applicable to all. that is what we need, an agreement that is comprehensive, that is fair, and that ensures every country does its fair share on climate change. the paris agreement takes us in the right direction, signing up countries, developed and developing, to halt the climate crisis.

refugee crisis in europe. then the white house daily press briefing followed by a senate foreign relations hearing on climate change. on the next washington journal, florida congressman david jolly talks about the gop leadership races and the highway transportation bill. congressman jolly serves on the transportation committee. then chris van hollen on the debt ceiling debate. washington journal is live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span, and you can join the conversation with your calls and comments on facebook and

twitter. a house armed services subcommittee will receive an update on the f-35 joint strike program. witnesses include the program's executive director and major general jeffrey harrigan. watch this live wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. eastern. later this week, hillary clinton testifies before the house benghazi committee, which is investigating the events surrounding the 2012 terrorist attack on the u.s. consulate there. the democratic presidential candidate has said the investigation has turned political, focusing on her use of a private e-mail server when she was secretary of state. this hearing is live thursday at 10:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span 3 and on c-span radio and c-span.org. c-span presents "landmark

cases," the book, a guide to our landmark cases series, which explores 12 historic supreme court decisions. "landmark cases," the book features introductions, background, highlights and the impact of each case. written by veteran supreme court journalist tony morrow and published by c-span. landmark cases is available for 8.95 plus shipping. get your copy today. the commission on security and cooperation in europe held a hearing to consider the syrian refugee crisis, its impact on

european countries, and the ongoing response and efforts by the u.s. and the international community.

the commission will come to order. i want to wish you all a very pleasant afternoon. welcome in to this hearing. security forces have been responsible for many of these killings, targeting neighborhoods with barrel bombs. isis has committed genocide. mass atrocities and war crimes against christians and other minorities and likewise targeted and killed shia and sunnis muslims who reject its ideology and its brutality. fleeing for safety, more than 4

million syrians are refugees. the largest refugee population in the world. another 7.6 million syrians are displaced inside their home country. countries are hosting most of these refugees. before the syrian crisis, these countries struggle with high rates of unemployment. since the conflict began, syrian refugees are a quarter of lebanon's population and iraq is hosting almost 250,000 refugees from syria. until this past summer, few syrian refugees went beyond countries that border their homeland. syrian refugees and migrants from a range of countries have since come to europe in such large numbers and so quickly that many european countries,

especially greece, serbia, and germany have been challenged and even overwhelmed. the u.n. high commission for refugees reports that more than 635,000 refugees or migrants have arrived in europe by sea in 2015 alone. 53% of these people are from syria. 16% from afghanistan. 6% from eritrea and 5% from iraq. only 14% of them are women, 20% are children, and the remaining 65% are men. the european crisis requires a response that is european, national, and international. and the united states, we believe, is essential to it. there must be effective communication and coordination directly between countries as well as through and with entities like the usce and the european union.

individual countries also must have the flexibility to respond best to the particular circumstances in their own countries. the response must address push factors like economic challenges age shortfalls in countries like syria's neighbors that have been hosting refugees. as a matter of fact, shelly pitterman said that one of the triggers, if not the trigger, as he put it, the last straw for some, was the humanitarian short fall, especially the world food programs cut of 30% in recent months. also, again, we must address the pull factors. like decisions individual european countries have made in attracting refugees. there is real human need and we all need and know it.

there's also a higher risk of human trafficking. i am especially concerned about the risk of abuse, exploitation, and enslavement of women and children. we are hearing reports that some european countries are failing to protect women and girls from sexual assault and forced prostitution. the lack of separate bathroom facilities, for example, for males and females, rooms that can be locked, and other basic measures enable such attacks. there's no excuse for such failures and everything must be done to ensure that women and children are safe. there's also the real threat that terrorist groups like isis will infiltrate these massive movements of people to kill civilians in europe and beyond. i am deeply concerned that the screening at many european borders still -- and again, this is a crisis that was thrust upon them -- will remain inadequate, putting lives at risk. all of us must be responsive to the humanitarian needs now compromising one iota on security. european response plans should include specifics about strengthening security screening throughout the european region. during the conflict in kosovo, i traveled to a refugee camp in macedonia.

crs was leading the effort there. and then was at the mcguire air force base in new jersey later on to welcome some of the 4,400 people brought there from there to the united states. one refugee, however, was apprehended and sent to jail in 2008 for supplying guns and ammunition to the fort dix five, the group of terrorists who were also sent to prison for plotting to kill american soldiers at the ft dix military installation also in new jersey. given secretary curry's announcement that the u.s.

intends to resettle at least 5,000 refugees in fiscal year 2016, putting at least 10,000 syrians and at least 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2017, the united states and europe must be on high alert to weed out terrorists from real refugees. because religious and ethnic minorities often have additional risks and vulnerabilities, even as refugees, they should be prioritized for resettlement. this hearing will examine who, why they are coming to europe, and the what has been done and should be done in response. european governments, entities like usc and the eu, religiously-based entities in civil society, all have critical roles to play. the united states has been a leading donor to the humanitarian crisis inside syria and refugee crises in the region. we have also had the largest refugee program in the world. however, according to testimony of shelly, a regional rep for high commission of refugees, we will soon -- and we will hear from her shortly.

