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VARIOUS MEASURES

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H. Res. 374, H. Res. 650, H. Con. Res. 129,

S. 1252 and S. 284

MAY 18, 2016

Serial No. 114–181

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 

DARRELL E. ISSA, California 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

PAUL COOK, California 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

RON DESANTIS, Florida 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

CURT CLAWSON, Florida 

SCOTT DESJARLAIS, Tennessee 

REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin 

DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan 

LEE M. ZELDIN, New York 

DANIEL DONOVAN, New York 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

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 

AMI BERA, California 

ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California 

GRACE MENG, New York 

LOIS FRANKEL, Florida 

TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii 

JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas 

ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois 

BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania

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 ON 

H. Res. 374, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Singaporean independence 

and reaffirming Singapore’s close partnership with the United States .......... 2

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 374 offered by the 

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

of New York ...................................................................................................... 6

H. Res. 650, Providing for the safety and security of the Iranian dissidents 

living in Camp Liberty/Hurriya in Iraq and awaiting resettlement by the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and permitting use of 

their own assets to assist in their resettlement ................................................ 11

Amendment to H. Res. 650 offered by the Honorable Eliot L. Engel .............. 17

H. Con. Res. 129, Expressing support for the goal of ensuring that all Holocaust victims live with dignity, comfort, and security in their remaining 

years, and urging the Federal Republic of Germany to reaffirm its commitment to this goal through a financial commitment to comprehensively address the unique health and welfare needs of vulnerable Holocaust victims, 

including home care and other medically prescribed needs ............................. 18

Amendment to H. Con. Res. 129 offered by the Honorable Ileana RosLehtinen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida .............. 23

S. 1252, A bill to authorize a comprehensive strategic approach for United 

States foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty 

and hunger, achieve food and nutrition security, promote inclusive, sustainable, agricultural-led economic growth, improve nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build resilience among vulnerable populations, and for other purposes ........................................................................... 24

S. 284, A bill to impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons responsible 

for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, and for 

other purposes ...................................................................................................... 61

Amendment to S. 284 offered by the Honorable Edward R. Royce, a Representative in Congress from the State of California, and chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Honorable Eliot L. Engel ....................... 74

Amendment to S. 284 offered by the Honorable Dana Rohrabacher, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ....................................... 80

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

APPENDIX 

Markup notice .......................................................................................................... 88

Markup minutes ...................................................................................................... 89

Markup summary .................................................................................................... 91

The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher: Material submitted for the record .............. 92

The Honorable David Cicilline, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of Rhode Island: Material submitted for the record .......................................... 96

(1)

VARIOUS MEASURES 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:06 a.m., in room 

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

Chairman ROYCE. This committee will come to order. 

Pursuant to notice, we meet today to mark up several bipartisan 

measures. So, without objection, all members may have 5 days to 

submit statements or extraneous material into the record. 

All members were notified yesterday that we intend to consider 

our first four measures en bloc. And so, without objection, the following items previously provided to members will be considered en 

bloc and they are considered as read. 

We have House Resolution 374, regarding the partnership between Singapore and the United States, and the Engel 78, an 

amendment in the nature of a substitute. We have House Resolution 650, regarding the safety and security of Iranian dissidents living in Camp Liberty in Iraq, and the Engel amendment 80 to 

House Resolution 650. We have House Concurrent Resolution 129, 

regarding the dignity, comfort, and security of surviving Holocaust 

victims, and the Ros-Lehtinen amendment 45 to House Concurrent 

Resolution 129. And then we have the Senate bill 1252, the Senatepassed Global Food Security Act. 

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Chairman ROYCE. And after recognizing myself and the ranking 

member, I will be pleased to recognize any members seeking recognition to speak once on any of these measures. 

So let me start by thanking the committee’s chairman emeritus, 

Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, and Congressman Deutch for their 

work on House Concurrent Resolution 129. Now, this is the bill expressing support for Holocaust victims. We have had tens of thousands of victims, unfortunately, of the Holocaust who have come to 

be found to be living in poverty, living in poverty today, and many 

of those victims have unique health and assistance needs. 

Now, Germany has supported a number of aid programs throughout the years in acknowledgment of its moral obligation to help 

these victims. In fact, the German Government engages with members of the Claims Conference annually to evaluate their programs 

and identify any unmet needs. This year, gaps in home care, in 

mental health programs, and long-term medical care were all identified. Yet, despite a commitment to provide this assistance, negotiations on a path forward have slowed. 

So time is of the essence, of course, as these Holocaust victims 

suffer while these talks are now stalled. This resolution rightly 

calls for these talks to be accelerated and for an assistance plan 

that ensures transparency and accountability to guarantee funds 

are helping the most vulnerable go forward. 

After that measure, we are going to consider House Resolution 

374, reaffirming Singapore’s strategic partnership with the United 

States. Singapore has long been a very dependable friend and partner for us. We have a deep defense and trade relationship with 

Singapore. Today we are reaffirming the importance of this partnership to securing peace and stability in the Asia Pacific for several reasons, and one of these is because we appreciate Singapore’s 

enforcement of sanctions on North Korea, as evidenced by a Singapore-registered shipping firm which was found guilty in January of 

transferring money that could have contributed to North Korea’s 

nuclear-related program. 

The prosecution of this firm by Singapore sends a very strong 

signal that Singapore is taking its international obligations very 

seriously, and we are appreciative of that. 

And I also want to thank Ranking Member Engel and the chair 

of our Asia Subcommittee, Matt Salmon, for their helpful input on 

the text we are considering today. 

I also want to thank Mr. Poe for his leadership in introducing a 

very necessary measure, House Resolution 650, regarding the security of Iranian dissidents living in Camp Liberty in Iraq. 

Camp Liberty is a former U.S. military base outside of Baghdad 

that is now home to more than 2,000 Iranian refugees who are 

members of opposition to the regime in Tehran. This past October, 

23 residents were killed in a rocket attack on that camp. We have 

been receiving information that the Iranian regime and their proxies in Iraq are preparing for an imminent attack against the camp’s 

residents. 

The frustration with this committee is that time after time after 

time we have had the Iranian regime go forward with attacks on 

these individuals without this being blocked by the government in 

Iraq. And in the meantime, that is why Mr. Poe’s resolution calls 

51

on the administration and calls on the Iraqi Government to work 

to provide camp residents with the protections they need and to ensure they are expeditiously resettled outside of Iraq in such safe 

havens as Albania and other countries that have agreed to work 

with those who have opposed the regime in Iran to make certain 

that they are safe. 

I would hope that all of our members would support this resolution. 

I am also happy today that the committee is restoring regular 

order and exercising its fundamental responsibility to authorize before appropriating by considering S. 1252, the Global Food Security 

Act of 2015. Specifically, the bill authorizes, for the first time in 30 

years, International Disaster Assistance. This is the essential humanitarian account that provides refugees with tents and sheeting, 

to water and medicine. 

But it also authorizes, for the first time, the Emergency Food Security Program, the flexible, efficient, and effective food aid program that helps refugees when and where they need it most so 

they won’t be forced to seek refuge in Europe or beyond, and it advances policies that will improve food security and better enable 

people to grow their own way out of poverty so they will no longer 

have to depend upon U.S. foreign assistance, and it does all this 

without increasing spending. 

