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GIRLS COUNT ACT OF 2013; NAFTALI FRAENKEL REWARDS

FOR JUSTICE ACT OF 2014; EMERGENCY IRON DOME REPLENISHMENT ACT; EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER PERSISTENT AND

CREDIBLE REPORTS OF SYSTEMATIC, STATE–SANCTIONED

ORGAN HARVESTING FROM NON–CONSENTING PRISONERS OF

CONSCIENCE, IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA; AND

EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAQ

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H.R. 3398, H.R. 5041, H.R. 5235, H. Res. 281 and 

H. Res. 683

JULY 30, 2014

Serial No. 113–200

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 

CURT CLAWSON, Florida 

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 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF 

H.R. 3398, To authorize the Secretary of State and the Administrator of 

the United States Agency for International Development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries, 

and for other purposes ......................................................................................... 2

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3398 offered by the 

Honorable Steve Chabot .................................................................................. 10

Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3398 

offered by the Honorable Edward R. Royce, a Representative in Congress 

from the State of California, and chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs .................................................................................................................... 18

H.R. 5041, To require the Secretary of State to offer rewards totaling up 

to $5,000,000 for information on the kidnapping and murder of Naftali 

Fraenkel, a dual United States-Israeli citizen, that began on June 12, 

2014 ....................................................................................................................... 19

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5041 offered by the 

Honorable Edward R. Royce, the Honorable Brad Sherman, a Representative in Congress from the State of California, the Honorable Michael 

T. McCaul, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, and 

the Honorable Eliot L. Engel, a Representative in Congress from the 

State of New York ............................................................................................ 21

H.R. 5235, To authorize further assistance to Israel for the Iron Dome antimissile defense system ......................................................................................... 24

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5235 offered by the 

Honorable Eliot L. Engel and the Honorable Edward R. Royce ................... 28

H. Res. 281, Expressing concern over persistent and credible reports of systematic, state-sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners 

of conscience, in the People’s Republic of China, including from large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners imprisoned for their religious beliefs, 

and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups ............................ 33

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 281 offered by the 

Honorable Edward R. Royce ............................................................................ 40

H. Res. 683, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the 

current situation in Iraq and the urgent need to protect religious minorities 

from persecution from the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group 

the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) as it expands its control 

over areas in northwestern Iraq ......................................................................... 45

Amendment to H. Res. 683 offered by the Honorable Ted Poe, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas ....................................................... 49

APPENDIX 

Markup notice .......................................................................................................... 68

Markup minutes ...................................................................................................... 69

Markup summary .................................................................................................... 71

(1)

GIRLS COUNT ACT OF 2013; NAFTALI FRAENKEL REWARDS 

FOR JUSTICE ACT OF 2014; EMERGENCY IRON DOME REPLENISHMENT ACT; EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER PERSISTENT AND CREDIBLE REPORTS OF SYSTEMATIC, 

STATE–SANCTIONED ORGAN HARVESTING FROM NON–CONSENTING PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE, IN THE PEOPLE’S 

REPUBLIC OF CHINA; AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF 

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAQ 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2014

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:12 a.m., in room 

2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edward Royce (chairman of the committee) presiding. 

Chairman ROYCE. The committee will come to order. 

We meet today to mark up five measures. And I want to begin 

by thanking all of our committee members and staff on both sides 

of the aisle for the extensive preparation that went into today’s 

markup. 

We appreciate the long hours, including those subcommittees 

that held their own markups. 

Without objection, all members may have 5 calendar days to submit statements for the record. 

As all members were previously noticed, we now intend to consider en bloc five measures and amendments provided to your offices earlier this week. And so, without objection, the following 

items are going to be considered en bloc: H.R. 3398, the Girls 

Count Act, with a Chabot Amendment No. 50 in the nature of a 

substitute to H.R. 3398; the Manager’s Amendment No. 53 to that 

amendment; then, we have H.R. 5041, the Naftali Fraenkel Rewards for Justice Act, along with the Royce, Sherman, McCaul, 

Engel Amendment No. 130 in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 

5041; we have H.R. 5235, the Emergency Iron Dome Replenishment Act with the Engel-Royce Amendment No. 62 in the nature 

of a substitute to H.R. 5235; we have House Resolution 281 expressing concern about forced organ harvesting in the People’s Republic of China, and we have the Manager’s Amendment No. 129 

in the nature of a substitute to that House Resolution 281; we have 

House Resolution 683, lastly, on the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Iraq, and we have the Poe Amendment No. 95 

to House Resolution 683. 

[The information referred to follows:]

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Chairman ROYCE. And after opening remarks by myself and the 

ranking member, I will be glad to recognize any member seeking 

recognition to speak on the en bloc items here. 

Nearly one-third of children around the world have never had 

their births registered, one-third. And this has resulted in whole 

populations of children growing up in the shadows, not formally 

recognized as members of their society. These children cannot 

prove their age, their parentage, their citizenship, and that, of 

course, complicates their ability to attend school or receive health 

services. 

For girls, in particular, a lack of documentation can undermine 

existing legal protections against their being trafficked or made 

child brides. As they grow up, girls without an official identify face 

especially high barriers to education and to entrepreneurship. 

And that is why I want to recommend to all of you that you take 

a look at Representative Chabot’s work here on House Resolution 

3398. It is called the Girls Count Act. This bill supports efforts to 

increase birth registration worldwide by encouraging the State Department and the USAID to work with countries on improving 

their civil registries. The bill also encourages the development of 

laws and policies to prevent discrimination against girls and to improve property and inheritance rights for women. 

I encourage all members to support this good bipartisan measure. 

Next, we consider the Naftali Fraenkel Rewards for Justice Act 

of 2014, introduced by Mr. Lamborn and by Mr. Sherman. 

On June 12, 2014, three Jewish teens were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists. One of the boys, Naftali Fraenkel, was 

a dual American citizen. While Israel battles Hamas rockets from 

Gaza, Israeli Security Forces are searching for the perpetrators of 

these brutal killings. 

