Mike mccaul, he is chairman of the committee on Homeland Security. Hes a former federal prosecutor and Senior Member of our committee on Foreign Affairs. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Mccaul thank you, mr. Speaker. Let me first commend chairman royce and Ranking Member eliot engel for your strong bipartisan work on this very important legislation that sanctions irans Ballistic Missile program and the iranian backed terror group, hezbollah. Over the last decades a tyrannical regime in iran has been racing to develop a Nuclear Weapons program that could threaten the United States and our allies and potentially spark and arms race in the middle east. Unfortunately the extremely flawed jcpoa kept parts of Irans Nuclear infrastructure in place and strengthened the regimes leader with a windfall of cash. Because this toothless deal address irans other maligned activities, such as support for terror, and their intercontinental Ballistic Missile program, we must now find other ways to apply new pressure. Fortunately, the house is taking today. One of the bills were considering will require the president to impose additional sanctions on entities and individuals supporting irans development of Ballistic Missiles. Today. One i sincerely hope we can soon add even more pressure on iran by designating the Iranian Revolutionary guard corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Legislation i pursued in the last two congresses. Going after state sponsors is important. But of winning this fight, we must fight also directly individual terror groups to limit the resources to prevent future attacks. That is why im pleased that we also are considering measures to target hezbollah. This package would direct the president to impose new sanctions on Financial Institutions and foreign governments that support hezbollah and affiliated organizations, as well as individual members of the terror groups that they have used civilians as human shields. I will say hezbollah killed so ny of our marines in beirut, lebanon. Let us not forget. The chairman and Ranking Member and i recently visited israel, the Prime Minister netanyahu, who described the shiia crescent of iran going into iraq into syria into lebanon, he talked to us about the manufacturing plant in lebanon, manufacturing rockets pointed straight at the state of israel. These bills, i believe, will ake us steps closer to ridding the world of this threat posed by islamic terror. With that i thank the chairman and the Ranking Member and with that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel mr. Speaker, i dont know if there are any other speakers. If there are i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce i yield one minute to the gentleman from california, the esteemed majority leader of the house. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Mccarthy i thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank the gentleman for his work as chairman of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Speaker, i stand on this floor thinking of the world and americas place in it. What i desire most is peace. America has no desire to fight those who do not harm us, and i would gladly support any International Agreement that i thought would bring us to an honorable and enduring peace. But peace is not based on hope. It is not based on good intentions, and it is not based on pieces of paper signed at wellplanned ceremonies. Peace is based on strength, and america and our allies will only be at peace if those who hate us hear us. This is where our credibility matters. So when an american president agrees to a deal that is so obviously unequal and untenable, everyone stops fearing us. They start to think they can push us around. Now, let me be clear. They may start to push but no one can knock us down. America will win any fight. Our enemies should know that, but frankly, i want our enemies to be so afraid of us they dont even want to fight. That saves everyone a great deal of trouble. So when i look back to our Nuclear Deals with north korea and our deal with iran, they werent just flawed, they are dangerous. And the displays of weakness have consequence beyond Nuclear Weapons. Our north korea deal has failed. The kim regime will soon have uclear warheads on intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. These warheads will be hitting our homeland. In the meantime, they have reportedly fired missiles over our allies, south korea and japan, in an almost daily threatened war. The deal with iran is on a path to failure. Designed in such a way that even if it were followed, a regime that chants, death to america. Let me say that again. A regime that chants, death to america, could have Nuclear Weapons the day after the deal expires. Even ignoring the deal, iran continues to destabilize the region for its own goal funding terrorism abroad and fueling violence between shiia and sunni muslims thats tearing the middle east apart. The spread of Nuclear Weapons is a danger in and of itself. I do not need to explain why enemies of the United States should be stopped from gaining the power to level american cities, but the evil is made orse when our enemies with any weapon think they can push america and our allies around. America will not be weak any longer. Todays sanction on iran undermines the Ballistic Missile program and the terrorist warriors of hezbollah whose pockets are filled with iranian money just as their heads are covered with american blood. This is an important part of our nations new iran strategy, and yesterday we passed the most farreaching sanctions we have ever imposed on north korea. Those who do business with north korea support a regime run on slave labor. They support a regime that deprives its citizens of every freedom, even the freedom to think. And they support a regime that tortured and murdered an american citizen, Otto Warmbier. Not because he committed a crime or threatened their government in any way but because he was an american. If we do business with such a regime, there will be severe consequences. Now, i had the honor of meeting ottos parents, cindy and fred. They told me about ottos warmth, his joy, his love of life, the great hopes he had. In everything, he stood as a living example of the good in humanity that the kim regime seeks to destroy. So we renamed that legislation as the Otto Warmbier north Korean Nuclear sanctions act. It wont bring him back but it will remind north korea that evil has consequences. Ottos murder was a crime we nnot accept, but it is a crime, i fear, our enemies will repeat at a much larger scale if we do not start stopping them now. So lets remind them who theyre up against. America will not fail. Yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from florida, ileana roslehtinen, who chairs the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the middle east and north africa and she is the author of multiple laws addressing the iranian threat. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you so much, mr. Speaker. And i thank chairman royce for authoring this bill alongside our good friend, Ranking Member eliot engel, the dynamic duo of Foreign Affairs. I want to thank them for the leadership and their continued effort in Holding Iran Accountable. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill is called the iran Ballistic Missile and International Sanctions and enforcement act, authored by our chairman and Ranking Member, it is a strong and important bill. It sanctions iranian and foreign persons and entities that support, that facilitate, that finance irans Ballistic Missile program. Its a necessary measure because as we know, iran has felt embolden to continue advancing its Missile Program since the p5plus1 and iran conclude the weak nuclear deal. Tehran has taken advantage of this deal and the u. N. Security Council Resolution that endorsed the agreement. Despite language that prohibits irans Ballistic Missile testing in u. N. Resolution 2231, iran has actually increased its missile activities, violating both the spirit and the letter of the resolution. With the president having made his determination two weeks ago that iran is not in compliance with its commitment under the Iran Nuclear Agreements review act, we now have an opportunity to address the weakness in the nuclear deal and also irans illicit activity. We must continue to press forward on a duo track. We must continue to hold them accountable for their illicit activity. Both are extremely important for our National Security. This is an important step. I thank the members for their great leadership. I support passage of chairman royces and eliot engels measure and i yield back. Thank you, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce i yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, judge ted poe, hes the chairman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation and trade. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Poe i thank the speaker and i thank the chairman for this legislation. Mr. Speaker, iran continues to be one of the two greatest threats to the United States National Security and to Global Security. The other, of course, is north korea. Its become very clear that iranian deal has not moderated the regime. Regardless of where people are on where we should have signed it or didnt sign it, it didnt stop the aggressive activity and belief of the regime. I believe theyre still developing or trying to develop Nuclear Weapons. No one denies that iran is actively working toward developing a delivery capability for a nuclear payload. Irans Ballistic Missile program is going to be and already is a menace not only to the United States but to europe and other parts of the world. Iran is working with north korea to develop intercontinental Ballistic Missiles capable of reaching our shores. These two nations engage in their activity and belief in hate hate of freedom to destroy the United States and our some of our allies. We should understand that this is a reality and the threat is now and we should deal with both of those countries accordingly, not in 10 years. Royce lation mr. Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions enforcement act is crucial. We must hold the ayatollah accountable for hurting our Global Security and must hold e ayatollah and the irgc and hezbollah accountable for the people that have been murdered throughout the world because of heir response to hate, their hating of all peoples that dont agree with them. We must hurt the entire supply chain of the Ballistic Missile program. When the ayatollah says death to america, i believe it. That is their policy. Death to america. Americans should believe this. We must make sure he does not have the capability to achieve a Delivery System of his Nuclear Weapons. So i urge favor in voting of 1698. I do want to mention, meesh, another bill that i think mr. Speaker, another bill that i think is important we pass today, mr. Deutchs h. R. 359. In 2013, the European Union finally came around to designating hezbollah as a terrorist organization. But for reasons that make absolutely no sense to me, the iranians only designated hezbollahs military wing europeans thank you, mr. Chairman. Hezbollahs military wing, not the political wing. So by distinguishing between the terrorist groups socalled military and political wings, it seems like we have legitimized this groups deadly behavior. Mr. Royce i grant the gentleman an additional 130ekds. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Poe hezbollah is a terrorist organization and wherever you look in the middle east you will find trouble, you will find the irgc and hezbollah working together. These two agencies from iran are the gestapo actors for the iranian ayatollah and its time we hold them accountable for what theyre doing. We must pass these pieces of legislation and this will go a long way in doing that and thank you. Ill yield back the balance of my time, and thats just the way it is. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The gentleman is recognized. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel yes, ill continue to hold. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. Mr. Royce and ill reserve the right to close. Mr. Engel if there are no other speakers mr. Royce no additional speakers. Mr. Engel ill close. Mr. Speaker, as weve shown again and again, and you can tell with all the comments that are made here, there are support on both sides of the aisle for Holding Iran Accountable for its dangerous behavior. While todays bill is similar to the bipartisan sanctions Congress Passed during the summer, the direction were moving today with this bill is the right one. Going after iran for something outside the scope of the nuclear deal. When the nuclear deal was negotiated we were told very clearly it would not prevent us, would not stop us from slapping sanctions on iran for other things, other things like support of terrorism or Ballistic Missiles or all the trouble making activities that they do. This is what were doing today. We are slapping sanctions on iran for its behavior. Were slapping sanctions on iran because were not going to stand on their doing whatever they please and helping terrorism, suppressing rights of its people and being a general threat to the United States. So i hope we can get strong bipartisan overwhelming vote for this bill, the way we did in the bill that chairman royce and i introduced three months ago, again, which gave the resident 60 days to identify sanctions which was not done beyond the 60 days and i hope the administration forthwith does that now. So i think this is an important measure. I think its an important measure to have a strong bipartisan vote because we have to show the iranians that while we may disagree on certain things, there is no disagreement on the fact that we regard iran as the largest state sponsor of terrorism. Its true, both sides of the aisle, that we regard iran threatening that we regard iran as dangerous in the middle east, that we regard, iran, unfortunately, as an adversary of the United States. The comments with the rale ease that the ayatollah holds, death to america, death to israel, is not something we can countenance in this country. We are going to fight it. I am very proud of what the house is doing today. I urge a yes vote and i yield back the balance of my time. I want to thank chairman royce, once again, for his strong leadership on this measure and so many measures. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce thaurks mr. Speaker. I do want to thank thank you, mr. Speaker. I do want to thank, i want to thank all of the members who worked on this bill, but i do want to ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to submit any statements or any material for the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce thank you. And ill yield myself such time as i might consume. The speaker pro tempore without objection. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce well, mr. Speaker, over the last few years, the Foreign Affairs committee has conducted dedicated oversight of the threats posed by iran and weve had dozens of hearings. And whether the topic was the Nuclear Program or the Missile Program, or irans support for terrorism, or the regimes human rights abuses, the conclusion was clear. The United States must respond to the full range of threats. And with this bill and the others before us, thats what we are doing here today. Mr. Speaker, ill yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 1698, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended mr. Royce mr. Speaker, on that i request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3342 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk hamplet of h. R. 3342, a bill to impotion saxes sanctions on foreign persons that are responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, by raising of the youth by hezbollah of civilians as human shields, and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. Engel, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california. Mr. Royce i ask unanimous consent that all members might have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material for the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce i also ask unanimous consent to include in the record letters exchanged with other committees of jurisdiction on this bill. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce thank you. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce thank you, mr. Speaker. So i am rising in strong support to this shields act, as we call it. Which sanctions hezbollah, sanctions them for their use in southern lebanon of not only families but entire villages as human shields. And let me explain this. As weve discussed today, the iranianbacked terrorist organization hezbollah has constructed an entire military paratus in the nation that sits just north of israels northern border. In lebanon. And its now complete with missile production facilities that are intended to strike at israels civilian centers. I do want to thank the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. Gallagher, for his leadership. Because hes helped bring this critical attention to to us today. But in the process, as we talk about hezbollah, theyve placed israeli and lebanese civilians directly in the path of the conflict. If you go to that border, as i have done, you can see command post after command post, not manned by the Lebanese Armed forces. Those flags you see are not lebanese flags. They are hezbollah battle flags. And they man those posts, surrounded by antitank and infantry positions. Surrounded by underground tunnels and rocket launchers and arms depots. In short, countless lebanese villagers are villages are in effect military bases. The ones right along that border. Financed and equipped by iran. No one has the right to sacrifice the lives of innocent women and children and certainly not those dedicated to the twisted and evil goals of destroying the state of israel. When i say i have seen this in thand, in 2006 i was haifa during the war that hezbollah was conducting with israel. And hezbollah forces used human shields extensively, in a cowardly effort to protect their rocket launchers from counterattacks by israeli forces. Watched as those rockets came into civilian populations in haifa and exploded there and sent those civilians to the trauma hospital. As they were bringing people into the trauma hospital, i asked for the count that day. There were 600 victims, wounded victims, of those attacks being treated in that hospital. Arab israelis, jewish israelis, other israelis, all of them victims of those hezbollah attacks. It seems and by the way, when you see the devastation, every one of those iranianmade missiles has 90,000 ball bearings in it. And that is what theyre launching on schools, civilian areas, they attempted to hit the hospital itself. It seems that hezbollah and its iranian backers are willing to fight to the last villager there in their quest to annihilate the people of israel. Yet neither hezbollah nor iran has been held to account by responsible nations for these egregious crimes. Hile former minister of iran was coddled by the e. U. , this issue was never raised. Not by us, not by the e. U. We never raised this with iranians as a serious issue. We have to. Because the willingness to overlook these Human Rights Violations is why we find ourselves in the position that were in today. And why this legislation is critically important. This bill calls on the u. S. And its partners to hold hezbollah and iran accountable through targeted sanctions and appropriate action at the United Nations security council. