consume to representative nadler of new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time heas may consume. mr. nadler: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. mr. speaker, 17 years ago two planes crashed into the world trade cent for the my district, killing thousands of people. a third plane slammed into the pentagon and the fourth plane likely destin for the very capitol complex in which we now stand was brought down by a group of courageous passengers in a field in shanksville, pennsylvania. as i do today i represented ground zero on september 11, 2001, and i was at the world trade center 24 hours after the towers fell. the scene was horrible. fires, smoke, debris, human remains, and twisted metal created an apocalyptic scene. dust and the brie filled the air. even in that moment of deep despair and overwhelming horror, i saw signs of hope. firefighters, police, and emergency medical technicians traveled to lower manhattan from

around the country. steelworkers, construction workers, and hundreds of other men and women rushed to the pile to help. as the last fires were extinguished, 99 days after the attack, and the last pieces of metal were removed from ground zero, those feelings of hope, perseverance and solidarity remained. in the years since the attacks, i have been grateful and inspired by how congress has come together to help rebuild new york and i have worked with my colleagues to support the responders survivors and families of the victims. in 2010, congress passed, and in 015 re-authorized, the james zadroga 9/11 health and compensation act. more than 88,000 9/11 responders and survivors enrolled in the program to receive health care and support for 9/11 related illnesses. the law has also provided over $4.3 billion in comp sailings to responders and surviveors through the victims' compensation fund a program that

congress will have to re-authorize in the coming years. in addition to making our responders and survivors whole, congress invested millions to help rebuild lower manhattan. one world trade center now fills the hole left in our skyline from when the towers fell and businesses shattered after the attack are reopened and thriving. what was once the shadow of the towers, there now stands a comprehensive museum dedicated to sharing the store roifs september 11 and the bravery of those who risked everything to protect their fellow americans that day. in place of the smoking hole, there now sits a somber and inspiring memorial. it's a site of remembrance and hope, a place where every american can reflect what happened that september morning and to renew our promise never to forget the events of that day. it is a national memorial for a national tragedy. similarly, memorials built it

the pentagon and in shanksville, pennsylvania, provide places to remember and reflect solemn reminders of the tragedy and bravery we saw on september 11. that is why i am pleased to co-sponsor legislation introduced by my colleague from new jersey, which will create a competitive grant program to provide federal support for security, operations, maintenance for 9/11 memorials. this legislation will help ensure the memorials continue to provide sacred and inspiring spots accessible to millions of visitors for generations to come. i appreciate the bipartisan support of the members of the natural resources committee and the house leadership in bringing the bill to the floor today. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and to achieve our shared goal of providing a memorial that allows our nation to mourn, to reflect, and to renew our promises never to forget september 11. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from montana.

mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. macarthur. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. macarthur: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my friend from montana for yielding and for his work on the committee. as my you colleague from new york just said, this has been a bipartisan effort, and i appreciate that and it's bipartisan in the senate as well. 17 years ago yesterday, our world changed forever. every one of us remembers where we were that day. t's getting harder to remember life before 9/11. we have a whole generation that doesn't know what it's like to go to an airplane and not take off their shoes or not sit onboard and wonder if someone is meaning them harm. i was working in new york city in 2001 right up the block from the trade center and on that terrible sunny tuesday when

terrorists flew two planes into the world trade center we lost nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens. like others, i lost people that i knew. some lost those dearest to them, their husbands, their wives, their mothers and fathers, their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, close friends. we were also moved that day by stories of heroism and we all watched as new york's finest and first responders from elsewhere in the region ran toward danger, not away from it. in the months that followed, i had to take the ferry to new york each morning because the tunnel was closed, and i think it seared on my memory for life the look and the smell going past lower manhattan and seeing the rubble still smoldering and smelling the electrical fires still burning. mr. speaker, 10 years later to

memorial 9/1111, the memorial 9/11/11, the world trade center was opened. t was to recognize the survivors, to honor the bravery of those who risket their lives to -- risked their lives to save others. and the power of our free nation to overcome evil with good. it stands as a reminder to every generation, never forget, never falter. mr. speaker, most americans probably don't know that that memorial was erected with donations from private citizens , and it has been continued for seven -- for seven years now with donations from private citizens. and i commend them for their good work, but it is now our

turn, the united states congress, to do our part to preserve and protect this hallowed ground and to answer this national tragedy with national support. i introduced this bill to start a process for providing funding for this memorial and other memorials of what happened on 9/11. and it will provide, ultimately, funding for security, for maintenance, for operations, and still allow those who run the museum there and who have poured their hearts and souls into this to continue to do that. i commend the private citizens for doing what they've done, but it is now our solemn duty to not only honor the fallen but make sure that we protect the living and that this site is a safe place for people to go and to remember. i urge passage of the 9/11 memorial act. again, i want to thank colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together, to

pass this -- to introduce and hopefully pass this bill today. i want to thank my colleague in the senate, corey booker, for introducing similar legislation so we can do our part to honor those who fell. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to my colleague from new jersey, representative payne. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for two minutes. mr. payne: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank the gentlelady from massachusetts for giving me the opportunity to speak on what we all consider a national tragedy but are trying to do something here at will help us remember those lost on that fateful day. yesterday morning, like many of my colleagues, i was back in my district to reflect on the tragic events of september 11, 2001. my district borders on the new

york city, across the river, i can see the world trade center building from my district office. every single day, thousands of my constituents travel to and from new york city for work. the 9/11 attacks were deeply personal for new jersey's 10th congressional district as we st 57 residents from my home county of which i live in newark, new jersey. the county of essex. we have erected a beautiful memorial in essex county at eagle rock reservation which is a mountain top where you can see over in to new york city where many people ventured to see what had happened on that fateful day. and so it has become a beautiful memorial there at eagle rock reservation and it

is a pristine, beautiful symbol of never forgetting all people that perished that day, names are printed on a marble wall that overlooks over to new york. h.r. 6287 will ensure that never again is more than a slogan. it will help protect memorials in my district and across the country for future generations. the men and women who lost their lives on 9/11 and in the aftermath of the attacks are american heroes. i am proud to support this bill, which will make sure that the memorials to those heroes are preserved for future generations and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts.

ms. tsongas: i yield two minutes to my colleague from new york, representative suozzi. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for two minutes. mr. suozzi: thank you, congresswoman tsongas. yesterday on september 11 in small towns and large cities and country fields, americans paused to remember september 11. i think there are two goals to each of these ceremonies, including the ones i participated in. first is to remember all those that have suffered so much because of the september 11 attacks. and second is to rededicate ourselves to the promise that is america. those that have suffered so much, those that were killed that day, the families that have been affected by it, and all those that responded and worked on that pile that was so huge -- we saw the pictures on the front of the newspapers -- i went there the day after, the piles were massive. it looks like ants, the personnel, e.m.s. that were crawling through the debris. it was gigantic.

and the acrid smell that was there. and every day we hear of first responders that are dying of cancer related to 9/11 illnesses. we cannot forget those that suffered that day and the people that worked so hard for months after that. and second we need to rededicate ourselves to the promise of america, of the terrorists tried to take away from us. this bill is an example of democrats and republicans working together to try and commemorate these brave souls. we need to remember that those that have gone off to foreign lands and have died on our behalf have done so for freedom and democracy and freedom and democracy is nothing more than politics and government. and our politics and government has become too small, too petty, too cynical, and these are big issues that are life and death issues that we need to raise up the conversation in this country. and this bill is an example of working together to provide money so that people will continue to go to these facilities to remember the suffering that's been visited upon us and to rededicate

ourselves to the promise of america. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: thank you, mr. speaker. each year we take time on this somber anniversary to mourn and remember those lost and to honor and pay tribute to the combra ordinary heroisms displayed by firefighters, first responders and ordinary citizens whose service and sacrifice prevented the loss of life from being greater and who continue to serve and protect our communities every day. and we express our sincere gratitude to those serving overseas on our behalf. the 9/11 memorial and museum at the world trade center provides our nation a place of reflection and remembrance, not only for the september 11, 2001 attacks, but an earlier attack at the world trade center in 1993 as well. i want to thank and commend the 9/11 memorial foundation for the work it has done since twee to bring the me more -- 2003 to

