human beings. we talked to customs and border patrol and they told us the cartels are charging $4,000 a person. in march it was 21,000 known illegal border crossers. about 60,000 to 70,000 known got-aways. you're looking at about 300,000. do the math it's $1 billion in a month. estimates are that the drug cartels' g.d.p. is between $15 billion and $25 billion on the markets end but also making $10 billion to $15 billion smuggling human beings. the answer is not to sit there and obfuscate and ignore. >> we'll leave this here to keep our over 40-year commitment to live gavel-to-gavel coverage of congress. the u.s. house coming in for debate on 15 bills, several related to the russian invasion of ukraine. another measure dealing with financial disclosure requirements for federal judges. late they are week we expect debate on whether to expand president biden's authority to

send military aid to ukraine. live coverage of the house here on c-span. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2022] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by chaplain kibben. chaplain kibben: would you pray with me. almighty god, again we lift up our prayers to you on behalf of the people of ukraine. after one of the holiest weeks in the orthodox church, though they were once companions in belief with whom sweet fellowship was possible in the house of god, the wicked has sewn confusion. the evil continue to spread threats and lies.

we appeal to you to speak into both sides of the conflict. judge the betrayal of brothers and faith and enlighten them to your truth. allow those who have remained faithful to your will, who live according to the lovely example you have shown us, who adhere to your word, to have their voices heard above the fray of falsehood and propaganda. in your infinite mercy, answer the voice who is cry out to you in distress. bring redemption to the innocent from the horror besieging them. give refuge to those who ardently defend their cities from the unthinkable violence and strife. holy god, comfort those whose hearts are ak wished -- anguished. calm those who are beseat with fear and trembling for in you, our lord, is our only hope. we pray to you for ukraine's deliverance. in the strength of your name we pray.

amen. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 11-a of house resolution 188, the journal of the last day's proceedings is approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from michigan, mr. walberg. mr. walberg: please consider and recite the pledge with me. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will jow entertain up to 15 requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. the gentleman from new york seek recognition? without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> on an urgent situation that requires the federal government to deploy an emergency response. mr. higgins: retired u.s. navy

vessel at the buffalo and erie county naval military park is sinking. without help the u.s.s. sullivans, part of an elite class of world war ii destroyers, and is a national historic landmark, will be lost forever. the visual of a partially submerged ship in buffalo's harbor provides a vivid warning that irreplaceable military history is in jeopardy if we don't act. this isn't the only vessel in need of support. maritime heritage grants, national preservation programs, and the department of defense are potential sources of funding to help these vessels. dedicated sailors operated these vessels to defend our nation. it's our turn to protect their stories and lessons they provide to future generations. we as a nation cannot abandon them or these ships. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address

the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. ukraine president zelenskyy has shown the world he is a leader to be respected and admired. he has earned being a hero to the people of ukraine, to win for freedom. prior to his election in 2019, mr. zelenskyy was a former actor and comedian. some questioned his credentials. but president zelenskyy is the right leader at the right time for the world. the cowardly putin invasion has left untold thousands of ukrainian civilians murdered. instead of retreating he's stood up to putin as a compassionate man of the people. just yesterday he went to another kyiv hospital visiting with a pair of orphan children who lost their parents to the bombs. quote in the stage of the war everybody was in shock and thinking what to do. the president's decision that no one goes anywhere. we stay in kyiv and fight. that is cemented, explained an

advisor. terrorists sadly are involved worldwide with three rocket attacks in the last week from gaza into israel. as america stands with ambassador herzog. god bless ukraine, god save ukraine, got bless vo lod myrrh zelenskyy. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to congratulate john, president of forest scientific corporation, for being named the 2022 pennsylvania small business association, small businessman of the year. and the 2022 western pennsylvania s.b.a. district small businessperson of the year. for more than 30 years john has been involved with the design, repair, and manufacturing of computer numerical control

machines. john has always been a entrepreneur and as the founder and president of forest scientific corporation, his work in the c.n.c. space has supported businesses of all sizes. his machines are used for a multitude of applications, range interesting sign making to aerospace. in addition, he spends time promoting the education and training surrounding c.n.c. and the entrepreneurship at schools and fab labs worldwide. congratulations on this much deserved award and recognition. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one one minute. >> mr. speaker, today is a momentous day as we have just received the news that my constituent, trevor reed, a texan, marine, and a patriot has been released from a russian prison after being held for an

anguishing 985 days as a political pawn. trevor's parents have been tireless advocates for the release of their son. and i cannot imagine the relief that they are feeling right now. the rodriguez have been living a 2 1/2 year nightmare fighting every day for their son's release. today our prayers have been answered. i would like to thank my colleagues in congress on both sides of the aisle for working in a bipartisan manner to pass the resolution calling for his release and continuing to draw attention to his case. mr. pfluger: including my predecessor, chairman mike mccaul, senator cornyn, leader mccarthy, congresswoman jackson lee, and congressman castro. and my entire office that represents the 11th district, my staff. i especially would like to recognize ambassador sullivan and his team as well as those that work in the n.s.a., n.s.c., finally, president biden, thank you for bringing trevor read home.

thank you for believing in leaving no american overseas. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized without objection objection for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i just returned from a trip to ukraine with my colleague, representative spartz, last night. we were invited by ukrainian officials to see firsthand their immediate needs. that destruction and loss of life was heartbreaking. everywhere we went we saw the evidence of putin's war crimes. one stop we made at a residential building in odessa that had been hit by the russian missile the day before, a grandmother, her daughter, and daughter's baby were killed in that same apartment. mr. walberg: they were among 18

other innocent victims killed in the attacks. yet in the face of such evil actions, ukrainian spirit remains strong. to aid their fight for freedom, more must be done by both the united states and the international community. advanced weaponry, humanitarian supplies, and much more can and should be ramped up. ukrainians are brave people. and they'll win the war against russian's invasion if they have the tools, resources to do so in hand. god bless ukraine. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. the situation with our border, it couldn't be a whole lot worse. here's the numbers for february and march. border crossings were 220,000.

the number keeps going up. so to time here where a recent decision by a judge enable us not to have to wear masks on airplanes or public transportation because america's health is improving, the president wants to get rid of the title 42 provision put in place by president trump to help keep america safe from those that have health issues or disease issues from coming across our border exacerbating already this giant problem we have. title 42 is allowed to expire, then this will open the floodgates even wider. i appreciate the decision to at least uphold title 42 while our federal government tights that decision and resources used by legal folks, department of justice, whatever to make it where title 42 is waived. i want to ask, what side is the president and his administration on if not for the american people's health. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the

gentleman from alabama seek recognition? >> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, in the last 15 months president biden and house democrats have dumped trillions of dollars on the struggling economy, already weighed down by left wing overspending. we warned them that if they commit continue to print money to fund their reckless liberal wish list, inflation would hammer the american people. now inflation will cost the average american family an extra $5,000 this year. folks are traveling less. they are buying less because of joe biden. inflation is crushing the working class people. last week i introduced household income tax suspension act to provide equivalent of six months' federal income tax holiday for millions of hardworking americans. mr. moore: americans won't relieve -- want relief. let's allow them to keep more of their own money instead of weighing down the economy with ineffective stimulus.

this is common sense. we need to put more money back into the working people's pockets. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one min. mr. cawthorn: mr. speaker, the united states is borne out of disobedience. to a tyrannical government that led to the foundation of our constitution and ideals. today patriots still sometimes disobey. even at the cost of great personal hardship. 20-year veterans of law enforcement agencies have turned in their badges because they refuse to bow the need to vaccine mandates. nurses have worked and studied for years only to have their jobs stripped away because of a virus that they themselves committed to defeating. service members, firefighters, e.m.t.'s are all sacrificing their careers to stand for the convictions and for freedom. unconstitutional mandates sacrifice freedom on the altar of safety. mask mandates are dying because

patriots have fought back. let's do it again with vaccine mandates. this is not matter of health. it's matter of liberty. these heroes will not go away quietly and we will defend them because they have defends us. mr. speaker, it's time to end medical tyranny, end federal overreach and vaccine mandates. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. jeffries: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 569 -- 5796. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 223, h.r. 5796, a bill-to-amend title 35 united states code to establish the competition awards certificates that can be redeemed to accelerate certain matters at the patent and trademark offices, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries, and the gentleman from california, mr. issa, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the

gentleman from new york. mr. jeffries: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5796. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. jeffries: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume.. mr. jeffries: i rise in support of h.r. 5796, a bill that codifies the competition at the u.s. trademark and patent office called patents for humanity. it highlights the ways that intellectual property help solve global humanitarian challenges. i am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation along side representative spartz to ensure special recognition extends to inventors who toward helping the world's most needly and vulnerable. the founders of our country

understood that society would benefit if we incentivize creativity and innovation. article 1 section 8, clause 8 of the united states constitution gives congress the power to create a robust intellectual property system to promote the progress of science and useful arts. as members of congress, we have often worked together in a bipartisan fashion to carry out this constitutional mandate, as we are doing today. the patents for humanity act codifies an already existing annual competition run by the u.s. patent and trademark office that incentivizees the use of patent technologies for humanitarian purposes. it is run without cost to the taxpayer, as you spto is a fee-based, which is a

certificate select matters before uspto and public recognition during the ceremony held by that office. they are selected by panel of judges who look for inventions that address humanitarian needs among an impoverished population or further research by others with respect to humanitarian technologies. applications are considered in medicine, nutrition, household energy and living standards. 2022 competition included a category for covid-19-related inventions. since its implementation as a pilot program 10 years ago, winners have included not for profit corporations, startups and individual inventors throughout the country. winning submissions have

included an all-terrain wheelchair, improvements to water pure fix systems, rechargeable lanterns to those without reliable energy resources and a portable kidney dyalisis machine and highly prosthetic system. these have improved the quality of life. by codifying h.r. 5796, we recognize the importance and strengthen this program while providing the flexibility to continue to improve its implementation. in december, this bill passed the house judiciary committee building upon the work of representative mcbath to pass this into law last congress,

which allows awards to be transferable. we go a step further by ensuring this program is a permanent feature of our innovation system and economy. once again i think representative sparks for her leadership as it relates to the terrible situation in ukraine and i thank my colleague, representative issa, for his leadership as well. the patents for humanity program shows how innovation and creativity can continue to change the world. i urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and vote yes on h.r. 5796 and reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. issa: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i join with my colleagues in what i believe will be a unanimous support for the continued promotion of works

useful to humanity. this pilot program after 10 years has proven to be not only a good one, but one that continues to be necessary. in 1790, when president washington evaluated and signed the first patent, did he so in a matter of a few weeks from submission. it was an expectation that a timely patent was, in fact, critical. that first patent improved the production of pot ash often used in fertilizer. the fact is that over the years our ability to quickly evaluate patents has, in fact, not continued to keep pace. and so when you have something like these humanitarian offerings, the fact that we are able to at least in these cases and for known inventors, reward

them with an accelerated consideration as part of their continued work, i think is the kind of an award that means a great deal when it's the advancement of items of humanitarian interest and need. so, my colleague from new york did a wonderful job of talking about some of those inventions. we could go on for hours at what the inventive genius has come from this and other incentives. i urge my colleagues to vote for this, this renewal. and lastly, to recognize that the one area that america leads in is innovation. and this body has a continued obligation to do everything it can to promote that innovation, including the modernization and the improvement of the patent and trademark office.

