investments to businesses two types of entities to if you have a corporation, a partnership, are you married? single? when you look at people's lives, they are complex. what the code is trying to take into account as all those variables when congress establishes the "law." it is not easy to file a return. host: is anybody talking about holding up a postcard and saying we should do our taxes on a postcard? guest: last year, we talked about tax simplification. i we would all agree that the postcard equivalent would be nice. i think the challenge is if you are trying to give different aspects of our society -- families versus individuals versus businesses a different advantage through the tax code, you cannot do that on a

postcard. it comes down to what does congress want? what do taxpayers want? what do we want our tax system to be? if it is simple, you are probably leaning toward a [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. 2024] >> we are going to leave this here to take you live to the floor of the u.s. house where members are returning from recess. today the house is scheduled to revote on the effort to impeach homeland security secretary, alejandro mayorkas. after it failed to pass the chamber last week. members will also debate several foreign policy measures. live now to the u.s. house here on c-span. he

house will be in order. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the the yeas and nays are ordered are ordered or votes objected to on clause 6 of rule 2

.the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2766, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2766. a bill to support the human rights of uyghurs and members of other minority groups residing primarily in the uyghur autonomous region and safeguard the distinct identity and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, mrs. kim, and the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. manning, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. mrs. kim: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. kim: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i

may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. kim: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in strong support of my legislation, h.r. 2766, the uyghur policy act. the uyghur policy act comes at a critical time. chairman xi is trying to rebrand xinjiang as a business and tourist destination and seeks to erase uyghurs from the international community's memory. the chinese communist party continues to deny carrying out genocide against the uyghurs and other ethnic minorities and we have verified reports of forced sterilization, forced labor, brainwashing and gang rape in the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region. despite the c.c.c. being exposed for these crimes, chairman xi is doubling down. in a visit to the region recently, he called for a stricter regulations on the practice of religion and protection of hard-won stability. we're running out of time to

act. the uyghur policy act will help us lead from a position of strength and will address several shortcomings in our existing approach to responding to these human rights abuses. it authorizes the state department to appoint a special coordinator for uyghur issues, which will consolidate the state department's diplomatic strategy to ensure that departmentwide resources are better coordinated to respond to the uyghur genocide. the united states must show through words and through actions that we will have uyghurs' backs in their fight against the c.c.p.'s tyranny. h.r. 2766 mandates uyghur language instruction at the foreign service institute and requires the state department to station a uyghur foreign officer admission china locations. the bill also authorizes support for uyghur human rights activists and directs the u.s. agency for global imleed tody

central -- media to disseminate news and information regarding uyghur genocide. we must now act to leverage the u.s. power, garner international support for uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in xinjiang and equip the state department with the tools it needs to better respond to xi jinping's genocidal campaign. i thank indo-pacific subcommittee ranking member bera for leading this legislation with me and the 106 bipartisan co-sponsors who helped me get this legislation to the house floor. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: moism, i rise in -- madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 2766, the uyghur policy act of 2023, as amended, and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. i want to thank my good friends,

representatives kim and bera, the chair and ranking member of the subcommittee on the indo-pacific, for introducing this important bill of which i am a proud co-sponsor. over the last several years, we have heard horrific accounts of the genocide taking place in xinjiang against uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. beijing has tried to hide its atrocities and prevent all of us from discovering what is really happening in xinjiang. despite beijing's efforts, we cannot ignore what's happening in xinjiang. a 2022 report by the u.n. office of the high commissioner for human rights concluded that the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of the uyghur and predominantly muslim groups macons fought to international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

and that serious human rights violations have been committed in xinjiang. last congress the house foreign affairs committee held a hearing to take heartbreaking testimony about the crimes being committed against the uyghur people in xinjiang. the committee passed a bipartisan resolution led by chairman mccaul and ranking member meeks condemning the p.r.c.'s genocide in xinjiang as well as passed the uyghur forced labor prevention act, which president biden signed into law. however, as long as beijing's genocide continues, congress must continue to act. h.r. 2766 calls for the creation of a special coordinator for uyghur issues to protect the distinct identities of uyghurs and other minority groups in xinjiang. it also provides the state

department and our diplomats with tools to enhance our diplomatic efforts and programs in support of those suffering under the p.r. krmpt's repression -- p.r.c.'s repression. i encourage my colleagues to join us in supporting this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina reserves. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. m mrs. kim: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: madam speaker, i have no further requests for time. i'm prepared to close if the other side has no speakers. mrs. kim: i have no more speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: thank you. i yield my time -- i yield myself as much time as i may consume for the purpose of closing.

as members of congress, we have a responsibility to speak out against clear violations of fundamental human rights around the world. this measure is a clear statement that the united states congress stands in support of uyghurs and other religious and ethnic minority communities in xinjiang that are suffering under beijing's authoritarian and inhumane rule. h.r. 2766 will ensure that the united states plays a leadership role in holding the p.r.c. accountable and in providing political and diplomatic support for uyghurs around the world. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 2766. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentlewoman from california is recognized.