bring the memorial to fruition. this is an impressive site in downtown manhattan that will educate visitors for years to come. i want to thank representative macarthur and representative nadler for bringing the legislation before us today which will designate the memorial and museum as a national memorial and provide a grant to the department of interior for some of the resources needed to interpret the stories of that fateful day. i support passage of this legislation and urge my lleagues to vote yes and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6287, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are is presented, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3186, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the

clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 678, h.r. 3186, a bill o establish an every kid outdoors program, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte, and the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. tsongas, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. . mr. gianforte: the every kid in a park launched in 2015 as part of the national park services centennial celebration to encourage the next generation of park visitors. the program offers fourth graders and their families free entrance to our national parks. to date, every kid in a park has enabled more than 350,000 fourth graders to use our national parks and public lands as outdoor classrooms. i have personally seen the positive impacts visiting

national parks, historic sites and recreational areas can have on young people in my home state of montana. special places like grashier ational park, little bighorn battlefield national monument and the upper missouri river breaks national monument yumet -- monument will be more accessible to fourth graders from all over the country with the passage of this bill. h.r. 3186 codify this is program by directing seven agencies to jointliest tably every kid outdoors program to provide any fourth grader in the u.s. with a pass to gain free access to federal lands and waters. this includes the national park service, the u.s. official and wildlife service, the bureau of land management, the bureau of reclamation and the u.s. forest service, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration and the u.s. army corps of engineers. at this point, i'd like to include in the record exchanges of letters between chairman

shuster of the transportation and infrastructure committee, and chairman conaway of the agriculture committee and thank them for their assistance in expediting consideration of the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i urge adoption of the measure and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: i rise in strong support of h.r. 3186, the every did outdoors act, which i was proud to introduce with my colleagues representative tipton and representatives degette. public lands for the benefit of our community is enshrined in the constitution. they give -- they shape who we are. places like the grand canyon, yellowstone, ellis island and in my own district minuteman

national historic park which commemorates the shot heard around the world, and lowell national park, the first urban national park which commemorates the role the city played in spawning our country's industrial rev laugs. h.r. 3186 provides america's fourth fwraders and their families intree entrance to all our treasured national parks, historic sites, wildlife refuges and other federally managed lands and waters. more than 2,000 sites in all. this will encourage a new and more diverse generation to learn about our country's national and -- natural and historic treasures and fall in love with our public lands and great outdoors. as documented by the congressional budget office the legislation codifies and existing program and will therefore result in no additional cost to the federal government. in addition to providing free entrance to our public lands, the every kid outdoors act will also strengthen partnerships between federal land management agencies, schools, nonprofits and private sector businesses to

support outdoor education programming and recreation opportunities for our country's young people. i have seen the value of these partnerships firsthand and the impact they have on our young people. in 2015, i had the opportunity at'tamin man national historic park to present fourth grade students from win of the larger cities in my district with their very own park pass. i will never forget their xcitement at this opportunity. for many, it was the first time thaved ever visited a national park but i'm confident it won't be their last. i want to thank mr. tipton for his work with me and chairman bishop for his work in committee to bring it to the floor. i urge my colleagues to vote yes and reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from mt. mr. gianforte: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: i want to thank mr. tipton and chairman bishop for

their support of this legislation. the every kid outdoors act will encourage a new generation to fall in love with our public lands and great outdoors. i urge my colleagues to vote yes and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from mt. mr. gianforte: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3186 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. n the opinion of the chair -- mr. gianforte: i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise. the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this e-- on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek reck neg -- seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that the manager os then part to have the -- of the house have until midnight on friday, september 14, 2018, file a conference

report. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5532 as amend. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5532, the bill to redesignate the reconstruction era national monuments a reconstruction era national historic park and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte and the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. tsongas, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative tais to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gianforte: reconstruction addressed how the 11 states that had left the union would be

re-established in congress. as well as how the civil rights and integration into a free society of four million formerly enslaved individuals could be secured. the reconstruction era national monument was ebb tashlished by presidential declaration in january, 017. as a unit of the national park service. it's located in beauford county, south carolina. an area that's been called the birth place of reconstruction. in and around the area, some of the first african-americans enlisted as soldiers and founded the first african-american schools and hospitals during reconstruction. this was also the home of robert smalls, a former slave who became a political leader. serving on two state constitutional conventions in the state legislature and ultimately the u.s. congress. h.r. 5532 redesignates reconstruction era national monument as the reconstruction a era national historical park and authorizes the secretary of the

interior to expand the park boundary. the bill also establishing the reconstruction era national historic network which will connect similar sites across the couldn't troy promote education and preservation efforts. i urge adoption of the measure and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: i yield such time heas may consume to -- such time as he may consume to my colleague from south carolina, representative clyburn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. clyburn: thank you, mr. speaker, thank you, representative tsongas for managing this bill and i thank you, mr. gianforte for your work here on the floor today. i also want to thank ranking -- chairman bishop and ranking member grijalva for their support of this

legislation in the natural resources committee. i also want to thank congressman mark sanford who co-sponsored this bill but remains in charleston this evening for obvious reasons. and i pray god's blessings upon him, his constituents, mine and all others who find themselves in the path of this horrific hurricane. mr. speaker, throughout my tenure in this august body, i have worked to preserve and protect our nation's most treasured historical sites and institutions. reconstruction, a period which lasted a little more than 13 years, is a critical period in american history. lthough it ended march 17, 1877, we tend to apply the label

"reconstruction era" to the latter four decades of the 19th century. it was during those years that african-americans across the south began their freedom from slavery, gained citizenship, enjoyed equal protection of laws and the right to vote. under the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the constitution. some of the oldest and best preserved sites from the reconstruction era are located in beauford county, south carolina. rich baptist church and penn center on st. eleanor island were the site of the original penn school founded in 1862 by quaker missionaries to educate newly freed slaves, the first such school established in the south. camp saxton in fort royal was a

union army camp where, on nuary 1, 1863, union general rufus saxton read president lincoln's emancipation proclamation to thousands of slaves that had gathered to celebrate their freedom. the camp was also the site where the first south carolina volunteers were assembled, the first official black regiment of the united states army. with overwhelming support from their communities and local elected leadership, these sites and a visitor cent for the duntown beauford were designated as reconstruction era national monument by president obama in january of 2017. the bill under consideration today would do three things.

first, redesignate the national monument as reconstruction era national historical park. second, provide for possible boundary expansion within the beauford national historic ndmark district and third, establish the reconstruction era national historic network. as a national park, it's the highest level of protection and prestige our government can bestow, i believe passing this legislation will send a powerful message regarding the significance of these reconstruction sites. having served previously as a sponsor of the legislation designating the congaree national monument to the congaree national park, i can

attest that the rebranding resulted in an increase of visitors by almost 20%, a significant economic impact to rural south carolina. congress has in recent years redesignated both the martin luther king jr. national historic site and the harriet tubman underground railroad national monument as national historic parks two sites with similar historical significance, but focused on much different aspects of american history. of course the sites currently included in the national monument are not the only significant reconstruction sites worthy of preservation. this legislation will allow for expansion of the boundary near the existing monument and several very significant reconstruction sites in the area were considered for inclusion.

however, this bill will allow for expansion with appropriate agreement between all owners and stake holders. however, it is not feasible to incorporate all historic sites from reconstruction into one national park. the reconstruction era national historic network will be a program operated by the national park service but sites in the network would be managed by their current owners. whether federal, state, local, or private. this concept that has been utilized in the underground railroad network of freedom and the recently enacted african-american civil rights network. when the national monument was under consideration i heard from many communities with sites they

thought worthy of inclusion. with a network in place, communities can make their case for federal recognition and assistance for their significant reconstruction era sites without the national park having to take on the obligation of owning or managing the sites. sites like mitchville on hilton head island which was a self-governing african-american community established during the civil war are deserving of federal recognition. that site is perfect for the network concept. when the local municipal leadership is moving to manage the site on their own, but would welcome the increased recognition and visibility that inclusion in the network would provide. .