Indeed, this bill, which had much input on the Senate side from 

both Republicans and Democrats, passed unanimously in the Senate. This committee has held numerous hearings on food security. 

The bill before us today, which passed the Senate, as I say, with 

unanimous support, reflects more than 3 years of careful deliberation and inclusive discussions and amendments. 

So I want to thank Mr. Smith for his leadership on this important legislation and urge members to help get it to the President’s 

desk without further delay. 

I now recognize the ranking member for his remarks. 

Mr. ENGEL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this markup and for bringing these bipartisan measures forward. I am happy 

to support them all. I am grateful to all of our members on both 

sides of the aisle for their hard work. 

I will speak first about the four measures we are taking up en 

bloc. I will start with House Resolution 374, which recognizes a 

half century of independence for our close friend, Singapore. 

Last year, Singapore celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence, and this year the United States and Singapore mark 50 

years of our bilateral relationship. In that time, Singapore has become an important partner for the United States in the Asia-Pacific 

region. Over the years, we have seen our economic and security ties 

grow stronger and stronger. 

In the years ahead, as American foreign policy focuses more and 

more on Asia, we know there will be additional opportunities to 

work together with our partner Singapore on issues from countering violent extremism to addressing climate change, where 

Singapore as an island nation has been a strong leader, to pushing 

for peaceful and rules-based resolution to contentious issues like 

the South China Sea. 

52

This resolution underscores the important friendship between 

our countries, and I am happy to support it. 

We are also considering House Resolution 650, calling for the 

safety and security of the Iranian dissidents living in Camp Liberty 

in Iraq. I want to thank Mr. Poe and Mr. Higgins for working on 

this measure, which I am proud to cosponsor. 

I want to welcome our friends wearing their yellow jackets to 

this committee today. And believe me, we are very concerned about 

Camp Liberty and we are making everyone know that we are keeping a watchful eye to make sure that those people are protected. 

The residents of Camp Liberty deserve to live in dignity and 

without fear of violence. Last October’s rocket attacks on the unarmed residents of Camp Liberty by a Shia militia with ties to Iran 

killed 24 people. It is the height of cowardice. We are still waiting 

for the perpetrators of this attack to be brought to justice. 

I would also note that my amendment to this resolution highlights Albania’s commitments to resettling Camp Liberty residents. 

They have resettled 1,000 already and are recommitted to settling 

2,000 more. I have worked closely with the Albanian Government 

in all the years I have been in Congress. This shows a tremendous 

generosity of spirit and commitment to care for the most vulnerable 

on the part of the people of Albania. This resolution sends a message that we stand with the men, women, and children in Camp 

Liberty and want to see quick and meaningful action to bring them 

relief. 

I will turn now to House Concurrent Resolution 129, which calls 

for Germany and for all of us to redouble our efforts to care for 

those who were victims of humanity’s darkest chapter, the Holocaust. As a spokesman for Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said, ‘‘All Germans know the history of the murderous race 

mania of the Nazis that led to the break with civilization that was 

the Holocaust. We know that responsibility for this crime against 

humanity is German, and very much our own.’’

Part of that responsibility, of course, is to generously assist those 

survivors who endured this evil firsthand. In a spirit of goodwill 

and friendship, this measure calls on Germany’s leaders to do 

whatever it takes to properly care for this generation, which is getting older and dying, and I am glad to support it. 

Lastly, I am glad to support Senate bill 1252, the Senate’s 

version of the Global Food Security Act, and I was pleased that the 

House passed our version a few weeks ago. It is simply unconscionable that nearly 800 million people around the world would live 

without knowing how they will get their next meal. Half of all the 

deaths of children under 5 years old are tied to malnutrition. 

The United States has a responsibility to help meet this challenge, both by helping people feed themselves and by taking a hard 

look at the root causes behind poverty, hunger, and instability. 

This bill prioritizes foreign assistance programs aimed at reducing 

global poverty and hunger. It also authorizes a strong investment 

in the administration’s signature effort Feed the Future, as well as 

other State Department and USAID initiatives. These efforts deserve our continued support, and I am glad we are moving ahead 

with this bill. 

53

So thank you again, Mr. Chairman, thanks to all our members, 

again, on both sides of the aisle, and I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Engel. 

Our chairman emeritus, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman and 

Ranking Member. I want to thank my good friend and south Florida colleague, Congressman Ted Deutch, for our work together in 

crafting H. Con. Res. 129 in support of Holocaust survivors. 

The United States is home to nearly one-quarter of all survivors, 

and approximately 15,000 live in south Florida. We both have 

many constituents who are survivors, and as their Representatives 

in Congress, we have an obligation to ensure that we are doing everything in our power on their behalf. But many are also close and 

personal friends, and as their friend, I also have an obligation to 

be their voice and express their frustration and concerns. 

Since the 1950s, Germany has recognized that it has a moral obligation to Holocaust survivors and their heirs, and to Germany’s 

credit, it has attempted to ensure survivors’ needs are met and it 

has attempted to resolve some of the lingering injustices. 

However, even by Germany’s own admission, its efforts to date 

have been inadequate at addressing the medical, mental health, 

and home care needs of many of the world’s survivors. Nearly half 

of all survivors live at or below the poverty line. This is not only 

shameful, it is inexcusable. 

These survivors have lived through the unimaginable. The pain 

and suffering they have endured has left physical and mental scars 

that cannot be healed and horrifying memories that can never be 

forgotten. These experiences mean their medical, mental health, 

and home care needs are more complex than other elderly individuals. And that is why this resolution is so important, and that is 

why we are urging Germany to act expeditiously to honor its commitment and fulfill its moral obligations to all survivors. 

These individuals have very little time. The system currently in 

place is full of red tape, riddled with layer upon layer of bureaucracy. The Claims Conference itself is known to have come under increased scrutiny for the many cases of fraud and abuse. And the 

proof that this process isn’t working is that nearly half of all survivors, as I said, still live in poverty, and that under the current 

system many died long before their time as a result. Survivors deserve better than that. They deserve to live out their days in dignity and comfort. The right thing to do is for Germany to provide 

for all the survivors’ needs directly and to do so transparently and 

efficiently with the urgency that circumstances demand. 

I hope that all of my colleagues will join us in urging the German 

Government to do more, to do the right thing, to honor its obligations and commitments with the urgency demanded by justice and 

decency. I sincerely believe Chancellor Merkel’s heartfelt expression of concern about Germany’s responsibility to survivors and 

leadership on moral issues will finally resolve this longstanding 

tragedy for survivors. 

And, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to briefly say some words 

of praise and support for Judge Poe’s resolution, House Resolution 

650, that calls for the safety and security for the residents of Camp 

Liberty in Iraq. It is no secret that the Iraqi Government comVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:55 Aug 15, 2016 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 Z:\WORK\_FULL\051816M\20174 SHIRL
54

pletely failed to protect these individuals in Camp Liberty, not living up to its commitments made in the December 2011 Memorandum of Understanding. 

Camp Liberty has never been given adequate protection. And 

now, with the Iran nuclear deal and Iran getting more money to 

carry out its illicit activities, I fear that Liberty will be an even 

easier and larger target for the regime than before. 