I have met with a family member of one of these young men. 

These killers must be brought to justice and we should be doing all 

we can to assist Israeli authorities to ensure that that happens. 

To that end, this legislation endorses the use of the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program, in consultation with Israeli 


88916k.eps
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authorities, to assist in this case. The Department considers the 

program to be a key tool in fighting terrorism and it could help in 

this case. 

Importantly, this legislation also includes important language 

from Mr. McCaul to ensure that the committee is kept fully informed about developments with the Rewards Program. 

Next, I want to thank Ranking Member Engel for his leadership 

in authoring H.R. 5235, the Emergency Iron Dome Replenishment 

Act. Scores of Israeli civilians were killed in their country’s 2000 

conflict with Hezbollah. I remember well the rockets slamming into 

Haifa when I was there. I went down to the Rambam Trauma Hospital. There were 600 victims in that one hospital alone. This was 

all a result of the Iranian- and Syrian-made rockets that the terrorist organizations used to target Israeli civilians. 

Today Hamas is engaged in a similar murderous effort with its 

rocket attacks at Israeli communities, again provided by Iran, but 

in this case with very little success, thanks to Israel’s Iron Dome 

Antimissile Defense System. With the Iron Dome, Israel has reportedly intercepted Hamas’ missiles with a once unthinkable success rate of 90 percent. This has allowed Israel to safeguard its 

population centers, its neighborhoods, its schools, and its hospitals. 

These are the targets they attack, not military installations. These 

rocket attacks—missile attacks—always come on civilian targets. 

And that has saved innocent lives. 

Thus, we stand today not in support of continued U.S. assistance 

to Israel for the Iron Dome, but with legislation to ensure that this 

system is well-supplied and equipped to handle future threats. 

And I want to thank the ranking member again for leading this 

important bipartisan bill, which I am proud to cosponsor. 

In turning to House Resolution 281, the promotion of human 

rights is a task the committee takes very seriously. Regardless of 

where the violations occur, it is our solemn duty as members of 

this committee to speak up and fight for human dignity and for respect. 

In the People’s Republic of China the horrendous practice of 

forced organ harvesting continues unabated. We know that prisoners sentenced to death, regardless of whether they received a fair 

trial or not, are forced to sign a piece of paper that supposedly 

demonstrates their informed consent. We also know that the Communist Party of China has undertaken a severe and brutal crackdown of Chinese citizens whose only crime is to exercise their natural right to practice religion. 

House Resolution 281, authored by Chairman Emeritus RosLehtinen, condemns the practice of forced organ harvesting in its 

entirety and calls on the government of the People’s Republic of 

China to permit a transparent and independent investigation of 

their organ transplant system. The resolution also encourages the 

State Department to include greater detail on forced organ harvesting in its current reporting. 

Finally, just as importantly, this resolution encourages medical 

professionals to educate their patients about the dangers of transplant tourism. 

The amendment in the nature of a substitute, the Manager’s 

Amendment here, builds upon the changes made by the Asia-PaVerDate 0ct 09 2002 16:13 Oct 08, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_FULL\073014M\88916 SHIRL
51

cific Subcommittee. These changes are noncontroversial and have 

the support of Falun Gong practitioners. 

And I want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Chris Smith and Mr. 

Dana Rohrabacher, for your helpful input. 

Finally, we turn to House Resolution 663, introduced by Mr. 

Vargas from California. This committee and the Terrorism and 

Middle East Subcommittees have been very active on the crisis in 

Iraq. For months we have sounded the alarm to the administration 

over ISIS’s increasing strength and threat that ISIS poses to Iraq, 

to the region, and to U.S. interests. 

Allowing terrorists to grow to military strength has real deadly 

consequences, and few are feeling the terror of that reality more 

than Christians of Mosul. Mosul Christians have worshiped in the 

city for over 1,600 years, but they now have been given an ISIS ultimatum: Convert or die. Most have fled to Iraqi Kurdistan where 

they continue to live in jeopardy. 

This resolution reaffirms Americans’ commitment to the universal right of religious freedom for all and urges the U.S. Department of State and the Kurdish regional government and the Iraqi 

Government to protect groups facing such peril under the current 

ISIS offensive. 

I now would like to go to our ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel 

of New York, for his remarks. 

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important 

markup. Thank you for the bipartisan collaboration you have 

brought to all of these measures and for working with me on what 

I consider a vital measure, the Emergency Iron Dome Replenishment Act. 

Since early June, Hamas and other terrorist groups have 

launched thousands of rockets against the Israeli civilian population centers as well as Ben Gurion Airport and the Israeli nuclear reactor at Dimona. In this time, the Iron Dome Antimissile 

Defense System has intercepted 492 rockets. At $82,000 per interception, Israel has spent more than $40 million in 6 weeks. The 

Iron Dome is Israeli-developed but American-financed, and our financing is vital to the safety of the people in Israel. 

The Secretary of Defense recently requested $225 million in supplemental funding for Iron Dome. The Senate Appropriations Committee has introduced legislation that fully funds this request. It is 

time for the House to do the same. I hope that this authorization 

language puts us on the path to meeting Israel’s needs when Israel 

needs us most. 

I support the Royce amendment to this legislation. This provision 

focuses on a replenishment strategy for all of Israel’s missile 

threats, whether they be from Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, or Iran. 

The amendment also adheres to the recent agreement between the 

United States and Israel to begin co-production of the Iron Dome 

interceptors and other components. 

I, once again, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for working with me on 

this legislation and urge my colleagues to support it. 

Let me next thank Representative Chabot for introducing the 

Girls Count Act. Around the world over a third of children under 

the age of 5 have no registration of their birth. 

52

You know, it is interesting because I remember my grandmother, 

who was born in Europe, telling me that she didn’t have a birth 

certificate. And when I asked her when her birthday was, she 

wasn’t quite sure. She said she thought it was sometime in December. 

So, most of these children are girls. Someone who doesn’t exist 

on paper faces particular vulnerabilities. They often can’t get official documentation and they become easy targets for child labor, 

human trafficking, and child marriage. 