i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. jeffries: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from california. mr. issa: always take a yes for an answer, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from new york. mr. jeffries: congress is coming together in a bipartisan way to uplift american innovation and innovators and i urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation and yield become. 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. 5796 as amended. in the opinion of the chair -- 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 the

motion to reconsider -- the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. jeffries: i move to suspend the rules and pass s.3059 courthouse ethics and traps act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: an act to amend the ethics in government act to provide for periodic transaction reporting requirement for federal judicial officers and online disclosure of federal judicial officers and for other purposes. pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries, and the gentleman from california, mr. issa, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. jeffries: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise a and include extraneous material on s.3059.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. jeffries: i yield myself such time as i may consume, s.3059 embodies an important bipartisan effort to address an alarming lack of transparency in the personal financial holdings of article 3 federal judges. and the conflicts or appearance of conflicts, those holdings can create in the cases these judges are asked to preside over. this legislation makes incremental and necessary progress toward accountability by building on federal statutes that prohibit judges from deciding cases in which they have a personal financial stake in the scrowt come. it has been the law in this country since the 1970's that judges must recuse themselves from any case in which they hold a legal or equitable interest of any size in any party or

property under consideration. to help ensure that recusals occur as required. federal law are often mandates that judges file annual reports disclosing their personal financial interests so the litigants, press and the general public can monitor and check these responsibilities. union fortunately, recent reporting by a pull its diser prize winning reporter in a hearing by the judiciary committee subcommittee has shown that the law is not working as intended. the infrequency disclosures and inaccessibility have made transparency practically impossible. when the house first passed this version of the legislation last year, an investigation revealed

that between 2010 and 20818, over 130 federal judges have decided cases in which they are part owners of the parties before them. over 60 judges have actively traded shares in entities involved in their courthouse deliberations while their cases were still ongoing. and in some cases, profiting from these trades. at the time this investigation also discovered approximately 685 cases where judges should have, according to the law, recused themselves. that number has continued to climb and now stands north of 1,000 cases. so far judges in 836 cases have notified the parties that the case can be re-opened because the judge unlawfully failed to recuse. while these numbers are

incredibly alarming on their own, it may be the tip of the iceberg. sorry to say that these numbers may continue to grow as more data becomes available and investigations continue. consequences of these actions are acute and widespread. failure to recuse can cause real harm to parties seeking fair and impartial justice and leave a cloud of doubt over any decision that is made once the conflicts are subsequently uncovered. s.3059 addresses these problems by requiring federal judges to abide by the sameredic transaction reporting laws already applicable to members of congress and senior executive branch officials. the bill requires the administrative office of the u.s. courts to create an online

data base and have searchable, sortable and downloadable copies of financial reports so litigants, the press and the public can annualize and access this information in real-time. the two versions of this legislation including the original version passed by the house and the bill currently before us, s.3059, make two notable changes. first, it makes chris call clear that these reforms cover bankruptcy and magistrate court judges. this is a welcome change. second in response to concerns raised by the could you tell us and allows the director of the administrative office of the courts take more than 130 days to develop the public website and data base containing financial disclosure reports so

long as the director provides the congress with a date certain when the web site will launch. we expect that the administrative office will request no more time than a few more months and will not use this authority to delay disclosure. the simple solutions are long overdue and product of bicameral and bipartisan collaboration. i want to thank congresswoman ross for her leadership in this area and congressman issa for championing this legislation. i also want to thank my friend, hank johnson as well as senator cornyn and the other senators who worked on this bipartisan bill. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. issa: thank you, mr. speaker, i join with the

chair in support of all of the changes that were added in the senate. they were thoughtful and i believe not just appropriate but necessary. i don't want to pile on the same statements made already because they were accurate and i agree with them. rather, because there has been fairly public pushback by some members of the article 3 court that we are meedling in their business, i have given it a lot of thought business. i think the american people need to understand that the executive branch does not have the authority to pass laws. and the judicial branch does not have the ability to pass laws. when it comes to establishing laws for traps reporting -- transparency reporting and the american people's right to know, there is, in fact, only one body that can initiate and send, for

the president's signature, statutes of transparency and accountability. even though this is a 1978 law being modified, the fact that there is pushback from a branch saying that under separation of powers we are somehow meddling by substantially harmonizing what the executive branch and this branch do to make sure the american people have confidence in what we own that might, in fact, be influencing what we do. seems to be one of those areas in which i believe the american people properly explained would fully support. for that reason i would hope that as we -- this bill becomes law, that the members of the court would recognize we had no choice. faced with clear examples, even

one being too much, of a judge who had holdings and simultaneously affected the value of those holdings while either owning them or trading them or both, that we had no choice but to recognize that that absence of transparency was critical. i want to simply close off by saying this is likely not to lead to a lot more recusals. but this is certainly going to lead to the kind of information that attorneys need to have on behalf of their clients when they are working through a case. if you know that a judge or his spouse or her spouse owns something, why wouldn't you be aware of that when you have a case involving that company? if you know that they own a substantial amount of a sister

company, one that is not involved in the litigant, but, in fact, could benefit by an adverse decision, the attorneys for both sides should know that. we are not just dealing in the failure to recuse here. reporting transparency, in fact, empowers both sides to know the lay of the land that might be very meaningful in a case. yes, there will be some who see that and ask for recusals. i trust that judges who after the fact, when these 130 cases were reported, some of the judges said they didn't even know about it. they didn't know they had it. or their spouse had these holdings. that may very well be true. some said they didn't know they were supposed to report. that may be true. but if, in fact, this is -- when this is implemented we will be in a position to say, of course the public knew.

and empowering the public on this not private information because ultimately we are public officials. i am a public official. the chairman is a public official. the speaker is a public official. and so are those honored to serve as magistrates, bankruptcy judges, and article 3 judges. i hope that this minor change will represent a major step for us in bringing back the confidence of the american people that they do not have to blindly go into a case not knowing whether the heavy hand of law might be weighing against them without their knowledge. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. jeffries: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. issa: mr. speaker, it seems only like yesterday i was

speaking on this subject. this is an important step. i know that we will have broad bipartisan support on it. i hope that we will have not just exception -- ak sentencance -- acceptance but embracement by the judges who now will be reporting and providing more information to the public that the public has, particularly litigants, have every right to know before you go before that jump. with that i thank the chair for his help in shepherding this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. jeffries: mr. speaker, the framers in their infinite wisdom created a system of government with three separate and co-equal brarches. arctic -- branches. arcticle 1, arcticle 3 judicial branch. three separate but co-equal brarches of government. justice brandeis one said in a

democrat -- democracy sunlight is the best of disinfectants. the transparency that relates to article 1 legislative branch, senior officials within article 2 executive branch, those same stands of transparency and disclosure allowing for accountable should exist across the three brarches of governmenf government. this legislation takes a meaningful step in that direction. i thank congresswoman ross for her leadership. i thank congressman issa for his leadership. chairman johnson, as well as senator cornyn and those who have worked on this important piece of legislation in a bipartisan, bicameral way. i urge my colleagues to support it. and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 3059. so many as are 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 upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to h.res. 336, calling on the government of the russian federation to provide evidence or release united states citizen paul whelan as amended. the clerk: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 336. resolution calling on the government of the russian federation to provide evidence or release united states citizen paul wheelian -- whelan. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. phillips, and the gentleman from south carolina, mr. wilson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. mr. philips: i ask unanimous consent that members will record their votes by electronic device

legislative days. the speaker pro tempore: woipped. mr. philips: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. philips: i rise today in strong support of h.res. 336. calling on government of the russian federation to provide evidence or to release united states citizen paul whelan. i thank representative stevens for her tireless work on behalf of her constituent, paul whelan, who russia has held hostage as a political prisoner for three years. for more than 1,300 days the russian government has put paul and his family through unimaginable torment. taking away his freedom, threatening his health, denying him his most basic human rights. all for the purpose of using an american constituent disen -- citizen, a human being, as a political bargaining chip. their so-called justice system is shocking unhardly surprising. as we witnessed the who arors committed by putin, enablers,

and russian forces in ukraine, we are reminded of the lengths the authoritarian regime and kremlin will go to achieve its nefarious objectives. neither paul nor any political prisoner is a tool to be used to an end. they are just want to see justice served and see their loved ones home safe and sound. in light of the horrific treatment paul has endured, i want to thank our diplomats in russia, particularly the ambassador, as well as special envoy for hostage affairs, roger carstens, working under treatment pressure from the russian government to see paul whelan, brittany griner, and other americans in russia are treated with dignity and human rights respected. good news today we are thrilled in large part to their work trevor reed is on his way home. we cannot stop until paul's family and other families with americans detained overseas are given that same relief. these families work tirelessly to remind us we cannot stop pushing. they deserve that same level of dedication from all of us.