Albania has stepped up and offered these residents a respite 

from the terror. So for that, I thank Albania for its courage and 

compassion. However, I remain concerned that the United Nations 

isn’t placing the urgency required to move these residents to Albania. There should be at least weekly charters for Liberty residents 

to Albania. There is simply no justification for anything less. 

I will continue to press our administration and other governments to do whatever we can to help the Liberty residents as soon 

as possible, and I will continue to support all of these Liberty residents until every last one of them is free from the threat of attack. 

I support Judge Poe’s resolution and I commend him for his leadership on this issue. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

We now go to Mr. Brad Sherman of California. 

Mr. SHERMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing these bills 

up. I have cosponsored the three House bills and support all bills. 

I join with the chair and the chair emeritus and especially the 

ranking member in their remarks in favor of these bills. 

I want to speak briefly about H. Res. 650, a resolution that calls 

for providing safety and security to the Iranian dissidents living in 

Camp Liberty. The MEK, also known as the People’s Mujahedin 

Organization of Iran, is an Iranian exile opposition group that was 

opposed to the Shah’s dictatorial regime and is opposed to the current regime. The MEK has played a critical role in revealing information about Iran’s illegal nuclear program. 

There is a tendency to look at anything in the world through the 

lens of political controversies in the United States, but I think, regardless of whether the Iran deal is the best way or not the best 

way to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the MEK for bringing this information to the world and 

causing the United States and the world to focus on the problem. 

Approximately 3,000 MEK members residing in Camp Ashraf 

were transferred to Camp Liberty in 2012. The MEK members 

were protected by the U.S. military until we transferred authority 

to Iraq in 2009. Since then, the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Refugees, which has recognized the MEK as persons of concern 

and in need of international protection, has worked to resettle 

MEK members to various countries, including and especially Albania. Albania has already taken approximately 1,000 MEK members 

and has committed to resettling an additional 2,000, and I commend the ranking member for his amendment that recognizes the 

important contribution Albania has made and has offered to make 

in the future. 

The Iraqis promised to provide security protection to the MEK 

members in Iraq after the U.S. transferred authority to the Iraqi 

Government. However, to date, they have not provided the necVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:55 Aug 15, 2016 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 Z:\WORK\_FULL\051816M\20174 SHIRL
55

essary protection. We have a complicated relationship with the government in Baghdad. It is under siege, it relies on American support, and it should be called upon very strongly by the United 

States to meet its minimum human rights obligations to protect 

Camp Liberty. In 2015, an Iraqi Shiite militia launched rockets 

against Camp Liberty, killed 24 people, injured dozens, and of 

course the Iraqi Government did nothing. 

This resolution, and I commend Judge Poe for bringing it forward, details the history of violence against Camp Liberty residents, including the most recent attack in 2015. The resolution also 

calls on the Iraqi Government to improve security at Camp Liberty. 

In addition, H. Res. 650 calls on the U.S. Government to do a better job of pushing Iraq to uphold its promises and urges the U.S. 

Government to work with Albania and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in the resettlement process. 

I strongly support this resolution and the other bills that are 

part of the en bloc. And I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

We now go to Mr. Dana Rohrabacher of California. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. It has been a black mark on our country on 

many occasions when we did not stick by the people who stuck by 

us. And I have an amendment to the bill that will be coming to the 

floor, or is on the floor today, talking about Dr. Afridi and how we 

have allowed him to lay and sit in a dungeon in Pakistan while we 

still give foreign aid and military equipment to the people who 

have incarcerated him. And these people, of course, are putting in 

jail and persecuting a man who helped us bring to justice the murderer of 3,000 Americans on 9/11. 

Well, what we have here today is a chance to make something 

right or to try to take a step in the right direction, reclaim some 

of our honor as a country. Those residents of Camp Liberty are 

part of an organization that have long opposed the mullah dictatorship in Iran. The reason they were in that camp and the reason 

that they had left Iran was because they opposed an enemy of the 

United States. The mullahs have made no beans about it, they believe the United States is the great Satan and are willing do to 

things and have done things that have caused the loss of life of 

Americans and have put our people in jeopardy. Yet, here again, 

we have let down the people who are putting their lives on the line 

for us and we have just let them drift. 

I think it is time we reclaim our honor, and I support this resolution, H. Res. 650. And if this does not work, let’s just commit ourselves to saying the people of Camp Liberty put themselves on the 

line for us, they risked their lives for us, they are now in great danger, one way or the other we will move to save them. And if need 

be, we need to bring these people to the United States and let them 

be free from the threat of the mullahs who also threaten our own 

people. 

So this is the time for us to express solidarity with those brave 

souls who have expressed solidarity with the people of the United 

States in a desperate and a very dangerous situation. 

I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher. 

We now go to Mr. Ted Deutch of Florida. 

56

Mr. DEUTCH. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, for holding today’s markup and for advancing 

these important legislative efforts. 

I would like to speak about H. Con. Res. 129, which calls upon 

Germany to fully fund the needs of aging Holocaust survivors. I 

would like to start by thanking my friend, Chairman Emeritus RosLehtinen, for partnering with me in this effort and for her longstanding commitment to championing the needs of Holocaust survivors. 

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of so many of our constituents, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen’s and my own, who have on their own come 

to Washington over the years to talk about the difficulties that 

they and so many other face. In particular, Jack Rubin, a constituent and friend who has testified in this body before, deserves 

thanks for his tireless advocacy on behalf of survivors. 

One of the great privileges I have serving in Congress is representing a large number of Holocaust survivors, and earlier this 

month I attended a Yom HaShoah, a Holocaust Remembrance Day 

ceremony in my district. I have been attending the ceremonies for 

more than a decade and every year there are more and more empty 

seats. A constituent of mine recently told me that it feels like every 

day he gets a call to attend another funeral of a survivor. 

In short, the survivor population is aging and their needs are increasing. Unfortunately for the roughly 100,000 survivors living in 

the United States, tens of thousands of them live in poverty. They 

cannot afford and thus do not receive sufficient medical care, home 

care, and other vital life-sustaining services. 

Today, we have a chance to ensure that this population, these 

survivors who made it through the darkest time in history, can live 

out their lives with the dignity they so deserve. 

For decades, the German Government has remained committed 

to funding survivor needs through annual negotiations and appropriations, and we appreciate this ongoing commitment. I know that 

this is an issue that Chancellor Merkel cares deeply about as she 

has personally reaffirmed that commitment to me. 

Unfortunately, despite the payments of the German Government 

throughout the years, significant gaps in survivor care remain, and 

German officials have acknowledged this shortfall. The shortfall is 

the most dramatic when it comes to home care. For survivors, the 

need to stay in their homes as they age is critical. As they approach their late 80s and 90s and beyond, they rely more on home 

care services. 

Under the current system home care is capped so that even the 

most infirm, isolated, and poor Nazi victims can receive only a 

maximum of 25 hours of home care. This amounts to 5 hours a day, 

5 days a week. 

