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88–388PDF 2014

UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS

FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2014; CONCERNING

THE SUSPENSION OF EXIT PERMIT ISSUANCE BY THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FOR ADOPTED CONGOLESE

CHILDREN; AND THE NEED TO BRING THE SOUTH SUDAN

CONFLICT TO A SUSTAINABLE AND LASTING END

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, 

GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND 

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H.R. 4653, H. Res. 588 and H. Res. 503

JUNE 18, 2014

Serial No. 113–181

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ or

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

(II)

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

MATT SALMON, Arizona 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina 

ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

TOM COTTON, Arkansas 

PAUL COOK, California 

GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas 

RON DESANTIS, Florida 

DOUG COLLINS, Georgia 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

SEAN DUFFY, Wisconsin 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey 

GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia 

THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida 

BRIAN HIGGINS, New York 

KAREN BASS, California 

WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts 

DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island 

ALAN GRAYSON, Florida 

JUAN VARGAS, California 

BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER, Illinois 

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III, Massachusetts 

AMI BERA, California 

ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California 

GRACE MENG, New York 

LOIS FRANKEL, Florida 

TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii 

JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas

AMY PORTER, Chief of Staff THOMAS SHEEHY, Staff Director

JASON STEINBAUM, Democratic Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

KAREN BASS, California 

DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island 

AMI BERA, California 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF 

H.R. 4653, To reauthorize the United States Commission on International 

Religious Freedom, and for other purposes ....................................................... 3

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4653 offered by the 

Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from 

the State of New Jersey, and chairman, Subcommittee on Africa, Global 

Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations ................ 7

H. Res. 588, Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents ..................... 11

Amendment to H. Res. 588 offered by the Honorable Christopher H.

Smith ................................................................................................................. 15

H. Res. 503, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding 

the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable and lasting 

end and to promote reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances 

to allow for a peaceful society with good governance ........................................ 17

Amendment to H. Res. 503 offered by the Honorable Christopher H.

Smith ................................................................................................................. 24

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

APPENDIX 

Markup notice .......................................................................................................... 32

Markup minutes ...................................................................................................... 33

Markup summary .................................................................................................... 34

(1)

UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2014; CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION OF EXIT PERMIT ISSUANCE BY 

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FOR ADOPTED 

CONGOLESE CHILDREN; AND THE NEED TO BRING THE 

SOUTH SUDAN CONFLICT TO A SUSTAINABLE AND LASTING END 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH,

GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 1:30 p.m., in room 

2200 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. Smith 

(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. 

Mr. SMITH. Good afternoon, and I want to thank our colleagues 

for being here for this markup. Pursuant to notice we are here this 

afternoon to mark up three bills: H.R. 4653, United States Commission on the International Religious Freedom Reauthorization 

Act of 2014; H. Res. 588, Concerning the suspension of exit permit 

issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo 

for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with 

their adoptive parents coming to the U.S.; and H. Res. 503, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 

need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable and lasting 

end and to promote reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances to allow for a peaceful society with good governance. 

All three measures enjoy strong bipartisan support that is typical 

of the cooperation that characterizes both the subcommittee and 

our full committee. Congressman Wolf’s bill which reauthorizes the 

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has 

a nearly equal number of Democrats and Republican co-sponsors. 

The resolution on DR Congo adoptions is a Democratic measure 

authored by Congressman Collin Peterson of Minnesota, and again 

has strong bipartisan support and I am happy to say that the lead 

co-sponsor of our bipartisan resolution on the crisis in South Sudan 

is my dear friend and colleague, Ranking Member Karen Bass, who 

shares an abiding concern and deep concern for the Nation of 

South Sudan. I want to thank members of the subcommittee for 

their support for these resolutions as well, and I do think it will 

receive full floor consideration. 

2

The fact that this subcommittee will reconvene following this 

markup for a briefing and hearing as well as scheduling of other 

events including a competing hearing and votes scheduled by leadership, it is the intent of the Chair to consider these measures en 

bloc along with substitute amendments sent to you yesterday. 

All members do have copies of the documents before them, and 

then after we have concluded our expedited consideration I would 

be glad to recognize any member including myself and the ranking 

member and any of our other members for any statements they 

would like to make. 