mrs. kim: i again want to thank representative bera for co-leading this legislation with me and i also want to thank chairman mccaul and ranking member meeks and representative manning for their support and the meap human rights organizations -- many human rights organizations who helped build support for this bill. i urge its passage and 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. 2766, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. mrs. kim: madam speaker, on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are

ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? mrs. kim: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4039, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4039. a bill to prohibit the use of funds supporting any activities within the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region for the people's republic of china. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, mrs. kim, and the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. manning, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. mrs. kim: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on

this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. kim: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. kim: madam speaker, i rise in strong support for h.r. 4039, the no dollars to uyghur forced labor act. the chinese communist party is engaged in a terrible genocide against the uyghur muslims. through their belton road initiative, the c.c.p. fuels these atrocities by trapping nations in debt and by exploiting their witness to finance the c.c.p.'s nefarious activities. we must not stoop to the level of the chinese communist party. america and our values are better than that. the no dollars to uyghur forced labor act ensures that no american taxpayer dollars may be used to give the c.c.p. profit for goods or raw materials

produced using forced labor in the xinjiang region in china. many basic goods such as bricks, cotton and hair products are being produced in the xinjiang region. these are all fundamental resources to commerce. however, the u.s. has strength in our companies and global partners to build robust supply chains free of this forced labor that is being used to bank roll genocide. i want to thank my colleague from texas, mr. moran, for introducing this bill, of which i am a proud co-sponsor. the bill received unanimous support from the foreign affairs committee at our markup last year. i urge strong support and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 4039, no dollars to uyghur forced labor act, as amended, and i yield myself as much time

as i may consume. both this congress and the last congress, the house -- in both this congress and the last congress, the house foreign affairs committee has shed light on the people's republic of china's grave human rights abuses, including holding a hearing on the ongoing genocide in xinjiang and advanced efforts to hold the p.r.c. accountable for its use of forced labor. in april, 2021, the committee marked up the uyghur forced labor prevention act, probably the most significant human rights legislation dealing with china in decades. the bill, which passed the committee and the house, both as a stand-alone measure and as part of our china-focused competition legislation, was eventually signed into law by president biden that. bill's purpose was -- president biden. that bill's purpose was to ensure that goods made with forced labor would not end up on

american store shelves and, in turn, in american homes. today we want to make sure that the standards we use at home also apply to american activities abroad. that is why h.r. 4039 calls on the state department and usaid to verify that they are not funding any programs or projects that unwittingly use goods or materials made using forced labor. i want to thank representative moran for introducing this bill, as well as chairman mccaul and ranking member meeks for their leadership in passing it out of committee in a bipartisan manner. when it comes when it comes to d labor, congress must be clear, there is no place in this world for such brutality. i encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this

measure. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina reserves. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. kim: i yield five minutes to the gentleman, mr. moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i rise in support of my bill the no dollars to uyghur forced labor act. slavery in any form is repugnant and moralely wrong and america, the home of the brave and land of the free should not be complicit in the chinese communist party genocide, oppression of uyghur muslims. they are using 100,000 of sha slave labor. this will ensure that the u.s. plays no part in this atrocity.

self, h.r. 4039 prohibits the state department and usaid in developing or designing international contracts with companies that import or source any raw materials or goods that were manufactured, produced or mined from the xinjiang region in china. my legislation would require a report to congress identifying with a plan to improve enforcement and compliance. xinjiang is an important region and represents 1/6 of china's land mass and cotton coal and natural gas reserves. it is considered the core hub which is china's primary tool to ex earth economic influence across the globe. many basic goods that we consider to be part of our every day lives are being produced by forced labor. yarn, bricks, nails, cotton,

hair products, gloves, which is used tore solar panel manufacturing are essential resources for global commerce. but there is no excuse for the united states to continue with companies that do business in xinjiang. in addition to those enslaved, between 1 and 2 million people have been detained and placed in what they call re-education centers. they have little to no freedom and undergo intense indoctrination at the hands of the communist chinese party. many who have endured these centers know they were just paid two pennies or less to make a pair of gloves. those enslaved are unable to leave, see their families or communicate with loved ones. the c.p.p. threats, confinement

is intended to oppress its people and in the process grow its economy and its influence worldwide. victims have no hope of life elsewhere. they know they will be monitored by police, survivors recount of the canceled passports and lure minorities to china to detain them and use them for forced labor. the c.c.p. offer free health service and invades their lives and privacy by taking their d.n.a., fingerprints and blood samples which are exported to maligned actors. this is the beginning of their captivity and oppression. if that is the society that the c.c.p. is creating, we must act aggressively to make immediately clear we will not con dean brutality and once more the united states will not be a party to these atrocities.

america must continue to act with strength on the foreign stage. we cannot allow these regimes to grow. if we do, what is happening to the uighurs in china will follow. we simply cannot let this happen. we in the united states must stand for morality and goodness and stand for freedom. i call on my colleagues to do just that bypassing h.r. 4039. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentlelady from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: i am prepared to close if the other side has no other speakers. mrs. kim: we have no other witnesses. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. manning man i yield myself such time for the purpose of cleaning.