the current interagency regional resilience plan for 2015 is only 41% funded, which has meant cuts in food aid for thousands of refugees. humanitarian system is financially broke. we are no longer able to meet even the absolute minimum requirements of core protection and life-saving assistance to preserve the human dignity of the people we care for. the current level of funding, he goes on to say, for the 33 u.n. appeals to provide humanitarian assistance to some 82 million people around the world is only 42%. in other words, almost a 60% shortfall. unhcr expects to receive just 47% of the funding they need in the next year. again, this hearing will look at how the united states can best work with our allies in europe to meet humanitarian needs and prevent security threats. in the 20th and 21st centuries, the united states and europe have come together to address the great challenges of our time. this is an opportunity to do so again. before we begin, and before i yield to dr. burgess, i'd like

to recognize an ambassador who is present with us in the room today. thank you for joining us for this hearing. i'd like to yield to dr. burgess. commissioner pitts? >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, fellow commissioners and distinguished panelists and guests. i want to thank all of you for your participation here today on this hearing on europe's refugee crisis. the term crisis does little justice to the dire situation that refugees are facing. the war in syria, where more than half of the population has either been killed or displaced, has been raging for over four years now. the war's ensuing expansion and related brutality in neighboring countries have left millions of victims with no choice but to leave the lands that some groups have called home for thousands of years. many have observed this to

constitute the greatest migration and refugee crisis since world war ii. and this is especially troubling when you factor in the relatively small scale of the populations and regions in conflict. however, the roots of this crisis go far beyond the war in syria, as witnessed by the participants in the migration flows. people from across the middle east, africa, afghanistan, even the balkans are contributing to this mass exodus from areas of strife. among them are economic migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people. the numbers of migrants are increasing. it's estimated that over 500,000 have crossed into eu borders this year alone. fatalities too are increasing at alarming rates. more than 3,500 perished in the mediterranean last year.

and this year, possibly more than that will perish. the osce can play a unique role in addressing this crisis and help alleviate human suffering and mitigate related human rights abuses. the organization is uniquely equipped with tools, mandates, and a neutral framework that can help member states addressing an array of issues. with russia's direct entrance into the war in syria, the osce's neutral framework could be of great use in reporting in syria and the surrounding region. furthermore, its relationship with the unhcr can be of great significance to u.s. interest, as we rely on that for our own domestic resettlement processes.

i look forward to hearing about greater areas of cooperation in tackling this crisis. i want to thank all of the panelists here for their participation. we must not forget that people are dying. as the u.s., the eu, and osce debate this issue, we must not let fear be the greatest motivator of our responses. the united states and the west must offer start contrast to isis and the assad regime. and other governments or terrorists that wreck havoc on religious and ethnic minorities or other countless victims of human rights abuses that drive this crisis. we must carry a firm resolve that justice and charity is done under our watch. i want to thank the chair again for holding this hearing and i yield back. >> thank you very much, commissioner pitts. dr. burgess. >> thank you for having this hearing. i'll keep my remarks brief,

because the numbers have been very well-stated by other people. but we all recognize the conflict in syria is moving into its fifth year. the islamic state controls large areas of both syria and iraq. russia has now intervened militarily on behalf of the syrian government, further exacerbating tensions among the armed resistance groups, terrorist insurgents and those loyal to president assad. these factors have contributed and created the staggering number of displaced persons that we are seeing. and at least 710,000 refugees have reached europe's borders just this year. syrians are the largest group by nationality. most of them are hoping to reach germany, sweden, france, the united kingdom, and many ultimately the united states. i think chairman smith said it very, very well when he gave the breakdown of the numbers, and when you just look at the pictures of the people occupying the rail stations awaiting

transport to different destination, yes, you see women, yes, you see children. but you see an awful lot of young men of military age who are fleeing. this raises questions in the minds of the constituents i represent back in texas. why is this particular subset of the population leaving so quickly, leaving so willingly, sacrificing the safety of their loved ones that they leave behind? why aren't these individuals defending their country and giving access to women and children? the populations who may be most eligible for exploitation by the islamic state, why not give them the opportunity to lead first and to be safe? are these young men leaving to avoid conscription or worse? are they leaving to carry on the fight in other fronts? recently, european countries pledged to accepting increased number of syrian refugees and other asylum seekers. in response, on september 20,

secretary of state john kerry announced the refugee ceiling in the united states for fiscal year '16 would be 85,000. previously, the administration announced the united states would admit at least 10,000 syrian refugees in fiscal year '16. other reports that have come out have suggested that number could be as high as 100 or even 200,000. and i would just suggest to the state department that the differences in the discrepancies in these numbers are leading to a certain amount of unease for the constituents i represent back in texas. given the large and sudden increase in the admittance of refugees from one particular war-torn area, some would-be terrorists are bound to try to exploit any deficiencies that occur within the barriers that are set up to prevent their arrival in this country, and of course as a member of the