All members are given leave to insert written remarks into the 

record should they choose to do so. Seeing that we have a reporting 

quorum, without objection, the following are considered as read and 

will be considered en bloc. 

H.R. 4653, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2014, with the Smith 

Amendment to H.R. 4653, again sent to your offices Tuesday; H. 

Res. 588, Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the 

Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive 

parents, and a substitute amendment offered by myself to H. Res. 

588; and then H. Res 503, Expressing the sense in the House regarding the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable 

and lasting end and promote reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances to allow for a peaceful society with good governance, and another Smith amendment sent to your offices yesterday. 

[The information referred to follows:]

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Mr. SMITH. The Chair moves that the en bloc amendments be 

adopted, and all those in favor say aye. 

All those opposed, no. 

The ayes have it in the opinion of the Chair, and the items that 

are considered en bloc are adopted. Without objection, the measures as amended are reported favorably to the full committee and 

the staff is directed to make any technical and conforming changes. 

I would like to note that we have completed our formal consideration of these measures and I recognize members for remarks. And 

I would like to first recognize myself on behalf of the first bill that 

just passed on to the full committee reauthorizing the United 

States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 

In 1998, Congress had the foresight to make the protection and 

promotion of religious liberty a priority in U.S. foreign policy by 

creating an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the Office of International Religious Freedom at the Department of State, which authors the International Religious Freedom 

Report on every country in the world, and the U.S. Commission on 

International Religious Freedom and their watchdog report which 

they send to Congress. 

Back in 1997 and 1998 I chaired all of the hearings in the House 

that led to the markup of the legislation authored by Chairman 

Frank Wolf of Virginia. It was at the time a very tough sell. There 

were people against it both in the administration as well as in Congress. But at the end of the day there was a great coming together 

and a consensus behind it that it was an idea whose time has 

come, to paraphrase Victor Hugo, and it has made a difference over 

the years in promoting religious freedom all over the world. 

Importantly, this landmark legislation, the International Religious Freedom Act, created a system for naming and taking action 

against Countries of Particular Concern or CPCs. History has 

shown that when the U.S. makes religious freedom a priority and 

that priority is conveyed to Countries of Particular Concern, espeVerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:24 Sep 23, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\061814M\88388 SHIRL

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cially, we have seen conditions change with minimal harm to security or economic cooperation. 

As a matter of fact, countless numbers of religious freedom advocates who have been persecuted have benefited from this legislation and have found freedom or at least a lessening of jail sentences and a mitigation of the abuse that they suffer. 

Two and a half years ago after passing with strong bipartisan 

support in the House, a reauthorization bill, it got bogged down in 

the Senate, though eventually the Commission was reauthorized, 

when the legislation was then signed into law by the President. 

This time we hope there will be no such bogging down. And obstacles in the Senate, we all know how so many bills that are sent 

there don’t get acted on. We think this will and believe it will. We 

have worked with Mr. Wolf’s office, members of USCIRF, and colleagues from both parties to accommodate concerns. 

This subcommittee held a hearing on May 22, where the USCIRF 

commissioner, Dr. Robert George, testified and members from religious minority communities, including Muslim, Baha’i, and Christian, spoke about the importance of the work of the Commission. 

We understand that this subcommittee’s markup having been completed, the full committee will mark it up next week. 

This subcommittee has also held many-hearings on the Republic 

of South Sudan as part of our overall U.S. Government’s effort to 

see this new Nation succeed. From our initial hearings and legislation to end the Sudanese practice of supporting the enslavement of 

southerners to the successful effort—and I held a hearing on slavery in the Sudan back in 1996. Chattel slavery, not unlike what we 

had sadly and regrettably in the United States, was still going on 

in Sudan. While we now know that the country emerged, it became 

independent, there now are some very serious problems that could 

derail its march toward democracy. 

Last December, staff director Greg Simpkins and I were actually 

preparing, in wake of the firing of government officials, a conflict 

with the Republic of Sudan over oil revenue, and a series of internal problems that threatened the security of this Nation, to travel 

there. Just days before we left, as a matter of fact, 2 days before 

we left, word came of the new conflict and that the airport was 

closed and the Embassy said don’t come. 