i often invoke the adage, if we fail to learn the lessons of our history, we're bound to repeat it. sadly, many of the gains made by african-americans during the reconstruction era were lost in the jim crow era that followed. reconstruction is the story of the triumph of freedom, but is are a lesson that freedoms not permanent and can be fleeting if not protected. passage of this legislation, helping our nation preserve and protect, document and promote the history of reconstruction is critical to avoiding past mistakes and guiding our pursuit of a more perfect union. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: as we know, h.r. 5532 establishes a reconstruction era national historical park in an around buford, south carolina, to honor, protect, and preserve the historic structures and other resources from that chapter in american history. we know how affective that kind of protection can be -- effective that kind of protection can be. recognizing the importance, president obama used the antiquities site to designate that as a monument. this bill will ensure permanent protection and provides steady guidelines for future management. i want to thank mr. clyburn for his hard work throughout the initial designation process and the development of this bill. without his leadership, this project would not have come this far, and he deserves our recognition. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the

balance of her time. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house spruss -- suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5532, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are presented, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 660. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. union calendar number 103, h.r. 660, a bill to require the secretary of the interior to submit to congress a report on the efforts of the bureau of reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr.

gianforte, and the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. tsongas, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i ask unanimous consent for all members to have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he wishes to consume. the speaker pro tempore: h.r. 660 is bipartisan legislation introduced by representative paul gosar of arizona. for over a century, the bureau of reclamation has transformed the west into a powerhouse that feeds the world and provides unusual -- renewable resources. we must ensure the protection for future conditions. this means having open and honest discussions about the challenges the bureau of reclamation faces in maintaining and repairing these projects. to that end, h.r. 660 is a bipartisan bill that requires

the federal government to make public in a unified way the estimated cost of repairs for reclamation facilities. the american public has asked for and deserve laws that reflect transparency and open discussion. h.r. 660 delivers that. i urge adoption and i thank the gentleman from arizona for his work on this and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 660 would improve data collection and reporting on the condition of bureau of reclamation infrastructure. much of the bureau of reclamation's aging water infrastructure was constructed more than a half century ago. it is critically important that congress and the public have sufficient information on which facilities are most in need of major repairs if we're going to properly address our nation's water infrastructure needs. h.r. 660 is bipartisan legislation that will help congress gather the information we need.

i would also like to note for the record that stakeholders have expressed a desire for minor changes to section 6 of this bill so that there are no unintended consequences for proposed water recycling projects. as this bill advances through the legislative process, it will be important to work with and our s spon sponsor senate -- bill's sponsor and our senate colleague. i support and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from arizona, mr. gosar. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gosar: i thank the gentleman from montana for yielding me such time. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 660, the bureau of reclamation transparency act. this bicameral, bipartisan legislation increases transparency, consolidates multiple reports, and requires the bureau of reclamation, or the b.l.r., to do a thorough

inventory of its assets as well as prioritize major repairs as necessary at the agency's facilities. this bill has strong history of bipartisan support. it was approved unanimously by the senate in the 113 congress with senators barrasso and shotts ushering passage. they testified in strong support of the bill last congress. this congress, the trump administration testified in strong support of the senate bill which is identical to the house bill. the bill has five democratic co-sponsors and 15 republican co-sponsors. the bill passed the house committee on natural resources by unanimous consent. senator barrasso and senator shots are, again, spear -- shotz, are, again, spear heading the senate's companion. for over a century, the bureau of reclamation has transformed the west into a powerhouse that feeds the nation and the world while also providing renewable emissions free energy for millions of americans. b.l.r. provides essential services that benefit water and power users as well as our

nation's farmers. the agency delivers water to more than 30 million people and provides one in five western farmers with water to irgait their crops. b.l.r.'s assets including more than 476 dams and dikes and the agency is also responsible for 53 different hydroelectric power plants. this legislation is timely and necessary. the bureau of reclamation was established in 1902. much of the agency's now aging infrastructure was built more than 50 years ago. many of the facilities operated by the b.l.r. are in desperate need of repairs to the tune of several billion dollars. this bill requires the federal government make public the estimated cost of repairs for reclamation facilities. for years, congress and water users throughout the country have asked for such information. only to be rebuffed time and again. taxpayers deserve accountability from their government and oversight on how it spends its money -- their money. sunsunshine on expenditures and increased transparency is good

for any federal bureaucracy or agency. the bureau of reclamation transparency act requires a cost estimate and a detailed list of major repairs for b.l.r. facilities. such action also allow for meanful steps to be taken to address the mapet assistance backlog as well as to ensure an abundance supply of clean water and power for future generations. i appreciate the committee's time and work on this bill and i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of h.r. 660 and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona yields back. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 660. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are is presented, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4689. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar a bill 42, h.r. 4689, to authorize early repayment of obligations to the bureau of reclamation within the northport irrigation district n the state of nebraska. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte, and the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. tsongas, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i yield fives minutes to the gentleman from nebraska, mr. smith. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska is

recognized for five minutes. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. under federal reclamation law, irrigation districts, which receive water from a bureau of reclamation facility, typically repay their portion of the capital cost of water projects under long-term contracts. under its current contract and current law, northport irrigation district is exempt from annual capital repayment if their carriage fee exceeds $8,000 per year. given the carriage fee has exceeded this amount since the 1950's, the capital repayment debt has been stagnant at $923,000 since 1952. so long as the debt endures, landowners are subject to burdensome reporting requirements and acreage limitations and no revenue is generated for the federal government. i introduced this bill to provide members of the northport irrigation district early repayment under their contract, allowing producers within the district to pay off their portion of the contract. it means the government will receive funds otherwise

uncollected and landowners will be relieved of costly constraints which threaten family owned operations. for example, at a previous water and power subcommittee hearing, a member of the northport district testified ache rage limit -- acreage limitations will prevent parents to pass farmland to sons or daughters who live in the same district. similar legislation has previously passed. this could generate as much as $443,000 in revenue. this is a simple bill that will make a big difference to family farmers in nebraska. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: reserves. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 4689 would authorize landowners served by the northport irrigation district to prepay their remaining portion of construction costs llocated to them for the north platte project. they would not longer be

subject to acreage requirements associated with the reclamation reform act. we do not object to this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i want to recognize mr. smith for his work on that and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from massachusetts. ms. tsongas: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: both sides have yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4689. those in favor say aye. thopeds. -- those opposed, no. the gentleman from montana. mr. gianforte: i ask for 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.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: mr. speaker, i move the house pass the bill as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the -- the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2497. an act to amend the foreign

assistance act of 1961 and the arms export control act to make improvements to certain defense and security assistance provisions and to authorize the appropriations of funds to israel and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. royce: i also ask unanimous consent to place into the record letters exchanged between the committees of jurisdiction on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he wishes to use. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as we all know, israel faces growing threats, but particularly from iran and

from its terrorist proxies, such as hezbollah. and this year for the first time we have seen direct military engagement between iran and israel. not just attacks coming over the border from lebanon with hezbollah, but direct military attacks. iran launched a drone into israel and fired rockets toward israel. and they did both from the perch that they have now in syria. because those iranian militia and iranian troops are in syria. meanwhile, iran's terrorist proxy, hezbollah, just continues to amass these rockets and missiles. they have well over 100,000 in their inventory now. so this bill will ensure that the united states continues to have israel's back in the face of these growing threats.

with this measure we are codifying the assistance level in the latest 10-year u.s.-israel memorandum of understanding. and what that aims to do is to strengthen our already robust relationship, especially on defense matters. and the bill also works to build on the united states and israel's successful history of cooperation on technology development. so think of the iron dome, missile -- iron dome missile defense system, which shot down some of those iranian rockets. mr. engel and i have seen those , n dome systems at work deployed in israel. and more recently the u.s. and israel have begun collaborating on anti-tunnel technology. why? well, eliott and i can tell you that we had the opportunity, and this is a sad story, to go into

one of those tunnels. we did not know where that tunnel ended up when we started in. that tunnel, the other end of that tunnel was an elementary school in israel. and obviously the intent by the terrorists was to use that tunnel in order to go in and kidnap children. -- forceforce the idea them to fight block by block by block. hamas dug those tunnels. hezbollah dug -- digs tunnels as well. and this anti-tunnel technology will help the i.d.f. find and destroy those tunnels that are used for smuggling and used for launching attacks on israel. and this measure supports continued cooperation on space science and exploration, in line with our administrator's recent

trip to israel, nasa's recent trip, to discuss expanding u.s.-israel space cooperation. and this bill also authorizes the united states and israel to collaborate on humanitarian assistance projects around the world. and authorizes the president to transfer precision guided munitions to israel. so, i want to thank the gentlelady from florida, ileana ros-lehtinen. she's chairman emeritus of the full committee and the current chairman of the middle east and north africa subcommittee. i thank her for her work on this bill and also thank the gentleman from florida, ted deutch, who is the ranking member of the middle east and north africa subcommittee. together these two members authored the house companion to this senate bill, which passed our committee unanimously. the latest in a long list of successful collaborations between our committee members.

