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81–696PDF 2013

VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT OF 2013; CONCERNING THE

ONGOING CONFLICT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE

CONGO; EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE THAT THE

PRESIDENT SHOULD NOMINATE A QUALIFIED AND INDEPENDENT INDIVIDUAL FOR THE POSITION OF INSPECTOR

GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS; AND RECOGNIZING THE

LONG–TERM PARTNERSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE

UNITED STATES AND THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H.R. 1897, H. Res. 131, H. Res. 273 and

H. Res. 222

JUNE 27, 2013

Serial No. 113–47

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 

TREY RADEL, Florida 

DOUG COLLINS, Georgia 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

LUKE MESSER, Indiana 

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. 1897, Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013 ................................................... 2

H. Res. 131, Concerning the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo and the need for international efforts toward long-term peace, 

stability, and observance of human rights ......................................................... 22

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 131 offered by the 

Honorable Karen Bass, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of California ...................................................................................................... 29

H. Res. 273, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the President should nominate a qualified and independent individual for 

the position of Inspector General of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors to be confirmed by the Senate without delay ...... 36

H. Res. 222, Recognizing the long-term partnership and friendship between 

the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working together 

towards peace and security in the Middle East ................................................ 39

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 222 offered by the 

Honorable Gregory W. Meeks, a Representative in Congress from the 

State of New York ............................................................................................ 43

APPENDIX 

Markup notice .......................................................................................................... 60

Markup minutes ...................................................................................................... 61

Markup summary .................................................................................................... 63

The Honorable Steve Stockman, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of Texas: Prepared statement ............................................................................. 64

(1)

VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT OF 2013; CONCERNING THE 

ONGOING CONFLICT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF 

THE CONGO; EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE 

THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD NOMINATE A QUALIFIED 

AND INDEPENDENT INDIVIDUAL FOR THE POSITION OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

AND BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS; AND RECOGNIZING THE LONG–TERM PARTNERSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP 

BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE HASHEMITE 

KINGDOM OF JORDAN 

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 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. 

Pursuant to notice, we meet to mark up four bipartisan measures. As all members were notified earlier this week, to expedite 

our consideration of these non-controversial items, we will take up 

en bloc the text previously provided to your offices which all members have before them. 

And so without objection, the following items are considered as 

read and will be considered en bloc: H.R. 1897, the Vietnam 

Human Rights Act of 2013; House Resolution 131, concerning the 

ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the bipartisan amendment in the nature of a substitute to House Resolution 

131 offered by Congresswoman Bass; House Resolution 273, expressing the sense of the House that the President should nominate an Inspector General of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors; House Resolution 222, recognizing the 

long-term partnership and friendship between the United States 

and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; and the bipartisan amendment in the nature of a substitute to House Resolution 222 offered 

by Mr. Meeks. 

[The information referred to follows:]

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81696a-1.eps

113'1'llCONGRESS 

lsI' SE8810~ H. R.1897 

To promote freedom and democracy ill Vietnam. 

IN THE HOUSE OF HEPH,ESEKTATIVES 

SLw 8, ~013 

Mr. S"UTH of :.Jew Jersey (for himself, Mr. ROYCE, .iYIr. WOLF, Ms. LOFGREN, 

and Mr. LmvE:'>JTHAL)illtroduced the following' bill; which was referred 

to the Committee n" Foreigl1 Affairs 

A BILL 

To promote freedom and demoel'aC'y in Vietnam, 

1 Be d enacted by the Senate and House Cif Representa2 tives of the United States .'lvn/H',,,,"," assenlbled. 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.-This Aet may be eited as the 

5 "Vietnam Human R.ights Ad of 2013", 

6 (h) TARLE OF CONTEKTS.-The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

See. 1. ShOJi. t.itle; t.able of l'()nt.ent.s. 

See. 2. Findings amI plll'pOse. 

See. 3. Prohibit.ion 011 inereased nonhurnanitarian assistant'e to the Oovt'rnment 

of Vietnam. 

See. 4. Unit.ed States public diplomacy. 

Sec. 5. Unit.ed Nations Human Hights Council. 

Sec. 6. } .. nnual report. 
3


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2 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

2 FINDING8.-Cong-ress finds the following: 

3 (1) rl'he relationship between the United States 

4 and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has gro"vn 

5 substantially since the eml of the trade embargo in 

6 IHD4, with annual trade between the two countriefi 

7 reaching nearly $25,000,000,000 in 2012. 

8 (2) The Government of Vietnam's transition to9 ward greater economic freedom and trade has not 

10 been matched by greater political freedom and sub11 stantial improvementt; in hat;ic human rightt; for Vi12 etnamese citizens, including freedom of religion, ex13 pression, association, and assembly. 

14 un The United Statefi Congrefifi agTeed to Viet15 nanl becoming an official member of the "World 

16 Trade Orgalli7;atioll in 2006, amidst assurances that 

17 the Government of Vietnam "vas steadily improving 

18 its human rig'hts record and would eontinue to do so. 

19 (4) Vietnam remains a one-party state, rnled 

20 and controlled by the Communist Party of Vietnam 

21 (CPV), vvhieh eontinues to deny the right of eitizens 

22 to change their Government. 

23 (5) ,L\lthougl1 in reeent years the National As24 sembly of Vietnam has played all increasingly active 

25 role as a forum for highlighting local concerns, ('01'-

26 ruption, and inefficieney, the National As:sembly re-
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q 

o 

1 mams subject to the direction of the CPV and the 

2 CPV maintains eontrol over the selection of ean3 didateR in national and local electionR. 

4 (6) The Government of Vietnam forbids public 

5 challenge to the legitimaey of the one-party state, re6 stI'icts freedoms of opinion, the press, and assoeia7 tion and tightly limits aceess to the Internet and 

8 telecommunieatioll. 

9 (7) Since Vietnam's acceSSlOn to the vVTO on 

10 January 11, 2007, the Government of Vietnam arbi11 trarily arrested and detained numerous jmhvic1uals 

12 for their peaceful advocacy of religious freedom, de13 moem.ey, and human rights, inc·luding Father 

14 Nguyen Van Ly, human rightR lawyers Nguyen Van 

15 Dai, Le Thi Cong ~Than, Cu Huy Ha Vu, and Le 

16 Cong Dillh, and bloggers Kgnyen Van Hai, Ta 

17 Phong Tan, and Le Van Son. 

18 (8) The Government of Vietnam eontinues to 

19 detain, imprison, plaee under house arrest, eonviet, 

20 or othenvise restrict persons for the peaceful ex})res21 sieHl of dissellting politieal or religious views. 

22 (n) The (~overnmellt of Vietnam cOlltillues to 

23 detain labor leaders and restricts the right to orga24 l1i;7;e indepemlently. 
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1: 

1 (10) The Government of Vietnam continues to 

2 limit the freedom of religion, restrid the operations 

3 of independent religiom:; organizations, and persef'ute 

4 believers whose religious activities the Govermnent 

5 regards as a potetltial threat to its monopoly on 

6 power. 

7 (11) Despite reported progress in church open8 ings and legal registratiom; of religious venues, the 

9 Government of Vietnam has halted most positive ac10 tions since the Department of State lifted the "coun11 try of particular COnCe1l1" (CPC) desigml.tion for 

12 Vietnam in Novelnber 2006. 

13 (12) Unregistered ethnic minority Protestant 

14 congTegations, particularly lVlontagnards in the Cen15 tral and )Jorthwest Highlands, suffer severe abuses 

16 because of actions the Governmellt of Vietmun, 

17 ~Yvhich have included forced renunciations of faith, 

18 arrest and harassment, the \vithhohling of social pro19 grams provided for the general population, confisca20 tion and destruction of property, subjection to severe 

21 beatings, and repot1:.ed deaths. 