In addition, current funding is inadequate to provide for additional hours. Take, for example, a constituent of mine who is 91 

years old and survived Bergen-Belsen. He fell last month and suffered a fracture, followed by rehabilitation. He likely needs a bone 

procedure on his back due to the recent fall and he has suffered 

from other debilitating circumstances in the past that have limited 

his mobility ever since. 

57

He requires assistance with all activities of daily living. He and 

his wife share a total of 48 hours a week home care. But as a result 

of the recent circumstances and his overall medical history, he 

needs round-the-clock care, and it is, frankly, unconscionable that 

he does not receive it and that his hours are limited. 

Now, many of those who survived also lack family support to 

help them with their daily needs. They need transportation to doctor’s appointments or help preparing meals. They deserve to be 

able to access the most basic care. They deserve to be able to meet 

their mental and medical health needs. 

Now, thankfully—thankfully—we have the opportunity right now 

to alleviate the suffering of Holocaust survivors. There are negotiations ongoing right now with the German Government. And this is 

possibly the last opportunity for Germany to reaffirm its commitment to comprehensively address the unique health and welfare 

needs of vulnerable Holocaust victims by increasing funding for 

survivor care so that every survivor can have his or her needs met. 

Now, no amount of money can ever erase the horrors faced by 

Nazi victims, but there is a moral responsibility to ensure that they 

can receive the vital services and the medical care to live out the 

remainder of their days with dignity and in comfort. 

Mr. Chairman, the resolution before us today urges the German 

Government to fulfill its moral and financial commitment to the 

victims of the Holocaust. It puts Congress on record declaring that 

the time to act is now and we will fight and watch until this is 

done. No more limitations on home care hours. Fund the needs, all 

of them. Complete the negotiations. The time for meaningful action 

is now. And I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Deutch. 

Congressman Joe Wilson from South Carolina. 

Mr. WILSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am grateful that once 

again, with your leadership and the ranking member, this committee is considering multiple pieces of bipartisan legislation. 

House Concurrent Resolution 129, sponsored by Chairman Emeritus Ros-Lehtinen, is particularly important to ensuring that victims of the Holocaust are able to live comfortable and happy lives. 

This legislation also urges the Federal Republic of Germany to ensure adequate resources to address the unique medical needs that 

these individuals face due to their horrific experiences during the 

Second World War. The United States must never forget the tragedy of the Holocaust and do all that we can to ensure that the rest 

of the world does not either. 

Next, I am grateful that the Senate version of the Global Food 

Security Act of 2016 continues to address this critically important 

issue, increasing accountability and congressional oversight of foreign assistance meant to address food shortages abroad. One of the 

great challenges that developing nations have and face is the 

health and well-being of their citizens. It is particularly encouraging to see Congress acting to help our friends and allies abroad. 

Today, the committee is also taking important steps, with the 

leadership of our chairman, in recognizing the cooperation between 

the United States and Singapore; protecting Iranian dissidents, 

with the leadership of Judge Ted Poe; and imposing sanctions 

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against human rights abusers. I applaud the great work behind 

this legislation and urge their passage. And I yield back my time. 

Chairman ROYCE. Mr. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania. 

Mr. BOYLE. I thank the chairman and ranking member for taking up today’s measures. I would like to speak on one of them in 

particular, H. Con. Res. 129, introduced by Subcommittee Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Deutch. I thank both 

of them for introducing this legislation and I am proud to cosponsor 

it as it has an important impact for my district of Philadelphia and 

Montgomery County, PA, which has a significant population of Holocaust survivors, a number of whom are personal friends. 

This resolution urges Germany to provide increased assistance 

for the most critical needs of Holocaust survivors. While I appreciate Germany’s financial and moral commitment to Holocaust survivors thus far, even German officials admit that current gaps in 

assistance exist today. 

Constituents of mine, a married couple age 86 and 93 who are 

Holocaust survivors, reside in a two-story row house with stair 

glides provided by the Jewish Family and Children Service of 

Philadelphia through the Claims Conference. Their two children reside out of State. The husband has been having significant physical 

and cognitive decline over the past few years. His attending needs 

are great, but they are not medical at this time. He should be able 

to remain safely in his home with enough support. 

His wife is unable to attend to most of his needs due to her own 

aging issues. The greatest issue for her husband is that he is a fall 

risk due to strength and ambulation issues. He is also suffering 

from wartime nightmares and wakes up through the night and 

needs to be calmed down. His wife cannot do this as she must get 

sleep, lack of sleep greatly affecting her own health. 

So if JFCS of Philadelphia was able to provide more hours of 

home care for them both, they would have an aide take care of both 

of their needs. Her needs are suffering as a result of her taking 

care of his needs. 

The Holocaust survivor population is aging. They are now in 

their 80s and 90s. It is important to acknowledge that an estimated 

100,000 Holocaust survivors live in the United States and—and I 

think this is the most galling statistic—nearly half of all Holocaust 

survivors live below the poverty line. Let’s make sure these brave 

survivors live out their lives in dignity. And I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Judge Ted Poe of Texas. 

Mr. POE. I thank the chairman, and I would like to discuss a 

matter that we have discussed a lot since 2009, and that is the 

folks, the good folks in, first, Camp Ashraf, and then Camp Liberty, 

who, while they have been in these camps, bad things have happened to them. 

Every time we meet, it seems that there have been more assaults, more murders, more rocket attacks against these folks who 

have lived in these two areas. Many of them are here today. Their 

families are in Camp Liberty. Some of their families have been 

killed since 2009. And I admire their perseverance. 

But there are about 2,000 members of the Iranian opposition 

movement MEK. Once again, they are unarmed and they live in 

Camp Liberty, Iraq. They live there because they have been forced 

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out of Iran, a country that tolerates no political opposition, and if 

they were to be returned to Iran they would be killed. 

The mullahs in Iran fear and hate the MEK. MEK basically just 

wants freedom in Iran, free elections. But it turns out that the long 

arms of the mullahs in Tehran reach out to Iraq, where these folks 

have been for a long time. Last October, residents came under intense rocket attacks in Iraq. Twenty-four people were killed, dozens 

of others were injured, and the IRGC claimed the assault and 

warned that more would follow. 

These kinds of attacks—there have been seven, if I can remember correctly, on the people in the MEK that live in Iraq—have 

claimed the lives of 140 people. Not one person has been held accountable for these murders. Not one person has been arrested or 

gone to jail for these murders that occurred in these camps. Thirteen hundred others have been injured and seven have been kidnapped. The residents live in constant fear of another attack. Their 

only crime is opposing the tyrants in Iran. 

H. Res. 650 condemns these attacks. I want to thank the ranking 

member for his amendment that makes this resolution even better. 

But the resolution condemns the attacks and urges the Iraqi Government to bring those responsible to justice. 

Those in the Iraqi Government who claim links to the IRGC 

should not be put in charge of the camp. Several years ago, Chairman Rohrabacher and myself went to Iraq and we wanted to see 

Camp Ashraf, and the Government of Iraq was so irate that we 

wanted to visit what was happening in the camp before they were 

moved to Liberty that Chairman Rohrabacher and myself were told 

to leave Iraq. We were evicted, kicked out of the country. That is 

how much support the Iraqi Government gives to the mullahs in 

Iran about the camps. Of course, we didn’t leave. We stayed anyway and did what we wanted to do. But that shows you the Government of Iraq’s position on that, because we just merely wanted 

to see for ourselves the living conditions of these, I think, very patriotic people. 