h.r. 4039 builds on the important work that congress has already done to rid our domestic supply chains of forced labor goods by ensuring that our global programs aren't supporting such goods either. by asking our state department and u.s.aid partners to ensure they aren't using forced labor goods we will help make global supply chains fiscal year. this measure is meant to guarantee that u.s. international projects and programs are beyond reprotei and consistent with our values. in so doing, h.r. 4039 will ensure that we practice our principles when it comes to human rights. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. kim: i thank mr. moran for his leadership on this

legislation and i urge the passage of h.r. 4039 and 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. 4039 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? mrs. kim: madam speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 533 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 533 a bill to amend the tibet an policy act of

2022. pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california and the gentlewoman from north carolina each will control 20 minutes. mrs. kim: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mrs. kim: thank you, madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. kim: i rise in strong support of h.r. 533 promoting a resolution to the tibet-china dispute act. this year marks the 65th anniversary of the exile of the dalai lama. they have suffered oppression and control. from forced labor to tosserred

sterilization to arbitrary detention to the banning of education, religious practices and language, the c.c.p. will not stop until it has erased the culture. last year, the c.p.p. released a white paper on its policies in tibet. in that document, the party doubles down on its oppression and crackdown on the religious and economic freedom. i am a proud co-sponsor of this bipartisan bill introduced by the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, and the chairman of the foreign affairs committee, mr. mccaul. the c.c.p. has refused to speak to the central authorities since 2010 essentially putting the future of tibet and the safety of millions at risk. this bill helps the people of tibet. first it pushes against c.c.p.

propaganda about the history of tibet. it is not true that tibet has been as the c.c.p. claims in quote, a part of china since ancient times. and u.s. policy never accepted that false claim. for that reason this legislation clarifies u.s. policy, highlights the unique language, religion and culture of the people of tibet and directs u.s. diplomats to push back against c.c.p. propaganda. second people, this bill ensures that the people of tibet have a speech in their future. and that any resolution must be peaceful and include the voice of the people of tibet. the people of tibet are

democracy-loving people who want to practice their religion and have distinct identity acknowledged and respected. i am proud to play a small part. i urge all of my colleagues to push back against the chinese communist party's crackdown against the people of tibet by voting in favor of this bill. i support h.r. 533. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: i rise in strong support of h.r. 533 promoting a resolution to the tibet-china dispute act as amended and i yield myself such time as i may consume. i thank jim mcgovern and representative mccaul to pass out of the house foreign affairs

committee. representative mcgovern is a champion of human rights and with this bill, he is asking all of us to stand up for the people of tibet. i also want to thank speaker emtuesday for her tireless work for holding the peoples republic of china for its human rights violations and advocacy to the people of tibet. beijing has tight end its grip over the areas in china that attempted to dilute the distinct religious, cultural and linguist particular and identity of the people of tibet. since 2010, beijing has refused to to engage the dalai lama to resolve the tibet issue through

dialogue. at the same time, beijing has released a disinformation campaign to mislead the world about tibet and its history. for this reason, we must pass h.r. 533, which calls the p.r.c. out for its oppression and its unwillingness to engage the people of tibet. h.r. 533 highlights the need to preserve identity, language and culture and calls on the state department to counter p.r.c. disinformation efforts to undermine the aspirations of the people of tibet. h.r. 5 # 33 also calls obey ginning to live up to its commitments to gig in a genuine dialogue with the representatives of tibet and reach a negotiated resolution on the question of tibet. by passing this bill, the

peoples' house would stand up for the rights and aspirations of the people of tibet. i encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina reserves. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. kim: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, who is chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee on global health, global human rights and international organizes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlemanis recognized mr.smith: i speak in strong support of h.r. 533, which would amend the policy act of 2002. this was introduced by jim mcgovern and commission on china along with chairman mccaul. i am proud to be listed among the many co-sponsors. the people of tibet face challenges under china's

oppressive policies. after decades of cruelty by the chinese communest party, we are seeing an increase that is occurring that is looking like genocide. threats to their heritage have expanded in recent years and now an estimated 80% of all children in the tibet autonomous region are separated from their families and educated in a massive system of colonial boarding schools, separated from parents and indoctrinating them each and every day. chinese police in tibet have conducted mass d.n.a. collection and ire is scanning including in monasteries. and they harvest data and thermo scientific while thanks to pressure including our commission, it has announced it

will stop cooperation where they still do business in china and that is problematic. we need to drive home the message stop cooperating with the brutal regime and stop subsidizing the chinese communist party also seeks to extend its oppressive reach abroad, targeting for surveillance and harassment tibetan communities in the united states, in india and in nepal. the chinese communist party has long engaged in crimes against humanity in tibet and against tibetans, plain and similar. i've chaired multiple hearings with my good friend and colleague, mr. mcgovern, at the lantos commission and at the congressional executive commission on china. including one last march of last year where we called preserving tibet, combating cultural eraser, forced assimilation and transnational oppression, which featured the sick young, the head of tibet in compile as well