22 (1 :3) 'l'here has been a pattern of violent re23 sponses by the Government to peaceful prayer vigils 

24 and demonstrations by Catholics for tl1e return of 

25 Government-confiscated church properties. Pro-
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5 

1 testers have been harassed, beaten, and detained 

2 and chure11 properties have been destroyed. Catholies 

3 also continne to face Rome restrictions on Relection 

4 of clergy, the establishment of seminaries and semiS nary candidates, alld individua.l eases of travel and 

6 ehurch registration. 

7 (14) In May 2010 the village of Con Dau, a 

8 Catholic parish in Da Nang, faced escalated ~violenc~e 

9 during a funeral procession as police attempted to 

10 prohibit a religious burial in the village eCIndery; 

11 more than 1 00 ~villagers were injured, G2 were ar12 rested, five were tortured, and at least three died. 

13 (15) The Unified Buddhist Churc·h of Vietnam 

14 ( U BeV) suffers persecution aR the (fovernment of 

15 Vietnam eontinucs to rcstriet eontaets and movc16 mellt of senior UBCV clergy for refusing to joill the 

17 state-sponsored Buddhist organization, the Govern18 mcnt restriets expression and assembly, and the 

19 Government continues to harass and threaten UBCV 

20 monks, nuns, and youth leaders. 

21 (16) The Government of Vietnam cOlltiuues to 

22 suppress the activities of other religious adllerents, 

23 including Cao Dai and Hoa Hao Buddhists who lack 

24 official recognition or have ehosen 110t to affiliate 

25 \'Irith the Rtate-Ranctionea groupR, including through 
7


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6 

1 the use of detention, imprisonment, and strict Gov2 ernment oversight. 

3 (17) ~Vl;my Nlontagnards and others are still 

4 serving long prison sentences for their involvelnent 

5 in peaeeful demonstrations in 2001, 2002, 2004, 

6 and 2008. Montagnards eontinue to face threats, de7 tention, beatings, forced renunciation of faith, prop8 erty destruction, restricted movement, and reported 

9 deaths at the hands of Govermnent officials. 

10 (18) Ethnic minority Hmong in ::--.Jorthern Vict11 nam, the Northwest Highlands, and the Central 

12 Highlands of Vietnam also suffer restrictions, confis13 cation of property, abuses, and persecution by the 

14 Government of Vietnam. 

15 (19) The Government of Vietnam restricts 

16 Khmer Krmn expression, assembly, and assoeiatioll, 

17 has confiscated nearly all the Theravada Buddhist 

18 temples, controls all Khmer Kaon Buddhist religious 

19 organi7.ations alld prohibits most peaceful protests. 

20 (20) The Government of Vietnam controls near21 ly all prillt and electronic media, induding aceess to 

22 tlle Internet, jams the signals of some foreig11 radio 

23 stations, including Radio Free Asia, and has de24 tailled aml imprisoned individuals who have posted, 
8


81696a-7.eps

7 

1 published, sent, or otherwise distributed denlOcracy2 related materials. 

3 (21) People arrested in Vietnam hecause of 

4 their political or religious affiliations and activities 

5 of tell are not accorded due legal process as they lack 

6 full access to lawyers of their choice, may experience 

7 closed trials, have often been detained for years 

8 vvithont trial, and have been subjectecl to the use of 

9 torture to admit crimes they did not commit or to 

10 falsely denounce their ovvn leadcriS. 

11 (22) Vietnam continues to be a sonrce country 

12 for the commercial seA-ual eA-ploitation and forced 

13 labor of vvomen and girls, as well as for men aml 

14 ,,-omen legally entering into international lahor eon15 tracts who subSellllelltly face conditions of debt 

16 bondage or forced labor, and is a destination country 

17 for child trafficking and continues to have internal 

18 human trafficking. 

19 (2:3) There are many rep01i.s of Vietnamese of20 ficials and employees participating in, facilitating, 

21 condoning, or otherwise being complicit in severe 

22 forms of human traffieking. 

23 (24) rnited States refugee resettlement pro24 grams, inell1ding the Humanitarian Resettlement 

25 (HR) Program, the Orderly Departure Program 
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8 

1 (ODP), Hesettlement Opportunities for Vietnamese 

2 Heturnee:..; (ROVE.) Program, general re:..;ettlement of 

3 1)Oa1, people from refugee camps throughout Sonth4 east Asia, the Amerasian IIomecoming Act of 1988, 

5 and the Priority One Hefugee resettlement category, 

6 have helped rescue Vietnamese nationals ,vho have 

7 suffered persecution on account of their associations 

8 ,,,,'ith the United States or, in mallY cases, because of 

9 such associations by their spouses, parents, or other 

10 family members, a:..; well as other Victname:..;e nation11 als who llave been perseeuted beeanse of raee, reli12 gion, nationality, politieal opinion, or membership in 

13 a partieular soeia1 group. 

14 (25) While previous programs have served their 

15 purpose:..; well, a :..;ignific.ant number of eligibk rcfu16 gees from Vietnam were unfairly denied or excluded, 

17 inducting Alnerasians, in some cases by vinctietive or 

18 corrupt Victmtme:..;c officiah; who controlled acce:..;:..; to 

19 tlle programs, and in others by T~llited States per20 sonnel who imposed unduly restrictive interpreta21 tiOllS of program eriteria. III addition, the Govern22 mel1t of Vietnam has dfmied passports to persons 

23 who the rllited States has found eligible for refugee 

24 admission. 
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1 (26) The Government of Vietnam reportedly is 

2 detaining' tens of thousands of people, with some as 

3 young al'l 12 yearl'l old, in government-run drug de4 tention centers and treating them as slave laborers. 

5 (27) III 2012, over 150,000 people signed an 

6 online petition calling on the Administration to not 

7 ex~and trade with communist Vietnam at the ex8 pense of human rights. 

9 has passed numerous resolutions 

10 c.ondemning human rights abuses in Vietnam, indi11 eating that altl10ugll there has been an ezq)ansicm of 

12 relations vvith the Government of Vietnam, it should 

13 not be construed as approval of the ollgoing and se14 riouR violationR of fundamental human rightR in 

15 Vietnam. 

16 (b) PCRP08B.-The purpose of this Act is to promote 

17 the development of freedom and democracy in Vietnam. 

18 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON INCREASED NONHUMANITARIAN 

19 ASSISTANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF VIET20 NAM. 

21 (a) ASS18TA..l'lCK22 (1) IK GRNRR.Ah-Except as provided in Ruh23 section (b), the Federal Government may not pro24 vide llonhumanitarian assistance to the Government 

25 of Vietnam during any fil'lcal year in an amount that 
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10 

1 exceeds the amount of such assistance provided for 

2 fiscal year 2012 unless3 (A) with reRpect to the limitation for fifical 

4 year 2014, the President determines and cer5 tifies to Congress, not later than 30 days after 

6 the date of the enactment of this Act, that the 

7 requirements of subparagraphs (A) through (G) 

8 of paragrapll (2) 11ave beell met durillg the 12-

9 month period ending on the date of the certifi10 e.ation; and 

11 (B) "ith respect to the limitation for snb12 sequent fiscal years, the President determines 

13 and certifies to Congress, in the most recent 

14 annual report fiuhmitted purfiuant to Rection (1, 

15 that the requirements of subparagTaphs (A) 

16 through (0) of paragraph (2) have been met 

17 during the 12-month period covered by the re18 port. 