So Iraq is not a safe place for those residents. They should be 

resettled to a third country. As Iran’s influence continues to grow 

in the region, we must show our strong support for these dissidents. They want freedom for their fellow countrymen, but for the 

last 30 years that pursuit has cost them and they have had to flee 

the country they love and lose many of their family members. We 

should do all we can to urge their protection. 

It is important that the Government of Iraq allow the residents 

to sell the property at Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf. It is their 

property. It does not belong to the Government of Iraq. And once 

again, I want to thank Ranking Member Engel for his amendment 

that makes this clear. As it stands now, the Iraqi Government is 

only allowing the residents to take the clothes that they are wearing on their back. They can’t even take their laptop computers. 

This is their property. It doesn’t belong to Iraq. And the folks that 

leave Camp Liberty and go other places should be allowed to take 

their personal property whatever country that they go to. This is 

only right. Justice demands this. So I thank the chairman and the 

ranking member for their support of this legislation, this resolution, and I hope that we don’t have to meet again and there are 

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more casualties in Liberty because we have not helped get these 

good folks resettled to another country. 

I yield back. Thanks for the remaining time. 

Chairman ROYCE. Well, thank you for your eloquence on this 

issue, Mr. Poe, but also thank you for introducing it. 

Are there any other members seeking time? 

Mr. Chabot of Ohio. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be brief. And I am 

supportive of H. Res. 650 and 129, but I will speak briefly on H. 

Res. 374. 

As former chair of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, I always paid very close attention to the U.S.-Singapore relationship, 

and it is a very tiny country who really holds exceptional importance to the U.S. We have a longstanding security relationship 

with Singapore, and our commercial ties with them have strengthened significantly over the past half century. 

I think that this link in all likelihood is only going to intensify 

as the global economy further intertwines and our partners in the 

Asia Pacific place greater emphasis on an American presence there 

to help combat growing maritime threats, specifically from the 

PRC, from China. As we know, they are not only building islands 

now, much to the chagrin of their neighbors from Japan, South 

Korea, the Philippines, et cetera, but they are actually militarizing 

those islands right now. And this administration has done not very 

much, virtually nothing of substance to push back on this, which 

is a real shame. 

This legislation recognizes the importance of ensuring a strong 

U.S.-Singapore strategic partnership that encourages regional stability and highlights the significance of the U.S.-Singapore economic relationship. The bill promotes greater cooperation on 

cybersecurity and information-sharing efforts, both issues that are 

exceptionally relevant to protecting the region, both militarily and 

economically. So I am very supportive of this one in particular and 

the other ones that I mentioned and urge my colleagues to support 

them. And yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

Hearing no further requests for recognition, are there any further amendments? Hearing none, the Chair moves that the committee adopt the items considered en bloc. 

All those in favor, say aye. 

All opposed, no. 

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

considered en bloc are agreed to. And without objection, the measures considered en bloc are ordered favorably reported, as amended, and staff is directed to make any technical and conforming 

changes. 

Also, without objection, the Chair is authorized to seek House 

consideration of those measures under suspension of the rules. 

Moving on to our final measure, I now call up Senate bill 284, 

the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Without 

objection, the Senate-passed text of S. 284, as modified by Royce 

102, the bipartisan manager’s amendment provided previously, will 

be considered base text for purposes of amendment. 

[The information referred to follows:]

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Chairman ROYCE. After recognizing myself and the ranking 

member, I will be pleased to recognize any member seeking recognition to speak on the underlying bill before we move on to the 

amendments. 

Now, this bill, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, authorizes sanctions against foreign nationals responsible for significant corruption or responsible for gross violations of 

internationally recognized human rights which are committed 

against individuals seeking to promote human rights or to expose 

government corruption. 

Today’s manager’s amendment strengthens the Senate text, specifically, the amendment requires that any sanctions recommendations made to the President must have the support from both the 

chair and the ranking member of the requesting committee. By 

mandating a joint referral, this bill ensures bipartisan support for 

any action the President may take. 

In addition, the amendment brings the Senate text into compliance with House rules regarding sunsets. The inclusion of a sunset 

to this legislation ensures that Congress has the opportunity and 

has the responsibility to review the application of sanctions authority after 3 years of being on the books. 

I want to thank the ranking member and others who worked 

with us to craft this amendment. I urge all members to support the 

bill’s passage. And we will go to—yeah, Mr. Engel is on his way. 

Do any other members seek recognition? 

Mr. Rohrabacher. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. I rise in support of the legislation and what 

it is trying to accomplish. And let’s make very clear that I have a 

long track record of supporting efforts by our Government in the 

area of civil liberties and especially in terms of opposing 

kleptocracies and violent dictatorships, et cetera. And in this case, 

what we are actually trying to do is right. We are putting in place 

a mechanism in order to make sure that those people who control 

other countries and have committed major human rights abuses 

don’t get off scot-free, and that is a good thing. 


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And let me just note that my amendment that will be coming up 

afterwards does not in any way disagree with the purpose of the 

bill. I will be voting for the bill. But my amendment will question 

as to whether or not the title should include a specific name of a 

case. 

So I rise in support of this legislation. I think it is what Americans should be for. That is standing up to gangsters and brutes 

overseas who commit violent acts and are engaged with human 

rights abuses. However, there is a question about the name, which 

I will be bringing up in an amendment later on. 

So thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher. 

Mr. Cicilline of Rhode Island. 

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

thanking you and Ranking Member Engel for holding this markup 

today. 

As always, I am pleased that this committee has come together 

in a spirit of bipartisanship to pass legislation that deals with a variety of important issues and was very proud to cosponsor the bills 

we just passed that were introduced and passed in a bipartisan 

way. And I appreciate the opportunity to speak this morning in 

strong support of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the bill introduced in the Senate by Senator Cardin and 

here in the House by our colleague Chris Smith. 

This important legislation builds upon the achievements of the 

Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which was signed 

into law in 2012, and has been an important tool in targeting those 

in the Russian Government who are complicit in the death and 

subsequent coverup of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. 

The Global Magnitsky bill authorizes the executive branch to impose sanctions against individuals responsible for gross human 

rights violations against persons seeking to expose government corruption or promote human rights and freedoms. By expanding the 

scope of the sanctions beyond the Russian Government, this legislation sends an important message to those who seek to suppress 

human rights around the world that they will not be able to benefit 

from the U.S. financial system or travel to this country if they partake in gross abuses or corruption, which, unfortunately, we have 

seen with increasing regularity around the world in recent years. 

I commend the leadership of Senator Cardin and of my colleague 

Congressman Smith in introducing this legislation and getting us 

to this point. 

According to Freedom House, freedom around the world has been 

in steady decline for 10 years, and 2015 had the steepest decline 

yet. The war in Syria, the resulting refugee crisis, the rise of extremism have all contributed to crackdowns in the name of so-called 

security and a general decline of human rights in every region of 

the world. 