house resolution 336 calling on the government of the russian federation to provide evidence or release united states citizen paul whelan takes another step towards securing that safety and swift release of american citizens from unjust detention abroad. i support this important resolution. and thank the gentlelady from michigan once again for introducing it. i urge all members to vote in support. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i am grateful to be here today with congressman dean philips as we work together uncontinue tensionally united by putin as democrats and republicans are united for freedom. mr. speaker, on december 28, 2018, u.s. citizen paul whelan was wrongfully arrested in moscow. on june 15, 2020 he was sentenced to 16 years in a putin labor camp. he remains behind bars to this day for a crime he did not

commit. no real evidence of paul's guilt was ever provided. defense witnesses were excluded. and he was denied a fair trial. u.s. ambassador john sullivan described paul's wrongful conviction right. a mockery of justice. paul is an american and u.s. marine corps veteran. the u.s. congress cannot remain silent as paul remains unjustly held by the thug in the kremlin. the resolution we are considering today shows we have not forgotten and will never forget paul or any other american wrongfully detained in russia. i was thrilled and relieved today to learn that trevor reed has been released from his unjust detention in russia. trevor, another former u.s. marine, spent three years behind bars on completely fabricated charges. however, we cannot rest until paul and every single wrongfully detained american is home safely with their families as well. as it launched its full-scale

murderous invasion of ukraine, the putin regime has stepped up its practice of pargeting -- targeting americans for unfounded detentions. in february brittany griner, a wnba women's, women's national bhct association player, was arrested for allegedly bringing drugs into russia. she face the up to 10 years in prison if convicted. i fear she, too, will be held a hostage by the russian dictator and i appreciate her member of congress, sheila jackson lee of houston, being such an outspoken proponent for her release. i would be remiss not to mention one of the fiercest advocates of the democratic russia who has been poisoned twice by the putin regime. faces up to 15 years in prison for speaking the truth about putin's unprovoked war of aggression and murder in ukraine. he is a brave freedom fighter who does not deserve to be locked up for shining a light on

putin's brutality and corruption. putin must stop using innocent americans as diplomatic pawns and release them immediately. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution so paul and his family know that the u.s. congress stands with them. democrats and republicans, and will do everything in our power to make sure paul can join trevor in coming back home. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. philips: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from michigan, ms. stevens. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from michigan is recognized. ms. stevens: mr. speaker, i rise today as i have every day i have served in this very chamber. on behalf of my constituent, paul whelan. who has been wrongfully detained in russia since the end of december, 2018. throughout mr. whelan's detention, the russian government has repeatedly violated his rights, denied him

proper medical care, and refused to provide any evidence to substantiate the charges against him. he was held in a pretrial detention for over 18 months in the notorious prison. then mr. whelan's trial was held behind closed door and his defense was prohibited from calling witnesses. mr. whelan now serves he 16 and facing harsh conditions. early this morning the news broke that fellow american trefer reed, a marine and texan was freed through a prisoner swap orchestrated by president biden. this is incredible news. this is incredible news for mr. reed and this family and

paul and his family deserve the same joy and relief. paul has been in prison and had years stolen from him and precious time with his parents and siblings and he has lost his home, his job, his beloved dog and so much more. i want to see my constituent back home. this innocent man has had his life and livelihood stolen from him by putin. today we have the opportunity as a congress to denounce paul's wrongful imprisonment and stand up to the lawlessness of the putin regime. in the years since paul's detention we have seen putin further isolate himself on the world stage as his government has gone to lawlessness leading

to threats and we have witnessed the loss of ukranians and a democratic nation is being destroyed at the directive of this dangerous war criminal. we must stand up in this chamber. i want to thank my colleagues and mr. keating and i would like to recognize the chairman, mr. meeks, and ranking member, mr. mccaul. paul, if you are watching this, know that i am prying and rooting for you and i will never stop fighting for you. let's pass h. res. 336 immediately. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from michigan yields back. the gentleman from minnesota. mr. phillips: i have no requests for time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i yield threements to the gentleman from arkansas, mr. hill. i. the gentleman is recognized mr. hill: let me thank my friend from south carolina and my

friend mr. phillips for leading the debate. we gather on the house floor in unity, republicans and democrats, to counter putin's behavior. last year, i co-founded the first congressional task force for american hostages and americans wrongfully detained aprod with ted deutch and thank ms. stevens and i rise in strong support of this resolution by calls for the release of paul whelan. we have heard today some of the details of paul's arrest and two years in pretrial detention with evidence publicly presented justifying wrongdoing. all parts of our government, especially members of congress who represent the families of those held hostage or wrongfully

detained must engage with friends and enemies alike to ensure that americans are expeditiously brought home. congress must continue to engage with the administration in situations like this to disincentivize the wrongful detention or hostage taking of americans. we passed a similar resolution on this floor in support and it was rewarding to know that trevor was released and never been held. today, mr. speaker, republicans and democrats, let us issue a message to paul whelan, we have not forgotten you. countries must stop this disgraceful process and held accountable. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i yield

back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas yields back. the gentleman from south carolina. mr. wilson: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from michigan, mr. walberg. mr. walberg: i rise today in support of house resolution 336 and once again call on the russian government to release american citizens paul whelan. i thank my colleague congresswoman stevens for her undying leadership in fighting this travesty, and it is a travesty. it has now been over three years since paul whelan, a michigan resident and marine veteran and an american citizen was imprisoned in russia without proper evidence or a trial. sham trial that is the message

that paul wanted to convey while the system handed out a ridiculous sentence. he has been denied access to proper medical treatment despite a sharp decline in his health. i returned from ukraine where russian atrocities have been on display to the entire world. make no mistake about that. we saw heartbreaking devastation that has impacted so many lives, but tragically putin's barbaric behavior is not new. he has no concern for even the most basic of human rights. today, the house must send an unequivocal message to the kremlin and time to end the mall treatment of paul wheel and and mr. reed was released today. we are calling for paul to be

next. i want to close with a message to paul's dear parents rosemary and ed who live in my district, manchester, michigan and toll paul's siblings, elizabeth, david and andrew. i know this has been an incredibly trying time for your family. i admire your resolve in the face of adversity. i grieve with you, i pray for you, and i continue to stand with you. it is time for paul whelan to come home to michigan. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan yields back. the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. in closing, i would like to

thank representative stevens for her work on this resolution. you can tell it's from the heart and working together republicans and democrats and how fortunate we are with the leadership of congressman walberg to have this weekend spent the orthodox christian easter weekend in ukraine, to visit kyiv and be in the buca region where the atrocities were so horrific and victor sparks was born in soviet ukraine and has become a free ukraine. our country is so blessed by the number of ukranians who live in our country and support the victory for freedom in ukraine. as the world watches putin

committing crimes and he has exploited people as political pawns. join in supporting this resolution and will send a strong message to paul and other wrongfully detained americans in russia that congress will not rest until they are returned home to their families. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i yield myself such time for the purpose of closing. i thank my dear friend ukraine-united states solidarity pin. freedom is at the core of our american values and it is the backbone of democracy. we have americans stuck in russia and around the world without their will to be used as political bargaining chips. during this time, their safe and secure release is all the more

imperative. h. res. 336 takes action to secure the safety including brittney griner and paul wheel and who is at the mercy of a dictator who has no for human life. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 336 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 the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. phillips: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r.

7314, the axis act as amended. the clerk: h.r. 7314 a bill the secretary of state on the republic of china's support to the unprovoked and invasion of ukraine and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: punt to the rule, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. phillips, and the gentleman from south carolina, mr.~wilson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. mr. phillips: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 7314 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. phillips: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 7314 axis act authored by andy bower. the world watched in horror as

russia invaded ukraine and a disdain for the rules-based international order. russia has killed thousands of innocent civilians, graphic images of death and destruction from buca laid bare, there is no defense for putin ms. barragan: ity. the community has come together to the unprovoked aggression against ukraine and hold russia accountable. while china has tried to distance itself from russia's war of choice, it has at best remained neutral in the face of this violence demonstrating violation. worse, growing signs indicate that china is aligning itself more closely with russia. screws before russia's invasion, they released a joint statement

calling for closer strategic cooperation. while china has denied any knowledge of the invasion, they denied russian buildup around ukraine and has not condemned russia for its invasion or human rights atrocities. they have employed harmful assault within china and abroad. they are talking about the war and russia's absurd justifications for the ukraine and accusing united states for russia's one-sided aggression. president biden warned china china if it helps skirt controls and sanctions. it would require the secretary of state to report on any efforts made by the p.r.c. to support russia's unprovoked,

unjust and illegal invasion of ukraine. this bipartisan measure is vital to ensure we stay informed that china might be supporting russia in ukraine. i support the swift passage of this bill and i urge my colleagues to do the same and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i rise in support of the axis act a bill to require the department of state on china's support of putin's invasion of ukraine. the chinese communist party is complicit in russia's crimes against the people of ukraine. they issued a joint statement that cast nato as the agressor

and coordinated the timing of the invasion. the chinese state media has should russian propaganda. the c.c.p. is working with putin to avoid sanctions. we are already seeing the results of this unholy alliance between the two dictators and the c.c.p. support become a matter of public record. i thank our colleague, mr. andy barr for introducing this act and this includes a report on the full scope of the c.c.p. support of the putin invasion from sanctions violations to disinformation to the sale of controlled technology. if the united states is going to counter the national security threat of the new axis of auto cats working together we must understand how they are working

together which is rule by gun against democracy which is ruled by law. mr. barr's bill fills this need. i thank the gentleman for introducing the axis act. i urge my colleagues to support the bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i'm pleased to yield four minutes to the gentleman from kentucky mr. andy barr. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. barr: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my friend, the gentleman from south carolina, for his leadership on the foreign affairs committee, his leadership in the congress and his advocacy for the free people of ukraine. mr. speaker, as the united states and our nato allies and other ally respond to vladimir putin's unprovoked and brutal attack on the free sovereign and independent nation of ukraine, we must assess the many ways in

which russia is seeking to evade sanctions. and that includes the extent to which russia is turning to china to enable its aggression. mr. speaker, the unholy alliance between the chinese communist party and the authoritarian oligarchs running the creme shrine a serious threat to the united states and our allies and it's enabling this illegal aggression against ukraine. on february 4, russia and the c.c.p. released a joint statement following a meeting with vladimir putin and xi jinping outlining a strategic partnership with, quote, no limits. following russia's illegal invasion of ukraine, china refused to condemn russia's gross violation of international law. chi nays -- china has continued to be silent as russia kills innocent women and children and civilians in ukraine. instead of condemning putin's war crime, the c.c.p. is rewarding them. on february 28, after the invasion, the c.c.p. struck a

massive deal we this russian energy company gas prpl. gazprom will deliver 50 million cubic meters of natural gas per year to the c.c.p. under the agreement. mr. speaker, it's time for the united states to confront this new axis of evil head on. my legislation, the assessing xi's interference and subversion act or axis act requires the u.s. state department to submit an ongoing report to congress detailing the c.c.p.'s support for russia during and before the invasion of ukraine. this includes troubling reports abc.c.p.'s efforts to evade the effects of international sanctions. the axis report also requires the committee to submit its first report to congress within 30 days of the bill being enacted and each 90 days thereafter. i intend to get a commitment

from secretary blinken tomorrow that he will comply with this deadline. i want to thank my democrat and republican colleagues on the committee, including chairman meek and ranking member mccaul. i thank my friend from south carolina as well and for helping us unanimously pass this bill out of committee. the threat that this new axis of evil poses to the united states is not a republican or democrat one. it's an american one. and this full report on the russia-c.c.p. alliance will inform the american public and enable lawmakers to begin positioning the united states to overcome this geopolitical challenge. as a member of the house china task force and as a strong belief that freedom must be defended when aggression from authoritarians like this, like this invasion that we've seen, we must confront it, we must repel it, we must call it out when we see it and that's why i urge all of my colleagues in the house to vote yes and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky yields back. the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. >> i have in further requests for time and reserve the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the scwealt from california, ms. kim. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. kim: thank you, mr. speaker, thank you, mr. wilson for yielding and for your leadership on this issue. i rise in strong support of the axis act to take strong steps to investigate if and how the chinese government and the -- and affiliating entities are helping russia evade sanctions after vladimir putin's unprovoked invasion of ukraine. while the united states, our nato allies and countries around the world have strongly condemned and taken action during vladimir putin's invasion, the silence and deference from chinese government officials is

deafening. chinese foreign minister wi continues to say russia is china's most important strategic partner. we know that as russia continues to invade ukraine, china is eyeing taiwan. so we must show dictators that they cannot invade a free country, an ally, unprovoked without consequences. i'm proud to co-sponsor of the axis act and i want to thank my friend, congressman andy barr, for leading this bill. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. tionz. >> i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i especially appreciate the people of china. my father served in 1944 as a

member of the flying tigers, the 14th air force of the army air corps of the united states to defend the people of china in world war ii. he served in several places and had a deep affection that our family know of the people of china and we want the best for the people of china. sadly at every step, russia's unprovoked, full-scale invasion of ukraine, the c.c.p. has chosen to reject the free world and embrace putin's mass murder. last week, one of china's top ministers promised to increase coordination with russia regardless of russia's war crimes. but we know that ukraine will win. with the leadership of president zelenskyy. they need to be held to account at the c.c.p. and congressman andy barr's legislation does just that. i urge all members to support this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized.

>> mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, when it comes to china and russia, i do not trust empty words. i verify. h.r. 7314, the axis act, will will help congress and the american people stay informed about how, if at all, china might be supporting russia in its unprovoked, unjust and illegal invasion of ukraine. it is p of the utmost important nor body and the world to understand whether china is complicit in the gross atrocities and war crimes being committed against ukrainian people. doing so will allow us to adjust our strategy and policies if necessary to further isolate russia and deepen support for the ukrainian people. mr. phillips: i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 7314 as amended.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas eke seek recognition? >> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. phillips: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 7372, the protecting semiconductor supply chain materials from authoritarians act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 7372, a bill to amend the ukraine freedom support act of 2014 to require the president to establish a

semiconductor supply chain working group in response to the russian invasion of ukraine and submit reports to congress on potential future disruptions to the supply chain. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. phillips, and the gentleman from south carolina, mr. wilson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. mr. phillips: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 7372. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. phillips: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. phillips: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 7372, the protecting semiconductor supply chain materials from authoritarians act. the pandemic has exposed how intricate, how fragile and how globalized supply chains are in 2022. many of the products are fam -- our families know and use every day, whether it's our cars, computers, smart phones or

refrigerators are the products of complex components assembled all around the globe. semiductors are a prime example as they power just about every electronic device in existence. america is the global leader in semiconductors because our semiconductor design companies are the global leaders. no country is capable of making advanced semiconductors without american innovation and know-how. but we are also reliant on other nations that are part of the semiconductor supply chain. ukraine and russia is are crucial providers of important compounds and elements necessary for their production including palladium, neon gas, helium and c4f6. without these gases many semiconductors cannot be produced. most had little extra supply of these products before mr. putin started his unjustified invasion and these stores are dwindling. the bill instructs the president to address this problem and

forces us to work with our allies and partners to ramp up production of these compounds. it also urges the president to look ahead to future threats to prepare for instability down the road. i thank representative titus for her work on this important bill and for working in a bipartisan way with representative meyer. i urge all my colleagues to support this valuable legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. wilson: i rise in support of the protecting semiconductor supply chain materials from authoritarians act. h.r. 7372. which sets up a high level interagency task force to make sure we have a whole government effort to anticipate and respond to the impacts of a supply chain for semiconductors. the sum conductor supply chain has long been under strain which

has only been exacerbated by the covid pandemic. on top of that the war criminal putin's invasion of ukraine has only added to the problem. it has interrupted critical input into the semiconductor supply chain such as palladium, neon gas and helium. while it certainly is important to know the impacts of the critical supply chain caused by russia's invasion, the united states must take a holistic approach and work with our allies and partners to strengthen the entire semiconductor supply chain and protect it from being dominated by the chinese communist party. i'm pleased that this bill also requires forward looking assessments to understand the supply chain impact of a possible invasion of taiwan. a courageous beacon of democracy in the east. which manufacturers 90% of advanced logic semiconductors. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentleman from michigan, mr. peter meijer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meyer: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 7372, the protecting semiconductor supply chains from authoritarians act. this bill which i helped introduce with my colleague representative titus is an incredibly timely piece of legislation focusing on two pressing issue, the war in ukraine and our semiconductor supply chain shortages. over the past two years we have seen unprecedented challenges to our supply chain and the current war in ukraine has exacerbated exeafer one of these challenges threatening our supply of critical minerals including the supply for semiconductors. from cell phone teoscars to medical devices we know the integral role semiconductors

play in our everyday lives. mr. meijer: my home state knows the shortages created for our economy. we need a robust and coordinated response to any threats to our semiconductor supply chain. this bill offers just that. by establishing a working group focused specifically on the threats to our semiconductor supply chain as a result of putin's illegal war of atbretion we can ensure all available resources and expertise are being used to examine the critical mineral supply chain and how it's affected by the ongoing war. this legislation also we in congress can offer legislative solutions to help support and strengthen our supply chains. we know now that our global supply chain is at a critical juncture and if it can be disrupted, the threats will be the end of our national security might.

we need to identify how the ongoing war threatens the chain and shore up our supply. i thank representative titus for leading this effort and i encourage my colleagues to support this bill. i yield become. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: the you u.s. share of global production has dropped from 37% to 12% today. and is projected to decline even further without a confident u.s. strategy to support the industry. this bill is a small step in the right direction, though we must do more to on make sure this supply chain is existent on semiconductors.

we are in a conflict with democracy. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i yield myself such time as i may consume. this is important legislation that will take steps to solve supply chain problems that will affect all americans in a bipartisan way. this is the work we were elected to do and i applaud the representatives for their work. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 7372. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of

the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> request the yeas and nays pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. phillips: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 496 ukraine religious freedom support ant as amended. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman call up the bill as amended? mr. phillips: as amended. the speaker pro tempore: ok. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 496 a bill to oppose violations of religious freedom by russia and armed

groups commanded by russia pursuant you to the rule, the gentleman from mr. phillips and the gentleman from south carolina, mr.~wilson, each will control 20 minutes. mr. phillips: i ask unanimous consent that members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 496. i would like to include in the record an exchange of letters between me and the judiciary committee. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. phillips: i rise in support of h.r. 496 and thank my committee colleague and friend, representative wilson, from south carolina for introducing it it. russian forces are ravaging ukranian cities and towns and committing atrocities and war crimes against innocent civilians and continuing to wage an unprovoked and unjustified

war. the world cannot and will not ignore the war crimes violations it is committing. human rights violations against ukranians started well before february of this year. ever since russia attempted to annex crima. russia and forces and so-called authorities in those regions have a complete disregard for human rights including to practice religion freely. h.r. 496 is important and hold russians responsible for committing violations of religious freedom. not only must we ensure it is held accountable for the daily human rights violations that characterize its illegal war in ukraine but those committed long before this invasion.

the u.s. may take actions by withdrawing assistance, h.r. 4996 directs the president to include russia-controlled areas and groups when determining concerns for religious freedoms and funding eligibility for russia. i support this important legislation and i thank the gentleman from south carolina for introducing it. i urge all members to vote in support and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. wilson: i rise in support of a bill that i have introduced with my colleague and long-time friend emmanuel cleaver of missouri. the ukraine religious freedom support act. it is important that we firstage the heinous escalation by the war criminal putin as he continues to wage a one-sided

full-scale war in sovereign ukraine. putin's war in crima has gone out for eight years. and it has claimed 13,000 ukranian lives including innocent civilians. that's before the current invasion. another casualty of russian aggression in ukraine has been the attack on religious freedom. russian occupation authorities in crima continue to persecute and intimidate the minority christian, muslim and other religious groups. putin subjected to torture and imprisonment. muslim crima have been sentenced to serve lengthy terms in

russian prisons on the charge of terrorism. minority legal gas groups in the area of eastern ukraine controlled by pro-putin proxies have been forced to flee in order to escape the oppressive conditions. the persecution being committed is self-destructive and must be stopped. throughout american history, the united states has worked to advance religious freedom and protect religious minorities around the globe. the bill following that is a strong tradition of accomplishing the following, one, making clear it is the policy of the united states to never recognize the i will attempted annexation by crima or the separation of the use through military force or recognition of independence of any portion of ukranian territory. second, it helps ensure that war

criminal putin and his cronies are held accountable by considering any official involved in carrying out severe violations of human rights in sovereign ukranian territory by providing the provisions of nationality act. three, this legislation requires a determination of whether to designate russia as a country of concern for religious freedom. we cannot allow these grave violations to continue. it is vital that the united states continues to be a leader in advancing religious freedom around the world. this bill not only brings international attention to the religious persecution being committed in the territory of ukraine that putin illegally occupies but also ensures that war criminal putin and his thugs are held accountable. mr. speaker, i urge passage of this legislation. and i reserve the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. it is vital that the united states continuities tradition of advancing religious freedom and human rights around the world. this bill brings accountability to the putin regime for its crimes of oppressing religious minorities as it occupies sovereign ukranian territory. it is critical that the united states sends a clear message that it will never recognize putin's illegal occupation of sovereign ukranian territory. mr. speaker, as ranking member of the helskinki commission, i want to recognize our dear friend, the late chairman alcee hastings for championing this

issue and recognizing human rights and holding war criminal putin accountable for his continued violations of human rights and religious liberty in ukraine. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: gentlem an yield -- the gentleman from south carolina yields back. mr. phillips: i yield myself such time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. i thank my friend and colleague from south carolina. you are a gentleman, a champion of religious freedoms around the world and this is an example of what this institution we can do together and find common ground in the face of such aggression and risk around the world. putin's violations of the basic human rights are disturbing and

unacceptable. freedom of religion is a moral imperative that the united states must continue to strive to defend as we support the people of ukraine through these incredit apply trying and horrific times. this is personal to me. my own family fled russian persecution in the late 19th century only to come to this extraordinary country. little could they have imagined that i would be standing here with you, my friend from south carolina, talking about religious freedoms and doing everything we can to preserve and protect those all around the world. that's what it means to be an american, not just here but all around the world. we must take action where we can including by ensuring that the president considers all regions where russian influence is determining future development funding for the nation. i hope my colleagues and trust my colleagues will join me in

supporting this important bill and defend freedoms around the world. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 496 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are ordered and pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. phillips: i will move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6930 asset seizure for ukraine reconstruction act as

amended. the clerk: h.r. 6930, a bill to authorize the confiscation of assets subject to united states jurisdiction of certain foreign persons and for other purposes pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. phillips, and the gentleman from south carolina, mr.~wilson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. mr. phillips: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 6930. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized mr. phillips: i rise today in support of h.r. 6930 asset seizure for ukraine reconstruction act as amended. we have long known the russian oligarch class is part of poutin's corrupt regime. they have used wealth to