as richard gear. this bill authorizes the state department to take actions to counter chinese communist propaganda directed against tibet and its history and its institutions and for that reason it ought to be strongly supported. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. kim: i continue to reserve. ms. manning: i yield four minutes to my friend, the gentleman from the great commonwealth of massachusetts, representative jim mcgovern. mr. mcgovern: thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: i want to thank the gentlewoman from north carolina, the gentlewoman from california, the gentleman who just spoke from new england for their support -- new jersey for their support for this bill and for their leadership on human rights in general. madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 533, the promoting a resolution to the tibet-china dispute act. i want to thank my co-lead,

foreign affairs committee chairman mccaul, and ranking member meeks, for their work to bring this bill to the floor today. this is important. it has been more than 60 years since the people's republic of china forced his holiness, the 14th dalai lama, into compile, and too -- exile, and took control of tibet against the will of its people. the dispute between the chinas and the tibetans over tibet's status and governance has persisted ever since. in spite of the willingness of the dalai lama and the tibetan people to resolve tibet's status and governance through dialogue. with dialogue blocked, the p.r.c. has continued its unceasing efforts to erode tibetan history, tibetan language, tibetan culture and tibetan religion. a few years ago, i was on a delegation with speaker pelosi, we went to tibet and we saw firsthand the p.r.c.'s repression against the people of tibet, essentially trying to erase the tibetans as a people.

this bill that we are discussing here today seeks to end that by explicitly recognizing that the tibetan people are a people, with a distinct religious, cultural, linguistic and historical identity. by reminding all concerned that peoples and not least the tibetan people have the right to determination under international human rights law. and by requiring the u.s. government to actively counter the p.r.c.'s propaganda about tibet. like the false claim that tibet has been part of china since ancient times, a position that the united states has never accepted and there is no basis for such a claim. through these measures, we hope to kick-start dialogue between tibet and china, in keeping with longstanding u.s. policy. madam speaker, any one of us reading the news these days knows that the word is awash in conflict. at the heart of most of -- at the heart of most if not all of those conflicts lies the

systemic denial or violation of a people's human rights. the decades' old dispute between tibet and china started as an armed conflict of invasion, resistance and insurgency. in the long run, the only guarantee against the resumption of large scale violence is for the p.r.c. to fully respect the human rights and dignity of the tibetan people. a vote for this bill is a vote to recognize the rights of the tibetan people and it is a vote to insist on resolving the dispute between tibet and the people's republic of china peacefully and accordance with international law through dialogue and without preconditions. there is still an opportunity to do this, but time is running out. and again, i urge my colleagues to support this bill because it is about standing up for human rights. it is about standing up for the tibetan people, a people who have been repressed for far too long. and i thank all my colleagues for their support and i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina reserves. ms. manning: yes. mrs. kim: i reserve the right to close. ms. manning: i have to further requests for time and i'm prepared to close if the other side has no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: i yield myself as much time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. the people of tibet have persevered through decades of oppression. the p.r.c. subs gates the tibetan people -- subjugates the tibetan people, even though all they are asking for is an opportunity to live freely and safely. they simply want to be given autonomy, they have been -- autonomy they have been promise propsed. they want -- promised. they want to teach their children their customs, language and traditions. they want to preserve their culture, their religious identity and their dig thinkity as a distinct -- dignity as a

distinct people. i urge the house to pass h.r. 533 so that we may honor the tibetan people and make clear that beijing's repression and unwillingness to engage in dialogue cannot stand. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. kim: i again want to thank mr. mcgovern, chairman mccaul and ranking member meeks for introducing this legislation. and i urge the passage of h.r. 533 and 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. 533, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are -- mrs. kim: madam speaker. on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are

ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3016, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3016. a bill to amend the anti-boycott act of 2018 to apply the provisions of that act to international governmental organizations. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. lawler, and the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. manning, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the

gentleman from new york. mr. lawler: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lawler: thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lawler: madam speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 3016, the ieg anti-boycott -- i.g.o. anti-boy cot act. after hamas' massacre of 1,200 people in israel, including americans, we need to do everything we can to stand with our friend and ally. in the south, israel is fighting a war to dismantle hamas whose leader said october 7 was just a rehearsal. in the north, israel is defending itself from missiles and rockets from iran's deadly proxy, hezbollah. and yet there are many in the world who want to fault israel,

blame israel, and delegitimatize israel for doing what is necessary to protect its citizens and its sovereignty. one of the most egregious bastions of anti-israel bias and bigotry is the united nations and we are deeply concerned that the u.n. could weaponize its institutions against israel. years ago the u.n. human rights council authorized the creation of a database of companies doing business, quote, beyond israel's 1949 armistice lines. the implications of this were clear. create a list of companies and then boycott them. and that list is now published and updated by the united nations. boycotts such as these are contrary to american values and foreign policy. it is critical that we protect u.s. companies from being coerced into providing information that would facilitate these boycotts. for over 40 years it has been legal for u.s. companies to