19 (2) Ri'JQUIR"JIVI!<JNTS.-T11e requirementfi of this 

20 paragTaph are the following: 

21 (A) The Government of Vietnanl has made 

22 substantial pro~ress toward releasing all polit23 ical and religious prisoners from imprisonment, 

24 house arrest, and otller forms of detention. 
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1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

l7 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

11 

(D) The Government of Vietnam has nlade 

substantial progress toward-

(i) respecting the right to freedom of 

religion, including the right to participate 

in religious activities and institutions without interference, harassment, or involvement of the Government, for all of Vietnam's diverse religious conmmnities; and 

(ii) returning estates and properties 

confiscated from the churches and religious 

eomnnmities. 

(C) The Government of Vietnanl has nmde 

substantial progress toward respeetillg the right 

to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, including the release of independent journalists, bloggers, and demoerae,Y and labor aetivists. 

(D) The Government of Vietnam has made 

substantial progress toward repealing or revising laws that eriminalize peaceful dissent, independent media, unsanctioned religious aetivity, 

and mmviolellt dem on strati 011S and rallies, in 

accordance vvith international standards and 

treaties to wl1ieh Vietnam is a party. 
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1 

2 

3 

4 

12 

(E) The Government of Vietnam has Tnade 

substantial progTess toward alluwing VietnameRe nationalR free and open acceRR to 

United States refugee programs. 

5 (F) The Government of Vietnam has made 

6 substantial progress toward respecting the 

7 human rights of members of all ethnic and mi8 nority gTOUpS. 

9 (G) Neither any official of the Government 

10 of Vietnam nor any ageney or entity wholly or 

11 partly mVlled by the C+overnment of Vietnam 

12 was cOlnplicit in a severe form of trafficking in 

13 persons, or the Government of Vietnam took all 

14 appropriate Rteps to end any such complicity 

15 and hold sueh offieial, ageney, or entity fully 

16 accountable for its conduct. 

17 (b) EXCEPTIOK.-

18 (1) CONTINUATION OF ~~SSISTAKCE IK THE .:.JA19 TIONAIJ INT~JR.ES'l'.-Kotv,~tl1standing the failure of 

20 the Government of Vietnam to meet the require21 ments of subsection (3)(2), the Presidellt may waive 

22 tlle application of subsection (a) for any fiscal year 

23 if24 (A) the Presidellt determines that tlle pro25 viRion to the Government of Vietnam of in-
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13 

1 creased nonhumanitarian assistance \\'ould pro2 mote the purpose of this Act or is otherwise in 

3 the national interest of the United States: and 

4 (B) the Federal Government provides as5 slstance, at levels commensurate with, or ex6 ceeding, any increases in nonhumanitarian as7 sistance to Vietnam, that supports8 (i) training about the obligation of the 

9 Government of Vietnmn to respect the 

10 right8 enumerated in the International 

11 Covenant on Ci,~l and Political Rights: 

12 (ii) noncommercial rule of law pro13 g'ramming'; and 

14 (iii) mea8111'e8 to overcome the jam15 ming of Radio Free Asia by the Govern16 ment of Vietnam. 

17 (2) EXERCISE OF WAIVER AUTIIORITY.-The 

18 President may exercise the authority under para19 grapl1 (1) with respect to--

20 (A) all United States nonhumanita1'ian as21 sistance to Vietnam; or 

22 (H) one or more programs, projects, or ac23 tivities of such assistance. 

24 (c) DfWI1\I'l'IONS.-Tll this section: 
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14 

1 (1) NONIIUlVLWITAIUAl'l ~~SSIST~iliCE.-The 

2 term "nonhmnanitarian assistanee" means3 (A) any assistance under the Foreig11 As4 sistance Act of 19G1 (including programs under 

5 title IV of ehapter 2 of part I of that Act, 1'e1at6 ing to the Overseas Private Investment Cor7 poration), other than8 (i) disaster relief assistance, including 

9 any assistanee under chapter 9 of part I of 

10 that Aet; 

11 (ii) assistance Wllich involves the pro12 vision of food (ineluding monetization of 

13 food) or medieine; 

14 (iii) assistance for environmental 1'e15 mediation of dioxin-contaminated sites and 

16 related health activities; 

17 (iv) assistance to combat severe forms 

L 8 of trafficking in persons; 

19 (v) assistanc~e to combat pandemic 

20 

21 (vi) assistance for refugees; and 

22 (vii) assistanc~e to combat HIV/AIDS, 

23 including any assistance under section 

24 104A of that Act; and 
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1 (B) sales, or financing on any terms, under 

2 the Arms E:X1)Ort Control Act. 

3 (2) SRVEHE FORM OF TR~lFFICKI.:-.JG IN PER4 SONS.-The term "severe form of trafficking in per5 sons" me aIlS any activity described ill section 103(8) 

6 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 

7 (Public Law 106-:386 (114 Stat. 1470): 22 U.S.C. 

8 7102(8)). 

9 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.-This section shall take effect 

lOon the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply 

11 w-ith respect to the provisi011 of llonhumanitarian assist12 ance to the Government of Vietnam for fiscal year 2014 

13 and subsequeut fiscal years. 

14 SEC. 4. UNITED STATES PUBLIC DIPLOMACY. 

15 (a) RADIO FREE ASL~ TKill~S:.\nSSIOKS TO VIET16 NAIVL-It is the sellse of Congress that the United States 

17 should take measures to overcome the jamming of Radio 

18 Free Asia by the Government of Vietnam and that the 

19 Broadcasting Board of Governors should not cut staffing, 

20 funding, or broadcast hours for the Vietnamese language 

21 services of the Voice of J!Unerica and Radio Free Asia, 

22 which shall he dOllE' ,vithout reducing any other broadcast 

23 language services. 

24 (b) UNITIW S'l'A'l'''J8 RJ)l:CA'I'IOKAL AND CCIIl'URA.l, 

25 EXCHANGE PIWGH1\}YIR WITH VIETK'UVI.-lt 18 the 8em,e 
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16 

1 of Congress that any programs of educational and clutural 

2 exelwnge between the United States and Vietnam should 

3 a ctively promote progreRR toward freedom and democrary 

4 in Vietnam by providing opportunities to Vietnamese na5 tionals from a wide range of occupations and perslJeetives 

6 to see freedom and democracy in action and, also, by en7 suring that Vietnamese nationals who have already dem8 onstraterl a commitment to these values are inc]mled in 

9 such progTams. 

10 (e) UNITED NATIONS HUl\1A="J RIGHTS COUKCIL.-

11 It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State 

12 should strongly oppose, and encourage other members of 

13 the United Nations to oppose, the candidacy of Vietnam 

14 for memherRhip on the Cnited ~ationR Human Hights 

15 Council for the term beginning in 2014. 

16 SEC. 5. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. 

17 (a) COrNTRY OF PARTICULAR CO="JCERN.-It is the 

18 sense of Congress that Vietnam should be designated as 

19 a eoulltry of partieular eOllf~ern for religious freedom pur20 suant to section 402(b) of the International Religious 

21 Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6'~lA2(b)). 