in honor of her tremendous legacy as an advocate for israel, we are naming this legislation the ileana ros-lehtinen united states-israel security assistance act of 2018. in her almost three decades in the house, chairman ros-lehtinen has made steadfast support for israel a hallmark of her congressional career. she was the first woman to chair the committee on foreign affairs, the first hispanic woman to serve in congress, the u.s.-israel relationship is stronger for the work that she has done in congress. and she will be greatly missed. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this measure and i yield myself much -- myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he wishes to use. mr. engel: you know, mr. speaker, we're taking up a bill from the senate which i fully

support, with a couple of install amendments. within of -- one -- small amendments. one of these amendments is to name this bill after a member of our house. i'm experiencing a little bit of denial because it reminds me that one of our most able and valued colleagues is about to wrap up her distinguished clear. i can't imagine what it's going to be like without ileana ros-lehtinen around here. she came to congress the year after i did and we've been close friends ever since. the gentlewoman from florida has been a dear friend and an exceptional colleague and there has been no fiercer champion of the u.s.-israel relationship than ileana ros-lehtinen. so it's entirely fitting that we amend this bill to name it in her honor, the ileana ros-lehtinen u.s.-israel security assistance authorization act. let me also thank the chief democratic sponsor of this legislation, mr. deutch, also of florida, who has worked tirelessly to shape this legislation and to reaffirm the unshakable bond between the united states and israel.

this bill, like the house version passed by the foreign affairs committee, fully authorizes the historic memorandum of understanding or m.o.u. between the united states and israel, which president obama signed and which will go into effect next year. this m.o.u. provides for a 10-year agreement at $3.3 billion per year and a $5 -- 500 million missile defense pledge. the largest single pledge of military assistance in our country's history. the m.o.u. is a concrete example of something i often say. whime prime ministers may come and go and -- while prime ministers may come and go and presidents come and go and members of congress come and go, the u.s.-israel relationship is here to stay. our relationship with israel benefits both our countries. for both of us it strengthens security and stability and it advances our shared values. this is the bedrock of our friendship and this bill moves us forward in new areas of cooperation. for example, mr. kilmer of

washington wrote a pro vision that will spur -- provision that will spur closer cooperation on space issues. mr. chris of florida wrote an issue dealing with unmanned aerial vehicles that threaten the united states or israel. mr. schneider's work will help ensure israel's qualitative military edge. mr. boyle included a measure that will increase israel's access to precision guidance munitions. i'd like to point out a couple of issues which i hope we can address through additional legislation. this bill was originally intended to include mr. langevin's legislation to enhance u.s.-israel cooperation on cybersecurity. this is an area where we should be working together. so i was disappointed that it was struck from this and i hope that it soon crosses the finish line as a stand-alone bill. additionally, mr. boyle's bill to allow israel to purchase precision guidance weapons was included in the senate bill. the armed services committee

majority objected so this version waters down the authorization for these purchases to a sense of congress, which is considerably weaker. while i wish armed services republicans would reconsider their objection, i won't stand in the way of moving this critical bill forward at this time. i'm told that their concern is jurisdictional and i hope they remain sensitive to this issue the next time a defense authorization comes to the floor loaded down with provisions that form a jurisdiction of the foreign affairs committee. so let me finish by saying that this bill is very timely. the threats facing the united states and israel are becoming more urgent and more complex. isis is growing, israel's neighbors are sholdering new burdens from referee: -- shouldering new burdens from refugees, and iran's behavior in the region has unfortunately become even more dangerous. the united states has been there by israel's side throughout this dangerous time and that's the way it should be. today we put that into law. i urge my colleagues to support

this legislation. i congratulate my good friend, ileana ros-lehtinen, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: i yield four minutes to the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, the chairman emeritus of the committee on foreign affairs and the author of h.r. 5141, the house side predecessor of this legislation we have before us. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized for four minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. mr. chairman, thank you for your kind words and the words of my good friend, the ranking member engel. this is truly an unexpected, a humbling honor, and thank you to both of you your teams, for your leadership and in bringing this bill to the floor. and thank you to all of the members and supporters of israel. there's so many of us in this chamber. we've been through a lot together. and the u.s.-israel relationship

is stronger because every single one of us works hard at it. a special thank you to my dear friend and florida colleague, ted deutch, the great ranking member of our subcommittee with whom i've had the honor of working so closely on these issues over the past six years. and he's the author of this newly named bill. the one with that idea. thank you, thank you, mr. deutch. as so many of you know, mr. speaker, it's been an absolute joy for me to have been a part of this distinguished body for almost 30 years, as the chairman points out. to advocate for my constituents, to serve on our esteemed house committee on foreign affairs, to promote american ideals like freedom and democracy and human rights. to help strengthen the bonds that we have with allies around the world. and no relationship, mr. speaker, no relationship is more important than the one that we

have with the democratic jewish state of israel. israel is an indispensable strategic partner, not just for its protection of u.s. interests, but because of our shared beliefs and our shared values. and i've had the incredible honor and privilege to have traveled to israel, both with the chairman, with the ranking member, with mr. deutch. and we have seen firsthand that these shared values and these shared beliefs are seen every day in israel after centuries of suffering and it's allowed the jewish people to beat all the odds and to develop a country that has become a thriving global leader. and it only gets more impressive when you consider the neighborhood where israel is. one that's never been more dangerous and more threatening to israel than it is today. the threats just keep getting tougher for israel. so for all of these reasons, i'm

so proud to have authored, along with the ranking member, mr. deutch, this bill. because we've worked together on this and we advocated for the bill before us today. the bill authorizes, as has been explained, additional security assistance for israel at a minimum of $3.3 billion. the level agreed to in the memorandum of understanding, for the next 10 years. and with this bill, mr. speaker, we both have the comfort of knowing that our support for israel will be ironclad, but it also provides us with the flexibility to modify that support should the threats to israel increase. then additional support is needed and would be given. from drones and emerging threats to cybersecurity, to space, to development cooperation in other countries, this bill also includes a host of other provisions to expand our collaboration in other areas,

and collaboration is an important word because, as the chair and ranking member have pointed out, this bill has been a positive, collaborative effort by many members in a bipartisan manner. the u.s.-israel partnership has never been stronger than it is today. it is my sincere honor to have played a very small part, very small part in that. i encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, in spite of its name, and i thank the chairman for the time. i thank the ranking member and i thank my friend, mr. deutch. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: it's now my pleasure to yield three minutes to the gentleman from florida, the lead democratic author on the house version of this bill, house foreign affairs committee and ranking member of the middle east subcommittee, mr. deutch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for three minutes. mr. deutch: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank my friend, the ranking member, mr. engel.