H.R. 3398 will ramp up efforts to get more children registered. 

It authorizes the State Department and USAID to work with local 

governments to ensure equal access to registration programs. Getting children registered at birth helps get them off to a good start, 

and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. 

I also support H.R. 5041, the Naftali Fraenkel Rewards for Justice Act. Naftali Fraenkel was an Israeli-American teenager who 

loved basketball, music, and ping pong. He was on his way home 

from school when two Hamas terrorists kidnapped and murdered 

him and two other Israeli teenagers. 

The Israeli Defense Force, partnering with the Palestinian Security Forces, searched for the teenagers for weeks in Operation 

Brother’s Keeper. Israeli authorities named two suspects. Both belonged to Hamas. 

We must use every tool we have to find Naftali’s murderer. To 

this end, this bill would authorize the Secretary of State to offer 

and pay a reward to anyone who furnishes information leading to 

the arrest or conviction of an individual for their role in Naftali’s 

kidnapping or murder. Again, Naftali was an American citizen. So, 

we have extra special reason to be concerned about this. 

I would like to commend Representatives Lamborn, Sherman, 

and McCaul for their work on this important issue. 

I also support H. Res. 281, introduced by my friend, Ileana RosLehtinen, and the Royce amendment to that resolution. This measure shines a light on disturbing allegations that China has engaged 

in organ harvesting from prisoners, including Falun Gong practitioners and ethnic Uighurs. 

Forced organ harvesting is an unconscionable violation of human 

rights. The targeting of individuals based on their faith or ethnicity 

is equally deplorable and must not be tolerated. 

In 2012, Chinese authorities committed to ending the practice of 

transplanting organs from executed prisoners. Last year the government announced plans to create a voluntary organ donor system. But today we have no evidence that China is living up to its 

word on either count. I hope the State Department will continue 

its good work of reporting on human rights practices in China, including allegations of organ harvesting from political prisoners. 

And finally, I would like to thank Representative Juan Vargas 

for introducing H. Res. 663, expressing the urgent need to protect 

religious minorities in Iraq from persecution by ISIS. Last month 

the leadership of ISIS announced that the Christians of Mosul, 

Iraq’s second-largest city and one of the world’s oldest Christian 

communities, must convert to Islam, pay a protection tax, leave, or 

face execution. Understandably, most of Mosul’s 35,000 Christians 

are fleeing to territory controlled by the Kurds. 

53

People of all faiths should be alarmed by this situation in Iraq. 

This measure reiterates our commitment to the protection of religious freedom and calls on the State Department to work with the 

international community to help find safe havens for those trying 

to escape ISIS. It also calls on Iraq to establish a special representative for religious minorities. As thousands suffer under the brutality of ISIS, we need to look for ways to protect the basic rights 

and dignity of all Iraqis. 

So, Mr. Chairman, thank you again for holding this markup and 

for working with us in a bipartisan manner. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Engel. 

We go now to members seeking recognition. I see Ileana RosLehtinen, the chairman of the legislation condemning the practice 

of forced organ harvesting on the part of the government of the 

People’s Republic of China. I will recognize her. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And 

I would like to thank you and Mr. Engel for bringing forth these 

measures today, including the House Resolution 281, which I introduced last year, calling on China to end its inhumane and gruesome practice of organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience, especially the Falun Gong. 

The Communist regime in China has been engaged in a violent 

and targeted campaign against Falun Gong spiritual practitioners. 

These individuals who promote truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance are being detained in re-education and labor camps, in detention centers, in prisons, where they are routinely tortured, abused, 

and beaten. And then, they are executed by the regime for their organs in what has to be one of the most egregious and unimaginable 

violations of the right to life. 

The United States must do more to end China’s wonton human 

rights violations and its persecution of Falun Gong and other religious minorities and prisoners of conscience. This resolution will 

raise awareness on the dire situation of human rights in China, 

and I urge my colleagues to support it. 

I also want to speak briefly on two Israel-related measures before 

us today. I was in Israel with my colleague Ted Deutch when the 

bodies of three Israeli teens, Eyal, Gilad, and Naftali, were found 

riddled with bullets, murdered by members of Hamas. We attended 

their funeral and sat Shiva with Naftali’s family, and we told them 

that the United States Congress would support Israel in its efforts 

to bring justice to the Fraenkel family. 

Authorizing funds for the Rewards for Justice Program is a step 

in the right direction. We must also help the entire Israeli nation 

as it remains under constant threat from Hamas and others, as we 

are seeing in Gaza today. And that is why Ranking Member Engel’s bill to authorize more assistance to Israel for the Iron Dome 

recognizes the vital need for Israel to defend itself and protect its 

citizens against the rockets of Hamas. 

Since Operation Protective Edge began, Hamas has launched 

over 2,600 rockets at Israel’s population centers, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. But Iron Dome has shielded millions of innocent Israeli civilians from Hamas’ indiscriminate rocket attacks, 

and we must continue to support this vital program. And that is 

why this measure is so important. 

54

I am also pleased to support two other human rights measures 

today, H.R. 3398, authorizing the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls 

in developing countries, and House Resolution 683, on the need to 

protect religious minorities in Iraq from persecution by the terrorist group ISIL. 

Women and girls bear the lion’s share of many global problems 

as poverty, being victims of human trafficking, and having a lack 

of access to education. Empowering women and girls throughout 

the world to overcome the significant challenges that they face and 

to fulfill their potential as valuable members of society must be a 

priority for the United States. When the rights of women and girls 

are protected, societies are better off economically and socially, and 

the world is better off because of it. 

But we must also make the protection of religious minorities a 

priority as well. What we have seen in the past weeks in Iraq and 

throughout the Middle East, including the crucifixion of Christians 

and, most recently, the ultimatum for Christians to pay taxes, 

leave, or face death, goes against every principle we stand for in 

our beloved country. This is a calamity that threatens the existence 

of all Iraq’s Christians, and we must not allow it to continue. 

I urge my colleagues to support these measures before us today, 

and I thank you again, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. 