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel mr. Speaker, i rise in support of this measure and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Engel let me start off by thanking representatives gallagher of wisconsin, and suozzi of new york, mr. Suozzis a very valued new member of the Foreign Affairs committee. And want to thank both of them for their hard work on this issue on this bill, and as always i want to thank chairman royce for his leadership. This is the first of three measures that were considering today to crack down on the terrorist group, hezbollah. Ive been focused on this challenge for a long time. More than a decade ago i wrote a law to get syria out of lebanon and with it, serious support for hezbollah. But this is a group made up of extremists. And they will always try to find new ways to gather resources and spread their reach. All in aid of its dangerous and violent agenda, which is undermining lebanons political independence, supporting irans activities, aggressive activities throughout the region, fueling chaos and war in syria, and threatening our ally, israel. We need to do everything in our power to isolate hezbollah. We need to crack down on its recruiters. And financers. We need to cut off its supply of weapons. And we need to silence its propaganda machine. The three measures well now consider will help us meet this challenge. The first is a new sanctions bill aimed at hezbollahs use of innocent civilians as human shields. It would ban entry into the United States to anyone who uses human shields on behalf of hezbollah, and it would freeze whatever assets they have in the United States. This bill would call upon our ambassador to the u. N. To push for multilateral sanctions for the same behavior. And it would require the administration to Keep Congress apprised about whether certain hezbollah leaders would be caught up in the web of these sanctions. Its a good bill and a piece of a broader strategy to cut the legs out from under this group. You know, some of our friends in europe like to say, well, there are really two parts of hezbollah. One is the military wing and one is the humanitarian wing. And the socalled humanitarian wing takes care of people who are in trouble, who need aid, who need help, and thats the way the story goes. The fact is a terrorist organization is a terrorist organization. You cannot cut it in half and say one wing is good and the other wing is not. A terrorist organization is not good. A terrorist organization kills innocent people. A terrorist organization doesnt want peace, they want war they want killing, they want people to continue to suffer. So let us remember, hezbollah is a terrorist group, hezbollah is primarily financed by iran. Assad was losing the war in syria on at least two occasions , and on at those times, syria had an infusion of hezbollah fighters sent by iran , on the side of the assad regime, to prop up assad. After they did it, the russians came in and propped up assad. So lets remember the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who have been murdered in syria, in the syria civil war. Thats hezbollah. A terrorist organization. Armed in israel against innocent bombs in israel against innocent civilians, bombs every place else. We cannot sit idly by. And so this bill again is a piece of a broader strategy to cut the legs out from under this group. Im pleased to support it. I urge everyone to do the same. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce yes. Id like to yield four minutes to the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. Mike gallagher. Hes a member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees. Hes also the author of this bill, alopping with mr. Tom suozzi of along with mr. Tom suozzi of new york. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized for four minutes. Mr. Gallagher thank you, mr. Speaker. Today i rise in support of h. R. 3342, the sanctioning hezbollahs illicit use of civilians as defenseless shields act. First and foremost, id like to thank chairman royce, Ranking Member engel, for their steadfast support of this effort and their broader leadership, not only in the middle east and as it pertains to rolling back irans influence and their terrorist proxies, foremost among them, hezbollah, but also as it pertains to making the case for American Leadership in the world. Making the case for why American Leadership, buttressed by its strong alliances, is a surround investment in our safety here at home. Id also like to thank my friend and friend and colleague, tom suozzi, for his tireless work to make this bill a reality. He and his staff have been a pleasure to work with every step along the way. I think hes a perfect example of someone who is here and unafraid to reach across the aisle when it comes to doing whats right for the country. Mr. Speaker, this bill comes at an extremely important time. When iran and its proxies such as hezbollah are making a concerted push on the ground in the middle east against the United States, our allies and our interests. This isnt a new phenomenon, of course. Since its founding in the early 1980s, hezbollah has been one of the most dangerous and Destructive Forces throughout the greater middle east. With the exception of al qaeda, no Foreign Terrorist Organization has killed more americans than hezbollah. With the support of the iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary guard corps, hezbollah has engaged in a sustained campaign of terrorism and violence. Including against the United States and israel. Congress, along with the United Nations, has repeatedly documented hezbollahs numerous violations of international law, including employing human shields throughout the 2006 conflict, concealing an arsenal that has grown to over 150,000 missiles, and other destabilizing weapons provided by the syrian and iranian governments in southern lebanon, often beneath civilian infrastructure. And maintaining an armed military force within lebanons sovereign territory in direct violation of numerous u. N. Security Council Resolutions, thus preventing lebanon from exerting its lawful control over its internationally recognized borders. Leading to the creation of sanctions regime against the group, but despite these sanctions, hezbollah has expanded due to financial support. The state department has expressed alarm at hezbollahs capabilities and influence describing the group in 2010 as the most technically capable terrorist group in the world. In 2013, the state department noticed the increased activities. Despite its extensive track record of terror, hezbollah has yet to be specifically sanctioned by the United States for its barbaric practice of using defenseless civilians as human shields. The shields act punishes hezbollah for these atrocities. Just a few of the measures include identifying and sanking hezbollah members and those acting on behalf of hezbollah who are complicit in ordering the use of human shields, identify foreign, persons and agencies of foreign states who ve provided or facilitated Material Support to identified individuals and blocking real estate transactions and leveraging powers described in the National Economic Emergency Powers act. This is a bipartisan bill that advances american interests, punishes those that support and enable the barbaric practice of using human shields and protects our allies in the region. I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation. And i thank the chairman for his help and leadership. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel i yield five minutes to my colleague on the Foreign Affairs committee, a fellow new yorker, coauthor of this important bill. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Suozzi i would like to thank chairman royce and Ranking Member engel for their bipartisan leadership and the model they show all of us on this committee and for their mentorship as well. I thank and aplowed Mike Gallagher for his leadership on this bill and working closely to get this done. We are grateful to him. The shields act that i rise in support of right now will sanction hezbollah members and their supporters for the use of human shields. It also seeks to punish the governments that enable their war crimes including iran. Is summer, i visited iran israel, and i stood near lebanons southern border. In over 30 years since hezbollah in 1983 killed of hundreds of americans, they have become one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations not only in lebanon but across the entire middle east. In 2006, it provoked a war with israel by killing and kidnapping soldiers in crossborder raids and rained rockets on israeli cities killing dozens of civilians. Journalists found it fired these rockets from Populated Areas even from inside private homes and civilian buildings. That war ended more than a decade ago, but hezbollah is committed to israels destruction. It has spent millions to replenish its arsenal which includes 150,000 missiles. Much of it concealed in mosques, hospitals, schools and homes with civilians are used as human shields. Hezbollah has continued its actions on the border between lebanon and israel and killed and wounded israeli soldiers. Threatened bombings of gas fields and chemical plants. It has built an Expansive Network of tunnels and the civilians caught in this destructive web of terror would have no safe haven if hezbollah started a war. Hezbollah has expanded its nefarious activities regionally playing a major role in the Syrian Civil War deploying its men to prop up assads vicious regime. Hezbollah members are fighting along side a syrian army that has killed half a Million People and driven more into exile. In the process, it has trained for its next war for israel. One official said the group has learned frightening skills in urban war fair on its years on the ground in syria and did it who threaten to rain war. From iraq to gaza, yemen to bahrain, proxies have been at the center of the chaos consuming the middle east. Hezbollah remains irans oldest and deadliest proxy and its actions deserve particular attention. In town after town, hezbollah militants prevented civilians from fleeing the artillery. Millions. Killed assads murderous regime continues to stay in power. Hezbollah is not only a threat to the people beyond lebanons border but a threat to the lebanese people. The assassination of a Prime Minister and use of human shields endanger the lebanese people every moment of every day. I applaud the membership for continuing to find ways to crack down on hezbollah and iran. Today, there are four suspension bills on the calendar. One prevents iran from taking activity to advance their Ballistic Missile program. H. R. 3329, Hezbollah International financing prevention amendments act. And h. Ress 359 which urges our allies to drop their false distinction and designate them in their entirety as a terrorist organization. And mine and mr. Gallaghers legislation the shields act. We must pass these four bills to continue reduce the influence of a group and its backer, iran, that have threatened their own people for far too long. The bipartisan sheeds act will send a strong message that the United States of america will not stand for the use of innocent civilians as pawns in the destructive chest game of irans and hezbollahs effort to subsidy stabilize the region. I applaud congressman gallagher and i join him in his leadership and i ask my colleagues for their support. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from new york reserves. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce i yield three minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. Rohrabacher. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Rohrabacher im pleased to be here with Ranking Member engel and chairman royce. I congratulate both of them on the great work that they are doing on especially on middle east issues. Over and over again, they have been on top of the situation and making sure that americas position and the moral position of the world is declared by this congress. And today, we have four bills that are in that keeping with that tradition and the great job they have already been doing. First of all, let us just note that this human shields legislation well, whatever way its worth us saying, look how horrible it is and look at the horrible tactics they are using, its worth our time to bring attention to it. We are calling for peace in the middle east. We are pleading with those people who have degenerated to the point that they are using innocent people as shields, where their bodies will be cut part by slap nell or enemy fire. So it is just and right for us today. This is part of a bigger problem, and that is that you have the leadership in that part of the world and the middle east, islamic leaders in that part of the world, refuse to recognize israel and its right to exist. Whether they are using their people as human shields to accomplish their mission, whether they are allied with the mullah regime who chants death to israel, no, when those people, whether its iran or hezbollah or allies throughout the middle east recognize israel has a right to exist, a major step forward would happen. Instead they play games about the right of return. So how would israel ever be able to accept the fact that their country is going to be taken over the minute they make some kind of an agreement to let them do so. No, what we are calling out for today, we are pointing our fingers at the immorality of hezbollah and their association with the mullahs and its tyrannical regime in syria. What we are asking for is not just a condemnation, we are asking for peace. We are asking for these people to look at the moral arguments that america is standing for these moral arguments. Please, we are pleading with you to reach a Peace Agreement with israel and reach a peace greament with the other peoples agreement with the other peoples in that region. We need to make sure we stand for truth, justice and morality. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from california reserves. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel its my pleasure to yield two minutes, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. Frankel. Ms. Frankel thank you, mr. Speaker and thank you to the bipartisan leadership of this committee. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 31 34th anniversary of the devastating Marine Corps Barracks bombing in lebanon. As the very proud mother of a u. S. Marine, this is deeply personal to to me. My son has returned safely from his tours of service. Not so blessed were the families of 220 marines and 21 other service peron ell were murdered when hezbollah struck with truck bombs in Beirut Lebanon on october 23, 1983. Marines we lost that day, they were someones husband, father, brother or son. Except for al qaeda, hezbollah has killed more americans than any other terrorist group in the world and it continues to be a menacing threat to all humanity. Just look at syria, the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, hundreds of thousands of civilians murdered, five million have fled as refugees. Hezbollah, a tool of iran, propping up assad and fueling the violence and their actions dont stop there. Israelis live under the constant shadow of hezbollahs missiles that are pointed at them. They have increased their rocket count from 15,000 to 150,000. And they embed weapons in their mosques, hospitals and schools. These bipartisan bills before us that i wholeheartedly support the help america go after hezbollahs activities, sanctioning them for utilizing humans as human shields and targeting irans support to hezbollah and urging the European Union to designate them as a terrorist organization. I urge adoption of these bills. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleladys time has expired. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from florida who chairs the foreign subcommittee on the middle east and south africa. Ms. Roslehtinen i thank our dynamic duo once again for this wonderful legislation for bringing this bill before us this afternoon. I rise in strong support of h. R. 3342 sanctioning hezbollahs illicit use of civilians as defenseless shields act offered by our colleagues. Thank you for your leadership. Im proud to be a cosponsor and applaud our effort here in the house to take up several measures that address a variety of threats that iran and its proxies pose to our National Security and the security of those in the region. The use of human shields is unconscionable, morally unacceptable and a clear violation of human rights. Yet for terrorist groups such as iran proxies, hezbollah and hamas, the use of human shields is an acceptable tactic and it is a tactic used because they engage in terrorist activities. They dont have the same beliefs and morals of the United States or israel. It is an attempt to cause innocents to be dragged into their conflict and to cause as many casualties as they can with no regard whatsoever to human life. Iran and hezbollah know that if they engage in hostilities with israel, the world will be quick to blame israel for civilian deaths despite the great precautions israel takes to not only save human life but to only go against be lidgerans. We must condemn this tactic by hezbollah and state sponsors of terrorism. We must take action to hold anyone who engages in such actions accountable. Iran and hezbollah will continue to take advantage of our morality, which they perceive to be a weakness on our part and they will continue to employ the use of human shields until the world sends a strong and unified message and thats what this bill does. Thank you to the chairman and Ranking Member and to the speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel if there are speakers on the other side, i will reserve. Mr. Royce i believe we have one additional speaker and the speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from new york reserves. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce so ill yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. Tom garrett, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from virginia is recognizeded for two minutes is recognized for two minutes. Mr. Garrett thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member engel. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Today is a culmination of a series of wonderful bipartisan efforts that while on their face to those who are not initiated may seem to deal with disparate subject, subjects, hezbollahs use of humans as shields are in effect dealing with the same subject. Mr. Speaker, one cant separate hezbollah from iran. In fact, hezbollah was born out a only a few short years after the iranian revolution, which brought such heartache that the loss of life in iran, adjusted for population, mirrors that of the entire loss of life by the United States in combat during the entire second world war. These are innocent iranians killed by their own government, mr. Speaker. And we see also that the hezbollah forces in israel in israel and lebanon and indeed around the world quite literally have continued to use human shields. My friend and colleague from california, congressman rohrabacher, said that hezbollah actions have degenerated to the point where they were using human shields. While i hold mr. Rohrabacher in great esteem, i would submit that they havent degenerated because that implies at some point that hezbollah didnt engage if such behavior. So the bipartisan actions led by Ranking Member engel and chairman royce today bring us to where indeed we need to be by virtue of the reality of the world in which we live. Hezbollah does not exist but for the largess of iran and the moneys funneled by the iranian regime. The hezbollah missiles, which member frankel so eloquently spoke of, are indeed iranian missiles. And the icbms that iran is developing that we seek to to il stem from a failure include a prohibition on icbm development in the jcpoa. I would note for the record and for the members and for those who might be viewing at home that u. N. Security Council Resolution 1929 of 2010, which included signatures from the russians and the chinese, said that iran was forbidden from engaging in missile development, the jcpoa says iran has ask is asked not to engage in mr. Royce i yield the gentleman another minute. Mr. Garrett thank you, mr. Chairman. We then arrive at the point where the work, the good work of mr. Engel and chairman royce is needed today. And that is what we do. And it is with glad heart that i note the bipartisan nature of these agreements. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you, mr. Chairman. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from california is recognized. The gentleman from california reserves. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel mr. Speaker, ill close now. And i want to close the way i opened. I want to thank my colleagues on both side sides of the aisle for their hard work on this bill. I want to remind my colleagues that just a few years ago, when he last war was raging in gaza , the other terrorist group, hamas, used civilians as human shields. We had a resolution on the floor of this house condemning it and i was very, very proud that that resolution passed unanimously. We need to condemn these terrorist groups, no matter what they do. But when they use people as human shields, innocent people, and then try to blame the other side for the death, its not something that we can stand for at all. And i hope that we rise to the occasion this time as well. Because i can think of nothing more despicable than using innocent civilians as human shields. These bomb factories are built in mosques, theyre built in schools. Theyre built in playgrounds. Theyre built where children are. Theyre built because they are daring israel and the united tates to go after them when we know that theyll be human casualties. And its really a despicable position. And here you have two terrorist groups, hezbollah and hamas, ones shia, ones sunni, doesnt matter. Theyre both out to kill people. Theyre both out to terrorize people. Theyre both out to do the opposite of what we try to do in the United States, lifting people up. And they need to be stopped. And this Congress Needs to keep sending strong messages with teeth behind it to the world, that we will not sit idly by and allow these terrorist activities to happen. And using civilians as human shields is really the lowest of the low. The fact that hezbollah would put innocent men, women and children in harms way as human shields tells you everything you need know about this organization. Its a cowardly practice by a gruesome group and it cannot and shall not be tolerated. This measure puts us on record again, condemning this terrorist group. And it gives the administration more tools to deal with one of hezbollahs wort too worst tools. More tools to deal with hezbollah, to stop its terrorist activities. So i urge a bipartisan yes vote. I thank chairman royce again for his collaboration with us on both sides of the aisle. Thats one of the great things about the Foreign Affairs committee, because we realize that partisanship stops at the waters edge. When were talking about terrorist groups, when were talking about antidemocratic groups, they effect us all. And the important that this Congress Sends strong bipartisan measures, and a strong bipartisan voice to say we will not tolerate these atrocities. So i yield back and urge a yes vote of all my colleagues on both sides. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i did want to say ive had the opportunity to travel extensively with mr. Engel and to observe him and his work here in this house for many years. And he has always transcended partisanship in my view, but more importantly, from my standpoint, he has been a servant of the National Interest here and the core values of the United States of america. And our attempt to represent those core values around the world. And i wanted to take this moment, especially given his eloquent statement here, about these values, as he spoke about hezbollah. And these are values that i think all of us should share. The Geneva Convention itself establishes standards for international law. And it does so for the protection of civilians in a war zone. And they specifically prohibit under that Geneva Convention, of course, the use of civilians as human shields. It is article 58 of the conventions additional protocols that require parties to of any conflict to avoid locating military objectives within or near densely Populated Areas. So to date hezbollahs arsenal of well over 100,000, as i shared with you, all of them manufactured today by iran, those rockets and missiles of various ranges today include precisionguided missiles. I spoke earlier of 2006, the second lebanon war, that was actually should be called the hezbollah war. At that time, as i talked about the 600 victims that were in the trauma hospital, they were down to an inventory of 10,000 missiles. Today they have in the hands of hezbollah, again, because of iran, over 100,000 such rockets and missiles. Hezbollah nk, yes, has blatantly violated the wellestablished laws of armed conflict. It has targeted civilians for more than two decades. In both lebanon and israel. And as a result both peoples are victims of hezbollah and, frankly, of irans brutality. And it is high time we hold them accountable and this we try to do in this legislation. Thank you again, mr. Engel, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 3342, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. For what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3329 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 3329, a bill to amend the Hezbollah International financing prevention active 2015, to impose additional sanctions with respect to hezbollah and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. Engel, each will control 20 minutes. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend any remarks and to include any extraneous material on this measure. Into the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce and unanimous consent also to introduce into the record letters of exchange with other committees of jurisdiction on this bill. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce and ill yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, today we will consider legislation targeting hezbollah, irans leading terrorist proxy, with tough new sanctions. It was 34 years ago this monday that that truck bomb filled with explosives detonated outside the United States Marine Corps Barracks in beirut, lebanon, killing 241 of our servicemen. Between 1982 and 1984 we had 272 marine, soldiers and sailors from 39 states and puerto rico lose their lives while serving as peace keepers in beirut. And hezbollah was behind those attacks. Since that fateful day, hezbollah has collaborated with iran to expand terror throughout the region, taking hundreds of thousands of lives. If we count the lives of human beings lost in syria, in yemen, in iraq, in gaza, and today as a leading iranian proxy, hezbollah continues to be irans front line against israel. Since its 2006 war with israel, hezbollah has dramatically grown its supply of rockets and missiles, allowing it to strike throughout israel with great precision and force. It is putting the military power to very effective use that it has gleaned through what it has learned on the ground in syria. In syria its fighters are key to tehran and its efforts to prop up the assad regime. And they are also working with the revolutionary guard, theyre also working with Russian Troops there. So now hezbollah and iran are reportedly working to introduce gamechanging weapons into lebanon and syria and thats what brings about this particular bill. What theyre trying to do is produce facilities for sophisticated rockets and missiles there on the ground, on the border in syria, on the border also in lebanon. And that could lead to another war. Its not a cheap effort to do this. And thats why the committee is focused on dismantling hezbollahs Financial Networks. In 2015 we led the way to an act of Hezbollah International financing prevention act to target those that facilitate Financial Transactions for hezbollah. Now this bill builds on that effort to further ramp up pressure on iran on the iranian proximatey, hezbollah. It sanctions regimes, including iran and syria, that provide weapons to hezbollah. In other words, an attempt to stop the transfer of these weapons. It targets hezbollahs innovative fundraising and recruiting efforts, including its attempts to crowd source small donations to support its fighters, which is the latest evolution of hezbollahs efforts. Hezbollah launched an online crowd sourcing campaign entitled, equip mujaheddin, which calls for donations large or small, payable in installments or in one sum to equip suicide bombers and hezbollah fighters. This bill recognizes that hezbollah is no longer only a terrorist group, but it also a criminal organization, which has developed a Global Criminal Network that profits from drug trafficking, money laundering, counterfeiting and cigarette smuggling. Administration the tools to respond accordingly. This body has led the way for calling for the need to respond to the full range of threats. Regimes the iranian proxy ranks among the top threats in terms of what is being encountered right now. Support this effort to ensure that the United States has the tools here to respond. And i resevere the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Engel i rise in support of this measure and i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Engel let me thank chairman royce for his leadership and hard work on this bill. Im glad to be the lead democratic cosponsor on this legislation which builds on a law that we wrote in 2015. One of the best ways to stop hezbollahs dangerous activity is to cut off its financing is what we tried to do two years ago. We went after hezbollahs financial patrons including iran. But again this is a group if you block one path forward, it will do what it takes to find another way around. We are broadening existing law by going after a bigger universe of hezbollahs supporters. This bill would impose mandatory sanctions on any third parties or governments providing money, equipment or weapons to hezbollah. We know that iran will get caught up in this drag net and afoul. Ll doesnt run irans support for hezbollah is outside the scope of the jcpoa. Its not just iran. In recent years, moscow has stepped up its support of hezbollah particularly on the battlefields of syria where russia has supplied hezbollah with weapons. Its really outrageous. Russia claims to be fighting socalled terrorists as they bomb schools, hospitals and marketplaces, yet russian weapons are ending up in hezbollah hands. Let me be clear. Hezbollah is a terrorist group. It is as simple as that. Chairman royce have said this many, many, many times. The russiahezbollah relationship threatens to undermine global antiterrorist efforts. This bill sends a message any government in cahoots with hezbollah and does business with this terrorist group is going to face the consequences. This is a timely bill. Iran is building factories in southern lebanon that would be buried far underground. The missiles that will come off the Assembly Line are more precise and have a longer range putting the whole of israel in their sights. Irans and hezbollahs presence in syria right on israels borders is a very serious concern. And i worry about the deescalation zones the United States helped to establish in southern syria. We dont want those zones to become hotbeds of hezbollah. Several weeks ago i was in israel and went up to the border between israel and lebanon. And at the border, when you are in israel and looking down at lebanon, you see a number of flags, are they the lebanese flag . No. Its a hezbollah flag. Hezbollah has virtually taken over parts, large parts of lebanon, strangeling the lebanese people as well. The lebanese people are suffering under a brutal terrorist group that has embedded in its society and allows them to act as a free and open society. And my heart goes out to the lebanese people to have a terrorist group virtually sitting in your lap refusing to move and putting you in all kinds of danger. These areas have the potential to create a safe haven for hezbollah and iranian actors. Tensions. Oke existing this would present a major shift in the regional balance of power and present threats to israel. These zones end up