it is my great honor to rise in support of the ileana ros-lehtinen u.s.-israel security assistance authorization act of 2018. i am proud to have worked on this critical security bill with my colleague and friend, congresswoman ileana ros-lehtinen. the u.s.-israel relationship has been and must continue to be a bipartisan priority, regardless of the party in power at either end of pennsylvania avenue. . with today's vote we have a chance to reinforce that point. iran is seeking to secure a permanent foot hold in neighboring syria. hezbollah continues to stockpile an estimated 150,000 missiles near israel's border, and the humanitarian crisis looms in gaza, threatening stability in israel. israel must be prepared to defend itself from threats

coming from every direction. from everything from the most rudimentry of weapons, as we we've seen th stuff from tehran. the 2016 memorandum of understanding between our two countries had unprecedented levels of security. that assistance is $38 billion over 10 years, and this bill will enshrine that figure into law. notably, nearly all of this, american taxpayer money will come back to the united states and support american jobs. this bill will codify this memorandum and ensure that israel has the capability to defend itself from any and all threats. that means strengthen the military edge, cooperation on u.a.v. technology and expanding cooperation in new areas through space and work together to provide humanitarian assistance around the globe. when we consider legislation

like this, we must remember that threats against israel are also a threat to our security interests in the region. enhancing israel reese security is a step towards -- israel's security is a step towards strengthening our own security. i ask my colleagues to support this bill and strengthen u.s.-israel relationship. finally, i'd like to thank congresswoman ros-lehtinen for her service to our nation and particularly for her ardent and unwavering support for our ally, israel, throughout her nearly three decades in congress. her long and decorated career in this chamber, as historic as it was effective, will live on through her incredible achievements in our nation's robust foreign policy. congresswoman ros-lehtinen has been a leading voice on a foreign policy that stands up to rogue regimes wherever they are and always, always values human rights. , there has been

no greater champion than ileana ros-lehtinen -- can i have 15 seconds. mr. engel: i yield one minute. mr. deutch: thank you, mr. speaker. her contributions to the strengthening of the u.s.-israel relationship will take place in this body's history because there has been no greater champion than ileana ros-lehtinen. it has been an honor to work with her on this most recent effort to broaden and enhance the u.s.-israel relationship, and so it is only fitting that this piece of legislation should bear her name. i thank my dear friend and colleague. this bill is but a small part of the legacy that she leaves behind in this great chamber. it has been an honor and a privilege to work with her. it's been an honor and

privilege to work with the chairman, mr. royce. i'm grateful forer that leadership as i am with mr. engel and the great job he does as ranking member. i ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new york reserves his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, global human rights, and international organizations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for two minutes. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank chairman royce and ranking member eliot engel and mr. deutch for all of their very excellent comments towards our good friend and colleague ileana ros-lehtinen, chairwoman emeritus, who has been one of the greatest friends israel has ever known in this chamber. she's been tenacious in her fight against terrorism. particularly as it relates to iran. and, against very considerable odds has been able to promote legislation that has made a huge difference in protecting

the people of israel from the ever-present threats that they face in the region. so thank you, ileana ros-lehtinen. so fitting this bill is named after you. it authorizes, as we all know, enhanced military cooperation between our countries, further enshrines in israel's qualitative military edge, it authorizes foreign military financing at an annual level of no less than $3.3 billion, agreed to in the bilateral m.o.u. negotiated under the obama administration but crucially the bill specifies that the assistance should not be less than $3.3 billion. so it's a statement that it's a floor and not a ceiling. so over the next 10 years at least that much and hopefully more because we know the needs are overwhelming. the bill's other provisions, facilitate the transfer of precise guided missiles for israel's use and lays the groundwork for cooperation that

will assist israel in confronting a landscape of threats, including unmanned u.a.v.'s. the many facets of cooperations supported by this bill, from international development, space exploration, are not just for israel's benefit, they also contribute to our national security. the u.s. is safer when israel is stronger. this bill translates that fundamental principle into practical initiatives for fruitful collaboration and mutual benefit. it is fitting, again, that this act will be named after a great american and a great friend of israel, ileana ros-lehtinen. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: it's now my pleasure to yield two minutes to a very valid member of the foreign affairs committee, the gentlewoman from florida, co-sponsor of this bill, ms. frankel. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. frankel: it's an honor to work with you. i often don't get a chance to

say, but, mr. royce, ms. ros-lehtinen, mr. poe at the chair, it has been a great pleasure and honor to work with you in a bipartisan manner on our foreign affairs committee. i am very proudly standing here, of course, in support of this u.s.-israel security assistance authorization act, which recognizes israel's right to defend itself and writes into law the continued cooperation between our two countries. defending israel is our national security interests and ensuring our great friend and ally is safe. it is more important than ever, as mentioned by my colleagues here today, when you look at the region, there's reason to be worried. hamas in gaza rebuilding its rocket arsenal and calling for israel's destruction. iran now threatening to dramatically increase its enrichment of uranium while

constructing military bases in syria. isis wreaking havoc in sinai, and hezbollah pointing 150,000 missiles at israel. so we must continue to strengthen israel's defenses, and this important bill codifies the memorandum of understanding with israel signed by the obama administration, the largest u.s. military assistance package ever. the measure also expands u.s.-israel cooperation in areas of mutual interests, including authorizing usaid to partner with israel to aid low-income countries. by leverage israel's innovations in water, food, security, energy and health sectors. increasing polarized washington, israel can never be a partisan issue and that's why i'm so glad this is not a partisan issue. i urge my colleagues to support

it. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: jafflet new york reserves. -- the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: i reserve the right to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: i now yield to the gentleman from florida, mr. hastings, for unanimous consent request. mr. hastings: i thank the ranking member for yielding to me and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in support of this measure that i think is most deserving for my dear friend from florida. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i'll close, i guess, now. let me, again, applaud the chief sponsors of this legislation, representative ros-lehtinen and deutch along with their senate counterparts for their tremendous work. let me also, again, as i have

many times, thank our chairman. we have worked very closely together on the foreign affairs committee. and this is proof of that kind of collaboration where we have both sides of the aisle doing things that are good for the united states of america. this legislation and the m.o.u. that it puts into law represents the unbreakable bond between the united states and israel and the shared interests and values that have been the hallmark of this relationship. as chairman royce mentioned before, he and i have been there together many times. we've seen those terror tunnels. we've seen all kinds of things. people of israel need the united states, and we need the people of israel. the united states has stood up for democracy through all these glorious years of our being a republic. we cannot stop now, and that's why legislation such as this, bipartisan legislation is so

mportant for us to pass. this in law represents the unbreakable bond between the united states and israel and shared interests and values that have been the hallmark of this relationship. the middle east is a very dangerous neighborhood. we here in the united states have the benefit of stepping back a bit. we are not on the front line day in and day out the way the beleaguered people of israel are with one country after another trying to vow to destroy it. this congress in a bipartisan fashion stands together and says that the united states stands with the people of israel and that makes me very proud of this congress, proud of our foreign affairs committee, proud of our chairman and proud of all the people who have spoken, particularly ileana ros-lehtinen, who deserves all the accolades you could think of. i couldn't even -- whatever i said wouldn't be dramatic

enough to explain the force that she's been for the past 30 years on the foreign affairs committee doing good things, particularly with the state of israel. and it's going to be difficult to not see her here, but i know she will be doing everything that she can continue to do to enhance the u.s.-israel relationship. so i urge my colleagues to support this measure and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back his time. the gentleman from california is recognized for the remainder of his time. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. well, the democratic jewish state of israel is a friend and a major strategic partner of the united states, and israel is a beacon, as ileana shared democracy, freedom, in the otherwise troubled middle east. in short, it is the very opposite of the brutal and corrupt iranian regime.

iran has never made its threats to israel a secret, and that is what they mean when the ayatollah says, "death to israel, death to america." after years of moving the pieces into place, including by showering its proxies, hezbollah and hamas, with money and with rockets and missiles, and attempting to exploit the conflict in syria to build a military presence and support base there on the border, it is slowly but surely preparing to make good on this threat. with this bill, we can ensure that israel has the tools to defend itself, defend our shared interests in the face of that mounting threat. and i do want to thank our ranking member, eliot engel. i do want to thank ted deutch for all of the bipartisan

cooperation that has allowed us to move so many measures through the committee, through the senate, and into law. i also want, in closing, to thank and to note that i was the beneficiary of the good work of my predecessor in this position, ileana ros-lehtinen, when i took over the committee six years ago, and for that i am also very thankful. i am thankful for the contributions that all of these individuals have made to the betterment of our defense, the security of the united states, the security of our allies, and i am proud of the fact that we have done it in a bipartisan way and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 2497, as amended. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are is presented, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on he table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1911 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1911, a bill to amend the state department basic authorities act of 1956, to monitor and combat anti-semitism globally and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i

may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he wishes to use. mr. royce: mr. speaker, disturbingly incidents of anti-semitism are on the increase across europe, across the middle east, frankly, across the world. as the vice president of the world jewish caucus has said, we are witnessing a global process .f radicalization unfortunately and with no surprise, the common element that unifies radicals seems to be their hatred of jews. unquote. today anti-semitism is increase little being acted upon and in some cases even institutionalized. country by country we are seeing school curriculums attempting to

indoctrine ate children and attempting to spread hate. we're seeing courts and legislation institutionalize anti-semitism. and we are seeing acts of violence against the jewish people and their places of worship being excused. how do they rationalize it? under the guise of a political protest. it is critical that the u.s. play a leading role to stop this scourge of hate. yet, for more than a year and a half, the top position at the state department charged with combating anti-semitism worldwide has remained vacant. further, for more than one year, the office has also been completely unstaffed. this is unacceptable. i have raised this issue before. as a senior official at the state department reminded world

leaders this past winter, absent action, the sacred pledge of never again can become empty rhetoric. we cannot allow that to happen. and the bill before us today, h.r. 1911, will help reassert u.s. leadership in combating anti-semitism worldwide. it will mandate the expeditious appointment of the suspension voy to monitor and combat -- envoy to northern and combat anti-semitism and it will elevate the office to ambassadorial rank with direct access to the secretary of state. i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. engel. mr. engel: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 1911, and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he wishes to use. mr. engel: thank you. i'm a proud original co-sponsor of this bill. and i am pleased that we're considering it today.