Chairman ROYCE. We go now to Mr. Gerry Connolly of Virginia. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I simply want to 

thank you and Ranking Member Engel for the way in which you 

have conducted not only this business meeting, but this committee. 

You have brought us together. You have tried to find common 

ground. You have carried everything out in a spirit of civility and 

bipartisanship, even when we do disagree. I think that sets a tone 

and a model for the Congress. I wish every committee would emulate what we have been able to achieve in this committee. And I 

just salute you for the style and tone in which you have comported 

yourself and set a standard for all the rest of us. 

I certainly join you and Mr. Engel in support for all of these resolutions. 

And I particularly want to thank my friend Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 

for her resolution on China. The persecution of minorities, Christian minorities, the persecution of indigenous groups like Falun 

Gong, and the odious practice of harvesting organs after summary 

justice and executions of prisoners’ bodies; I just think is one of the 

most odious practices of any country in the world. And I salute Ms. 

Ros-Lehtinen for her leadership of this and am delighted to join 

with her in support of the legislation. 

One final thing, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chabot and I are today introducing the Crimea Non-Recognition Act. It is a very simple bill, 

four paragraphs, but it is Congress directing the U.S. Government 

that it must not, cannot recognize in any way, shape, or form the 

illegal annexation of Crimea. I am going to be circulating that bill 

with Mr. Chabot in a ‘‘Dear Colleague.’’ Any of our colleagues who 

would like to get on the bill, just let us know. We will be glad to 

give you a copy and put you on. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. 

55

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

We go to the chairman of the Asia Subcommittee, Mr. Steve 

Chabot of Ohio. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for calling this important markup today. 

I would like to, before I get into my remarks on H.R. 3398, thank 

Mr. Connolly for his leadership on the Crimean Act. He came to 

me on that issue, and he has been the primary driver on it, and 

I commend him for that, working on it in a bipartisan manner. 

I also would like to reiterate his comments about the way you 

have handled this committee. I know it means a lot more when it 

comes from somebody on the other side of the aisle, but Mr. 

Connolly is exactly right, which I wouldn’t say all the time. But 

Foreign Affairs——

Mr. CONNOLLY. It only hurts the first time, Steve. [Laughter.] 

Mr. CHABOT. I know. That is a good point. 

But on this committee we do have a tendency to agree. I have 

seen you on another committee on TV sometimes, and I have to say 

I don’t necessarily agree with you there. But, in any event, I do 

think, Mr. Chairman, that you have gone out of your way to make 

this committee actually work. You know, they talk about Congress 

being dysfunctional. This committee clearly is not and I think does 

work in a bipartisan manner for the best interests of the country. 

And I think the American people are well-served by that, and you 

are a driving force in that. So, thank you. 

And I am supportive of all the measures before the committee 

today. I will just focus for a moment on H.R. 3398, which a number 

of other members have already mentioned, the Girls Count Act of 

2013, which I introduced along with 44 of my colleagues, including 

about a dozen members on this committee, bipartisan. 

It is estimated that there are 230 million children across the 

globe whose births were never recorded. It is particularly acute in 

Africa. The lack of a birth certificate restricts the ability of children 

from engaging in a number of fundamental rights which we take 

for granted here in the United States. 

In order to address this issue, H.R. 3398 directs the Department 

of State and USAID to provide technical assistance to develop a 

birth registry/birth certificate program. Helping to ensure that 

every child has a birth certificate will aid in a host of areas, including, but not limited to, access to voting rights, land tenure rights, 

health services, education, and will help support efforts to thwart 

human and sex trafficking, and aid in identifying displaced persons. H.R. 3398 would also aid in international adoption cases. 

Despite the fact that almost all countries require some type of 

birth registration prior to the government’s issuance of identifying 

documents, like a birth certificate or driver’s license, nearly onethird of all children under the age of five worldwide have never had 

their births registered. 

As Chairman Royce already emphasized, for girls, in particular, 

this lack of birth registration increases the barriers they face to receive education, healthcare, and it increases their vulnerability to 

trafficking and sexual exploitation. 

The legislation also authorizes the State Department and USAID 

to support programs that are designed to protect girls’ legal rights, 

56

particularly economic and property rights, and to build legal and 

policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against women and 

girls and improve property and inheritance rights. 

Mr. Chairman, I support the committee amendment. I thank my 

colleagues for broad bipartisan support of the legislation. I urge an 

aye vote, and I yield back the balance of my time. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Chabot. 

We go now to Mr. Brad Sherman of California, ranking member 

of the Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee. 

Mr. SHERMAN. Well, first, I want to associate myself with the 

comments of the gentleman from Virginia in his lavish praise and 

justified praise of our chairman and ranking member. And I associate myself with that, in the fervent hope that that will lead them 

to support my bills as they come before the committee. [Laughter.] 

As to H.R. 4051, the bill introduced by Ted Cruz and supported 

by Senator Menendez in the Senate, which passed just a couple of 

days ago, and which I introduced in this House, we do have an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute. It does move from requiring and mandating that a reward be given for information leading 

to the appropriate treatment of those who killed an American, 

Naftali Fraenkel. And so, it does perhaps give the administration 

more leeway. But I think we ought to pass it in this form. It is the 

form that has the greatest consensus not only in this room, but 

also with the administration. And I am confident that the State 

Department will use this authority to seek the conviction of the 

criminals in this case. 

I support all the bills before us today, though I do want to bring 

to the committee’s attention one concern I have about Resolution 

281, dealing with China. And that appears on page 3, most of the 

way down the page, where it says, ‘‘Whereas, researcher and journalist Ethan Gutmann estimates that approximately 65,000 Falun 

Gong adherents may have been killed for their organs from 2000 

to 2008.’’ If there is a general consensus, we could replace the 

words ‘‘approximately 65,000’’ with the words ‘‘large numbers of.’’