cooperate with foreign boycotts that the united states is not participating in. the reason, foreign countries should not be able to use u.s. companies to undermine u.s. foreign policy. these laws were passed in response to the arab league's boycott of israel. now, the good news is that today many, many fewer countries in the arab league are adhering to the boycott of israel. in fact, some of them have normalized relations with israel, opening trade as well as diplomatic ties. but we are faced with the potential that u.s. companies might be pressured to cooperate with this u.n. list and the subsequent boycott of israel. if that were to happen, the u.n. would be using u.s. companies to undermine u.s. foreign policy and that is simply unacceptable. this bill adds four words, quote, or international governmental organizations, end quote, to existing anti-boycott

law, to include organizations like the u.n. it is my sincere hope that the u.n. will not foster such a boycott against israel as israel is responding to the deadliest attack on jews since the holocaust. and this bill is especially necessary with the constant anti-israel bias emanating from the u.n. just recently we confirmed that unrwa, the u.n. relief and works agency for palestinian refugees, has deep ties to hamas in the gaza strip. israeli intelligence recently released reports that many unrwa workers actually worked as hamas operatives and assisted in the october 7 attacks. it is absolutely disgusting that employees of a u.n. agency had a role in this attack. we'll see now what the u.n. does in response to these allegations. we cannot stand idly by while our contributions to unrwa potentially aid and abet terrorists. our support must only go to

organizations that uplift humanity, not those that undermine peace and security. so i urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this bill today. so that we can take a stand against the u.n. and other i.g. ompt's -- i.g.o.'s and the anti-israel bias present at unrwa. this bill is just a start. the american people stand with israel. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 3016, the i.g.o. anti-boycott act, and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. i strongly support legislative efforts to combat international boycotts that target u.s. companies engaged in business activities in countries friendly to the united states, including israel.

that is why i support h.r. 3016, bipartisan legislation introduced by my friend, representative mike lawler, a member of the foreign affairs committee, and by my great friend, representative josh gottheimer of new jersey. this legislation reinforces existing anti-boycott laws and u.s. policies to combat those international boycotts. i will continue to support ways to protect u.s. businesses from being pressured into complying with unsanctioned foreign boycotts against israel. it is already u.s. policy per the anti-boycott act of 2018 which h.r. 3016 would amend to oppose restrictive trade practices and boycotts imposed by any foreign countries or entities against americans and countries friendly to the united states and which discurrentlies or prohibits -- discourages or

prohibits u.s. companies from taking actions. there are of course limitations to what we can do. the united states cannot unilaterally stop other countries from adopting policies that we do not agree with. nor could other countries prevent the united states from agree with.e however, bodies like the u.n. as a permanent member of the u.n. security council, the united states is able to use through bodies like the u.n. as a permanent member of the u.n. security council, the united states is able to use its voice and veto to combat policies, including biased and harmful boycott, divestment and sanctions or b.d.s. campaigns against our partners -- our partner and allies like israel., policies adopted by international bodies do not bind

u.s. citizens. and an act of congress is required for international law to become our law. no intergovernmental organization will ever supersede u.s. law or sovereignty. from the arab league boycott to the global b.d.s. campaign against israel, congress has stood united in a bipartisan way against this hateful campaign to isolate, single out and economically to punish the state of israel. no american citizen or company should be coerced to participate in an unsanctioned boycott against israel or any other partner or ally of the united states. that is why i support this bill to update the 2018 antiboycott act. i encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this

measure. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. lawler: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. manning: i yield two minutes to the representative qua keen castro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized >> this piece of legislation is a bad idea. the right to participate in a boycott is an expression of free speech and free association that has been enshrined in american law. this bill would allow the president, any president to compel the speech of americans. that is unconstitutional and dangerous. let me lay out a few scenarios. an international organization calls for boycott of force

labor. and there is support for this boycott and participates in it. under this bill, a president could decide that china is a friend to the united states and peoplize one of our own fellow citizens with a $1 million fine and 20 years in prison. under this bill, an american citizen who participates in a european union boycott of goods made in russian occupied ukraine could be imprisoned for 20 years. there are no safeguards under this law. the president has the complete power to decide when a country is covered by this law. that i cannot support. if an american chooses to participate in such a boycott, it should be there decision and theirs alone and not the united states government. i urge my colleagues to oppose

this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. lawler: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. lawler: thank you, madam speaker. to my colleague from texas we accepted one of his amendments during the markup to address some of his accountability concerns. but let's be clear. this is not an antifirst amendment bill. this bill adds four words to existing law. it does absolutely nothing unprecedented. it only expands coverage of cyst ing protections to include i.g.o.'s. it is not discriminatory but prevents discriminatory actions against israel and other countries friendly to the united states so as to not undermine u.s. foreign policy.