What began as a political dispute among political rivals has blossomed into a poisonous clash that has taken on ominous ethnic 

tones that threaten this Nation’s future stability. Consequently, I 

introduced H. Res. 503, with my friend and colleague, Ms. Bass, to 

recommend a more comprehensive approach to peacemaking in 

South Sudan. A mere peace treaty cannot overcome the problems 

that have led to this tragic situation. 

The resolution does call for sustainable cessation of hostilities 

and adds our congressional voice to those calls in Africa as well as 

within the country of South Sudan. But it goes well beyond the 

preliminary step to urge a process that includes greater transparency; inclusiveness for civil society in ensuring good governance; 

a clear and achievable road map to a free and fair election; the disarmament of militias and armed groups along with security sector 

reform; international and domestic procedure to ensure that those 

guilty of human rights violations are brought to justice; and continVerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:24 Sep 23, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\061814M\88388 SHIRL
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ued U.S. humanitarian aid and support for capacity building and 

resilience programs to help South Sudan recover from the crisis. 

The United States has a significant stake in the long-term success of South Sudan, and we must think beyond the end of this 

conflict to creating an environment where peace and prosperity can 

flourish and be sustained. 

Finally, I wish to note the importance of making a strong statement in support of the children of the Democratic Republic of the 

Congo. And I know, I have been there and I have seen again and 

again, and Greg and I have been to places like Goma and know 

how many children have been orphaned as a result of the horrible 

conflict that has occurred there and continues. 

This legislation deals with trying to find parents for children who 

may be adopted, and there are hundreds of kids who are in the 

pipeline that are no longer now adoptable because of a government 

change of policy that goes back to last September. And I am talking 

about the DR Congo. Kinshasa did a change of the view on this, 

and this encourages them to rethink that and to hopefully allow 

these children to be adopted here in the United States. 

I would like to now yield to Ms. Bass. 

Ms. BASS. Thank you very much, Chairman Smith, always, for 

your leadership. Your hard work on this important bill, H.R. 4653, 

I am going to speak just briefly about each of the bills. 

In a time when sectarian violence rages within and between various world religions and the repression of religious minorities persists, it is important to be supportive of national institutions such 

as the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. 

Whether it is the desecration of mosques, churches, or synagogues, 

or the defamation or persecution of adherence to particular religious groups, it is critical to have oversight and forward-thinking 

policy in these matters to expand religious freedom. 

In terms of H. Res. 503, I also want to add my voice and support 

regarding the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable end and to promote the reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances allowing for a peaceful society with good governance. It is my hope that this legislation will help lay the groundwork to not only bring about a peaceful and sustainable resolution 

to the conflict, but also to establish a stable and economically viable South Sudan. 

In terms of H. Res. 588, this is another important piece of legislation. I am proud to join Representative Peterson as a co-sponsor 

of this resolution, and I have worked with my colleagues here in 

the House and the Senate, in particular my colleague, Senator 

Mary Landreau. In April, the co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption of which I am one, organized nearly 200 Members 

of Congress to bring concerns about the interruption of the adoption process directly to the Government of the DRC. 

As we all work to resolve this issue, Congress and advocates 

must continue to engage and communicate with the Congolese Government to ensure that all adoptive children are united with safe, 

loving and permanent families. I look forward to continuing to 

work with the Congolese Government to continue to improve the 

intercountry adoption process and the welfare and safety of all children globally. 

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Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much. 

Mr. Cicilline? 

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and the ranking member for bringing these three pieces of legislation before this 

subcommittee for markup. 

Mr. SMITH. Dr. Bera? 

Mr. BERA. The same thing. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you. Thank you for joining today and for supporting these bills and resolutions. 

I would just note, more than parenthetically, we have with us 

today Andrew Natsios who was our Special Envoy to Sudan. Did 

a magnificent job in that position, and from 2001 to 2006 was the 

Administrator for USAID and was absolutely devoted to meeting 

crises worldwide, but had such a special heart and mind for the 

people of Sudan. 

And we in this Congress benefited greatly from his leadership 

and, of course, above all, the people of Sudan. So I do thank you. 

Mr. Natsios is speaking on behalf of the human rights in the next 

venue, but I do want to acknowledge his presence during this 

markup and thank him for his extraordinary service. 

This markup is concluded and we will now go to our briefing and 

then hearing, and I thank my colleagues again for their support in 

these bills. 

[Whereupon, at 1:51 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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A P P E N D I X 

MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

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