22 (b) lVITNll\TUM STA="JDARDS FOR THFJ ETJll\TTNATTO="J OF 

23 HUl\1Al'l TRAFFICKINU.-It is the sense of Congress that 

24 the Government of Vietnam cloes not fully e.omply with the 

25 minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and 
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17 

1 is not making significant efforts to bring itself into compli2 ance, and this determination should be reflected in the an3 nnal report to CongreRR required purRuant to Rection 

4 1l0(b) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 

5 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)). 

6 SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT. 

7 (a) IN GENEK:I.L.-Kot later than six months after 

8 the date of the enactment of this Act and every 12 months 

9 thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to CongTess 

lOa report on the following: 

11 ( 1) 'I'he determillatioll and certification of the 

12 President that the requirements of subparagraphs 

13 (A) through (G) of section 3(a)(2) have been met, 

14 if applicable. 

15 (2) If the President has waived the applieation 

16 of sectioll 3(a) pursuant to section 3(b) durillg the 

17 reporting period18 (A) the national interest with respect to 

19 which such a waiver was based; 

20 (B) the amount of increased nonhumani21 tar-ian assistance provided to the Government of 

22 ~~nmn;~d 

23 (C) a description of the type and amount 

24 of commensurate assistallee provided pursuant 

25 to Rection :i(h)(l)(B). 
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18 

1 (:3) Efforts by the United States Government to 

2 promote aeee88 by the Vietnamese people to Hadio 

3 Free ARia tranRmiRRionR. 

4 (4) Efforts to ensure that programs vvith VietS nam promote the poliey set forth in seetioll 102 of 

6 the Human Rights, Hefugee, and Other Foreign Pol7 icy Prcrvisions Act of 1996 regarding participation in 

8 progTams of educational and cultural exehan g-e. 

9 (5) Lists of persons believed to be imprisoned, 

L 0 detained, or plaeed under hou8e arrest, tortured, or 

11 otherwise persecuted by the Cfovernment of Vietllam 

12 due to their pursuit of internationally recognized 

13 human rights. In eompiling such lists, the Seeretary 

14 shall exerrise appropriate diRcretion, including ron15 eern8 regarding the 8afety and 8eeurity of, and ben16 efit to, the persons who may be illeluded 011 the lists 

17 and their families. In addition, the Secretary shaH 

18 inelude a list of sueh pen:;on8 and their families who 

19 may qualifY for protections under l~llited States 1'ef20 ugee programs. 

21 (G) A deseriptiotl of the development of the rule 

22 of law in Vietnam, inc~luding23 (A) progress toward the development of in24 stitutiolls of demoeratie governaneei 
20


81696a-19.eps

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

19 

(B) processes by which statutes, regulations, rules, and other legal aets of the Government of Vietnam are developed and become 

binding vvithin Vietnam; 

(C) the extent to 'which statutes, regulations, rules, administrative and judicial decisions, and other legal acts of the Government of 

Vietnam are published and are made accessible 

to the public: 

(D) the extent to whieh administrative and 

judicial decisions are supported by statements 

of reasons that are based upon vvTitten statutes, 

regulations, rules, and other legal aets of the 

Government of Vietnam; 

(E) the extent to which individuals are 

treated equally under the laws of Vietnam without regard to eitizenship, race, religion, political 

opinion, or current or former associations; 

(F) tIle extent to which admillistrative am] 

judicial decisions are independent of political 

pressure or goverumelltal interference amI are 

revie~wed hy entities of appellate jurisdiction; 

and 

(0) the eXLent to whieh laws in Vietllam 

are \vritten and administered m \vays that are 
21


81696a-20.eps

20 

1 consistent with international hlnnan rights 

2 standards, including the rights enumerated in 

3 the International Covenant on Civil and Polit4 ical Rights. 

5 (b) CO~TACT8 \VlTH O'l'1:LBJ1\ 01\GA"l1L;ATlO"lS.-In 

6 preparing the report under subsection the Secretary 

7 shall, as appropriate, seek out and maintain contacts with 

8 nongovernmental orgallizations and lmmml rights advo9 cates (including Vietnamese-Americans and hmnan rights 

10 advoeates in Vietnam), ineluding reeeiving reports and up11 dates from SUC11 organizations and evaluatil1g such 1'e12 ports. The Secretary shall also seek to consult vvith the 

13 United States Commissioll 011 Iuternational Religious 

14 },lreedom for appropriate :o;ectiom; of the report. 

CJ 
22


81696b-1.eps

IV 

1131'11 CONGRESS H RES 131 1ST SESSION • • 

Concerning' the ongoing ('onnicL in the Democratic Republic oj' the Congo 

and tile need for intemational efforts toward long-term peace. stability, 

and observance of human rights. 

IN THE HOUSE OF HEPHESENTATIVES 

:vrAKCH 21. 201;) 

Ms. BARR (for herself, Mr. SlVII'I'H of New .Jersey, l\h. MI']!']1':8, Mr. Sr".r']R, Mr. 

CO:-JNOLLY, lVIr. DEUTCH, Mr. KEATIKG, lVIr. CICILLINE, Mr. VARGAS, 

lVIr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MCGUVERX Mr. McDERMOTT, lVIr. Pv\.NGEL, :VII'. 

SMITH of Washington, .VIr. ,)OHKSON of Georgia, Ms. LEE of California. 

lVIr. LEWIS, Mr. MOR."..N, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAr,E, Mr. RUSH, :VIr. 

TAKA'\O, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 1YIALONEY of New Yor'k, Mr. HOKDA, :VIs. 

RllWAfl,IlR, Mrs. B[';A'l'TY, Mr. CAPUAKO, Mr Cr,l.jAVr';l', Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of TIlinois, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE 

JOHNSOK of Texas, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. DXITm SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. lliSTI:-JGS of Florida, :VII'. CI,YEllRN, :Hr. VEASEY, :VIt'o THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. WATT', Ms. SCIIAlWWSiIT, Ms. SPEiER, :VIs. 

JAC[{SON l,l,j[.;, Ms. HAHN, Ms. F(T[)(}[<;, Ms. Mocm,I']' Mr. Rr,[,[sC)N, Ms. 

CL..!\.I1Iill, lVIr. LARSE:-J of 'Vashington, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, :VIs. 

'VATERS, and :VIr. BISHOP of Georgi.a) submitted the following resolution; 

w1li.e11 was referred to [he Committee on }'oreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Cone,erning the ongoing eonfliet in the Demoeratie Hepublie 

of the Congo and the need for international efforts toward long-term peace, stability, and observance of human 

rights. 