i.g.o.'s like the united nations continue to impose one-sided and bias policies against the state of israel. you cannot wait until after the fact to protect israel and the jewish people, as we saw on october 7. the e.u. doesn't maintain a similar black list. there have been e.u. efforts to create one and other initiatives at the e.u. just last year, in february of 2022, activists launched a campaign to propose a new law to stop trade. the campaign didn't reach the amount of signatures it needed to be brought before the e.u. commission. now let's be clear. the b.d.s. movement is antisemitic. it is one tactic in a campaign to delegitimize and isolate the state of israel and applies a

double standard to israel. the b.d.s. campaign does not support measures to build engagement nor does it promote peace negotiations or negotiated two-state solution. b.d.s. presents a bias and simplistic approach to the complex palestinian conflict. this is over territorial is the fault of one party. the state of israel while ignoring other actors such as shared palestinian responsibility for the conflict. b.d.s. for while denying to jews that same right. so many of our colleagues who have called foresees fires say nothing about hamas' barbaric and horrific and brutal attacks on october 7.

the due policity, when i hear some of my colleagues talk about this issue is pathetic. b.d.s. movement uses divisive uses terms like apartheid and supremacist to refer to aspects of israeli action or policy they criticize, language which serves to demonize the jewish state and those who support its very existence. the intent here is to expand an existing law to include i.g.o.'s, four words are added to the existing law. that's all this will bill does. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: i yield two minutes to the co-chair of the problem solvers caucus and member of the

intelligence committee, representative josh gottheimer of new jersey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. gottheimer: thank you, representative manning, for your leadership on this and so many other important issues. i rise to urge my colleagues to join me in passing the i.g.o. antiboycott act. i'm honored to have introduced this bipartisan legislation with my good friend and fellow problem solving caucus member, michael lawler. on october 7, the world watched terrorists invade israel and kidnap nap, rape, torture and burn alive children, men and women and dozens of americans. americans remain hostage to this day. this war is underscored that we will always stand with israel and give her the right to defend herself. this bipartisan legislation is a

key step to count erranty semitic movements strong along by enemies of our nation and the b.d.s. movement is antisemitic. we must stop intergovernmental organizations from alienate ping israel its acceptable and speaking as my colleague did with the united nationses and what has come out even in the last dation about unra playing host to hamas did ita center. we know that a significant number of hamas fighters are employees at unra and p funding in the united states should not be supporting any terrorist fighters like those in hamas. it is totally unacceptable and not where dollars in the united states should be going. this rhetoric has spread across the country and the world.

between october 7 and january 7, 1300 of antisemitic acts and support for hamas. we need to stand up against antisemitism and the disinformation that continues to spread on sources like tiktok. we know that on tiktok which is supported by c.c.p., they are continuing to spread disinformation and coming out from in of these organizations and we must stand up against it. this does nothing to violate the first amendment. the importance of standing strong with the first amendment that allows legislation like this to make it to the floor and congress to let leadership from mr. lawler and others, that kind of leadership is critical. i urge my colleagues to help pass the bipartisan antiboycott

act. we must stand strong against hamas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. lawler: i reserve the right to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. manning: i am prepared to close if the other side has no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. manning: i yield myself such time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. i support this bill and the underlying provision of law it seeks to amend which works to protect u.s. businesses from being targeted by foreign boycotts particularly against nations friendly to the united states like israel. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting h.r. 3016. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves -- the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman is recognized.

mr. lawler: i yield myself the balance of my time. i want to thank my democrat co-lead, congressman josh gottheimer of new jersey, the co-chair of the problem solvers caucus and all of our bipartisan co-sponsors for working with me on this important bill to update our antiboycott laws, to respond to potential threats facing the united states, and our ally united states. which must stand stand with israel and not allow rampant antiisrael bias and bigotry at the united nations to delegitimize the state of israel. i urge all of our members to vote in favor of h.r. 3016. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3016 as amended.

those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended. the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. lawler: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3202 as amended. the clerk: h.r. 3202, a bill to prohibit any official action to recognize or normalize relations with any government of syria that is led by assad and for other purposes pursuant to the rule the gentleman from new york, mr. loller and the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. manning, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. lawler: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to

include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. lawler: i ask unanimous consent to introduce into the record an exchange of letters with the judiciary committee. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. lawler: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 3202 assad agency emantinormalization act. i thank joe wilson, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee on the middle east, north africa and central asia subcommittee. this legislation is critically important. it has been almost 13 years since assad leashed his brutal war on the syrian people. hundreds of thousands of innocent people have died because of assad's unrelenting

brutality. this is a regime with support from russia, iran, tortures men, women and children at an unthinkable scale. these crimes are undeniable. we have survivor testimony of assad's and forced to dig mass graves for those who were brutally murdered. the assad regime has used chemical weapons against the syrian people. and this past november a court found evidence to issue an international warrant for assad's compliesity and use of chemical weapons. assad is a murderer, a war criminal and the head of a narco state. now that syria is a now that syria is the head for trafficking. and yet shockingly, we have seen

some countries down play these abhorrent crimes against humanity. and welcome assad's syria back to the community of nations. let me be clear. there can be no normalization with the assad regime. this regime will never change. and assad and his backers' hands are soaked with the blood of the syriaian people -- syrian people. that's why today we are considering this bill to ensure there's justice for the syrian people who continue to suffer under the assad regime and his russian and iranian backers. this legislation unmend -- amends the cesar act to ensure full and robust implementation by the executive branch of mandatory sanctions targeting the assad regime and its backers. it also expands the scope of sankable activity -- sanctionable activity to cover more crimes, including stealing humanitarian aid and property. further, it codifies united states policy to oppose recognition of assad and