And the reason I would suggest that, but I am not going to put 

it in a formal amendment, is we have reached out to the human 

rights community and we can’t find anybody other than Ethan 

Gutmann that comes anywhere close to or is willing to support this 

65,000 figure. So, while it is true that that is the figure given to 

us by Ethan Gutmann, I think the resolution would be better if we 

avoid using a figure that doesn’t have general support in the 

human rights community. 

I have worked with the author on this a bit. And again, I am not 

going to offer a formal amendment. 

I will yield to the chair. 

Chairman ROYCE. We can probably talk after the markup today 

then. 

Mr. SHERMAN. We could do that as well. 

Chairman ROYCE. All right. 

Mr. SHERMAN. I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Sherman. 

Other members seeking recognition? We have Mr. Smith. 

57

Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. First of all, 

thank you for bringing to the committee a number of very important pieces of legislation. 

I want to thank Chairman Chabot for his bill, the Girls Count 

Act of 2014. Documenting the birth of baby girls is extremely important, having accountability. It does lead to, as he pointed out, 

a greater ability for other rights to be exercised as that girl grows 

older into a young woman. 

While the bill doesn’t address it, I continue to be deeply concerned about the missing daughters worldwide. Some estimates put 

it as large as 200 million. Mara Hvistendahl has recently written 

a book in which he documented that there are about 164 million 

girls in Asia who have been killed through sex-selection abortion; 

it is 200 million worldwide. And the hope is for greater documentation or greater affirmation of the girl child because gender discrimination begins in the womb. So, I thank him for his very important 

piece of legislation. 

I want to thank Chairman Emeritus Ros-Lehtinen for her very 

important bill, H. Res. 281. As the chairwoman has done many 

times in the past, as I have done many times in the past with the 

human rights subcommittee, 20 years ago we had a hearing on 

organ harvesting and Harry Wu brought an individual here who 

was a member of the Chinese police, who was smuggled out of 

China and told how people were lined up and killed in order to procure organs—kidneys, whatever the need was, that person was 

killed in order to obtain that organ which was, then, sold to someone else at a very, very high price. 

With the Falun Gong, as the chairwoman has pointed out, the 

Falun Gong have been targeted in an insidious way to harvest 

their organs. They are killed with impunity. And this resolution I 

think at long last really puts us on record as saying clearly and unambiguously this is something that the likes of Josef Mengele, Dr. 

Mengele, did during the worst days of the Nazi regime. So, I want 

to thank her for that important one. 

Juan Vargas, thank you for your resolution. We know that Christians are being targeted. ISIL certainly has been beheading, killing, and maiming Christians, raping Christian women. It is because they are Christians. It is genocide. And there has been a failure both on the Bush administration and now on the part of the 

Obama administration in speaking out clearly about this genocide 

against Christians. And I thank him for doing his very important 

resolution. 

And finally, on the issue of replenishing the protection of Israel 

by way of missiles, let’s not forget that just 2 days ago Khaled 

Meshaal, leader of Hamas, told Charlie Rose, when asked, ‘‘Do you 

want to coexist with the State of Israel?’’ the Hamas leader said 

in a completely matter-of-fact manner, ‘‘No.’’ It is clear that Hamas 

doesn’t want peace. It doesn’t want reconciliation. It does not want 

coexistence. It wants only the total demise of Israel. 

And let me also remind everybody, and I would encourage everybody to reread the Hamas Charter, which is filled with anti-Semitic 

invective. Article 13—and I just quote this in pertinent part—

‘‘Initiatives and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are a contradiction to the principles of 

58

the Islamic Resistance Movement. There is no solution to 

the Palestinian question except through jihad. Initiatives, 

proposals, and international conferences are all a waste of 

time and vain endeavors.’’

So says Article 13 of the Hamas Charter. So, we are kidding ourselves if we think there is any possibility or probability that a negotiation can be engaged in with people who are firing missiles, 

digging tunnels, terror tunnels. 

And again, this legislation, again put by the ranking member, 

clearly says we need to replenish the Iron Dome capabilities. So, 

the 500 missiles that have been shot down by that system, these 

missiles are not going to stop anytime soon. 

I appreciate it, and I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

We go now to Mr. Ted Deutch, ranking member on the Middle 

East and North Africa Subcommittee, of Florida. 

Mr. DEUTCH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to you and 

Ranking Member Engel for once again working in a bipartisan 

fashion to bring up these good bills. And I associate myself with 

the many comments that have already been made praising your 

leadership of this committee and the way in which you conduct the 

markups and our hearings. 

I offer my support to all of today’s measures, and I will just make 

some brief comments on a few. 

First, I would like to commend my friend, the ranking member, 

for his leadership on the Emergency Iron Dome Replenishment Act. 

I am proud to cosponsor this critical piece of legislation that will 

authorize the administration to provide additional support for 

Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense System that is saving the lives 

of tens of thousands of Israeli civilians every single day. 

For the past 23 days, rockets have rained down from Negev to 

the Galilee and Eilat and Sderot, in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv. 

Iron Dome has intercepted nearly 90 percent of rockets before they 

could strike their intended targets, homes, schools, airports, hospitals. It doesn’t really matter where they land to the Hamas terrorists who fire them. 

The vital partnership between the United States and Israel on 

missile defense is the single reason Israeli civilians’ lives aren’t lost 

every single day. And hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear messages of thanks from the Israeli people. 

I would also like to thank Chairman Royce and Mr. Sherman for 

their work on the Naftali Fraenkel Rewards for Justice Act. It 

seeks to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous murder 

of an Israeli-American teen. 

Chairman Emeritus Ros-Lehtinen and I were in Israel to mourn 

with the Fraenkel family at Naftali’s funeral and at their home. 

This family and the families of Eyal and Gilad deserve justice for 

this senseless act of terror. 

Finally, I offer my strong support to the resolution introduced by 

my friend, Mr. Vargas, expressing the urgent need to protect religious minorities in Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s 

march through Iraq has terrorized millions, with over 1,000 killed 

in June alone and nearly 2.8 million Iraqis displaced. 