ity want to start by thanking my colleague -- i want to start by thanking my colleagues for their hard work on this bill, hard work on this effort. congressman chris smith, the author of this legislation, and my fellow co-chairs of the bipartisan task force to combat anti-semitism. i'm proud to stand with the group of legislators committed to fighting intolerance and hatred. mr. speaker, every day more and more alarming anti-semitic attacks shock the world. holocaust survivors violently assaulted, rallies and parades glorifying nazi leaders, swa swastikas. the list goes on and on. let's be clear, mr. speaker. this isn't just happening in faraway places. we've seen a sickening increase of anti-semitic acts in our country as well. we've seen people who embrace hatred and bigotry given a loud new megaphone to spread their poison. as a country, we need to come together to say enough is enough. we need to say there are not

good people on both sides. we need to confront evil, call it by its name and say there is no place for it anywhere in the united states or around the world. we all need to do it as citizens. we need to do so in our laws. and in our policies. and the very least that we could do is have the administration fill the positions that are supposed to be dealing with this issue. the special envoy to combat anti-semitism positioned at the state department is still vacant. that's really unacceptable. we must have a senior official to push back against the intolerance and hatred of anti-semitism. american leadership is desperately needed in the fight against this ancient form of hatred. i'm fed up with the administration dragging its feet on filling this crucial position. it should happen now. that's why i'm glad we're moving this bill forward. this legislation would elevate the special envoy position and require the president to put forward a nominee no more than

120 days after a vacancy. that's four months. this is essential for making sure that a prolonged vacancy like we have right now never happens again. we must have a senior state department official dedicated to coordinating u.s. government efforts to combat anti-semitism abroad. so i strongly support this measure. i ask my colleagues to join me in doing so, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, chairman of the foreign affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, global human rights and international organizations. he is the author of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for three minutes. mr. smith: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this legislation and on the issue itself, eliot engel, of course, who has been a great friend, part of this bipartisan caucus in combating anti-semitism. and you, mr. presiding speaker,

you're one of the co-sponsors. we have 83 bipartisan co-sponsors and this is an idea whose time has come. i want to thank leader mccarthy for making sure the bill got to the floor today. for his leadership and strong support for it. anti-semitism, mr. speaker, is exploding. just look around in any country in the world, look at the human rights reports that are out there. and it's a problem here in the united states as well. it is exploding. my first trip to the soviet union, now russia, of course, was in 1982, on behalf of soviet refuseniks. what i saw that country was doing to individual jewish men and women and families, i became committed then. we've worked on this for many, many years, with the helsinki commission, to try to combat this ever-escalating scourge of anti-semitism. it's an age-old scourge. it is bad and it is getting worse.

there is a persistent anti-semitism, as i think my colleagues know, that historically has manifested itself throughout european history, from programs in russia to the dreyfuss affair, to naziism in the 1930's, and of course the holocaust. right up to modern day iterations. this has been joined, however, by two other streams of hate. one emanating from the world of militant islam and one which is sometimes fomented by countries such as iran. strains of this new anti-semitism can be heard in the demands of the b.d.s. movement to boycott divestment sanctions which always sings -- singles out israel and rarely other countries like china who engage in pervasive human rights abuse. my friend and former soviet refusenik testified at two of my hearings on combating anti-semitism. he proposed what he called a simple test to help us distinguish between legislate criticism of israel --

legitimate criticism of israel. he calls it the three d's. double standard and de-legitimatization. first when israel's actions are blown all out of sensible proportions and when comparesons are made between israelis and the nazis which is absolutely sick and pathetic. this is anti-semitism. not a legitimate criticism of israel. second, double standard. when criticism of israel is applied, selectively, when israel is signaled out, liabled and slandered by the u.n. human rights council, for example, while the behavior of other egregious violators are largely ignored. that too is anti-semitism. the third d is delegitimatization. in other words, israel does not have a fundamental right to exist. in light of this, there's an urgent need for a comprehensive u.s. government approach. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. royce: i yield the gentleman an additional minute. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. smith: there is a need for a comprehensive approach. in 2004 i offered an amendment that became law, to create the office to monitor and combat anti-semitism. and also the amendment that created the special envoy. and i do call on president trump to name that special envoy. this elevates it to ambassador. so there will be additional gravitas and so that this individual, whoever he or she may be, will have the ability to have direct access to the secretary of state on the issue of combating anti-semitism. the bill also prohibits the position from being double hatted. we know how that happens. one person does all these different portfolios and becomes a master of none. it also requires, as eliot engel said a moment ago, that within 90 days of enactment this act and thereafter we need this name and we need this to be put forward so we can get that person on the job and doing this great work. again, peter roskam, i look around, people who are getting ready to speak, ileana ros-lehtinen.

83 co-sponsors, totally bipartisan. and absolutely needed. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california refreshes -- reserves. the gentleman from new york. take this want to opportunity, mr. chairman, to yield to our colleague from florida, mr. hastings, for unanimous consent request. mr. hastings: i thank the ranking member and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in support of this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from florida, one of the chairs of the task force to combat anti-semitism, and again, very esteemed member of the foreign affairs committee, an original co-sponsor of this bill, mr. deutch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. deutch: thank you, mr. speaker. my thanks to my friend, ranking member engel. i rise in support of the special envoy to monitor and combat anti-semitism act. and i'd like to thank congressman chris smith for leading this bill and all of my

colleagues for their support. it's been over a year and a half since this administration came into office and this position remains vacant. aside from some rumors around washington, we don't know when this role will be filled. this position was created in 2004 with bipartisan support. i'm sure my colleagues would agree, congress doesn't pass laws for them to be ignored. it is imperative that there is someone at the state department working to combat anti-semitism globally. they should be working with jewish communities, building coalitions, tracking cases. and pushing governments to do more to combat it. we need someone who will be our nation's leading global advocate to combat anti-semitism. we're seeing jewish communities outside of the united states and israel shrink because they no longer feel safe in their own cities. we're hearing truly appalling stories, horrific stories, like the holocaust survivor who was

brutally murdered in her apartment. and we're feeling the hate speech rise, where by politicians on extreme sides of the political spectrum, or individuals empowered and amplified by social media. we urgently need someone in our government charged with addressing this scourge. this is not a time to abdicate our proud and historic leading role of pushing governments to protect their jewish communities because if there is anti-semitism that is growing in a country, it means that there is hatred growing in that country and ultimately everyone is at risk. a government cannot be silent in these moments. filling this position must be a top priority. i call on my colleagues to support this bill, which will send a strong statement to the world that the united states remains committed to combat this bigotry and to defend jewish communities and to fight hatred

and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. royce: i yield two mibs to the gentlelady from florida, ms. -- minutes to the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida is recognized for two minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. mr. chairman, ranking member. i'm proud to be a co-sponsor of mr. smith's very important bill, h.r. 1911, the special envoy to monitor and combat anti-semitism act. as a founding member and co-chair of the task force for combating anti-semitism, i've been urging the administration to make the special envoy position at the state department a priority. and to fill that position as soon as possible. in recent years the spike in anti-jewish view lens and harassment has been alarming -- violence and harassment has been alarming. across the globe and even hure in our own wonderful nation. it is also worrisome that we are

seeing anti-semitism couched and disguised in anti-israel political rhetoric. this bill ensures that we have someone at the ambassador level giving these issues full attention. and with access to the highest level of officials in other nations. i'm also proud to have my amendment included in the bill, which adds a deadline for the appointment. 90 days from enactment of this act and 120 days from when this position becomes vacant. . even though current law states there shall be an appointment there's no clarification on if an administration has a finite time to make one. that's why it's important to add a deadline to fill the special envoy position as quickly as possible. i encourage my colleagues to support mr. smith's important bill, h.r. 1911. i thank the chairman and ranking member for the time. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back.