I am particularly concerned by the uptick in abuses against vulnerable populations who are already at grave risk in many countries. In particular, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities around the world have experienced horrific violence and violations of basic human rights that puts individuals in these catVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:55 Aug 15, 2016 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00081 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 Z:\WORK\_FULL\051816M\20174 SHIRL
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egories at grave risk for injury or death simply because of who they 

are. 

Yesterday, the world commemorated the International Day 

Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which is dedicated to raising awareness of the terrible discrimination, violence, 

and other violations committed against LGBT communities around 

the world. To be clear, we are not talking about marriage or bathroom laws in the international context. LGBT people abroad face 

horrific persecution, threats, constant harassment, lack of access to 

health care, marginalization, violence, and death because of their 

status or perceived status of being gay, lesbian, or transgender. 

Some illustrations. In The Gambia and sub-Saharan Africa, 

President Yahya Jammeh has threatened to personally ‘‘slit the 

throats’’ of gay men found in his country and has arrested and tortured a number of gay men, including one who was beaten so badly 

in detention he needed to be hospitalized. In Indonesia, this year 

the Defense Minister publicly called the LGBT community a threat 

that must be defeated with ‘‘kind of modern warfare.’’ Last year in 

Brazil, a transgender teen was beaten to death and two Sao Paulo 

police officers implicated in her death were freed because the judge 

did not believe they ‘‘seemed like criminals.’’

Numerous reports of horrific murders of allegedly gay men have 

come out of territories controlled by the Islamic State, including 

men being thrown off tall buildings, then stoned to death by crowds 

incited by homophobic rhetoric. In Russia, the Duma is considering 

legislation to follow up on its infamous anti-homosexual propaganda bill with legislation making it illegal to come out as gay, 

punishable with jail time. 

Unfortunately, I could go on and on with additional examples. 

Because of the particularly heinous nature of the violations routinely committed against LGBT communities around the world, I 

intended to offer an amendment to this legislation clarifying that 

the persecution of the LGBT individuals and those protecting their 

rights are included in the abuses sanctionable by this legislation. 

However, it is my understanding, after speaking with our chairman 

on this subject, that he agrees with my assessment that these 

rights are, indeed, included in the legislation. 

And with that, I would probably yield before I conclude to the 

chairman. 

Chairman ROYCE. Well, yes, thank you for raising this point. 

Certainly, around the world we have witnessed some truly severe 

human rights violations, some directed at people solely on the basis 

of their professed or perceived sexual orientation or gender. In a 

number of African countries, gay people are at risk of being killed 

or jailed for life, and in places like Russia and Iran, we see authorities trying to ban even the discussion of sexual orientation. And, 

of course, there was the brutal murder of a USAID employee and 

gay rights activist in Bangladesh just last month. This was an abhorrent crime. 

And I want to make clear that the internationally recognized 

human rights referenced in the Global Magnitsky Act apply to all 

people, including those who identify as LGBT, and the committee 

is planning a hearing for later this year on the alarming threats 

to fundamental human rights worldwide. 

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So I look forward to working with the gentleman on that, and 

today it is important that we advance this legislation that promises 

to improve human rights of all. 

Mr. CICILLINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for your 

consideration of this. I look forward to working with you and other 

members of this committee to ensure that the rights of LGBT individuals and other vulnerable minorities receive due consideration 

here at the committee, and I think a hearing on this matter would 

be a great step forward. And with that, I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. 

Other members seeking recognition? 

Mr. Higgins. 

Mr. HIGGINS. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member Engel. Thank you for holding this important markup today. I 

am pleased that we will be considering House Resolution 650, a 

resolution introduced by Congressman Ted Poe, which would reiterate our strong commitment to the residents of Camp Liberty by 

providing for their safety and expedited resettlement. 

Since 2009, seven attacks at Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf 

have killed 140 residents, with over 1,000 wounded. Despite 

pledges to provide for their safety, the Government of Iraq has 

failed to live up to this commitment and some of its forces may 

have been complicit in these attacks. 

Approximately 2,000 residents of Camp Liberty are currently 

awaiting resettlement by the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Refugees. We must work with the U.N. and the Iraqi Government to expeditiously relocate these individuals before any more 

harm befalls them. In the interim, the Government of Iraq must 

provide for the safety and security of this vulnerable population. 

I look forward to the passage of this resolution. I yield back the 

balance of my time. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Higgins. 

Other members seeking recognition? 

Mr. Engel. 

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, again, thank you for convening this 

markup. I also want to thank you for bringing forward our last bill, 

the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. This is a 

product of many years of hard work by Representatives Smith and 

McGovern here in the House and by Senators Cardin and McCain 

in the Senate. 

This bill would authorize the President to sanction foreign individuals who commit gross violations of human rights, as well as 

government officials involved in significant acts of corruption. It 

would allow the chairs and ranking members of relevant congressional committees to send names of potential violators to the administration, and requires a determination of whether those people 

meet the criteria for sanctions. 

This measure builds on the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which created 

a similar process for people inside Russia. This legislation would 

send a powerful message that human rights abusers and corruption 

aren’t just internal matters, they are the concern of all countries, 

and they should not be permitted to go on with impunity. 

So I urge support for this important legislation. Thank you, 

again, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to all our members. I yield back. 

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Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Engel. 

We now go to Mr. Brad Sherman of Los Angeles. 

Mr. SHERMAN. First, I want to commend the gentleman from 

Rhode Island for focusing on LGBT rights, and especially thank the 

chairman for his comments, the colloquy, and the upcoming hearing. LGBT rights are human rights. 

I heard the gentleman from Orange County on the name 

‘‘Magnitsky’’ being in the bill. On the one hand, this bill really isn’t 

focused on Magnitsky or on Russia. It deals with our human rights 

approach worldwide. And the Magnitsky case is inspiring to many. 

I know the gentleman from California believes that some of what 

we believe about that case is not true. But I would point out that 

there are many other inspiring cases. 

On the other hand, the author of a bill who works so hard on 

it usually gets to suggest a title. This bill has gone through the 

Senate, has been the product of all the Senators and House Members that the chair named. So I realize the gentleman from California feels strongly that Magnitsky’s name should not be part of 

the title and look forward to the comments of our colleagues here 

on that issue. 

Chairman ROYCE. Does the member have an amendment at the 

desk? And I am not suggesting that the gentleman should offer an 

amendment. I am just commenting that he makes an interesting 

point, and I see both sides of that point. And I am not trying to 

inspire any action by any member. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. I have an amendment at the desk. 

Chairman ROYCE. The clerk will report the amendment. 

Ms. MARTER. Amendment to S. 284, offered by Mr. Rohrabacher 

of California, page 2, line 2, strike ‘‘Magnitsky.’’

[The information referred to follows:]

Chairman ROYCE. The Chair recognizes the author to explain the 

amendment. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes, my amendment is very simple. I mean, 

it would change the name of the bill simply by removing the word 

‘‘Magnitsky’’ from the bill. So we would then call it the Global 

Human Rights Accountability Act, which is more accurate than to 

put ‘‘Magnitsky’’ in the middle of that. I mean, the fact is this bill 

isn’t just about Russia. It is about setting an international standard. By putting ‘‘Magnitsky’’ in the title, we are taking a gratuitous 

slap at Russia and we are confusing people about the real purpose 

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The purpose of this bill is not just to attack Russia. We already 

have legislation doing that, specifically on Magnitsky. And basically, we should be very proud that we are setting an international 

standard and not confuse it by adding one case. Let’s note about 

this case, there has been a lot of talk about it. It is confusing. We 

need to look into this and ask some serious questions before we 

just accept what is being handed to us. 