59

The persecution of Christians in Mosul, including the violent removal of families from their homes, and the threats to either pay 

taxes, convert, or die, has caused thousands to flee to Kurdish-protected areas. The Christian community in Iraq has existed and 

thrived for 2,000 years. Prime Minister Maliki has condemned the 

violence against Christians, but he must do more to protect them. 

And this Congress must speak out for religious tolerance and 

freedom in every corner of the world. 

Again, I would like to thank all my colleagues for their work on 

today’s measures, and I commend the chairman for continuing to 

work in a bipartisan way. And I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank your, Mr. Deutch. 

We now go to Mr. Ted Poe, Judge Ted Poe, who is chairman of 

the Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee. 

Mr. POE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I would like, first, to talk about the persecution of religious minorities bill. I want to also commend Mr. Vargas for this legislation. 

In Iraq, especially where ISIL is, it is open season on Christians. 

Christians are being murdered, threatened, and persecuted by this 

radical terrorist organization. The world needs to be aware that 

persecution of Christians occurs in many places, but right now it 

is occurring in Iraq. 

And I also want to thank the chairman for his support of my 

amendment in this legislation that takes out the phrase ‘‘Prime 

Minister Maliki’s government,’’ takes his name out. It shouldn’t be 

his government. He has got to go. So, that amendment will just say 

‘‘the Iraqi Government,’’ instead of ‘‘Prime Minister Maliki’s government.’’

I also want to comment on the legislation by the chairman and 

the ranking member regarding Iron Dome. I was in Israel last 

year. I saw the operation of one of those batteries of Iron Dome. 

It needs to be clear to Americans and the rest of the world that 

the Iron Dome is a defensive missile system. A defensive missile 

system that shoots down rockets that come into Israel, Iranian 

rockets that come from Gaza shot by Hamas. It is not an offensive 

weapons system. They are trying to defend their homeland from 

this terrorist organization, and Iron Dome works. We need to support them, not with just more materials, but verbally and politically, and let the world know the United States stands by Israel’s 

right of self-defense. 

Hamas wants to destroy Jews, wants to destroy Israel. That is 

why they are attacking them. And every time there is a ceasefire 

by so-called world leaders, Hamas reloads. They get more missiles 

from Iran, and then they are ready for the next round of missiles 

to be fired into Israel. 

Hamas needs to be defeated. They are not a country. They are 

a bunch of thugs and terrorists who want to eliminate the Jews in 

Israel. They should be recognized as such. And they are a foreign 

terrorist organization. We need to deal with them accordingly. 

So, I commend the Israelis for defending their country because 

it is the absolute right of every nation to be left alone. And that 

is all the Israelis want to do, is be left alone. Whether it is Hamas 

or whether it is Hezbollah or anybody else, we should support them 

60

materially, politically, and verbally for doing what any country 

ought to do, is to protect their people from criminals and terrorists. 

And I will yield back with that, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman ROYCE. Mr. David Cicilline of Rhode Island. 

Mr. CICILLINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by 

thanking you and Ranking Member Engel for your continued commitment to working across the aisle and for marking up legislation 

before we recess for a month on these important subjects. 

I am particularly glad to see forward momentum on a number 

of important bills, such as House Res. 281, expressing concern over 

persistent and credible reports of systemic, state-sanctioned organ 

harvesting; H.R. 3398, the Girls Count Act, and all of the other 

bills that we are considering today. 

In particular, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking 

member for bringing before this committee the Emergency Iron 

Dome Replenishment Act. Like so many, I am deeply troubled by 

the ongoing violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories and 

strongly condemn Hamas’ use of rockets against the State of Israel 

and its despicable use of civilians, including women and children, 

as human shields to protect their military assets. My thoughts and 

prayers are with all the innocent civilians who live in danger as 

long as this conflict continues. 

There is no question that Israel has a right to defend itself 

against any attack on its sovereignty and its people. One of the 

reasons why Israel has been able to keep its civilian death count 

comparatively low is due to the effectiveness of the Iron Dome 

Antimissile Defense System, which intercepts dangerous rockets 

headed for Israeli population centers. Up until this point, the United States has provided over $700 

million in foreign aid to Israel to support the Iron Dome. We have 

had the opportunity to see video of the Iron Dome at work, intercepting rockets midair. 

Since the beginning of the escalation of violence in June, Iron 

Dome has intercepted about 500 rockets, approximately 90 percent 

of those rockets classified as threats. And the cost of these interceptions is very high, approximately $82,000. 

United States Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel supports 

Israel’s request for $225 million in supplemental funding for Iron 

Dome. And I am very proud that this committee is about to put 

some additional pressure on the appropriators to fund this lifesaving program. At the same time, I think we should use this opportunity to recognize that it has become even clearer than ever before that the United States has a vested interest in supporting a 

swift resolution to this crisis. Violence and revenge are never the 

answer and will only serve to undermine efforts to advance peace 

and security in the region. 

And I thank you, Mr. Chairman. With that, I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Cicilline. 

We now go to Mr. Cotton of Arkansas. 

Mr. COTTON. I want to speak in support of the Emergency Iron 

Dome Replenishment Act on behalf of two groups, Arkansans and 

America’s troops. Arkansans living in places like El Dorado, Texarkana, Mena, and Huntsville would demand a system like Iron 

Dome if they were being attacked by Islamic terrorists across the 

61

borders of the State of Arkansas or invaded through tunnels coming into the State of Arkansas. They would demand that kind of 

swift action. 

They would also regret, as we all regret, civilian casualties, as 

we see today in Gaza. But we should all make no mistake that 

there is one party responsible for every single civilian casualty, and 

that is Hamas. 

Hamas commits double war crimes every day it attacks. It attacks Israeli civilians with indiscriminate rocket, missile, and mortar fire. And second, it sites its missiles and rockets and mortars 

at mosques and churches and synagogues and hospitals and 

schools. 

Hamas is not a country. It is not a legitimate negotiating partner. It is a terrorist organization that must be destroyed. And if 

world leaders want to stop civilian casualties, they would support 

Israel and its operation in Gaza, or perhaps they would fly to Damascus and demand that Bashar al-Assad stop his genocide. Or 

maybe fly to Baghdad and demand action to stop the cleansing of 

Christians out of Mosul. Or perhaps maybe fly to Moscow where 

Vladimir Putin is supplying thugs that are shooting civilian airliners out of the sky. 