requires a strategy to counter creeping normization with assad -- normalization with assad by other countries. this bill also increases transparency around the assad regime's manipulation of the u.n. system and theft of u.n. aid meant for the syrian people. and crucially, this bill re-authorizes the cesar act ahead of that foundational legislation's statutory expiration later this year. the syrian people have suffered the brutality of this criminal regime and its backers for far too long. the world cannot simply excuse assad or his backers' crimes because it is convenient. we've seen the consequences of this play out in ukraine at devastating cost. we must hold the regime and its russian and iranian backers accountable. and that is exactly what this bill will do. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: madam speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 3202,

assad regime anti-normalization act of 2023, and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. i'm proud to support this bipartisan legislation introduced by my dear friend and the chairman of the subcommittee on the middle east, north africa and central asia, rentive joe wilson of -- representative joe wilson of south carolina. first, it is with deep sadness that i note that it has been over 13 years since the syrian people first rose up for their basic rights and have subsequently endured brutal assaults by assad's russian and iranianbacked -- iran an-backed mill -- iranian-backed military year after year. the assad regime has unceasingly engaged in a campaign of violence against the syrian people, committing what has amounted to countless war crimes

and the most egregious violations of international humanitarian law. as we consider this bill today, it's critical we acknowledge that the war has resulted in the deaths of over 600,000 syrians and more than eight million displaced. the regime continues to regularly target hospitals, schools and neighborhoods and hundreds of thousands of syrians face bleak prospects for the future. it is in this context we consider this bill, which responds to moves by some governments to look past these atrocities and re-admit the assad regime into international institutions, the biden administration has opposed efforts to re-engage with the assad regime and continues to

highlight ongoing crimes against the syrian people. i stand with the administration and those who believe assad must be held accountable and i'm glad that members of both parties have stood together to publicly condemn the welcoming of the assad regime back into the arab league. as we condemn such actions and stand with the syrian people, i also support the biden administration's efforts to provide the syrian people with vital, life-saving humanitarian assistance, to assist in the recovery from multiple earthquakes last year and assad's continued military assaults. and so i support this measure, which i hope will discourage other states from overlooking assad's crimes and which makes it u.s. policy not to recognize

an assad-led syrian government. this bill also expands targeted sanctions against the assad regime while preserving important humanitarian exemptions and provisions. the bill includes a bipartisan amendment which passed unopposed in the committee that refines the sanctions provisions so as not to imping on legitimate humanitarian aid efforts to the syrian people. finally, this bill mandates greater scrutiny of the assad regime's diversion of international aid for its own benefit and at the expense of the syrian people. i want to thank my friend, representative wilson, as well as chairman mccaul and ranking member meeks, for their work on this bill. i encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. lawler: i yield four minutes to the gentleman from south carolina, mr. wilson, the chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee on the middle east, north africa and central asia, and the author of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. wilson: thank you, madam speaker. distinguished graduate of columbia college. i am very grateful to be here with congressman michael lawler. it's been 13 years since the syrian revolution where pro-democracy demonstrators peacefully gathered to express against the corrupts and murderous regime of dictator bashar al-assad. people carrying roses and shouting, peaceful, peaceful, were met with unspeakable atrocities. it was merciless slaughter, systemic rape, ultimately chemical warfare used against the people of syria as we saw when president donald trump acted so quickly to try to address the atrocities of chemical warfare.

we had devastating bombardment and the killing of so many civilians that the united nations has stopped counting at over half a million innocent civilians. assad did not act alone. his ability to kill opposition and regain territory was made possible by the support of like-minded war criminals and kleptocontracts like putin and the iran regime. assad has displaced over half the population of syria. this is nearly 10 million people in a country of 20 million. sadly, families are living in refugee camps for over a decade. they've lost their homes, their businesses, their religious institutions, their schools, multiple generations that they worked together to build such a successful country, as was syria. i'm grateful that this bipartisan bill affirms the united states' policy of nonnormallization -- normal -- nonnormallization of the brutal assad regime.

it holds assad accountable. it also includes comprehensive transparency mechanisms to prevent u.n. funding from being diverted or stolen to the regime whriel including robust protections of humanitarian assistance. assad continues his rein of terror against the people of syria with help from war criminal putin and the regime in teheran while destabilizing the region and trafficking the destructive drug which is now reaching europe and with chinese providing drugs to africa to destroy families. the unconditional welcoming of mass murderer assad into the arab league, which we so appreciate the arab league itself, was disgraceful. to do business with assad is the normalization of death and detraffickity -- depravity and a contrast to american awhries are member -- allies who are members of the american league. this bill is a testament to the syrian american, many of whom are survivors of torture at the hands of the regene -- regime.