consolidate power within their country and increase influence abrd. as putin continues in unjustified full kale invasion into ukraine, the united states must do all it can to identify and campings his cronies bank rolling this brutality. this takes an important step in this direction. the president should confiscate property subject to u.s. jurisdiction worth over $2 million belonging to russian oligarchs whose wealth is derived by corruption. it says such assets should be licky dated or sold and funds should be sent to the ukrainian people. it also sets up a working group to determine mechanisms through which this could be achieve. the luxury villas, fancy quats

of putin and his cronies are tainted with the blood of the ukrainian people and should be used to rebuild and restore ukraine. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. wilson: sadly on february 24, war criminal putin launched and unprovoked, unjustified war of aggression against the people of ukraine. the humanitarian toll has been devastating. more than five million refugees have fled ukraine. more than seven million are believed to be internally displaced. and we've seen on our screens the heart wrenching images of putin's horrific war crimes in bucha, mariupol and elsewhere. the economic toll for ukraine is no less devastating. it is forecast ukraine's economy

could contract 40% this year with a worst case scenario seeing a g.d.p. shrink of 75%. the ukrainian prime minister said last week in a visit to washington that ukraine would need around $5 billion a month in budgetary support as long as the war continued and then roughly $600 billion for a broader rebuilding effort. to rebuild this country, the ukrainian prime minister requested not only additional financial support from the united states and its allies and partners but also the transfer of russian assets that have been frozen by the global sanctions of the regime to be provided to ukraine. the u.s. should answer this call. the resolution we are considering urges the president to establish and interagency working group to determine the constitutional mechanisms through which the united states could not only freeze but seize the assets of russian oligarchs

within the united states if this property was derive through the corruption linked to the putin regime. the liquidated funds are to be repurposed for the benefit of the people of ukraine including post-conflict reconstruction when the ukrainian win. humanitarian assistance and assistance for the security forces of the government of ukraine. i was grate to feel co-lead this legislation with our colleague, tom malinowski of new jersey. thanks to an amendment from our colleague, peter meijer, the bill also urges the administration to expand sanctions on the members of the russian parliament. the duma. who voted in support of recognizing that donesk and luhansk people's republic which are illegal fabrications. this vote served as part of putin's pretext to russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against the people of ukraine. anyone who supported that vote

must fall under u.s. sanctions. full stop. the administration needs to seriously consider how we can use the frozen russian assets to help kyiv fight and continue winning then rebuild the country. i urge all colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentleman from michigan, mr. peter meijer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. meijer: thank youing mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the asset seizure for crew yain reconstruction act which i was proud to introduce with my colleague, congressman malinowski. this bill sends a strong and clear message of support to the ukrainian people and a clear message to putin and his cronies that their ill-gotten assets are no longer welcome in the united states. the asset seizure for ukraine reconstruction act urges the

administration to take necessary steps allowed by the constitution and existing laws to seize russian assets valued over $2 million and repurpose them toward post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in ukraine. it also includes my amendment that aims to expand sanctions on members of russia's parliament who took the reckless and illegal vote to recognize two breakaway states in the davos and authorized putin to use military force in ukraine. though the biden administration sanctioned 338duma members who voted to recognize the breakaway state, the luhansk people's republic and donesk people's republic, it has not imposed similar sanctions on the remaining duma members and the 154 fed rage councilmembers who voted to authorize the senseless war in ukraine. these russian politicians as well as the oligarchs who so comfortably store their assets on u.s. territory play a role in putin's illegal war and all deserve to be punished.

our bill ensures that they do not escape accountability for their complicity in the atrocities against ukraine which has left thousands of civilians dead and many millions displaced. i urge support for this critical and urgent bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan yields back. the gentleman from south carolina reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. phillips: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. wilson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. wilson: rather than financing war crimes in ukraine and multimillion dollar yachts and real estate for putin's crony, this money could be much better spent on urnltsly needed humanitarian aid and weapons for ukraine. this makes sense for the people of ukraine as well as for the american taxpayer. i therefore urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized mr. chairman

phillips: i yield myself such time -- is recognized. mr. phillips: i yield mist such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. phillips: this will make sure the united states is not a safe haven for corrupt assets. the legislation makes it clear that the president should take measures to seize and confiscate their asits subject to u.s. jurisdiction and use the proceeds from such sales to help the ukrainian people all while protecting and preserving the rights enshrined in the constitution. i thank representative malinowski for authoring the bill and urge my colleagues to support this legislation. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 6930 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. phillips: i ask unanimous consent that the remainder of my time and the suspensions be yielded to the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman does not control any

time. the chair will recognize the gentleman from virginia for a motion. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 923, the georgia support act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 923, a bill to support the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of georgia and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extemporaneous material on h.r.

923 as amended. i also ask -- the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. connolly: i also ask to include in the congressional record an exchange of letters between myself and the chairs of ways and means and the judiciary committees on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. connolly: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: i rise today as the author of the georgia support act and as co-chair of the congressional georgia caucus to express my support for the legislation which we introduced with my republican colleague and georgia caucus co-chair mr. adam kinzinger of illinois. this legislation has twice passed the house with broad bipartisan support. this bipartisan effort enhances the u.s.-georgia relationship on several fronts, by bolstering security assistance, promoting democratic governance reforms enhancing cooperation to fight

russian disinformation, and strengthening economic ties. mr. speaker, it's appropriate as russia continues its tragic and horrific invasion of sovereign ukrainian territory that we reflect on 2008 and the invasion by russia and continued occupation of sovereign georgian territory. to this day, russian troops committing violations of human rights, international humanitarian law and war crimes in sovereign ukrainian territory are the same troops that have fomented unrest, aided is separatist movements and committed clear and et violations of human rights for the past 14 years in the russian-occupied parts of georgia. this bill directs the united states government to enforce targeted sanctions on malign actors committing these violations in russian-occupied territory. the georgia support act also requires the administration to examine how best we can utilize the $35 million or more of

united states aid that we provide georgia in security assistance every year and reinforces u.s. policy to never recognize russian sovereignty over georgiaian territory. as the number one per capita contributeor of forces in afghanistan, georgia demonstrated its dedication to security cooperation with the western alliance. and the united states must continue to reciprocate by helping georgia develop the capacity to defend itself against further incursion of russian forces. mr. speaker, attacks on georgian sovereignty have not been simply through the occupation of these areas as bad as that is. this bill directs the administration to enhance cooperation with our georgian partners to help them defend themselves from the very cyber attacks and disinformation and propaganda campaigns russia has launched with the goal of undermining the sovereignty and democratic institutions of the

country of georgia. mr. speaker, i traveled to tablisi number rouse times with the nato parliamentary assembly, of which i'm president, and with the house democracy partnership, to meet with government official official, civil society and georgian people. i'm pleased that this iteration of the georgia support act seeks to buttress georgian democratic institutions through u.s. democracy and governance programs that promote georgian judicial independence, electoral reforms, freedom of press and accountability for attacks on independent media and activists in 2021. this legislation provides an opportunity for the united states to express its robust, bipartisan support for georgia's sovereignty, continued democratic and economic development and security against renewed russian aggression. i urge my colleagues to support the georgia support act and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia

reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser, is recognized. mr. meuser sprk thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meuser: i rise in support of h.r. 923, the georgia support act. since russia invaded georgia in 2008, putin has illegally occupied 20% of georgia's territory, embroiling georgia in an excess ten cial battle for its sovereignty. the flagrant invasion of ukraine proves putin will stop at nothing to reach his heinous goals and our allies need our support now more than ever. it must be made abundantly clear to putin the american people stand with georgia and will not tolerate further inkawrgs into georgian territory. this will reaffirm support for georgia's independence, sovereignty by authorizing support to georgia to determine key capability gaps as well as looking at u.s.-georgia cyber

security cooperation and assistance to combat russian disinformation. russian meddling in georgia's political processes and active disinformation campaigns continue to threaten georgia's democratic trajectory. but critically, the bill also addresses the need for georgia to maintain its focus on democracy and governance development in order to stay on its euro-atlantic path. fainlly this bill authorize the president to individuals responr human rights' abuses of georgia's territories by moving the border further into georgia's territory restricting freely of movement and conducting arbitrary detentions, putin has jeopardized the lives on both sides of the boundary line with his occupied territories. passing this bill is showing support for an ally who has been

on the front line of putin's be lig rains. i reserve. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: i yield myself such time as i may consume. we cannot allow putin to believe he can turn to georgia next. georgia, a longstanding u.s. partner in a tough neighborhood has been on the front line of putin. this bill passed the house the last two congresses by overwhelming majority and i urge my colleagues to support our georgia allies yet again and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: i thank my friend

and it is very important that there be a statement from this congress not only about ukraine but other nations that are threatened by russia's aggression. it is critical that the congress speak with one voice to those nations, to those peoples and to putin and russia should he have further designs on those two countries. i urge this bill's passage and i yield become. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 923 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: ask for the yeas and nays pursuant to section 3-s of

resolution 8 yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr.connolly: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h. res. 833 and support of moldova's democracy, independence and territorial integrity as amended. the clerk: house resolution 833, resolution expressing support for moldova's democracy, independence and territorial integrity and strengthening united states and moldova's relations pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia and the gentleman from pennsylvania each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia.

mr.connolly: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to include extraneous material on h. res. 833 as amended and i ask do include in the congressional record an exchange of letters between chairman meeks and chairman of the house ways and means committee, mr. neal. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: i rise in support of h. res. 833 which clearly champions moldova's push toward a democracy and common work in strengthening our by -- bilateral ties. i thank representative price of north carolina and his years of work on the house democracy partnership. moldova, a small country in europe rightfully deserves our attention today.