Second, I want to thank or I want to support the Iron Dome Act 

on behalf of America’s troops. In 2006, I was deployed with the 

101st Airborne at Camp Falcon in Iraq. We took regular mortar 

and missile fire into our base. Unfortunately, there was little in the 

way of a defense against that fire. Our defense, jokingly, was big 

base, little bullet. 

One day American troops are going to face that same kind of fire 

coming into bases, and the Iron Dome will be there to save them. 

For that, we should all be proud of and supportive of this bill, and 

we should be thankful to our Israeli partners. 

Chairman ROYCE. We go now to Mr. Juan Vargas of California. 

Mr. VARGAS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, want to add my 

voice to those that have commented how this committee, Mr. Chairman, is led by you and Ranking Member Engel in a bipartisan way 

for the betterment of our country and our allies around the world. 

In particular, I want to thank you for bringing forth House Resolution 663 for a vote, and to thank my colleagues who have commented positively on this resolution. I introduced this resolution 

out of a deep concern for the plight of religious minorities in Iraq 

as the Sunni Islamist terrorist group ISIS began to expand its control of northwestern Iraq. 

In particular, after the fall of Mosul and the Nineveh plain region to these insurgents, the Iraqi Christian community began facing harassment, persecution, and displacement from their homes. 

The Iraqi Christian community has a long and rich history in the 

region, dating back thousands of years. And to lose their homeland 

during this humanitarian crisis would be a grave injustice. Since 

the fall of Saddam Hussein, over 50 percent of Iraq’s Christians 

have fled their historical homeland. 

I have been in contact with leaders in the Chaldean-American 

community who have shared many disturbing stories of targeted 

persecution against their friends and loved ones back in Iraq. After 

ISIS established its control over northwestern Iraq and declared a 

62

caliphate, these Islamic terrorists warned Christians living under 

its jurisdiction to either convert to Islam, pay an outrageous religious tax, or be executed. 

Since this declaration, over 10,000 Iraqi Christians have packed 

their belongings and fled to neighboring communities in Kurdistan, 

Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The last 1500 families to leave were 

robbed at an ISIS checkpoint, and there are reports that there are 

no more Christians living in Mosul and certainly no more masses. 

This mass exodus represents the largest forced displacement in the 

Middle East since the Armenian genocide in Turkey about 100 

years ago. 

We cannot be silent in the fact of this horrific crime against humanity, and I truly commend this committee for shedding a light 

on this important topic. 

This type of barbaric behavior is nothing new to ISIS. In Syria 

they burn churches and kidnap bishops in the Christian city of 

Maaloula. Their brutal intolerance is also a break from a long tradition of the Muslim/Christian coexistence of the region. 

ISIS has also set its targets on other religious minorities, Shiites 

and unsupported Sunnis. I strongly believe we must provide immediate protection and humanitarian assistance throughout the 

Nineveh plain to Iraq civilians fleeing this persecution. 

I also want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and express my strong 

support for all the legislation presented today, especially the Iron 

Dome Replacement Act, which authorizes additional assistance to 

Israel for their Iron Dome Antimissile Defense System. I stand unequivocally with Israel as it defends its citizens from an onslaught 

of over 2,000 unprovoked rockets from Gaza since June 12th, 2014. 

While the Iron Dome is used to protect innocent Israel citizens 

from indiscriminate rocket fire, Hamas continues to cowardly use 

Palestinian civilians as human shields in order to protect their 

military arsenal. 

The atrocities occurring under Hamas are a clear violation of 

international humanitarian law and must be condemned by all nations. Thus, in light of the realities on the ground and Hamas’ unwillingness to accept peace, I fully support Israel’s ongoing operation to destroy Hamas’ terror infrastructure. With the Iron Dome 

intercepting over 400 rockets in the last 6 weeks, I fully support 

the supplemental funding before us today that will further enable 

these capabilities. Israel remains our stalwart ally in the region, 

and we must support their efforts to protect their civilians. 

I thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Vargas. And again, we thank 

you. We want to express our appreciation for your authorship of 

the Iraqi religious minority resolution here. 

If I could exercise the chairman’s prerogative and make a very 

brief announcement here? I usually don’t announce events for 

members, but tomorrow we have a very important briefing. Many 

on this committee have been focused on the human rights disaster 

in Syria. Tomorrow we will have a truly exceptional briefing in this 

room with a Syrian defector who has taken tens of thousands of 

photos of the catalogued corpses of tortured Syrian political prisoners. 

63

And ‘‘Caesar’’ will testify in anonymity, in fear of Syrian authorities, but he will deliver a powerful message that what is happening 

in Syria is an unmitigated humanitarian disaster. He wanted to 

come and tell this story and he brings his photos. And I hope all 

members can attend. 

Thank you. 

And we go now to Mr. Schneider of Illinois. 

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing us here 

today. But, also, let me associate myself with the previous remarks 

of many of my colleagues, thanking you, thanking the ranking 

member, for how this committee has conducted its business. And 

not just the two of you; I think all of the members of the committee 

have shown the ability to work together in a bipartisan way, making sure that we, as a committee, as a Congress, protect human interests around the globe, making sure we work toward better 

human rights and a more just world. So, it is an honor to serve 

with you, but this has been an example, I hope, for the rest of the 

Congress of how a committee can work. 

I am honored and proud to support all of the measures before us 

today. I commend Mr. Chabot for the Girls Count Act. As Mr. 

Engel said earlier, I know my grandmother, who came when she 

was five from Kiev, her birthday was marked by its association 

with Passover, but Passover moves on the calendar. So, we never 

knew her exact birthday. Giving young women or women around 

the world that identity is crucial. 

I also want to commend Mr. Sherman for the Naftali Fraenkel 

Rewards for Justice Act. I think it is crucial that we bring the perpetrators of that heinous crime to justice, and as soon as possible. 