empowering hezbollah, we will have to try israel at the most crucial moment. Thats why we are passing this bill. I again thank chairman royce for his continued, strong leadership on this issue. I strongly support this measure. And i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce in view of the National Defense authorization conference, which is at this time and in view of the fact that as conferees from the house side, i and mr. Engel both serve on that conference. I would like to yield the remainder of my time to the gentlelady from florida, ms. Roslehtinen and ask unanimous consent that she be allowed to manage that time on this legislation and also on the following piece of legislation. Mr. Engel would the chairman yield . Ill go with you over to the senate side and ask mr. Deutch of florida control the remainder of time on our side for the next bill. The speaker pro tempore is there objection . Is there an objection to the request of the the gentleman from california . Without objection, the gentlelady from florida will control the majority side. Anyone object to the gentleman from new yorks request . The gentleman from florida will control the minority time. The gentlelady from florida is now recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen i yield myself such time as i may consume. I appreciate it, mr. Speaker. And i thank the chairman of our committee, mr. Royce of california, and the Ranking Member, mr. Engel of new york, once again for their leadership, the dynamic duo of Foreign Affairs on this issue. This is a very important day in terms of sanctioning evil dorse in the world. Mr. Speaker, im proud to cosponsor the bill promoted by chairman royce and Ranking Member engel, h. R. 3329, the Hezbollah International financing prevention amendments act. This is yet another strong bipartisan bill that they have offered, that they have brought to the floor aimed at holding iran and its proxy, hezbollah, accountable for their illicit activity. I was pleased that my amendment to this bill was included to ensure that we identify those hezbollah parliamentarians and cabinet officials who are subject to the sanctions in this bill and the underlying bill that it amends. This is important, mr. Speaker, because hezbollah members have prominent positions in lebanons government and we want to ensure that they cannot use Government Funds to divert to hezbollahs terror activity. And if they do, well, those institutions that help facilitate such activity are held to account. And i was also pleased to see other provisions approved that would allow us to identify and track individuals and entities that are being used by iran to supply hezbollah with arms, with support for its missile production facilities in syria. We know that iran uses commercial civilian aircraft to fly weapons, to fly arms, to fly fighters to syria in support of hezbollah. We cannot allow iran to use these civilian aircraft for such activity. And this is the first step toward making sure that once these aircraft are identified, responsible nations will think twice about allowing these iranian planes to land in their countries. This bill also addresses irans and hezbollahs ability to finance their illicit activities, which is so important, mr. Speaker. We must go after those individuals and go after those institutions that provide financial safe havens to these terror groups and weve got to disrupt their Financial Networks and that is why this bill is so important. I urge my colleagues to support chairman royce and Ranking Member engels measure for us today and i reserve the balance of my time, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Deutch thank you, mr. Speaker and good to be on the floor with my friend from florida and speak in support of h. R. 3329, important bipartisan effort brought forward by chairman royce and Ranking Member engel. An important measure to combat hezbollahs terrorist activity. We made Great Strides two years ago when we passed the Hezbollah International financing prevention act which has already begun to severe the terror group from its sources. However, its clear that more needs to be done. The new bill will further restrict hezbollahs ability to recruit while increasing pressure on banks and other international Financial Institutions that serve hezbollah. Its important to remember why it is in americas interest to combat hezbollah terrorism, not that anyone here or at home needs a reminder, we all remember or all learned about the 1983 attacks in beirut on our embassy and the Marine Barracks that killed hundreds of americans, the attacks in argentina in 1992 and the Jewish Center in 1994 that killed over 100 more. The khobart towers bombing in saudi arabia and the bus bombing of israeli terrorists in bulgaria. But hezbollahs support for assads regime in syria has led governments to acknowledge hezbollahs role as an iranian terrorist proxy. Last year there was a dramatic step of designating them as a terrorist Organization Even while they are focused, its leader continues to vow israels destruction. A threat they dont take lightly given two previous wars and intelligence suggesting that hezbollah has over 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at every corner of israels map. And future war, Israeli Defense officials fear they will launch over 1,000 rockets a day with capacity to hit civilians in the north and southern most provinces. This is made troubling by reports that iran in is now helping the terrorist group to set up facilities in both syria and lebanon. These are unacceptable developments and underscore the importance of this legislation to cut off hezbollahs most critical sources of funding and superiority including from its primary sponsor iran. I am proud to support this Bipartisan Legislation and i urge my colleagues to support it as well. And i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlelady from florida is recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen we have no further requests for time and wait until my friend speaks and then we will close. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Deutch im prepared to close. I thank my friend from florida for her tireless leadership in is ding up for all that needed. And cutting off sources for hezbollah and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentlelady from florida is recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen i yield myself such time as i may consume. Hezbollah has remained irans proxy and iran remains hezbollahs primary source of financial support, a cozy relationship. In april of 2015, its leader, boasted that even under sanctions, iran still funds hezbollahs terror. He anticipated, quote, that a rich and powerful iran which will be open to the world, end quote, would be able to do even more. The Iran Nuclear Agreement has made it possible for iran to provide hezbollah with a wind fall, but iran is not hezbollahs only source of income. Since its inception, hezbollah has developed a broad criminal network involved in arranged illegal activities from cigarette smuggling to counter fitting. They double as global criminals. We must employ a combination of law enforcement, of financial, criminal of civil and regulatory tools to deter, to disrupt, to publicly illuminate the global hezbollah network. I want to thank chairman royce and Ranking Member engel for closely alabting in developing this critical legislation as well as senators rubio and shaheen. I look forward to continuing to work with them to get this critical legislation signed into law. And with that, mr. Speaker. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady has yielded back. All time having now concluded on this legislation, the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 3329 as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed. And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition . Ms. Roslehtinen i move that the house suspend the rules and pass House Resolution 359 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the resolution. The clerk House Resolution 359, resolution urging the European Union to designate hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization and increase pressure on it and its members. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. Roslehtinen, and the gentleman from florida, mr. Deutch, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida. Ms. Roslehtinen i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure. The speaker pro tempore without objection, ordered. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i might consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Ross net ms. Roslehtinen i thank you, mr. Speaker, and i thank chairman royce and the Ranking Member for their help bringing this legislation to the floor. I want to say how proud our committee is of the great work of our Ranking Member of the middle east and north africa subcommittee, ted deutsche, and his coauthor gus bilirakis, who are the authors of this resolution, urging the European Union to designate hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. I thank mr. Deutch for his leadership on this. This notion that there can be separate wings of a terrorist organization is as absurd as the notion that iran can be a responsible member of the International Community there is no distinction between hezbollah members. Anyone who pledges allegiance to this terror group must be labeled accordingly. One neednt look further than hezbollah activities in syria or its terror attacks against israel or even the statements coming out of iran, its patron, and hezbollah itself to know that if you are hezbollah, you support terror activities. Iran is a state sponsor of terror and hezbollah is its proxy. Theres no justification at all for our european friends to try to differentiate between a military wing and a political wing of a terrorist organization. They may justify it by saying it will upset the delicate balance in lebanon, and they worry about the fallout but the sad reality is, it comes down to money. They will not take any action against iran, as we have seen, since the jcpoa, because moves the e. U. Have signed lucrative business deals with iran and they dont want to damage their economic opportunities. Its as simple as that. Because even our gulf allies have labeled hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. The European Union needs to wake up and we must urge it and its Member States to designate the whole of