as the country is making towards democracy and moving closer to the euro-atlantic conference. more than 400,000 ukranian refugees have arrived in moldova. since february, a number that represents 10% of moldova's own population. it is no stranger to malign russian interference. a kremlin-break-away region in moldova's east is an area of active risk. moscow uses the wound to manipulate politics. we are reminded with the explosion in the region earlier this week and the constant dangerous rhetoric on the so-called authorities there. despite these challenges, the

government is in a position to tackle them and modernize society and its economy. the president and the parliament in moldova are fighting corruption and imimplementing needed reforms all while strengthening relations with the union union and the united states. the people of moldova work is admirable and deserves our support. and passing this resolution coupled with the biden's administration highlighting moldova's that the united statesgovernment stands with them. this resolution looks to build on the momentum in this decisive moment for moldova ensuring that progress is meaningful and sustainable. i support this resolution and urge all of my colleagues to do the same. and i reserve.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: i rise in support of house resolution 833 which expresses support for moldova's democracy, independence and territorial integrity. needless to say, this is the time to consider this resolution not only because this year marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries. and russia's challenge in the region. moldova's humanitarian response to russia's invasion of ukraine have been remarkable. moldova has accepted 434,000 ukranian refugees. that is around 5% of moldova's entire population. not only does this resolution commend moldova but addresses

the energy security and advancing democratic reforms. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution that u.s. congress is committed to a partnership with moldova and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: we reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: i will close at this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. meuser: i thank representatives price and pfluger. this is making whole of europe less secure and our support must extend to ukraine's neighbors. the threat made by russia that the kremlin seized the land bridge, the russian supported

break-away region shows why the u.s. must pay attention to moldova. join me in supporting this resolution to demonstrate the strong support of our friends in moldova. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: i thank my friend for his bipartisan leadership and his support for this important piece of legislation. combined with georgia support act, this resolution sends a clear message from this body on a bipartisan basis that we will not tolerate russian aggression in europe in 2022. combined with our solidarity in opposition to the tragedy unfolding in ukraine, it's a powerful message backed up with of course support by our government and the bipartisan

nature of this is just so critical and the people of moldova and people of georgia and ukraine, they are watching and listening as we hope putin and his cronies in moscow. i urge support for this resolution and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia, mr. con willy yields back. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: request the yeas and nays pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr.connolly: i move the house russ send the rules and pass h.r. 3344 transatlantic telecommunications security act. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman call the bill up as amended? mr.connolly: as amended the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to prioritize the efforts and enhanced coordination among united states agencies to encourage countries in central and eastern yup to improve the security of their telecommunications network and for other purposes pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly and the gentleman from pennsylvania, plew meuser, each will control 20 minutes. mr.connolly: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and includics train yows

material on h.r. 3344 as amended. i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 3344 as amended, transatlantic telecommunications security acted. i thank representative kaptur of ohio. she has been an incredible leader and a very important voice for ukraine, not just the past two months but for decades, as a realm of congress. this bill is part of her many efforts to aid the people of ukraine and eastern europe. i want to emphasize an important pillar. if a hostile power has the ability to shut down a country's access to the internet, national security has been breached. if a competitor can disable cut

an underseas' cable to turn off a mobile network, telecommunications and national security have been breached. and foreign rivals can snoop on a country's calls and steal classified information because they can access the network then both telecommunications and national security have been briefed. the lesson is clear. the united states cannot rely on things and/or the putin regime in moscow. this is true in eastern europe as president putin has acted on violence rather than respect the law of nations. if the problem is russian aggression, the transatlantic telecommunications security act is a key part in the solution to bolster our national security and that of our friends and

allies. the bill allows the development finance corporation to fund security projects to ensure all networks in eastern europe is safe. as ukraine faces the immediate threat to its national security products in the region must and will receive assistance. this bill authorizes the state department to create a new position of campaign coordinator to focus on upcoming elections called the international telecommunications union. that election comprises of an american with significant experience and a russian, previously worked for the chinese company. what could go wrong with that? this is an election the free world can ill afford to lose and we must ensure corrupt actors are kept from its power and includes the state department

working with the commerce and f.c.c. and teaming up with our good friends on the energy and commerce committee that it promotes telecom systems around the globe. this is a critical bill that will deliver benefits for nato and front-line allies. we must get this bill to the president's desk quickly and i urge my colleagues to make that reality one step closer by voting for this legislation today. mr. meuser: this legislation authorizes the you its development finance corporation to provide financing for secure 5gavelston and telecommunications development

projects in eastern european countries with upper middle-income economies. this authorization aims to push back against efforts to dominate the 5g and telecommunications networks of our partners in the region, many of whom are nato allies. ensuring the network of our allies and partners in eastern and central europe. moreover this bill targets the majority of countries. launched by 12 of our close friends in central and eastern europe. the initiative expands cross border energy, transportation and digital infrastructure as well boost economic development in the region and known as a regional imtakes that helps economic interests. we have expressed great concern that c.c.p. is exporting dead

traps and poor labor and environmental standards to europe and across the world through its 17-plus one and belt one initiatives. the three c.'s initiatives provides positive alternatives in the region including in its 5g networks and last administration successfully convinced most of eastern yup to opt not to use chinese suppliers in the telecommunications networks. supporting the initiative efforts to secure digital infrastructure in central and eastern yup will carry forward this policy success and ensures the transatlantic community remains united of the threat that c.c.p. poses to telecommunications security. this must serve as a wakeup call of allowing our vad veer sears

to expand their influence. europe's energy independence or dependence on russia has made it difficult to rally the continent around tougher sanctions and funding the war machine to the tune of $1 billion every day. this is not in europe or united states' national security interests. we cannot wait for a potential conflict over taiwan to assist our allies and partners in europe and beyond in cutting out the c.c.p.'s maligned influence now that it has been used to gain leveraging over our democratic allies. this bill will ensure we learn from our past mistakes. this bill is important because it directs the secretary of state to appoint a campaign director among existing personnel for the upcoming election at the national

telecommunications union which sets global standards for technologies such as 5gavelston. russian's campaign to elect a russian national to serve as the secretary general of the i.t.u. is indicative of russia and china's efforts to use the international organizations to promote their interests. the united states should ensure that we are coordinated in driving support for the u.s. candidate for the secretary general of the i.t.u. but the state department should engage on the important downballot races. there are four other posts of significance within the leadership structure including the director of i.t.u. development sector and the i.t.u.-d which plays a particular vital role in supporting multi lateral cooperation to fair and open internet governance of digital

technologies in the developing world. u.s. must be doing everything we can that this influence does not grow and this bill will help and i urge my colleagues to support it. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: we will close at this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. meuser: the three c.'s initiatives addresses threats posed by the c.c.p. providing investments in region including in 5g and future telecom networks and must support our allies in eastern europe to reduce their dependence on moscow and beijing's economic overtures. we can face the threats posed by

the authoritarian regimes in china and in russia. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from virginia. mr.connolly: i want to thank my friend for his leadership and his bipartisanship on this critical piece of legislation. i think it is timely and urgent and i urge my colleagues to support the legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3344 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the after tifer -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: ask for the yeas and nays pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are

postponed. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia. mr.connolly: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 7311 countering malign russian activities in africa act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title.

the clerk: a bill to direct the secretary of state to develop and submit to congress a strategy and implementation plan outlining the united states' efforts to counter the malign influence of russian federation and its proxies in africa and for other purposes pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia and the gentleman from pennsylvania, each will control 20 minutes. mr.connolly: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 7311 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized mr.connolly: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr.connolly: i rise in support of h.r. 7311 countering malign russian activities in africa act as amended introduced by

representative gregory meeks, chairman of the house foreign affairs committee. as putin is involved in an unjustifiable war in ukraine and he is destabilizing states in africa to feed his ruthless war machine. it has conducted activities throughout africa for several years now to raise funds and evade sanctions that would result from putin's brutal war. from control farms that spread disinformation to unaccountable military contractors, the kremlin continues to destabilize parts of africa in order to achieve objectives regardless of consequences and those consequences are deadly in draining african american governments of resources. putin has used his network to deploy mercenaries to countries like mali where allegations of

human rights abuses such asthmas executions, torture and other unspeakable acts are mounting every day by those groups. that's why i call on my colleagues to support h.r. 7311 which would require the secretary of state to submit to congress a strategy and plan to counter russia's malign efforts in the continent africa. it would request state department to identify and hold accountable russian and african american officials who facilitate russia's and manipulate democratic processes in order to evade sanctions. i'm pleased to see the administration is taking several steps toward this end in recent days, including through designating several russian companies involved in illicit activities in africa that were

in essence designed to evade sanctions. with h.r. 7311, i'm confident the state department with the support of our other federal agencies will help congress develop a clear picture what putin is in fact doing in africa and how we can effectively push back to protect our interests and those of our partners throughout the african region. i support the bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 7311, to require the state department to develop a strategy to counter russian malign influence in africa. as the world continues to watch russia commit unspeakable atrocities and war crimes in the ukraine, our partners and allies must look at the threats posed by russia around the world.

this bill will require a specific focus on extra-active industries, security assistance and strategic basing agreements. in sudan, russia is pursuing agreement to establish a military base on the red sea. mercenaries are active in the central africa republic, malli and -- mali and libya. they're committing gross violations of human rights and exploiting natural resources. just last month, russian mercenaries were implicated in a massacre for over 200 people in mali. this is the worst attack in mali in 10 years. they attempted to blame the atrocities on french forces after french intelligence footage showed them burying victims' bodies outside a former french military base. putin's complicity in these war crimes around the world and disinformation campaigns to avoid accountability cannot go

unanswered. i strongly condemn these attacks and the destabilizing role of russia across the continent and the world. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: i reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, we have no more speakers and we are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meuser: in closing, i want to thank our colleagues, chairman meeks and ranking member mccaul as well as chairwoman bass and ranking member smith of the africa subcommittee for offering this important measure. the assessment and strategy required by the bill is an important first step but the u.s. must do more to counter russian malign activity wherever it is presence and the atrocities and war crimes ongoing back.

the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 7311, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. connellly: mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4133, the caribbean basin security initiative authorization act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4133 a bill to authorize appropriations for the caribbean basin security initiative, enhance the united states caribbean security partnership, prioritize disaster resilience, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i thank the speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 4133. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. mr. the gentleman from virginia.