Let me touch a little more deeply on the Iron Dome Replenishment Act. I had the privilege last year to visit Israel and visit the 

Iron Dome, meet with many of the officers, commanders in charge 

of the batteries. 

Sitting at lunch with them, I was next to an officer who shared 

a story, how he was a relatively-new father, and before Iron Dome, 

he sat during an air raid alert in a bomb shelter holding his newborn son to his chest and thinking of the threat and concerns, not 

just for his son, but for Israelis throughout the country. 

A couple of years later, he was able to join the troops that are 

manning the Iron Dome System, a system that was created in 

Israel but developed with U.S. financial support, and wouldn’t be 

possible without our support. And he told how, in 2012, being in 

charge of an Iron Dome battery, how the difference in feeling, protecting his son, but knowing he was also protecting all Israelis 

throughout the country from the ongoing assault of rockets from 

Gaza. 

Since Israel unilaterally and completely withdrew from Gaza in 

2005, 10,000 rockets have been fired indiscriminately at civilian 

targets inside Israel. Since just July 2008, over 2,000 rockets have 

been fired at Israel. Air raid sirens ring out on average every 10 

minutes, causing concern, causing worry, causing unnecessary and 

unremitting stress. 

Hamas is not shooting at military targets. Hamas is aiming directly at civilians, at homes, at schools, at hospitals. Hamas is acting in violation of international law by targeting civilians in Israel, 

64

but also by using civilians in Gaza as human shields to protect 

their rockets. 

The world needs to speak out. I am pleased to be joined in a letter to the UN by over 100 of my colleagues calling for those rockets, those stockpiles of rockets to be eliminated in Gaza. 

But, until they are eliminated, Iron Dome is shielding Israelis by 

reducing the impact of rockets and saving lives not just in Israel, 

but in Gaza, by allowing Israel to carefully and selectively target, 

knowing that their citizens are protected by the Iron Dome. I 

strongly support and am pleased to be a cosponsor of the bill making sure that the United States continues to fund this crucial weapon system, protection system. 

I would also like to speak directly to my good friend Juan Vargas 

and thank him for introducing the bill protecting religious minorities in Iraq. Mosul at its peak not too long ago had 60,000 Christians. It was a vibrant community. It was an important community. 

To hear today that there are no longer any Christians living in 

Mosul, as the world sits quietly by, is simply unacceptable. Religious minorities everywhere in the world must be protected. I am 

proud that this body today is standing up and speaking out in a 

strong voice, protecting religious minorities and, again, declaring 

our support for people around the world, and working to make this 

a better place. 

And with that, I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

We go to Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida. 

Ms. FRANKEL. Thank you, Mr. Chair. 

First, I wanted to say that I support all the bills and resolutions 

before us today. And I, like my colleagues, thank the chair, the 

ranking member, for your bipartisan efforts, and, also, my colleagues for their bipartisan efforts. 

As to the terror attacks by Hamas on Israel, the Iron Dome will 

go a long way to help. With that said, Israel’s defense must be 

more than the Iron Dome. And I would like to add a comment in 

this regard, Mr. Chair. 

The situation in Israel and Gaza is tragic and sorrowful, too 

many innocent men, women, and children on both sides of the border dying and suffering because of the terrorist actions of Hamas. 

I know that a permanent ceasefire is what decent, humane people 

would eventually hope for, but it cannot be unconditional. We cannot ask Israel to cease fire while Hamas maintains its infrastructure of destruction. 

And for that reason, Mr. Chair, I want to reaffirm my support 

and join my colleagues’ support for Israel’s right to defend its citizens, not only from the rocket attacks, but also from Hamas’ tunnels of terror. No nation would accept the perpetual threat of terrorist launching attacks and kidnappings from underground tunnels. 

Since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge of the Israeli 

Defense Force, they have identified 32 sophisticated underground 

attack tunnels, each with multiple shafts and openings. The tunnels were built by Hamas for the sole purpose of infiltrating Israel 

in order to murder and kidnap Israeli civilians and soldiers. 

65

Last week 10 Hamas thugmen emerged from a tunnel near 

Israel’s Kibbutz near Ahm and killed four Israeli soldiers before 

they were killed themselves and returned fire. Hamas militants 

have infiltrated Israel six times this month through hidden tunnels. Officials have reported that tunnels are stocked with tranquilizers, handcuffs, syringes, ropes, and other materials used for abductions. The tunnels also hold vast quantities of explosives and 

other military equipment meant to be used in mass casualty attacks. 

It is shocking to learn that Hamas has spent upwards of $100 

million on these tunnels at the expense of Palestinians in Gaza. 

The Hamas leadership cares more about killing Israelis than it 

does about helping Palestinians. 

Construction materials delivered by Israel, meant for Palestinian 

civilians, have been systematically diverted by Hamas. Since the 

beginning of 2014 alone, more than 4,000 trucks carrying 181,000 

tons of gravel, iron, cement, wood, and other supplies have passed 

through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing in Gaza. Yet, instead of 

building schools, clinics, and homes, Hamas has used much of the 

material to build tunnels aimed at annihilating Israel. 

And as I have said before, and I have heard my colleagues say 

today, Hamas is to blame for the violence in the Gaza and Israel, 

and they must be stopped. 

I thank you, Mr. Chair, and I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Ms. Frankel. 

Any other members seeking recognition? 

[No response.] 

Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question occurs 

on the items considered en bloc. 

Those in favor say aye. 

Those opposed no. 

In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the measures 

considered en bloc, H.R. 3398, H.R. 5041, H.R. 5235, House Resolution 281, and House Resolution 683, are agreed to as amended. 

Without objection, each of the measures as amended is ordered 

favorably reported as a single amendment in the nature of a substitute. Staff is directed to make any technical and conforming 

changes. 

And that concludes our business for today. 

And I want to thank our ranking member, Mr. Engel, and all of 

our committee members for their contributions and assistance on 

these markups. 

This committee is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:15 a.m., the committee was adjourned.] 

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