the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: if there are no other speakers on the other side i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is prepares -- prepared to close. mr. royce: we have one more speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. royce: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from illinois, mr. roskam a member of the committee on ways and means, co-chair of the bipartisan task force on combating anti-semitism. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized for two minutes. mr. roskam: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, chairman royce. there's a quotation that's familiar that's brought to my attention this afternoon as we're debating this and it has echos for today. it's by martin niemoler a lutheran pastor in germany, and this is what he said. first i came for the socialists and i didn't speak out because i wasn't a socialist. then they came for the trade unionists and i didn't speak out because i wasn't a trade unionist. then they came for the jews and

i didn't speak out because i was not a jew. then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. mr. speaker, we have an opportunity to do something good good today, to build on the work that congressman smith has initiated and that has been shepherded through this process by chairman royce and ranking member engel and that is to recognize the growing rise of anti-semitism around the world and to say, we're not only not going to be complicit in it, we are going to speak out about it and we're going to bring attention to it and we're going to bring the full force and power of the united states government and its moral authority and its imprimatur on this issue. there's real power in that. and they have heard both sides going back and forth sort of being reminded of this responsibility that we have because we've seen anti-semitism, mr. speaker, arise within the last year alone in germany and brazil and france and hungary and new zealand and

in close, the anti-defamation league pointed out that in the last year alone there have been over four million english language tweets that are anti-semitic. this is a -- this is upon us. so what congressman smith has initiated now is to raise the status of this person to make sure they're not just a special envoy but to raise that to ambassadorial status for all the obvious reasons, to get this person appointed quickly and to have this post filled and brought with real authority. i urge its passage and i thank the gentleman and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: mr. speaker , in closing i want to again strongly support this bipartisan bill. i want to thank all the people who have worked hard on it, particularly mr. smith of new jersey who always for years has been battling this scourge of

anti-semitism. our chairman, chairman royce, and people on both sides of the foreign affairs committee. we can never become complacent when we say anti-semitism -- when we see anti-semitism or anti-anything rear its ugly head. we need to reject it, we need to fight it, we need to shine a light in all the dark corners so it has no place to hide and fester. what does it look like when it comes to foreign policy? it starts by appointing a senior diplomat, someone we can point to with confidence and say, you're leading america's effort to grapple with this problem around the world. this bill would make sure that that seat can't stay vacant the way it has been for the last 18 months. i'm proud to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation. i again thank mr. smith, chairman royce, and all the people who have worked so hard for this. i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back his time. the gentleman from california is

recognized for the remainder of his time. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. we've seen the horrific consequences when free societies turn a blind eye to anti-se miltic -- to anti-semitic incitement and anti-semitic violence. the passage of this bill affirms that combating anti-semitism is a top priority for the united states and it will fill the special enjoy -- enjoy -- envoy position and provide it adequate staff. i urge my colleagues to support this measure and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. both sides have yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1911 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 gentleman from california. mr. royce: on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested.

those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. and remain standing. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause , rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman seek reck fission >> i move that the house suspend the rules and pass house resolution 401 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title as a-- title of the resolution. the clerk: resolution 401, urging china, south korea, vietnam, thailand, the philippines, indonesia, cambodia, laos, india, and all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade and to enforce existing laws against the trade. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, will each control 20 minutes. this schare recognizes the gentleman from california.

mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time heas wishes to use. mr. royce: i want to thank mr. hastings for authoring this important measure on the dog and cat meat trade. it's an important issue to animal lovers around this globe and this resolution is garnered -- has garnered tremendous bipartisan support. he has other 100 co-sponsors in this congress for it. and protecting the world's animal, whether we're talking about dogs and cats or rhinoceros and elephant, it's not a partisan issue. and i'm proud to have authored a number of critical piece of legislation to advance this cause including the end wildlife trafficking act of 2016.

mr. speaker, in recent years, we have made some important progress toward stopping the consumption of dog meat around the world but sadly, dog meat markets still exist in asia. in fact, it's estimated that 30 million dogs and 10 million cats ianeulely. as a result of the dog and cat meat trade. and they often live under horrendous conditions. and this practice -- i would make one other point. it also raises serious public health conditions. -- concerns. the world health organization has linked the dog meat industry to human outbreaks of multiple serious diseases including cholera, and include ragebees. the spread of -- rabies. the spread of disease is made worse by all aspects of the trade from the unsanitary conditions of slaughter and the sale of dog meat in open air

markets and restaurants. and from that to the trafficing of these animals across international borders. this important resolution urges all nations to abolish the dog and cat meat trade, to enforce existing laws against such trade, and to affirm the u.s. commitment to protecting animals both here at home and around the world. and i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i too rise in support of this measure and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time as he wishes to use. mr. engel: let me thank mr. hastings for his work on this resolution and thank chairman royce for moving it forward. this is one of those issues that stirs the emotions of anyone who learns about it. the horrible abuse of dogs and cats crammed into cages, driven across brders, slaughtered and

sold in meat markets, just seems so cruel and needless. the animal rights community has come together around this issue, plead for an end to these inhumane practices, particularly in markets in asia where this takes place the most. there are broader concerns as well. the trade of dog and cat meat is associated with health risks, including the spread of disease and an illegal market for this meat has sprung up in places where governments have failed to step up and enforce their own laws against these practices. so i think it's important for the house to go on record saying we oppose this practice. i'm glad to support this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. royce: i'll continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i now yield three minutes to the esteemed gentleman from florida, mr.

hastings. mr. -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for three minutes. mr. hastings: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i thank my good friend, the chairman of the committee, for bringing this forward. i rise in support of this measure urging all nations to outlaw the inhumane dog and cat meat trade and to enforce existing laws against this barbaric practice. in june of 2017, i introduced this measure with my distinguished colleague and co-chairman of the florida delegation, congressman buchanan. it is estimated that tens of millions of dogs and cats are killed for human consumption annually across the globe. this display of animal cruelty is not only inhumane but also a threat to public health for citizens and international visitors. this resolution affirms the united states' commitment to the

protection of animals and advances the animal protection movement rapidly growing worldwide. these innocent animals, often personal pets, forcibly taken, shoved into cages with broken bones, then shipped along -- shipped long distances without food or water to meat markets where they are regularly bludgeoned, mutilated, boiled, or skinned while still alive. when i was a child i had three ig dogs. august and tuesday and po boy. in their memory i'm sure they'd be equally proud that their owner was standing up for -- standing up for descendants of theirs and others. congress h.res. 401, can bring the world one step closer to hopefully ending this cruel practice once and for all.

mr. speaker, from the bottom of my heart i want to thank the thousands of activists across the country and around the globe for their tireless efforts. they have never wavered in their commitment in the fight against the global dog and cat meat trade. it is my sincere hope that we expeditiously pass this measure by doing -- measure. by doing so we'll send a strong message that no matter where you live, animal cruelty is simply wrong. a special thanks to lisa vander park and kim todd and dr. john sessa and all of them being my friends and certainly mark shang who has personally witnessed many of the things that brought my attention to this measure. mr. speaker, i urge a yes vote on this resolution and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i yield two minutes to the gentlelady from nevada, a co-sponsor of the bill and valuable member of the foreign affairs committee, ms. titus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. titus: thank you. thank you for yielding. thank you to the chairman and also to my friend from florida who sponsored this legislation. i too rise in support of house resolution 401. it's a resolution urging countries around the world to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade and to recommit to enforcing existing laws against this horrible practice. as you have heard, approximately 30 million dogs and tens of millions of cats are killed annually for human consumption. and many suffer from abuse and cruelty during their lifetime facing painful deaths at e-- at the hands of horrible meat dealers. we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the extreme torment they have to endure. in the united states we cherish dogs and cats, recognizing their many contributions as service and therapy animals.