mr. connolly: , i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: thank you. i rise today in support of h.r. 4133, the caribbean basin security initiative authorization act of 2022. i would first like to thank my colleague, representative espaillat, for drafting this important measure. cbsi is essential to helping our partners in the caribbean to iprove our compass to the combat transnational crime, violence, and regional instability while also enhancing our own security and strengthening our critical partnerships in the region. by supporting a multiyear authorization we can effectively assist our caribbean partners in promoting citizen safety, security, and the rule of law in the caribbean basin. reducing corruption and the maligned influence of authoritarian regimes like jinping's china and putin's russia. and strengthening the ability of countries in the region to prepare for and respond to

natural disasters. according to a status report in the state department's u.s. strategy for engagement in the caribbean, released in july of 2019, quote, rising crime and endemic corruption threaten government's ability to provide security and good governance in many of the nation's in the region. with ongoing efforts to mitigate transnational organized crime in central america and mexico, the drug trade and other illegal activities likely will move further into the caribbean, particularly as the regional economic outlook deteriorates due to the continuing economic impacts of the covid-19 pandemic. given the tragic impacts of the recent hurricane season in the caribbean and trends pointing toward even more frequent and intense natural disasters, this renewed support for cbsi can also help make it possible for our friends in the region to become more climate resilient by building robust rapid response mechanisms and responses through

the region. the report can help to avoid a climate of fear and uncertainty among citizens that leads to diminished economic growth. i support this bill. and urge my colleagues to do the same. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair will receive a message from the senate. the messenger: mr. speaker, messages from the senate. the secretary: mr. speaker. the messenger: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has agreed to, h.con.res. 74, use of the capitol grounds for the national peace officers memorial service and the national honor guard and pipe band exhibition. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meuser: narcotics trafficking illicit money from the caribbean is fueling america's drug crisis and destabilizing the western hemisphere, the same groups that traffic narcotics and humans spread misery throughout the

region and the u.s. homeland. at the same time, maligned actors like the chinese communist party spread their web of influence in the region. this problem is especially troubling since the caribbean is home to a large concentration of taiwan's diplomatic allies. as evidenced by nicaragua's recent decision to sever long-standing tie was taiwan, the ccp is deploying a range of tools to advance its maligned agenda in the caribbean and throughout latin america. congress must remain committed to working with our alleys to address shared security threats, cooperating on regional challenges and promoting democrat -- democratic governance. that's why i'm supporting the caribbean basin security initiative authorization act. as the ccp exerts its malign influence and drugs flow into the united states, now is the time to work with our allies in the region to ensure our national security interests are protected. this legislation will expand our caribbean partners' ability to

surveil illicit actors in the water and in the air. improve local enforcement's ability to intercept narcotics trafficking. strengthen local criminal justice institutions, and support natural disaster response efforts. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: it gives me great pleasure to yield four minutes to my good friend, the author of this legislation, the gentleman from new york, mr. espaillat. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes mr. espaillat: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman from virginia for this opportunity to speak about h.r. 4133, the caribbean basin security initiative. for more than 10 years, mr. speaker, congress has supported funding cbsi, during that time $831 million, supporting caribbean nations. h.r. 4133, the caribbean basin

security initiative authorization act, will authorize appropriations of $75 million each year from 2022 to 2026. it also requires the department of state to develop a strategy to improve disaster resilience in the caribbean. and to report progress made under the niche ive. we all know -- under the initiative. we all know how the caribbean stands on the pathway of hurricanes and other natural disasters. as such, they must really improve disaster resiliency in those island nations. cbsi supports our allies in the caribbean by promoting citizen safety, citizen security, and adhering to the rule of law. it also reduces the trafficking in narcotics. it will help us interdict narcotics in the caribbean

region, which is the third border of our country. it also reduces corruption and maligned influence on foreign adversaries in the region. we all know how foreign adversaries are looking to ill invest in that region and circumvent in many cases transparency measures. it strengthens the ability to respond, as i said earlier, mr. speaker, to natural disasters. so important. these island nations are in jeopardy. they are in serious trouble with hurricanes and rising sea levels and other natural disasters. you better than anybody, mr. speaker, know about this. this caribbean basin security initiative would also provide fund funding for that. by empowering our neighbors in the caribbean, we will in turn bolster the national security of the united states. our allies in the caribbean are facing many, many challenges.

brought about by the covid-19 pandemic. straining global supply chains, and increased energy costs. that seems to be a common problem in island nations. increased energy costs. and as such, they are really up for grab by some of our adversary who often take advantage of this crisis. we must do more to really help out our neighbors, our alleys in that region. we must -- allies in that region. we must continue funding for cbsi and critical to help caribbean nations strengthen their economies and in turn strengthen our very own. it is specifically -- especially important that we continue our engagement in the caribbean as our foreign adversaries attempt to spread their influence throughout the region. a safe and prosperous caribbean region is in the united states'

national security interest. as we prepare to host the ninth summit of the americas in california in june, i urge my colleagues to support cbsi and reaffirm our commitment to enhancing u.s.-caribbean relations. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers. i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. the gentleman from pennsylvania reserved. mr. connolly: we reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania. million meuser: the u.s. and our partners must seriously confront the throat posed by the ccp in the caribbean and beyond and situation our border gets worse. deadly drugs like fentanyl are surging across our southern border from illicit actors in latin america. we must address the issue immediately. we cannot ignore the caribbean, america's third border. i would once again like though thank mr. espaillat, mr. meeks,

mr. sires, mr. green, mr. connolly for leading this measure. i urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: i thank the speaker. i thank my friend again for his leadership and bipartisanship in this important bill. i really can't add to the eloquence of our friend and colleague from new york, mr. espaillat. i urge our colleagues to support this important and critical piece of legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4133. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from idaho rise? >> request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6089, the stop iranian drones act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 6089 rgts a bill to clarify section 107 of a countering america's adversaries through sanctions act apply sanction was respect to unmanned combat ariel vehicles following a 2019 change by the united nations providing additional clarity to the united nations register of conventional arms. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser, will control 20 minutes each. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include

extraneous material on h.r. 6089. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. connolly: i further ask to include in the congressional record an exchange of letters on this bill between the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee, mr. gregory meeks, and the chair of the house judiciary committee, mr. nadler. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: i thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 6089, the stop iranian drones act, which was introduced by the ranking member, mr. mccaul, and chairman meeks. along with congressman ted deutch, joe wilson, chair ranking minority member of the middle east and international terrorism subcommittee. as was seen in recent months iran and iranian aligned terrorist and militia groups have been growing increasingly aggressive with their drone

attacks throughout the middle east. targeting u.s. troops, commercial vessels, partner countries, and more. not long ago an iranian responsibled militia in yemen utilized drones to cause death and destruction in the u.a.e. hundreds of miles away. similarly saudi arabia's faced repeated drone attacks on its civilian areas and its critical infrastructure. this bill clarifies that existing conventional weapons sanctions against iran include unmanned combat ariel vehicles and brings -- aerial vehicles and brings u.s. code up to date with the united nations categories of major conventional arms. by doing this this bill will allow the united states to better respond to the threat posed by iran and its proxies aggressive u.a.v. tactics with respect to the united states and partners. this is not a new sanction but rather a clirfication of current

law. it will in no way interfere with the ongoing nuclear talks. we have confirmed this with the state department. the biden administration is taking this threat seriously. they have sanctions the top iranian military official for his role in the july attack on a commercial shipping vessel in the gulf of oman. in addition of black hissing a network of individuals and companies behind iran's u.a.v. program we can do more. and we need our allies to do more as well. the clarification included in this legislation will help show the international community that iranian u.a.v. proliferation will not be tolerated by this government or this congress. i ask for the full support of this house in passing this legislation so we can move it one step closer to the president's desk. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. meuser: iran and its proxies continue to threaten u.s. troops and our partners throughout the middle east with drones. iran packed militia groups attack u.s. troops in iraq and syria with u.a.v.'s throughout 2021. houthi attacks over saudi arabia doubled in the first nine months of 2021 compared to 2020 which included frequent u.a.v. assaults. where do the houthis get much of their technology? iran. iran continues to use u.a.v.'s to threaten israel, including in its deadly attack on an israeli-owned tanker last summer. this is why i'm opposed to striking out the bad nuclear deal with iran that would line the regime's pockets with tash cash. the more money iran has, the more it will spend on threats to the u.s. and our partners. period. this situation is intolerable, the people of the middle, including americans living there, cannot live in stability,

freedom, prosperity while under assault by iran's drones. we must eliminate their ability to build drones. this bill will help reduce the threats of iranian drones. it clarifies our existing sanctions on iran's conventional weapons program includes the supply, sale, transfer to or from iran of combat u.a.v.'s and codifies as u.s. policy to prevent iran, its proxies from acquiring u.a.v.'s that can be used in attacks against the u.s. and our partners. with this legislation, congress is telling the world, the world knows that we will cut off iran's u.a.v. supplies. and that we will punish those who continue to supply -- iran has long demonstrated its commitment to destabilizing the middle east with its malign activities but we are committed to countering iran's attacks and keeping our partners safe. we will continue to adapt to

this u.a.v. threat. that includes robust sanctions, ens forcement against iran's u.a.v. program and its proliferation. i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this important measure, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield four minutes to our friend, our committee on the committee of foreign affairs, the gentleman, mr. malinowski. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. malinowski: i rise in support of h.r. 6089, to stop iranian drones act, and speak in favor of the important legislation the house is moving today to address russia's illegal invasion of ukraine. the stop iranian drones act codifies crucial language that ensures we can impose sanctions on iranian drones under current laws. sanctions are a very powerful tool as we've seen in the last two months as we have imposed powerful sanctions on russia

since its invasion. but i think we need to go further. and my bill, h.r. 6930, the assets seize your for ukrainian reconstruction act, gives us the tools to just that. let me say a few words about that. in the last few weeks, we have seen across the united states and europe and the world the seizure of yachts and villas, bank accounts belonging to russian oligarchs that are supported the cruel regime of vladimir putin. recently, with the help of the f.b.i. a $90 million was seize -- yacht was seized in europe. $90 million is actually pretty cheap for a russian oligarch's yachts. some of these boats run up to $600 million. up to $300 billion of russian central bank assets have been seized or frozen by the united states and our allies. and all these actions raise a

very important question. think about the destruction in ukraine, the thousands of people who have been killed, the atrocities, the bodies of men and women left in the streets as russian soldiers and occupiers are expelled by the brave ukrainian defenders. can we imagine if there is, for example, a cease-fire that puts the immediate violence to rest? we hope that happens. but can we imagine at that moment giving all of this wealth, all of russia's wealth, the yachts, the bank accounts, the villas, the planes back to putin and his cronies as ukraine lies in ruin, as the ukrainians bury their dead? i think the answer's no. we cannot imagine doing that. we will not do that. i don't believe that the biden administration intends to do that, but the law here is very complicated.

these assets are not actually seized. they are merely frozen and blocked. and so this legislation, which i urge all of my colleagues to support today, bipartisan bill, asks the administration to come up with a mechanism that would enable us to take this wealth and to sell it, to dispose of it, and to use the proceeds to help the people and government of ukraine rebuild their country. yes, it is complicated. if we apply our american legal constructs to these men and women who have served putin loyally all these years, it looks like they are the owners of these assets. one of them owns the chelsea football team in great britain. some own property in the united states. but in fact, if you understand how russia works, you understand that the true owner of all of these assets is one man. it is putin.

these are pooled assets. he can use them whenever he wants. so i believe it is fitting that we should pass legislation encouraging the administration to use the wealth that has supported this cruel regime to help to rebuild the country that the putin regime is destroying. it is the right thing to do. it is the practical thing to do because this reconstruction effort will in fact cost up to hundreds of billions of dollars. we should not be saddled with the full cost of that. let's use russia's money to rebuild ukraine. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia reserves, and the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i have no speakers, and i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i think this is an important piece of legislation in trying to contain the malign activities of the iranian government,

especially in a critical region, critical to us and critical to the world. i urge my colleagues to support this bill, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania -- the gentleman from virginia yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, in closing, iran is a state sponsor of terrorism, the iranian regime is using drones to expand that threat. just last month, retiring centcom commander general mckenzie told congress, and i quote, he was very concerned about the remarkable growth in the number and efficiency of iran's u.a.v. program and long-range drones. we have a responsibility to our men and women in uniform to do everything we can to counter iran's dangerous u.a.v.'s. i am pleased we are taking this step today to clarify our sanctions laws and make it clear they cover iran's drones.