commission but also as a member of congress, i have a constitutional obligation to have as my number one goal the defense of my nation, and i must not -- i must not forget that responsibility. how much authority and control does the administration actually have over this process? and is europe the first stop for these refugees implementing appropriate vetting processes before the individuals are moved elsewhere, particularly to the united states? i don't want to diminish the incredible hardship that these individuals have endured, but we must be certain that we aren't inadvertently admitting members of the islamic state or other terrorist organizations into our country. i thank the chairman for convening this hearing. i look forward to the testimony of our witnesses. i yield back. >> thank you very much, dr. burgess, and welcome -- the commission is very pleased to welcome anne richard, the assistant secretary for the

bureau of refugees population and migration. prior to her appointment, ms. richard was the vice president of government relation and advocacy for the international rescue committee. she also -- and i'll put your full resume into the record without objection. but from 1999 to 2001, ms. richard was director of the secretary's office of resources, plans and policy at the state department from '97 to '99. she was deputy chief financial officer for the peace corps. she served as a senior adviser in the deputy secretary's office of public policy resources at state, and as budget examiner at the u.s. office of management and budget. thank you for being here and the floor is yours. >> thank you very much, chairman smith. thank you, members, of the helsinki commission. for holding this hearing and for the opportunity to appear before you, to discuss the refugee and migration emergency in europe and the middle east, i have just returned from a series of meetings overseas, including my fifth visit to turkey and my eighth visit to jordan in my

tenure as assistant secretary. it's a very challenging situation. and i would like to briefly outline the steps taken by the population refugees and migration bureau and others at the state department and u.s. agency for international development and in the obama administration to help provide humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians and to assist the governments of other countries to deal with this crisis. as you know, in early september, the tragic photo of a little boy's body on a beach in turkey awakened people to the plight of syrian refugees in ways that years of grim statistics, bleak images, and climbing casualty figures could not. what started as unrest in syria in 2011 has developed into a multi-front war and spilled over to become a regional crisis, and now the crisis has reached europe as hundreds of thousands of young men, women, and sometimes entire families seek to reach that continent by boat, bus, train, and foot. they are joined by refugees and

migrants from other countries, chiefly afghanistan, eritrea, and iraq. they are taking pathways to europe that migrants have always used, but the scale of this migration is much bigger than before and has caught the attention of the world. americans want to understand what is causing the crisis, how we are responding, and what more we can do to help. while there has always been migration to europe through africa and across the mediterranean, the numbers began to rise noticeably in mid 2013. smugglers took advantage of the breakdown of law and order in libya to profit from and exploit refugees and migrants desperate to reach europe. the numbers have grown steadily. so far in 2015, more than 600,000 people have crossed the mediterranean and agean seas. some come by boat from libya to italy. others come the western balkans route from turkey by boat to greece and then onward. as the numbers of migrants have risen, so too have we seen an

increase in drownings. more than 3,000 so far this year. syrian refugees in jordan, turkey, and lebanon are losing hope of ever returning to their homes. they are worried about the reliability of food and assistance programs that are being reduced for lack of funds. as you mentioned earlier, mr. smith, they don't have regular work to sustain their families. rents are high. and their children are missing out on school. today, an estimated 6.5 million syrians are internally displaced and nearly 4.1 million are refugees. more than half of these refugees are children. along with so-called push factors, what's going wrong that's pushing them out of the region, there are undeniable pull factors, prompting individuals and families to make this trip. these include the summer weather, a perception that europe was certainly open to unlimited refugee arrivals, fear that the policy would change without notice, and borders would close, and desire to join friends and relatives who had already made it to europe.

it is important for us to remember and acknowledge that the vast majority of syrian refugee families, 96%, remain in the middle east. the u.s. government is very much engaged in responding to the crisis and has been for some time. we have a three-pronged approach. strong levels of humanitarian assistance, and for this, we have to thank bipartisan support from the congress. active diplomacy. and expanded refugee resettlement. the u.s. government is a leading donor of humanitarian assistance to people in need inside syria, in the surrounding countries and to others caught up in crises around the world. through contributions to international organizations such as the u.n. high commissioner for refugees, international committee of the red cross, international organization for migration, the world food program, unicef, and leading

non-governmental organizations, u.s. funds are being used to save millions of lives. on september 21st, the white house announced that the united states would provide nearly 419 million in additional assistance for those affected by the war in syria. that was our last large announcement for that fiscal year. and this brought our total of humanitarian assistance and response to the syrian conflict to more than 4.5 billion since the start of the crisis. without our support, i believe more people would be making the dangerous voyage further north. however, even with our sizable contributions, u.n. appeals for humanitarian aid to address this crisis in syria remain underfunded. and mr. smith, you presented a lot of those numbers. and you made the completely accurate point that we see that about 60% of the response to the appeals inside syria and in the surrounding countries goes unfunded, and if that's the case, across the board with all of the major humanitarian emergencies right now. it's a major frustration. it's not because the u.s. isn't doing its share. the u.s. is a major funder of