\\;llCreas sinee the 1990s, an estimated 5,000,000 people have 

died and more than 2,000,000 people have been displaeed 
23


81696b-2.eps

2 

due to repeated cycles of conflict and atrocities, particularly thoRe in North and South Kivu provineeR; 

,\7hereas the l~nited Nations and humanitarian groups have 

reported staggering rates of sexual violence indicating 

tens of thousands of cases perpetrated by the Congolese 

army and armed gTOUpS, including the M23 and the 

Democratic l"orceR for the Liberation of Rwanda, which 

eontinue to operate with nearly total impnnity; 

,Vhereas human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo have been subject to intimidation and attack; 

\Vher-eas the Democratic Republic of the Congo's wealth of 

natural resources, including minerals and high-value wildlife products such as elephant ivory, have been a key 

driver of insurrection and violence, and the discovery and 

exploitation of oil could motivate further conflict; 

Whereas the deeply fla,Yeti November 2011 eledions 111 the 

Democratic Republic of the Congo laid bare signific.ant 

political, economic, and social challenges; 

\Vhereas the DeUlOcratic Republic of the Congo IS home to 

one of the world's longest enduring and most expensive 

international peacekeeping operations; 

~llereas the K ovember 20, 2012, seizure of the city of Ooma 

by the M2:3 rebel group, despite bilateral aml multilateral 

efforts to address longstanding humanitarian crises, forge 

lasting peace, and pursue security 1:lector reform and accountability, uemonstraks that the underl:ving causes of 

the recurring conflicts in the eastern prOvinces of the 

Democratic Republic of the Congo remain unresolved; 

\Vl1ereas OIl ~ovember 15, 2012, the l~Ilited ~ations Group 

of E}q)erts provided compelling evidence, in report find-
24


81696b-3.eps

q 

;) 

ings corroborated by the l~nited States Assistant Secretary of State for African AffairR in tCRtimony before 

the r nited StateR HouRe of RcprcRentativeR on Deremher 

11, 2012, and December 19, 2012, that the 1\1[23 crisis 

is fueled aml exacerbated by the (Joverllmellt of Rwanda, 

including through Rwandan Government provisioll of significant military and logistical assistance, and of operational and political guidance and support, to the :\123; 

and 

\\1her-eas the United Nations and United States have imposed 

sallctions OIl the M23 atld its leaders for human rights 

atrocities including rape, massacres, and the recruitment 

and physieal and psychological torture of child soldiers: 

Kmv, therefore, be it 

Resolved, Tllat the House of Representatives2 (1) aRRertR that the region's leaderR and the 

3 international eommunity should break the cyele of 

4 v101e11('e and impunity in tl1e Democratic }{epublic of 

5 the Congo and surrounding region and urgently ad6 dress the root causes of the M23 conflict amI pre7 ViOUR rriRcR; 

8 (2) calls on the signatories of the February 24, 

9 2013, Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework 

10 for the Democratic Hepublic of the Congo and the 

11 Region to abide by the provisions outlined in the 

12 framework agreement ill addition to ensuring that 

13 those troops being re-integrated into the Congolese 
25


81696b-4.eps

4 

1 army are not those accused of human rights viola2 tions; 

3 (:i) call!'; on government!'; of the (h'eat Lake!'; re4 gion of Africa to respect the national security and 

5 territorial itltegrity of the Democratic Republic of 

6 the Congo, and to immediately halt and prevent any 

7 and all forms of support to the }I23 and other non8 state armed gTOllpS, including any support provided 

9 by individuals independently of government policy; 

10 (4) rec.ognizes the recent efforts by the Govern11 ment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to 

12 end the recruitment of children into the armed 

13 forces and demands the innnediate cessation of the 

14 recruitment and exploitation of children l,y militia!';, 

15 and further calls on all armed group:::; to free e11i1-

16 dr-en and other civilians held against their will; 

17 calls on the Obama Administration, in close 

18 eoordinution vvith international and regional part19 ners, to mobilize a eomprehellsive response to pre20 vent further deterioration of regional peace and sta21 bility and to ensure that life-saving' humanitarian as22 sistance be 111l11indered and pruviderl to populations 

23 in need, particularly displaced persons and conflict24 affected communities; 
26


81696b-5.eps

5 

1 ( 6) acknowledges the good work of the United 

2 States Special Advisor on the Great Lakes and the 

3 Democratic Repuhlic of the Congo, and finds that 

4 the challenges of helping to resolve the cycle of vio5 lence alld impunity in the Democratic Hepuhlic of 

6 the Congo requires higher-level United States diplo7 matic and political engagement; 

8 (7) requests that Secretary of State ,J 01111 Kerry 

9 demonstrate the high-level concern that the United 

10 States attaches to ensuring :stability and security in 

11 tlle Democratic l{epuhlic of the Congo by appointing 

12 a Special Envoy who will help lead the United States 

13 and iuternational efforts to end the M23 conflict and 

14 secure permanent peaee, i'ltahility, and i'lafety for the 

15 people of the Democratic Hepublic of the Congo; 

16 (8) calls on all nations to increase cooperation 

17 in order to cease the trade of illegal goods, including 

18 poaehed ivory and confliet mineral:s, that contimw:s 

19 to fuel violenc~e in the Democratic Republic of the 

20 Congo; 

21 (9) calls on the Obama AdministratioLl, includ22 ing the Atroeities Preventi011 Hoard, in close coordi23 nation vFith international and regional partners, to 

24 develop and make aetionable recommendatiolls to 

25 address, prevent, and ensure accountahility for seri-
27


81696b-6.eps

G 

1 ous violations of international humanitarian law and 

2 human rights abuses by all uetors in the Demoeratic 

3 Repuhlic of the Congo, including 1,y fully imple4 menting sanctions outlined in section 1284 of the 

5 Katiollal Defeuse AuthoriL';ation Act for Fiscal Year 

6 2013, notvvithstanding transactions that are cus7 tomary, necessary, and incidental to the provision of 

8 eritieal, life-saving aid to eivilian populations, and 

9 the policy goals set out under the Democratic Re10 pubEe of the Congo Relief, Seeurity, and Dernoeraey 

11 Promotion Act of 20()(j, introduced by then-Senator 

12 Barack Obama; 

13 (10) urges the Government of the Democratie 

14 Repuhlic of the Congo, vvith close support from the 

15 international eommunity, to investigate and pros16 eeute those who have cOlnmitted war crimes, crimes 

17 against humanity, and violations of international hu18 manitarian law and human rights, ineluding those 

19 against women and ehildren; 

20 (11) calls on the Government of the Democratic 

21 Republic of the Congo to meaningfully engage in 

22 electoral reforms, in addition to security sector re23 forms to prevent militia combatants, particularly 

24 ~r2;3 members, accused of abuses from illtegrating 

25 into the military, and to ho:;;t inclusive inter-Congo-
28


81696b-7.eps

7 

1 lese dialogues to address critical internal political 

2 issues and strengthen processes of state institution 

3 lmilding in the Democratic Repulilic of the Congo; 

4 (12) urges the Obama Administration to adS dress alleged support for lnilitias operating' in the 

6 Democratic Hepublic of the Congo from foreign gov7 ernments or entities; 

8 (13) ackllmvlec1ges the United Kati011 S' appoint9 ment of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes re10 gion of Africa; and 

11 (14) urges the United Natiolls Security Council 

12 to lead efforts to reinforce and strengthen the 

13 U lilted )J atiolls Orgaril,..;ation Stabili~atioll Mission 

14 m the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

15 (MONUSCO) and its capaeity to proteet civilians, 

16 including preventing any future :M23 advances on 

17 Goma, as evidenced by the temporary seizure of 

18 GOlna and other areas, and to support measures to 

19 strengthen the ability of ]\:HJ\TTJSCO to help ensure 

20 peace and security in the future. 
29


81696e-1.eps

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE 

TO H. RES 131 

OFFERED BY Ms. BASS OF CALIFORNIA 

Strike the preamble and insert the following: 

Whereas since the 1990s, an estimated 5,000,000 people have 

died and more than 2,000,000 people have been displaced 

lIne to repeated eydes of (~onflid, amI atroeities, partieulady those in North and South Kivu provinces; 

'''l'lereas the United Kations and humanitarian groups have 

reportelI staggering rates of sexual violenee imlieating 

tens of thousands of cases perpetrated by the Congolese 

army and armed gTOUpS, ineluding the lVf23, Yfai Mai militias, the Lord's Resistance l11'IIlY, and the Democratic 

Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which continue to 

operate ~with nearly total impunity: 

'Vhereas human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo have been subject to intimidation and attaek; 

"'l'lereas the Democratic Republic of the Congo's wealth of 

natural resourees, ineluding minerals and high-value wildlife products such as elephant ivory, have been a driver 

of insurreetion and violence, and the discovery and eJq)loitation of oil eonla motivate further eonflid; 

'Vhereas the deeply flawed November 2011 elections 1Il the 

Demoeratie Republie of the Congo laid bare signifieant 

politieal, eeonomi(~, amI so(~ial (~hallenges; 
30


81696e-2.eps

2 

"11ereas the Demoeratie Repuhlie of the Congo is home to 

one of the world's largest and most expensive internati(mal pea(~ekeeping ()perati(lI18; 

\Vhereas the "Peace Agreement Between The GoverllIllent 

And Le Congres :\f ational Pour La Defense Du Peuple 

(CKDP)" signed in Goma on March 23, 2009, was not 

fully realized; 

"llereas the Novernber 20, 2012, seihure of the city of Goma 

by the lV123 rebel group, despite bilateral and multilateral 

efforts to address longstanding humanitarian crises, forge 

lasting peaee, and pursue se(mrity sedor reform and cWcoulltability, demonstrates that the underlyillg causes of 

the recurring conflicts in the eastern provinces of the 

Demo(~rati(~ Repuhli(~ of the Congo remain unresolved; 

'Vhereas on November 15, 2012, the United :\fat ions Group 

of Experts prO\~ded compelling evidence, in report findings corroborated by the U luted States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in testimony before 

the United States House of Representatives on Deeember 

11, 2012, and December 19, 2012, that the M2:3 crisis 

has been fueled and exacerbated by the Government of 

Rwamla, indwling through the provision of signifi(~ant 

military and logistical assistance, and of operational and 

political guidance and support, to the Y[23; 

Whereas the United .:.,rations alld United States have imposed 

sanctions on the M23 and its leaders for human rights 

atroeities induding rape, massa(~res, amI the re(~ruitment 

and physical and psychological torture of child soldiers; 

"llereas on March 18, 2013, International Criminal Court 

(ICC) imlietee and le<1(ler of a faetion of the M28 rebel 

group, Bosco Ntaganda, turned himself in to the rnited 
31


81696e-3.eps

States Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda, and asked to he and 

was transferred to the ICC in The Haglle, where he voluntary surrendered on Mareh 22, 201:1; 

\Vhereas the Lord's Resistance l\rmy continues to perpetrate 

attacks against civilian populations in affected areas of 

llortheastern Congo, creating widespread illsecurity alld 

displacement; 

'''l18reas members of civil society and political parties from 

both the majority and the opposition created the National 

Preparatory Committee (Comite Kational Preparatoire or 

CNP) to lay the gToUIHlwork for eonvening a national 

forum and dialogue with the goal of putting an end to 

the multifaceted crisis that afflicts the Democratic R,epubli(~ of the Congo; and 

'Vhereas on June 13, 201:3, Secretary of State John Kerry 

appointed former United States Senator Russell Feingold 

as the new C nited States Special Envoy for the .Africall 

Great Lakes region and the Democratic Republic of the 

Congo, demonstrating the high priority that the 1~nited 

States attaches to ensuring an end to armed conflict and 

promoting stability and security in the region: :\f ow, 

therefore, be it 

Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 

follmving: 

That the House of Representatives2 (1) asserts that the region's leaders hear pn3 mary responsibility for the security of their territory 

4 and citihens and, \vith support from the inter5 national community, must break the cycle of violence 
32


81696e-4.eps

4 

and impunity in the Derno(~rati(~ Republi(~ of the 

2 Congo and surrounding region and urgently address 

3 the root eau~e~ of eonfliet; 

4 (2) asserts that previous agreemellts including 

5 the "Peace Agreement Between The Government 

6 l'..!leI Le Congres 1\ atiollal Pour La Defellse Du 

7 Peuple (CNDP)" have sought to bring stability to 

8 the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the re9 gion, and now calls on the signatories of the Feb10 ruary 24, 201:3, Peace, Security and Cooperation 

11 Framework for the Derno(~rati(~ Repuhli(~ of the 

12 Congo and the Region to abide by the provisions 

13 outlined in the framework agreement in addition to 

14 ellsuring that those troops beillg integrated illto the 

15 Congolese army are not those accused of human 

16 right~ violation~; 

17 (3) calls on governments of the Great Lakes re18 gion of Africa to respect the national security and 

19 territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of 

20 the Congo, and to immediately halt and prevent any 

21 and all forms of support to the M2:3 and other 

22 nonstate armed groups, including any support pro23 v-ided by indiv-iduals independently of government 

24 poliey; 
33


81696e-5.eps

5 

(4) re(~ognize~ the reeent effort~ by the Govern2 ment of the Democratic R,epublic of the Congo to 

3 end the rem'uitment of ehildren into the armed 

4 forccs amI dcmands thc immcdiatc ccssation of thc 

5 recruitment and exploitation of children by all armed 

6 forccs, and furthcr calls on all armcd groups to frcc 

7 children and other civilians held against their will; 

8 (5) calls on the Administration, in close coordi9 nation with international and regional partners and 

10 consistent \vith Public Law 109-456, to support the 

11 Government of the Dernoeratie Republie of the 

12 Congo in mobilizing a comprehensive response to 

13 prevent further deterioration of regional peace and 

14 stability and to Cllsurc unhilldcrcd humanitarian ac15 cess; 

16 (6) c:wknowledges the good work of the 1~nited 

17 States Special Advisor on the Great Lakes and the 

18 Democratic Republic of the Congo, and finds that 

19 thc challcllgcs of hclpillg to rcsolvc thc cyclc of vio20 lence and impunity in the Democratic R,epublic of 

21 the Congo requires higher-level United States diplo22 matic and political engagement; 

23 (7) calls on all nations to mcrease cooperation 

24 in order to eea~e the trade of illegal goods, induding 

25 poached ivory and conflict minerals, that continues 
34


81696e-6.eps

6 

to fuel violenee In the Demoeratie Republie of the 

2 Congo; 

3 (8) ealls on the Administration, induding the 

4 Atrocities Prevelltion Board, in close coordillatioll 

5 \vith international and regional partners, to develop 

6 and make actionable recommendations to address, 

7 prevent, and ensure accountability for serious viola8 tions of international humanitarian law and human 

9 rights abuses by all actors in the Democratic Repub10 lie of the Congo, including by frilly implementing 

11 sandions outlined in seetion 1284 of the National 

12 Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 201:3, 

13 not,,~thstanding transactions that are customary, 

14 necessary, and incidelltal to the provision of critical, 

15 life-smring aid to civilian populations, and the policy 

16 goals set out umler Publie Law 109-456: 

17 (9) urges the Government of the Democratic 

18 R,epublic of the Congo, with close support from the 

19 international COllllllUllity, to investigate and pros20 ecute those who have committed war crimes, crimes 

21 against humanity, and violations of international hu22 manitarian law and human rights, including those 

23 against women and children; 

24 (10) (~alls on the Government of the Demoeratie 

25 R,epublic of the Congo to meaningfully engage in 
35


81696e-7.eps

7 

ele(~toral reform'l, in addition to 'le(mrity 'le(~tor re2 forms to prevent militia combatants, particularly 