all of them have lost a loved one. i'm grateful to speaker mike johnson, to chairman mike mccaul, ranking member greg meeks and staff, gabriella, omar, and stephanie, along with the syrian american patriots who are in the gallery today who have worked to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor. i am also grateful to be working with my good friend, congresswoman manning and congressman of my sister state of north carolina and congressman lawler from new york. to the syrian people, you're not forgotten and you will never be forgotten. your country has a rich history of democracy. we will continue to stand for a free and democratic syria against the dictators with the rule of gun who are invading democracies with rule of law. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentlewoman reserves. from north carolina. i'm sorry, from new york.

mr. lawler: allot of -- a lot of new yorkers do move to north carolina, unfortunately. i yield three minutes to the gentleman from arkansas, mr. hill, a member of the foreign affairs committee, and vice chairman of the committee on financial services. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hill: madam speaker, i thank you very much. i thank the gentleman from new york. i certainly thank my good friend from south carolina. i stand in full support of joe wilson's good bill to counter the butcher assad. you know, the gentleman from south carolina and i spent a great deal in 2023 traveling the middle eastern region, talking to our partners in the arab world, warning them of the consequences of re-admitting assad back into the arab league. and while official u.s. policy does not support normalization with assad, we have u.s. government officials like brit mcgerk, assistant secretary barbara leaf, watering down that

position of u.s. policy, encouraging arab countries to, quote, get what you can for normalization. what did we get? we got more war, madam speaker. the arab countries said, let's cut out trade and drugs, let's return refugees from jordan and turkiye, lebanon to syria, let's eliminate iranian influence in syria. did we get those things, madam speaker? no. that's why this bill to counter normalization is so important. because syria, for the american people, is a giant aircraft carrier for terrorism. israel being attacked from syria. iraq being attacked from syria. americans killed because of attacks from syria. so i support mr. wilson's bill. i urge my colleagues to support it and i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. mr. lawler: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: i have no further requests for time. i'm prepared to close if the other side has no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. lawler: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from west virginia, mr. mooney. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mooney: thank you, madam speaker. 13 years ago, the syrian people took to the streets demanding basic rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of democratic elections, things which many americans frankly take for granted these days. they also demanded an end to the assad dictatorship. assad responded with extreme brutality. including the use of chemical weapons such as seren gas. i'm honored to represent the proud and patriotic syrian american community in west virginia and i rise today to support this bipartisan legislation which will hold the

assad regime accountable for its crimes against the syrian people. unlike president trump, president biden has refused to enforce the congressionally mandated sanctions. for example, president biden has allowed countries in the middle east to normalize relations such as waiving sanctions for countries in the region to make energy agreements with syria. the assad regime should not be allowed to normalize or it should not be recognized by the united states. you know, syrian americans like many immigrants work hard, they come here, and, you know, they defend their communities and they want peace and freedom around the world, things we all support. it is important for america to take leadership in this regard. my mother fled a communist country, cuba, and that country to this day is still oppressed by the communist brutal dictator there who just will beat you up if you disagree with them. this is a good time to stand in

support of the people and freedom and stand up against the brutal assad dictatorship. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reservings. mr. lawler: i reserve the right to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. manning: no further requests for time. i'm prepared to close. you have no other speakers? the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. manning: i yield myself as much time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. we cannot overlook the assad regime's atrocities against the syrian people. allowing the regime back into international organizations would do just that. i support the administration's work to hold the assad regime accountable and believe this bill reinforces the administration's efforts by making it u.s. policy not to recognize an assad-led syrian government, discourages other nations from doing so and

expands targeted sanctions on the regime. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting h.r. 3202 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore:. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman is recognized. mr. lawler: i'd like to thank the gentleman from the foreign affairs committee. when assad's war against the syrian's people began, the american people saw daily images of the regime's cruel abuses. as often happens, the news cycles change and the stories slip from the front page and are rarely covered at all. but it does not mean the regime has changed or reformed or ceased. the same butchers who gassed and tortured children are still running syria, and they are continuing their brutality. it is vital the united states

maintain its policy of no normalization or we will be giving a green light to dictators around the world that they can wait out accountability for their crimes. attention will shift and they can stay in power. that would be a death knell for human rights and international norms and standards. i urge all members to join me in voting for h.r. 3202 and i yield the back of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3202 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. lawler: on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20,

further proceedings on this question will be postponed. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject to the call of the chair. in which we live today and his solutions with ills of our time. >> saturday, at 7:00 p.m. eastern, american history tv will air the 10-part series "free to choose" featuring mr. friedman who co-introduced series with his wife rose

friedman and first aired on public television in 1980. the friedmans wrote a companion book of the same series. these locations take us to important places in the world economy. they like limited government and social policy. other topics include welfare, education, consumer and of worker protection. watch "free to choose" on american history tv on c-span 2. >> if you ever miss any of c-span's coverage, you can find it any time online at c-span.org. videos of key hearings, debates and other events feature markers that interest you in newsworthy highlights. these interest markers appear on the right-hand side of your screen when you hit "play" on select videos. this time line makes it easy to get an idea what was debated and decided in washington. scroll throughnd