search and rescue assistance. and police dogs to aid with drug and bomb searches. they provide airport security, are companions to our veterans and are cherished family pets. as a member of the congressional animal protection caucusing i'm a proud co-sponsor of -- co-spon or of this legislation which enjoys the support of 1515 -- 155 co-sponsors and passed the committee by voice vote. i worked hard in congress to end the dog and cat meat trade, eliminate the use of dog and protect our furry and feathered friends from undue harm and abuse. hundreds of constituents have written us about this issue and they want the united states to speak up and set an example. i believe this resolution does just that. so i thank those who are responsible for bringing it, those who have lent their voice in support of it and i look forward to seeing it passed today. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expire

thsmed egentleman from california is recognized. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i'm prepared to close, i'm grateful to mr. hastings and all the people who have helped elevate this issue. actually, i have gotten much -- many calls from people who are very, very concerned about this bill and who want to see it passed. i have been a dog lover all my life. wonderful time to have dogs and to me, it's just unfathomable that they are suffering like this in the trade to eat dogs and cats and it is something that is awful. so i'm pleased to support this measure. it's a bipartisan bill. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: i want to thank mr.

hastings again for this legislation, mr. speaker and championing support for the protection of dogs and cats around the world and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 401 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 pon the table. without objection, the title is amended. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 197. the clerk: h.r. 6197 a bill to

amend the state department basic authorities act of 1956 to authorize rewards for thwarting to linked to organized crime and for other purposes. pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. royce, and the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. royce. mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to include extraneous materials in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of this measure which targets transnational wildlife traffickers through the state department's existing global rewards program and these rewards will serve as a powerful tool to capture and to convict, to convict wanted transnational criminals and terrorists who profit from the illegal wildlife

trade. so last week, as we opened the papers, there were 87 elephant carcasses discovered in the botswana. these animals were shot by poachers and stripped of their tusks and left to die and this is a rereal and urgent issue. wildlife trafficking is generating $10 billion a year for increasing sophisticated criminal cindy indicates and generating profits for terrorists who are involved in this kind of slaughter. the illegal iffery trade is especially lucrative. for years now, i have been engaged in this effort to save some of the most endangered species and during a recent trip to tan zinnia we met with park

rangers on the front lines and told us how they were outmanned, outgunned and up against sophisticated criminal networks that use helicopters, that use night-vision goggles. we met with local communities impacted by these crimes who explained how wildlife trafficking jeopardizing local communities and spreads diseases and fuels corruption and damages economic development. wildlife trafficking is a serious national security threat and combatting it requires an approach to identifying and apprehending the world's worst offenders, and time is not on our side. more animals poached, more cash for criminal syndicates and terrorists. i thank the bill's author, representative donovan, as well as co-sponsors castro and ranking member elliott engel for

their work on this important measure. i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill. and i will reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 6197, the rescuing animals with reward act of 2018 and i yield myself such time as i may consume. i would like to begin by thanking mr. donovan and mr. castro for introducing this important legislation. and i would like to thank chairman royce for his incredible efforts over many, many years to promote the conservation of wildlife in wild places. in recent years, congress has taken a number of important steps to combat wildlife trafficking. but the situation remains dire. over the last 10 years, one-third of african elephants

have been slaughtered for their tusks. let me say it again, over the last 10 years, one-third of african elephants have been slaughtered for their tusks. that is a shocking statistics and many other species are at risk. protecting wildlife is the right thing to do. the wildlife conservation society does a good job. my good friend who is leading the charge there and i'm aware of what we need to do to protect our wildlife. not only is it the right thing to do but serves a national security interest. wild life trafficking feeds corruption, undermines the rules of law, threatens economic prosperity and drives instability and carried by the same criminal cindy indicates engaged in the trafficking of drugs, weapons and people.

this bipartisan, commonsense legislation before us today provides our government with the tool it can use to tackle the illegal trade and wildlife. specifically, it authorizes rewards under the state department's rewards for justice program for information leading to the arrest or conviction of those engaged in wildlife trafficking. this can provide a powerful financial incentive for people to turn in those responsible for this appalling activity. mr. speaker, i urge all of our colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. royce: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. donovan, a member of the committee on foreign affairs, former prosecutor. he is the author of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. donovan: thank you, mr. chairman. 'm proud to sponsor the rawr

h.r. 6197. this will help ensure taking down terrorists and transnational criminal organizations engaged in wildlife trafficking and poaching will be a top rewards priority. combatting terrorism is of the utmost importance not just to my constituents, not just to new yorkers but to the entire nation. it's an issue that transcends party lines. i have a letter of support from the wildlife congress servings society. i ask unanimous consent to entier ter it into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. donovan: i have a letter from the humane society of the united states, humane society legislative fund and humane society international. and i ask unanimous consent to enter that into the record as well. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. donovan: yesterday was the

17th anniversary of september 11. it was a stark reminder of the danger terrorism poses to the nation every single day. the district i represent, staten island and south brooklyn which is home to new york's bravest and finest suffered hundreds of casualties on september 11. new york is the number one target for terrorism. as a nation, we have become a more resilient and demmed nation to mitigate threats against us. but as we have choked off other resources of money, terrorists have returned to wildlife trafficking as a way to fund their endeavors. any step we can take to lead to the capture and conviction of anyone especially the terrorists is a step in the right direction. crimes related to illegal wildlife generates billions of dollars a year. these funds turn into terrorist finances fuel instability and

help armed groups in africa. they are killing animals which is staggering. al kilo gram of raw ivory can be rhinoas much as $2,100 or on could be worth as $65,000. the foreign affairs committee and house of representatives will continue to fight against this problem. i want to thank my chairman, chairman royce, for your support on this bill. ranking member and my colleague from new york, elliott engel and ranking member castro and i thank the house leadership for bringing this bill to the floor. and i thank the staff, megan sean who put much work into this act. at this time, i yield the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from new york. mr. engel: i yield two minutes

to the the gentlewoman from from nevada, co-sponsor of this bill. and as i said a valued house foreign affairs committee, ms. titus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. title tight i rise in support of h.r. 6197, it's a bill that will combat the illegal wildlife trade by authorizing rewards for information on wildlife traffickers to the state department's rewards for justice program. i thank the co-sponsors, representatives donovan and castro for their work on this legislation a along with chairman royce who has helped animals in far-away places. wildlife trafficking generates over $10 billion annually for transnational criminal networks. as such, it not only decimates wildlife species but threatens security and fuels corruption.

this gives the state department another tool to go after wildlife traffickers and it positively complements the end to wildlife trafficking act which recognizes wildlife trafficking as a serious crime. these two efforts will fuel a coordinated approach to combatting illegal wildlife trade and help to bring the pirp traitors to justice. as an advocate, i'm proud to co-sponsor this legislation and i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it today and end this wildlife trafficking process. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: i'm prepared to close. let me say in closing, i want to again thank mr. donovan and mr. castro for authorizing this bill and chairman royce for his extraordinary leadership in efforts to combat wildlife

trafficking. it's shocking to me in the year 2018 people still want to kill majestic animals like elephants and rhinos for their body parts. it is disgusting. we need to address the poaching crisis going after the criminal networks that drive this illicit trade and working with other governments to enforce tough laws against wildlife trafficking and partnering where animals live to make sure they have a stake to protecting wildlife and educating consumers about the consequences of their decisions to purchase illegal wildlife products because we really need to hit them in their pocket books if people are purchasing these things that illicit trafficking is going to continue. the bipartisan legislation before us today will provide one additional tool in the fight against wildlife trafficking and

i urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: mr. speaker, a former district attorney like dan donovan can tell you, if you are trying to get the attention of a thug, there's nothing like a reward on your head to create real fear for that terrorist or that criminal. we want wildlife traffickers to know the fear of being hunted. it is time we send the message toll wildlife traffickers around the world that the united states will use every tool at our disposal to stop them and to take them down. urge passage and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will