3 M28 member'l, ae(m'led of abuse'l from integrating 

4 into the military, and to host illclusive inter-Congo5 lese dialogues to address critical internal political 

6 issues and strellgthen processes of state institutioll 

7 building in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 

8 (11) urges the Administration to address sup9 port provided to militias operating in the Democratic 

10 R,epublic of the Congo by foreign governments and 

11 entitie'l; 

12 (12) acknowledges the United Nations' appoint13 ment of the Special Envoy for the Great Tjakes re14 gion of "Africa; and 

15 (1:3) acknowledges the authorization by the 

16 Unitecl Nation'l Se(mrity Coull(~il of the deployment 

17 of an intervention brigade "cithin the United Nations 

18 Organization Stabilization YIission in the Demo19 Cl'atic Republic of the COllgO (lVIONUSCO) with a 

20 robust civilian protection mandate, and urges the 

21 United Kations Security Council to continue to lead 

22 efforts to reinforce and strengthen lVIONrSCO and 

23 its capacity to protect ci,~lians, deter ,~olence, and 

24 en'lure peaee and 'ltability, 
36


81696c-1.eps

113m CONGRESS 

181' 810:88101\ H. RES. 273 

IV 

Expressing the mm~e of the Hon~e of Representatives that the PreHillent 

shoald nominate a qaalified and indepemlent individaal for the position 

of Inspec(.or General of the Department of Stace and Broadcasting Board 

of Governors to be confirmed by the Senate without delay. 

IK THE HOUSE OF REPRESE~TATIVES 

JlI)i~J 35, 3013 

}Ir. ROYCE (f<or himself and }Ir. EKGEL) submitted the follmving resolntioll; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreigll Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Elq)ressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the President should nominate a qualified and independent indiv:i<lual for the pONition of InNpedor General 

of the Department of State and Broadeasting Board 

of GovernorN to be eonfirrned by the Senate i'\'itliout 

dclay. 

·Whereas the Inspeetor General Aet of 1978 mandates that 

Inspectors General are to eon(luet independent and objeetivc audits, invcstigations, and illspcetions, prcvcnt alld 

deteet waste, fraud, and abuse, promote eeonomy, effeetiveness, and effieie1l(~y, review pemling legiNlation aml 

regulations, and keep the ageney heads and Congress 

fully and ('urrently informed; 
37


81696c-2.eps

2 

\\1tereaH the Offi(~e of InHpeetor General (OIG) of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors 

(BBG) detedH, investigateH. and preventH instalwes of 

fraud, waste, and mismanagement that may constitute either criminal wrongdoing or \~olation of Department of 

State or BBG regulations; 

\Vhereas the ora inspects United States cliplomatic and conmilar postH and international hroadeaHting installations 

throughout the world to determine whether policy goals 

are being achieved and ~whether the interests of the 

United States are heing represented amI advaneed effe(~­

tively; 

\Vhereas the OIG conducts speciali7.ed security inspectiolls 

and audits in support of the Department of State's mission to provide effective protection to United States personnel, faeilities, ana sensitive information: 

\Vhereas the Department of State employs a total of nearly 

70,000 personnel, eonsisting of approximately 24,500 direct hire J1'oreign Service alld Civil Service persOllIld, 

over 9,:300 of whom are stationed overseas, and more 

than 45,000 locally employed staff, creating difficult accountability challenges; 

\Vhereas a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed Inspector General provides the leadership and aceountability 

vvithin an OIG necessary to oversee a eabinet-Ievel agency 

and fulfill the dutit's deseribed in this resolution, while instilling eonfidellce in agency interlocutors and Congress; 

"1lereas the position of Inspector General for the Department of State and BBG has been vacant since ,J anuary 

16, 2008, a span of nearly 2,000 days, and is being filled 

by an interim appointment: 
38


81696c-3.eps

"1wreas this vaeaney IS the longest of any oro ,wross the 

Federal Government; and 

v\11ereas filling- this vaeaney will help ensure that the 010 

providcs thc robust oycrsi/2'ht ncccssary to kccp Congrcss 

fully and currently informed, protect the United States 

taxpaycr, and cnsurc good gOYCl'llancc: l\ow, thcreforc, be 

it 

ResoZl'eil, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the President should nominate a quali3 fied and independent individual for the position of 1nspec4 tor GClleral for the Depariment of Statc and Broadcasting 

5 Board of Governors to he confirmed by the Senate vy'ithout 

6 \lelay, 

u 
39


81696d-1.eps

113m CONGRESS 

hrr S1o:8S101\ H. RES. 222 

IV 

Re('ognizing the long-term partlwrship ami friendship between the United 

States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, WOl'k:llg tog'e,her towanls 

peace and secllrity in the Middle Easl. 

I1\ THE HOUSE OF REPRESE.:.JTATIVES 

lVLw 17, 2013 

,VIr. ,VIRF,T{R (for himself, Mr. BOTTRTANY. Mr. CT,RAYRR., .Vlr. DR1TT(;H, Mr. 

ENGEL, Mr. FALEOLVIAY}uWA, Mr. FORTENBERRY. lVIr. CtRIMM, }Ir. HAsTINGS of Florida, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. MORAK, Mr. SCEIFF, and lVIr. 

\V1W.8H of Texas) submitted the follmving resolut.ion; which was referred 

t.o t.llC C;ommitt('e on Forcigl1 Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recogni7.ing the long-term partnership and friendship between the Unite!l States and the Ha.shemite Kingdom 

of ,Jordan, working together towards peace and security 

in the Mi<1dle Em;t. 

Vv11ereas the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of 

Jordan have maintained official diplomatic relations siIl(~e 

1949, and during this partnership sPall1ling over G decades, the United States aHd Jordan have developed a 

close relationship in security, economic development, and 

e(mntertern)rism (:()()perati(m: 

~Whereas a r nited States-Jordanian Joint Militmy Commission facilitates bilateral consultations between the rnited 
40


81696d-2.eps

2 

States Department of Defense and ,Tonlunian Armed 

Forces since 1974, and has led to increased cooperation 

in regional and glohal counterterrorism efforts; 

\Vher-eas J or-dan has provided key security and humanital'iall 

support in both Afghanistan and Iraq; 

Whereas JOl'dall hosted a Lnited States-developed training 

program for the Palestinian National Security Forces on 

human rights, proper use of force, and eivil disturlmnees 

to further enhance peace and security in the \Vest Bank; 

\\11e1'eas in 1996, the United States designated .Jordan as a 

major non-KATO ally, rccog'Ilizing .Tordan at; a clot;c ally 

~w:ith a strategic working relationship; 

\\llE'reas the .Jordanian Armed Forces are a proven reliable 

cOlltl'ibutor to the international community, particularly 

as a member of the rnited Nations, contributing 57,000 

t.roops to 1R (lifferent 1~nited Nations pe1wekeeping missions, most notably in Haiti where Jordan endured multiple easualties during sndt missions; 

Whereas J onlall signed the historic ,J or-clan-Israel Peace 

Treaty on October 26, ID!}±, normalizing relations between JOl'dall and Israel by resolving' territorial disputes 

and establishing a partnership towards peaceful relations; 

\\llE'reas King Abdullah IT has beel1 a key advocate of peace 

between the Israelis and Palestinians, often reiterating 

the urgent need for peaceful reconciliation and offering to 

serve as a mediator amI host for peaee negotiations: 

vVhereas .T ordall is a leader for progress and tolerance in the 

Arab world and recently held parliamentary elections, as 

part of a political reform movement: 