In the 1990s, Russia was in economic chaos as it shifted from 

state control to a market economy. At this time, you had very notorious characters arise in Russia and coming from outside of Russia 

to exploit that situation for their own situation. We saw the rise 

of oligarchs who were not just Russians, but other people as well, 

and they ended up walking away with billions of dollars. Some of 

these foreigners, including Mr. Browder, who was Mr. Magnitsky’s 

boss, walked away with billions of dollars. Let me note that Mr. 

Browder is not a U.S. citizen. He gave up his citizenship at a time 

to shield himself from major tax liabilities. So we have people 

there. 

And I notice that he sent a letter to us talking about kleptocracy, 

and here is a man himself who made billions of dollars in the middle of this chaos. And there is a major question—and that is what 

this whole issue is about—as to whether $230 million worth of 

taxes the Russian Government deserved from those billions of dollars made by Mr. Browder, whether or not those—that he legitimately paid this or whether or not he was trying to shield that. 

Mr. Magnitsky was the man who helped keep his books. He was 

arrested. And the question is whether or not what he went through 

and the horrible confinement that he was kept in and treatment 

that he was given was the Russians trying to find out—have him 

say where is the money that Browder hid, or is it that he had some 

information that showed corruption on the part of the Russians. 

And I will have to say that it is possible either one of those explanations could be true, but we don’t know enough. 

I would put for the record, submit for the record now, Mr. Chairman, an article from The New Republic and an article from The 

Wall Street Journal that calls into question this account that we 

have been told over and over again. 

Let me note that there was a major, one of the most respected 

documentary filmmakers, an anti-Putin documentary filmmaker 

from Russia who started to do research on this and was going to 

have a documentary condemning the Russian Government on this, 

and he came away after the investigation changing his basic belief 

and believing instead that Mr. Browder has actually had a PR campaign to cover up some of his own activities in escaping this tax 

liability. 

So let me just note that also Mr. Browder has, from what we are 

told, and there is evidence that indicates, that he has threatened 

to sue NBC for a documentary that says something else than what 

he would like presented about this Magnitsky case. 

So let me just say, this is a confusing situation and there are serious questions that need to be addressed, and there is no reason, 

as I say, when we are setting up this global standard, that we need 

to include another factor that adds confusion to the purpose of the 

case. 

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So with that said, I would ask my colleagues just, let’s name this 

the Global Human Rights Accountability Act. We can be proud of 

that. I have always been a proud supporter of human rights measures throughout my career. And I think this actually, by doing this, 

we take away the confusion. 

And I think it is striking a blow to say what we want is an explanation, what we want to base this on is truth, not just some gratuitous slap at Russia by some, and at the same time backing up the 

claims of a guy who made billions of dollars at a time when Russia 

was economically confused. 

So with that, I would ask my colleagues to join me in what I consider to be a very rational and reasonable proposal, that we make 

this the Global Human Rights Accountability Act instead of the 

Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher. 

Do any other members seek recognition to speak on this amendment? 

Mr. Engel. 

Mr. ENGEL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Let me first say, with respect to my good friend and classmate 

from California, I have to oppose this amendment. Sergei 

Magnitsky was a lawyer who worked to shine a light on corruption, 

fraud, and theft by authorities inside Russia. As we well know, opponents of Russia’s increasingly authoritarian regime don’t get the 

benefits of due process or rule of law. So he was thrown in prison, 

held for a year with no trial, denied medical care, subjected to horrific conditions, and beaten by prison guards in the final hours of 

his life. His basic rights and dignity were pushed aside when he 

was dying in a Russian prison cell, but now his name and his story 

have become synonymous with efforts to advance human rights and 

fight corruption. 

There is a good reason we put his name on a law years ago, and 

we should reject any attempt to revise history or sweep it under 

the rug. We should not be apologists for Putin. We should not be 

worried about offending Putin or his incredibly more and more authoritarian regime. Let the chips fall where they may. 

Stripping’s Magnitsky name from this bill dishonors his work 

and diminishes the tragedy of his death. So with all due respect 

to my good friend, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. 

I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Other members seeking recognition? 

General. 

Mr. PERRY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

While I have the consummate respect for my good friend from 

California, I must disagree with him on this particular issue. And 

I think that it is a good thing any single time that we highlight 

the atrocities, whether they are imposed on one individual or millions of individuals, by the Russian state, by the U.S.S.R., the 

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. And any time we can highlight 

things like the Katyn Forest massacre of thousands of Poles or the 

Terror-Famine in Ukraine, up to 6 million Ukrainians murdered by 

the Soviet Union and the Russian dictators, I think it is a good 

thing. 

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And so with those reasons in mind, I will oppose this amendment 

and urge my colleagues to do the same. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, General Perry. 

Mr. Albio Sires. 

Mr. SIRES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And I really appreciate all your hard work, especially on this bill, 

but I must disagree with my colleague from California. I think to 

worry about what Russia feels about this, the name of this bill, 

when they are just moving away from democracy and becoming 

more dictatorial every day, I really do not agree with removing this 

name. If we remove this name, maybe we should add Fidel Castro 

to the bill. That may be more appropriate. 

Thank you. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. Would my friend yield? 

Mr. SIRES. Absolutely. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. I thank my friend. 

My friend from California knows how much I do respect him and 

like him. But I felt listening to him like I was watching RT, Russian Television. 

His argument is essentially three points. Well, there is a lot of 

confusion over the circumstances. We don’t know whether he was 

beaten to death because he was himself corrupt or they were trying 

to get intelligence out of him, as if that could ever be justified. 

Secondly, it is a gratuitous slap at Vladimir Putin and Russia. 

Actually, of course, it is the very opposite. It is calling them out 

for behavior that absolutely fails even the minimal standards of 

international norms with respect to jurisprudence and protection of 

those in custody. 

Thirdly, with his billions, being an oligarch, who knows, maybe 

there were lots of reasons to justify this. There can never be any 

reasons to justify it. 

I would make the opposite argument of my friend from California. We must put this name on this bill. We must make it clear 

to Vladimir Putin and his friends in Russia that there are international standards we will adhere to and insist they adhere to. 

And so I think we have to reject this amendment on its face overwhelmingly and make a collective statement from this committee, 

on behalf of this Congress, that we take note and that we are not 

going to let up, and that unacceptable behavior by Mr. Putin, 

whether it be in the Crimea or in a prison cell involving Sergei 

Magnitsky, you will adhere to civilized international norms of behavior because we are going to insist on it. And when you don’t, 

we are going to call you out. 

I yield back. 

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Connolly, will you yield? 

Mr. CONNOLLY. The time is Mr. Sires’. 

Mr. SIRES. Yes, I yield. 

Chairman ROYCE. The gentleman yields. 

Mr. Cicilline. 