hezbollah as the terrorists that they are. And it must realize that doing so would be in their best interests and in the best interests of israel a nation that share theirs values and their ideals, unlike iran a resqueem that benefits by the lack of a full designation of hezbollah. I reserve the balance of our time, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. For what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition . Mr. Deutch i rise in support of House Resolution 359 and yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for such time. Mr. Deutch thank you, mr. Speaker. I would like to first thank chairman royce, Ranking Member engel for their leadership in the committee and bringing this resolution forward. Id like to thank my friend from florida, congressman bilirakis, for working with me on this resolution and my thanks as well to chairman roslehtinen for her leadership on the subcommittee and ensuring that we have the opportunity to move forward together. Mr. Speaker, in 2013, almost exactly one year after hezbollah suicide bomber blew up a bus in bulgaria, killing most of the israeli tourists, the European Union took action to finally designate hezbollah a terrorist organization. However, they only designated what they called hezbollahs military wing as a terror group and not its political wing. The United States has been clear that this was a false distinction then and it remains a false distinction today. Hezbollah is one unified terrorist organization. Nd its led by the terrorist nasallah. Its one unified organization responsible for acts of terror against israeli, americans and others around the tpwhrobe. It is one unified hezbollah that helped prop up the assad regime and is complicit in the death of half a million syrians and the dissolving of a oncethriving nation. So this one unified hezbollah should be designated a terrorist organization so we can increase International Cooperation to isolate and dismantle this group. This morning, mr. Speaker, the northeast subcommittee held a heerning next steps for our iran policy. There, i noted that two days ago we marked a solemn anniversary. Because 34 years ago, on october 23, two hezbollah suicide bombers blew themselves up at the marine bare racks in beirut, killing over 300 u. S. And french servicemens, peace keepers and civilians. That attack, like so many of hezbollahs deadly terrorist activities over the past several decades, was sponsored and directed by iran. And while our nation built a memorial honoring the victims of that attack, tehran built a monument honoring the perpetrators of that attack. A full e. U. Designation of hezbollah now would help demonstrate europes commitment to cracking down on irans use of proxy terror groups, destabilizing a region, and attacking western interests. Now, i understand that the e. U. Has legal concerns about this designation. Since hezbollah has infiltrated the political system. However i would offer this observation. The terrorist Organization Hamas operates as a Political Party in gaza yet the e. U. Still rightly lists the entirety to have hamas as a Terror Organization. This has not impacted their ability to support fwa zha reconstruction, just as designating hezbollah would not prevent them supporting Syrian Refugees in lebanon. Last year the gulf council and arab league both designated hezbollah as a Terror Organization and made no distinction between the military and political wing despite lebanon being a member of the arab league. I hope the e. U. Took note of that i thank the speaker for bringing this resolution to the floor so that my colleagues can join me in sending an Important Message to our european friends and allies. More can be done to counter the iranian proxy hezbollah. That begins with calling them what they are a terrorist organization committed to the destruction of israel and undermining the values and interests of the United States and our e. U. Friends must acknowledge as well the values and interests of europe. The world knows that hezbollah is a terrorist group. It is time for the European Union to end its false distinction and join us in designating all of hezbollah as a terrorist organization. And i urge my colleagues to support this resolution to send them that message. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from florida is recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you, mr. Speaker. We have no further requests for time, we will wait for mr. Deutch to close on his time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves the balance of the time for the majority. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Deutch thank you, mr. Speaker. I am grate to feel chairman royce and Ranking Member engel, to chairman roslehtinen, to congressman bilirakis and to my cleese on the Foreign Affairs committee, other members, for their work on the three measures today aimed at curbing the terrorist group hezbollah. The measures that were advancing today represent smart and tough approaches that will respond to hezbollah and its enablers and will build Stronger International support for this important effort. This measure and the others that weve considered today are a great example of the way that we can work across the aisle to help keep our country safe. I urge a yes vote on this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from florida yields back. All time for the yields back all time for the minority. The gentlelady from florida is recognized to close debate for the majority. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you so much, mr. Speaker. I thank my good friend from florida, Ranking Member ted deutch, for offering this resolution and bringing it to the floor today. Hezbollah has a single leadership. It has fungible finances. It has a single hostile mission. All branches and operations serve its terrorist activities and it is a deadly mistake to attempt to distinguish among its arms. I again want to thank mr. Deutch, chairman royce, Ranking Member engel for their work on this important resolution which calls for our european allies to designate all branches of hezbollah as the terrorist organization. This is a critical step that our partners across the atlantic must take to protect our citizens and allies from a highly organized, capable, and increasingly battle trained terror group that operates networks in countries around the world. We must Work Together to deprive this organization of its support. I therefore urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution. I thank the gentleman from florida for his authorship and i will now yield three minutes, mr. Speaker to the gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot, the chame of the House Committee on Small Business and a Senior Member of the of our committee on Foreign Affairs. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio will be recognized now for three minutes without objection. Mr. Chabot thank you, mr. Speaker. I want to thank ms. Roslehtinen and chairman royce and the people who have worked on a numb of bills here today and i rise in strong support of h. R. 359, h. L. 3329, h. R. 3342 and 1698. That one in particular aims to prevent iran from acquiring Ballistic Missiles because they have the capability or soon will have the capability of not just to target the northeast and europe but also the middle east and europe but also target us here on our soil, here in the United States if we dont do something about this. With ultimately a nuclear device. Iran is determined to be the dmnant power in the northeast. In the middle east. They plan to promote terrorism, they promise death to america and our allies. Bearing this in mind, Irans Nuclear ambitions and Ballistic Missile program are not only a direct threat to the United States and our ally bus to the peace and stability of the entire world. When the iran deal was signed, i said back then that this was a bad deal, it would ultimately lead to Nuclear Weapons and they werent going to meet their commitments and were seeing here today the back sliding by iran to these commitments. 10 years ago, russia agreed to sell a number of s300 surface to air Missile Systems to iran. The russians suspended the deal in 2010 but renewed it after the iran deal, the jcpoa was agreed to. Now moscow has delivered multiple s300 systems. While the s300 missile platforms strengthens irans conventional capabilities, it also complicates the United States strategy for eliminating a potential Nuclear Threat against us or our allies. Iran displayed this surface to air Missile System to the public late last month so we know its there and its dangerous. Thats exactly why h. R. 1698 is so important. It will help combat irans ongoing Nuclear Ambitions by requiring the president to report on the iranian Ballistic Missile program and to oppose targeting sanctions on iranian Government Entities and foreign actors that aid iran in its nuclear development. I also want to speak briefly relative to the threat that hezbollah poses to the middle east and the entire world and i again want to thank congressman royce and roslehtinen and engel and many others for their work on this. Hezbollahs mission is to destroy israel. Its backed by iran and poses a constant threat to middle east peace. We designated it a terrorist Organization Due to its routine attacks, especially rocket attacks, on israel that have led to war and to its brutal tactics. For years hezbollah has continued to accumulate larger rocket stockpiles, growing, continuing to grow their presence and develop even more unimaginably barbaric strategies. I want to thank my colleagues for these, urge my colleagues to support these, and yield back. The speaker pro tempore the time of the gentleman has expired. Because the gentlewoman from florida did not close as expected, i will recognize the gentleman from florida. Mr. Deutch that is very kind of you mr. Speaker, but im always happenity pi to yield to my friend from florida, so ill yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlelady from florida is recognized to close debate. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you, mr. Speaker. With that, i yield back the balance of our time. The speaker pro tempore all time having expired on this resolution, the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to House Resolution 359 as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on thible. On the table. The chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. The clerk house joint resolution 111, joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States code, of the rules submitted by bureau of Consumer Financial protection relating to arbitration agreements. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Collins mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on h. R. 469. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Pursuant to House Resolution 577 and rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for the consideration of h. R. 469. The chair appoints the gentleman from tennessee, mr. Duncan, to preside over the committee of the whole. The house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for the consideration of h. R. 469 which the clerk will report by title. The clerk a bill to impose certain limitations on Consent Decrees and settlement agreements by agencies that require the agencies to take regulatory action in accordance with the terms thereof, and for ther purposes. The chair pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered as read the first time. The gentleman from georgia, mr. Collins, and the gentleman from rhode island, mr. Cicilline, each will control 30 minutes. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. Collins. Mr. Collins thank you, mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity. I am glad to be here on h. R. 469. We had the opportunity through rule debate yesterday to discuss this. What were coming forward with today is a bill i introduced that basically breaks down to a sue and settlement, ban on this part of my bill, other parts we will get to as we go forward in this but i think i want to just start off this debate but starting with the foundational issues. Things we come and talk on the floor of house have to do with bills and discussions. Whats disturbing with my colleagues is the disturbing trend of moving away from congress, releaving its powers and taking ownership of its article 1 authority and doing the oversight, doing the planning, doing the budgeting, doing the things and been moving that move toward the executive branch or let the judicial system take responsibility. One of the things we are starting off today in these bills we have taken up over the past two days is a general discussion to move back to article 1 authority which congress is doing the legislating and oversight that its supposed to be. The executive branch is following through in their role of actually executing the laws that are made. Judicial, of course, being the interpretive branch. What were seeing in this bill and one of the reasons for our sue and settle legislation, which is my part of this bill and i want to start here. Well continue as we go through the other parts as we go, is really a fairness issue. What were finding and this is not specific to one party in the executive branch. I statted this yesterday. Sometimes it gets mixed up but hear me clearly. I dont care the party, the resident at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. I do not care who they may be in the sense of what they do in that job. What i want to know is are they fulfilling the executive branch role and not overstepping Congress Role . What weve seen over previous administrations, including the last one and the previous administrations, especially in this area of sue and settlement, increased greatly during the last administration, was this idea of taking a law that we have passed, having the regulatory agencies job to execute that law but at the same point in time being sued by a Friendly Party or another party on a deadline of the bill or something that they want to they go into, say with e. P. A. Or another agency, and they discuss this lawsuit. They come to an agreement. They file the suit. Many times the suit and consent was filed on the same same. Consent decrees are good judicial tools. They will continue to be used under this bill. What we dont want to have happen is when the Consent Decree comes at the time of the suit or just shortly thereafter where the party that wants to see a specific agenda pushed along with a willing agency goes to a judge and then is able to get that Consent Decree and turn around and give it to somebody else and say you now have to live under this without any emphasis or any input from the other party. So were simply saying, lets make this a little fair. You have to publicize notice. You have to actually include others who may have a problem with this Consent Decree. You are going to have to do it a little more transparently. We are going to start here today, mr. Speaker, we are going to talk about these issues coming forward and we can talk about many other things as the day progresses but at the end of the day its about congress itself taking control of its article 1 authority and saying were going to be the legislative branch that were called to be and the executive taking their role and judiciary taking theirs. With that, mr. Speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from georgia re the chair the gentleman from georgia reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from rhode island is recognized. Mr. Cicilline thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition of h. R. 469, an unwarranted and costly intrusion into Congress Powers under article 1 of the constitution that will undermine the enforcement of statutory deadlines. When passing laws, congress routinely establishes mandatory deadline for agency action. These statutory deadlines serves several purposes. They establish congressional priorities, attempt to reduce undo delay in agencys compliance with the law and communicate the importance of the legal requirement to the public. Because Agency Resources are limited, theres widespread noncompliance with statutory deadlines. As the administrative conference of the United States has long observed. Accordingly, a plaintiff may file a lawsuit to determine a schedule for an agency to complete an action required by congress, offered referred to as a deadline suit. As the nonpartisan Government Accountability office, g. A. O. , reported earlier this year, quote, most deadline suits are established through a deadline agreement because in the majority of them its undisputed that a statutory deadline was missed, end quote, and there was no Legal Defense to the lawsuit. But proponents of h. R. 469 assert these settlements undercut applicable Administrative Law and shortcircuit review of new regulations. This premise is based on a report by the chamber of commerce that socalled sue and settle process is increasingsly being used as a technique to shape agencies regulatory agenda. This concern, however, is unsupported by any independent evidence and has been debunked by the g. A. O. In two reports on deadline suits, the g. A. O. Has found, i quote, the settlement agreements is not affect the procedural rulemaking requirements of the agencies it studied. In the december, 2014, on deadline lawsuits involving the Environmental Protection agency, the g. A. O. Determined that none of the settlements finalized under the obama administration, and i quote, included terms that finalize the substan taffe outcome of a rule. The substantive outcome of a rule. In its february, 2017, report on deadline suits involving the endangered species act, the g. A. O. Found that, and i quote, the settlement agreements did not affect the substantive basis or procedural rulemaking requirements the agencies were to follow and completing actions such as providing opportunities for Public Notice and comment on proposed listing rules, end quote. Leading experts have also debunked the chambers sue and settle narrative. John kruden, a senior official with the Justice Department during two decades, during two republican and two democratic administrations, testified on a substantially identical bill said, quote, was not aware of any instance where anything could be remotely described as could he louisive but the Justice Department rigorously defended the agencys legal position and obtaining any settlement with the best possible terms that were under the law, end quote. The president of Public Citizen similetestify that sue and settle is patently false. This bill is understand necessary but a current law restrict the use of settlement policy to shape Regulatory Priorities. During its exhaustive review of deadline litigation, the g. A. O. Found the Justice Department is guided by the memo of 1986 when litigating deadline suits. This poll circumstances as the g. A. O. Noted, limits the deadline suit to, and i quote, only include a commitment to perform a mandatory action by an agreed upon schedule and would not otherwise predetermine or prescribe a specific substantive outcome for the actions to be completed by the agencies, end quote. The memo was codified in 1991 in the code of federal regulations and applies to settlement policy today. The policy restricts agencies from using policies to contraconvenient the law or congressional consent. This policy is grounded in separations of powers concerns. There is no evidence that agencies do not follow this policy and the majoritys witnesses at prior hearings on this proposal have been unable to provide examples of settlements that violate the policies. H. R. 469 is also wasteful and undermines Congress Power under article 1 of the constitution. Congress, not agencies, establish Regulatory Priorities through statutes. Agencies do not discretion to pick and choose Regulatory Priorities where congress has expressly constructed that certain actions be undertaken by a specific date. By imposing a series of onerous procedures to resolve a federal agencys noncompliance with the law, h. R. 469 erodes the constitutional function of the legislative branch. And finally, the bill is also costly. The Congressional Budget Office notes that this bill greatly lengthens the settlement process, costing millions of dollars and draining funds through increased attorneys fees. In closing, i strongly oppose this measure and yield the balance of the time to the Ranking Member, mr. Conyers. The chair does the gentleman from michigan reserve the balance of the time for the majority . Mr. Conyers yesm the chair the gentleman from michigan reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from virginia, the chairman of the committee is recognized. Mr. Goodlatte thank you, mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Goodlatte our system of government is a tripartite one with certain responsibilities delegated to it. The congress is