i'm grateful we can continue the long history of bipartisan cooperation to respond to iran's threats. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 6089, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from idaho rise? >> request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4693, the global malnutrition prevention and treatment act of 2021. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4693, a bill to

advance targeted and evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of global malnutrition and to improve the coordination of such programs, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. and i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 4693. the speaker pro tempore: it is so ordered. the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 4693, the global malnutrition prevention and treatment act of 2021. in the wake of covid-19, we've seen malnutrition rates climb and food insecurity became an

ever-change -- changing -- ever-changing challenge. women and children bearing the brunt of those effects. it's estimated in 2022, the devastating global effects of covid-19 could add an additional 17 million severely malnourished children worldwide. we cannot stand by while millions of children's lives are on the line. with covid, climate change and conflict worsening the global situation. that's why the foreign affairs committee took action with 4693 which will direct usaid to implement solutions to prevent and treat this global malnutrition. this bill establishes a nutrition leadership council to identify populations most at risk to severe malnutrition and to prioritize prevention and treatment programs.

preventing and treating malnutrition is relatively inexpensive to implement and as high returns. with every $1 we spend, we improve health and increase cognitive and physical development, yielding the equivalent of a $35 return. by coordinating activities throughout the u.s. government, with our partner countries, with the united nations specialized agencies, civil society, private sector, actors, and more, we can sustain nutrition interventions that save lives. this bill also requires usaid to provide congress and implement plans in annual reports to help treat and prevent malnutrition. mr. speaker, we must do more to support those in dire need, and we must answer their call for help. h.r. 4693 is this opportunity to

do just that. to protect the lives of those suffering from malnutrition all around the world. this measure builds on the work and jurisdiction of usaid and will bolster efforts to respond and prevent malnutrition everywhere. while the united states has led the world in responding to covid-19 and its effects around the world, we must also ensure we don't lose ground and long standing investments such as food and food security. by supporting this legislation, we can take a meaningful step in doing both. i urge my colleagues to support this measure so we can move it one step closer to the president's desk. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meuser: as we speak, millions of women and children are on the brink of starvation around the world. an estimated 3.1 million children perish every year due to malnutrition. in fact, almost half of the

deaths among children under the age of 5 are linked to malnutrition, mainly in low, middle-income countries. in the 21st century, this tragedy should be prevented. this bipartisan bill will support efforts to scale up targeted and effective nutrition programs in countries most at risk for severe malnutrition that will help us have a real impact on people's lives around the world. fallout from the russian invasion of ukraine and our withdrawal from afghanistan have compounded humanitarian crises. coupled with the covid-19 pandemic, now more than ever, we must do everything we can to improve lifesaving nutrition programs and that starts with a strong and effective usaid who has the tools it needs to ensure no child dies from malnutrition. every parent wants to be able to put food on the table, nourish their families and support for low-cost malnutrition intervention programs means health and productivity of the next generation of children. i urge my colleagues to support

this important measure, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: we reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i will close at this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meuser: in addition to the crises in ukraine, afghanistan, and ethiopia, the covid-19 pandemic has erased years of progress toward ending poverty. it's pushed more people into more food insecurity and malnutrition and destabilized fragile states. this legislation will help us reclaim lost ground in the war in hunger and malnutrition. the agency, longside our n.g.o. and private sector partners, has helped secure nutrition stability for expectant mothers and young children along with the countless others in need. but more must be done to truly end starvation. i want to thank members of the

africa community, especially bread for the world and results for the continued support of this legislative effort. i'm grateful we can continue the long history of bipartisan cooperation to help those in need around the world. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. . mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. the united states has a long tradition on the bipartisan basis of feeling with the issue of food insecurity and malnutrition. herbert hoover led some of the early efforts by the united states government after world war i to feed a starving europe. and he even provided food assistance to the bull sha vick regime--bowl sha vick regime in russia because we understood that malnutrition didn't respect political ideology or labels.

three the food for peace program in the early kennedy and johnson years, the cooperation between the late senator bowl and the late -- bob dole and the late senator george mcgovern to make sure both domestic and international food security was a staple of u.s. policy and bipartisan support. this is an important piece of legislation. no child in 2022 should ever be malnourished. and certainly no child should ever die from malnourishment. this is an important statement by this congress about our values as human beings and as a society and reaffirms a long-standing commitment by the american people to not let this kind of tragedy happen anywhere. i urge passage of the bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house

suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4693. so many as are 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 -- the gentleman from idaho. mr. fulcher: thank you, mr. speaker. request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, naind. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. connolly: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass s.812, a bill to direct the secretary of state to develop a strategy to regain observer status for taiwan in the world health organization, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 812, an act to direct the secretary of state to develop a strategic -- strategy

to regain observer status for taiwan in the world health organization, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. meuser, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i thank the speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s.812. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: thank mr. speaker i ride today in support of s.812, a bill to direct the secretary of state to develop a strategy to regain observer status for taiwan in the world health organization and for other purposes. s.812 will help support taiwan's effort to regain observer status of the world health assembly, the decisionmaking body of the orlando health organization. since the end of 2019, the unprecedented covid-19 pandemic

has reminded the global community of the importance of international cooperation and collaboration on global health. taiwan has been a leader in global health. while the people's republic of china was actively censoring public discussion of and silencing doctors about the effect and outbreak of the virus in china itself, taiwan was saving lives, globally, with its early detection and dissemination of information about the virus. despite its proximity to the original outbreak in china, taiwan employed a strategy of social distancing, border controls, mask mandates, quarantine, and contact tracing so that it succeeded in suppressing widespread transmission. incredibly with a population of 23.5 million, taiwan experienced roughly 37,000 confirmed covid-19 cases and even fewer

than 900 deaths. that's a tremendous feat compared to everybody else. taiwan was not only able to use its knowledge effectively to respond to the covid-19 pandemic within its borders, but it shared its expertise and medical supplies when the world badly needed it most. taiwan donated millions of masks and p.p.e. to many countries around the world, including here in the united states. those actions symbol guise taiwan's leadership and contributions to global health security and demonstrate why it ought to be part of the global conversation of public health. unfortunately, china has tried to limit and constrain taiwan's meaningful participation in all international organizations, including pressuring the w.h.o. to strip taiwan of its observer status in the w.h.a. in 2017. as the co-chair of the taiwan caucus, can i tell you that makes no sense. i can tell you that makes no

sense. this bipartisan measure would support efforts that enable taiwan to share its public health expertise and experience with the world at a time we need it badly. this legislation has already passed the senate, the house foreign affairs committee was proudly to pass out of committee a near identical bipartisan measure led by representative young kim of california. passage of this bill stayed a-- today ahead of the world health assembly meeting next month would not only be timely but also demonstrate the strong bipartisan, bicameral commitment the u.s. congress has to our democratic friend, taiwan. i urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: mr. speaker, i rise in support of s.812, directing the secretary of state to develop a strategy to remain observer status for sty juan and the world health organization.

this bill has passed the house in each of the last three congresses. i'm glad the two chambers are finally coming together to accepted this bill to the president's desk before the world health asoft moneyably -- assembly next month. i want to thank representative young kim for introducing the house version of this bill early last year and former representative ted yoho for his work on this issue in previous congresses. taiwan is a contributor to global health and their exclues from the w.h.o. isn't just unfair it's dangerous. the world is still paying the price of the chinese communist party's cover-up of the original covid-19 outbreak in wuhan. taiwan's exclusion from the world health organization made the situation even worse by depriving the world of taiwan's early warning. unfortunately, jinping and the c.c.p. are continuing to jeopardize global health by marginalizing taiwan. the c.c.p. is hydrogenning the -- hijacking the w.h.o. to advance its own political agenda. taiwan has been excluded from participating in the w.h.o.'s

world health assembly since 2016. despite the c.c.p.'s interference they are a model democracy makes the world a better place. the team of taiwan -- people of taiwan deserve to participate in the world health organization. i urge my colleagues to support this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized mr. connolly: we reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania virginia tech. mr. meuser: i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentlelady from california, mrs. kim. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. kim: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, representative meuser, for yielding. i want to thank you and representative connolly, chairman and ranking member mccaul for their leadership on this important issue. i rise in strong support of this bipartisan, bicameral effort to help restore taiwan's observer status at the world health organization and world health assembly. i'm proud to have introduced the house version of this bill which has nearly 130 bipartisan

co-sponsors. time and time again taiwan has proven to be a trusted ally of the united states and to be a world leader in the global health security. from 2009 to 2017 taiwan had observer status in the w.h.o. and w.h.a., but it was revoked due to pressure from the chinese government. this bill would direct the discriminate -- secretary of state to implement a strategy to restore taiwan's observer status. i'm hopeful that today we can send a united message to the people of taiwan that we value their input and that giving them a seat at the table benefits all of us. support for taiwan is more important than ever. we all know today that as russia invades ukraine, china is eyeing taiwan. a threat to freedom anywhere is

a threat to freedom everywhere. that is why i urge my colleagues to support this effort and give the people of taiwan a voice of vital information sharing in the world health organization and world health assembly. i'm proud to lead this effort and will continue to be an unwavering voice for global human rights and freedom. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: we continue to reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. meuser: i have no speakers. and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meuser: in closing, diseases and pandemics know no borders. taiwan is a critical player in global health and global transportation hub. blocking taiwan from the w.h.o. the c.c.p. is placing the w0r8d at risk to soothe their own insecurities. i urge all members to support

this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: why is this bill important at this time, mr. speaker? it's important because an authoritarian delusional autocrat in moscow is reeking havoc, suffering death on the ground and from the skies on the innocent people seeking freedom in ukraine. it's important that other autocrats and authoritarian regimes understand they will pay a heavy price for such behavior. that we will not resolve disputes that way in the 21st century. and that the consequences will be severe. isolating taiwan is part of a policy to intimidate, threaten,

and assault the democracy on the island of taiwan. and we can't be party to that. taiwan has a voice. taiwan has expertise. it can contribute in a pandemic, and it should not be silenced because of somebody's political agenda. that is what this bill is about. and that's why this congress should speak with one voice and support this important piece of legislation. i urge its passage. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields back. the question is- is p will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 812. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from idaho rise? mr. fulcher: yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house

resolution 8. the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject to the call of the chair. up on social media, n

c-span at c-span debbie -- at c-span wj. this is the lead of a story. representative kevin mccarthy feared in the aftermath of the january 6 attack that several far right members of congress would incite violence against other lawmakers, identifying several by name as security risks. and the calls with other leaders on january 10, 2020, mr. mccarthy referred chiefly to new dose representatives, matt gaetz of florida, mo brookof