Mr. CICILLINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I too oppose this amendment and encourage my colleagues to 

vote against it. And I just want to say that I thank my good friend, 

Mr. Rohrabacher, actually for giving us an opportunity to again reVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:55 Aug 15, 2016 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 Z:\WORK\_FULL\051816M\20174 SHIRL
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mind people about the circumstances of this case and the naming 

of this legislation. 

There are really no doubts about the veracity of the case of 

Sergei Magnitsky, who was only 37 years old when he was killed 

in Russian Government custody after exposing wide-scale corruption and tax fraud by Russian officials. After arresting Mr. 

Magnitsky for the crimes he exposed, they allowed him to die in 

horrific circumstances. 

The Russian Government then continued its campaign of smears 

and vilification, turning on Magnitsky’s boss, Bill Browder, after he 

refused to let the case simply disappear. They convicted Bill 

Browder in absentia of the tax evasion that Magnitsky had led the 

charge to uncover. And even more galling, they had the audacity 

to convict Mr. Magnitsky posthumously; in fact, the first such prosecution in Russian history. 

The Russian Government has had no shame when it comes to the 

case of Sergei Magnitsky, the details of which have been pored 

over, verified by multiple sources, and verified again. To allow the 

Russian Government any modicum of influence over this legislation, including its name, would be shameful and would dishonor 

the work of Mr. Magnitsky, Mr. Browder, and all of those men and 

women in Russia and around the world who fight against corruption and human rights abuses. 

I have here a Daily Beast article published today which outlines 

the length the Russian Government has gone to, to discredit, 

smear, and vilify Mr. Magnitsky and to oppose this legislation. And 

with the chairman’s permission, I would like to submit it for the 

record. 

And I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and support 

the underlying legislation, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. 

Chairman ROYCE. Without objection, subject to the length limitations and committee rules, all members have general leave to submit related materials for the record. 

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman ROYCE. Mr. Chabot seeks recognition. 

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Chairman, move to strike the last word. 

Chairman ROYCE. Mr. Chabot, you are recognized. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, it doesn’t mean I support his amendment, but I yield my time to the gentleman from 

California. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Thank you very much for yielding that time. 

And by the way, thank you for your expressions of friendship and 

respect for differences of opinion. That is all right. We are in a 

country where we do respect each other when we have disagreements and that is one of the things that makes our country great. 

Back to this particular issue, I will just have to say that there 

is ample evidence, enough evidence that major magazines, like 

New Republic and The Wall Street Journal, have called into question the details of this case as to whether or not what is being presented is not something that has been a major effort on the part 

of a multi-billionaire who made his profit at a time when there was 

chaos and confusion in Russia and basically became one of the 

oligarchs. 

85

What we should be talking about is basically, when we are talking about whether this title is appropriate, what are our standards 

of truth in this case? Do we know absolutely what the truth is? 

And I am saying that there are enough people who are credible. 

And the fact that we have Mr. Browder threatening a major television network in the United States, threatening them with a lawsuit if they have any major documentary on this issue. We also 

have a man who is renowned in Russia for making documentaries 

that oppose Putin, who launched an effort to do a documentary on 

Mr. Magnitsky. And guess what, as he went on, he began to realize 

it did not make any sense, the story that was being presented, 

which is that Magnitsky was being kept because he was exposing 

some Russians, government officials of corruption, as compared to 

he was being held because the Russian Government knew that 

there was $230 million in a tax liability that they did not have the 

funds that Mr. Browder was eligible, that was his tax liability. 

So I think that this is a murky issue. It is not cut and dry. And 

I know that over and over again it has been repeated that it is cut 

and dry and it is not. And I have tried to be an honest person myself, and the bottom line is that we, by taking this name out, in 

no way are we changing the standard of what we have and what 

our Government is going to have when it comes to this type of behavior of foreign officials. 

The downside of this, let me be very clear about this, the Russians feel it is a gratuitous slap just at them. And because of that, 

they have changed a law in Russia dealing with Americans’ ability 

to adopt children, Russian children. Now, I would oppose them 

doing that, but that is what they did. And there is a side effect to 

this that is harming some children and some people here who 

would like to adopt Russian children who are in very much in need, 

and it is based not on trying to force us to change our standards, 

but at least trying to force us to take what they considered a gratuitous slap out of the title of the bill. 

So with that said——

Mr. CONNOLLY. Would my friend yield for a question? 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. I certainly will. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. The name of the bill is the Magnitsky bill, not 

the Browder bill. Is that not correct? 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. To the degree officially, that is correct. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. Thank you. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. All right. But the name of the bill should be, 

instead of that, should be Human Rights Accountability Act and 

not anybody’s name. 

So with that said, I yield back the balance of my time. I appreciate my colleague yielding the time to me, and I yield back to him. 

Mr. CHABOT. Reclaiming my time, I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Do any other members seek recognition to 

speak on this amendment? 

Mr. Randy Weber of Texas. 

Mr. WEBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

When Edward Snowden was running from American officials he 

landed in Moscow eventually. American officials pushed Putin to 

either extradite him to America or to kick him out of Russia. Putin 

commented that he didn’t have any control over who was in Russia. 

86

Dana, you referenced The Wall Street Journal, so it reminded me 

that Dan Henninger in that article at that time said that that was 

ridiculous what Putin said because when Russian officials didn’t 

want somebody in Russia, on Russian soil, they either removed him 

from it or put him under it. So that is their reputation. 

I yield to my friend from Pennsylvania. 

Mr. PERRY. Thank you for yielding to my good friend from Texas. 

Just in response to my other good friend from California, which 

I must vehemently disagree with on this, when he says we are not 

sure of the facts, we are not sure of the facts, let me tell you what 

facts we are absolutely sure of. We are sure of the facts of the Terror-Famine in the 1930s where the Russian Government murdered 

by starvation up to 6 million Ukrainians and took their land. We 

are sure of the facts of the Katyn Forest massacre of World War 

II and the massacre of the Poles that were blamed on the Germans. 

We are sure of the facts of up to 45 million untimely deaths at the 

boot of communism and socialism under the Russian Government. 

And we are sure of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a former KGB 

agent and he is coalescing power not in a democratic way, but an 

authoritarian way, and is likely responsible for the untimely and 

unpleasant deaths of many that we don’t know about. But we do 

know about this one. 

I think it is our duty to remind the American people every single 

day that we can, until they change their ways, what the Russian 

Government, what the U.S.S.R. has stood for, what Communism 

and Socialism has meant for the world, world over, since World 

War II. 

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

Chairman ROYCE. Do any other members seek recognition? Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question occurs on the 

amendment. 

All those in favor, say aye. 

All those opposed, no. 

In the opinion of the Chair, the noes have it, and the amendment 

is not agreed to. 

Are there any other requests for amendment at the desk. Hearing no further amendments, the Chair now moves that the committee agree to S. 284’s amendment. 

All those in favor, say aye. 

All those opposed, no. 

In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and S. 284, as 

amended, is agreed to. Without objection, S. 284, 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 the Chairman is authorized to seek House 

consideration under suspension of the rules. 

So that concludes our business for today. I want to thank Ranking Member Engel and all of our committee members for their contributions and assistance with today’s markup. 

The committee is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:22 a.m., the committee was adjourned.] 

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