\\11e1'eas the economic partnership between the United States 

and .Tordan was further strengthened through the signing 
41


81696d-3.eps

of the Unite!l States-,Tordan Free Trade AgTt~ernent hy 

President Bill Clinton and lung Abdullah II on October 

24, 2000, and fully implemented on ,Tanuary 1, 2010; 

Whereas in 2008, the United States and J or-dan signed a 5-

year 1\Temorandum of Understanding in the amonnt of 

$360,000,000 lH economIC support funds and 

$:300,000,000 per year in foreign military financing to 

further holster the United States-,T ordan strategic relationship; 

"l'lereas the United States is strongly committed to the continne!l development and progTess of the .Tonlanian people, 

civil society, and political institutions, specifically in the 

areas of democracy assistance, water and energy preservatiotl, education sen:ices, and ecollomic development; 

vVhereas the Rl-Assac1 regime continues to fuel a humanitari~m (;I'isis within the region through attaeks against innocent civilians, resulting in the loss of approximately 

70,000 Syrian lives aml the displaeemellt of approximately 5,500,000 civilians and over 1,300,000 womell. 

children, and men who have fled S:vria; 

"11ereas the international eommunity, led by the United Nations, has issued dire warnings regarding the severity of 

the growing humanitarian crisis, calling for the interllatiollal community to use all available resources to cud 

the crisis that is destroying families, homes, and cities; 

"11ereas the Government of ,Tordan has maintained open borders ~with S,YTia, despite a hea\'}' burden of hosting and 

providing for the security and basic needs of apprm.-imately 500,000 refugees, with that number growmg by 

2,000 to 4,000 persons per day; 
42


81696d-4.eps

4 

~Vv11ereas three-(l1larters of the refugees are women and drilcIren, and 1 in 5 refugees is under the age of 4; and 

\\11ereas the Government of .Tonlan has worked in partnership with the intemational commlwity, particularly the 

Ullitpd Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide for the needs of vulnerable refug'ee populations, ineluding elean water, food, shelter, health care, and education: ~ ow. therefore, be it 

1 Resolved. That the House of Representatives2 (1) rommends the people and Government of 

3 the Hashemite Kingdom of ,J ordan for their contin4 ued friendship with the United States and rommit5 mellt to peace, security, and stability ill the Middle 

6 East; 

7 (2) commends the Government of ,Jordan for its 

8 response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis by 

9 hosting and caring for refugees fleeing v-iolence from 

10 the eonfli(~t \vith the aI-Assad regime: and 

11 (3) e:Xpresses a firm commitment to support the 

12 Government of ,Jordan as it fares regional challenges 

13 and 'works to'ward a more peaceful and stable ~Vliddlc 

14 East. 
43


81696f-1.eps

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE 

TO H.RES. 222 

OFFERED BY MR. MEEKS OF NEW YORK 

Strike the preamble and insert the following: 

Whereasthe United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of 

Jordan have maintained official diplomatic relations since 

1949, amI during this partnership spanning over 6 de(~­

ades, the United States and Jordan have developed a 

close relationship in security, economic development, and 

e(mntertern)rism e()()perati(m: 

~Whereas a r nited States-Jordanian Joint lVIilitary Commission facilitates bilateral consultations between the rnited 

States Department of Defense and Jordanian lhmed 

Forces since 1974, and has led to increased cooperation 

in regional and glohal eounterterrorisrn efforts; 

'Vhereas J ardan has provided key security and humanitarian 

support in both Afghanistan and Iraq; 

"11ereas ,Tordan hosted a 1~nited States-developed training 

program on human rights, proper use of force, and eivil 

disturbances to further enhance peace and security in the 

West Bank; 

"l'lereas in 1996, the United States designated .Jordan as a 

Im~jor non-KATO ally, re(~ognizing ,Tordan as a dose ally 

~with a strategic working relationship; 

"llE'reas the .Jordanian Armed Forces are a proven reliable 

eontributor to the international eornrnunity, partienlarly 

as a member of the rnited Nations, contributing 57,000 
44


81696f-2.eps

2 

troops to 1R different 1~ nited N ations pea(~ekeeping missions, most notably in Haiti where .Jordan endured multiple casualties during SUdl missions; 

Whereas J ordall signed the historic Jordan-Israel Peace 

Treaty on October 26, 1994, normalizing relations between Jordall and Israel by resolvillg' territorial disputes 

and establishing a partnership towards peaceful relations; 

'''l18reas King Abdullah IT has been a key advocate of peace 

between the Israelis and Palestinialls, often reiterating 

the urgent need for peaceful reconciliation and offering to 

serve as a mediator amI host for peace negotiations: 

\Vhereas J ordall is a leader for progress and tolerance in the 

Arab world and recently held parliamentary elections, as 

part of a political reform movement; 

'Vhereas the economic partnership between the United States 

and ,Jordan was further strengthened through the signing 

of the United States-Jordan ]1'ree Trade Agreement by 

President Bill Clinton and King Abdullah II on October 

24, 2000, and fully implemented on .Tanuary 1, 2010; 

'Vhereas in 2008, the United States and Jordan signed a 5-

year Memorandum of Understanding in the amount of 

$360,000,000 III econOIlnc :support funds and 

$300,000,000 per year in foreign military financing to 

further bolster the United States-,Jordan strategic relationship; 

"'l18reas the United States is strongly committed to the C011-

tinuecl development and progTess of the .Tonlanian people, 

civil society, and political institutions, specifically in the 

areas of democracy assistance, water and energy preservation, edu(~ation servi(~es, and eeonomi(~ development; 
45


81696f-3.eps

"11ereas the al-~~"sad regime eontinnes to fuel a humanitarian erisis within the region through attaeks against innoeent (~ivilians, resulting in the loss of approximately 

70,000 Syrian lives and the displacement of approximately 5,500,000 eivilians and over 1,:300,000 women, 

ehildren, and men who have fled S:vria; 

'Vhereas the international eommunity, led by the United Nations, has issued dire warnings regarding the severity of 

the growing humanitarian erisis, ealling for the international eommunity to use all available resourees to end 

the erisis that is destroying families, homes, and (~ities; 

\Vhereas the Government of Jordan has maintained open borders ''lith Syria, despite a heavy burden of hosting and 

providing for the seeurity and basi(~ neeels of approximately 500,000 refugees, ~with that number grov'ling by 

2,000 to 4,000 persons per day; 

\Vhereas three-q uarters of the refugees are women and dlildren, and 1 in 5 refugees is under the age of 4; and 

"11ereas the Government of ,Tonlan has worked in partnersllip with the intenmtional eommunity, partieularly the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to proviele for the neeels of vulnerahle refugee populations, ineluding dean water, food, shelter, health care, and edueation: :.Jow, therefore, be it 

Strike all after the resolv-ing elause and insert the 

follov'ling: 

That the House of Representatives1 (1) commends the people and Government of 

2 the Hashemite Kingdom of ,Jordan for their eontin-
46


81696f-4.eps

4 

ned friendship with the United States and eornrnit2 rnent to peace, security, and stability in the Middle 

3 East: 

4 (2) commends the GoVerlnllellt of Jordan for its 

5 response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis by 

6 hosting and carillg for refugees fleeing violence from 

7 the conflict \vith the aI-Assad regime; and 

8 (3) expresses a firm commitment to support the 

9 Govenllnent of Jordan as it faces regional challenges 

10 and works toward a more peaceful and stable YIiddle 

11 East. 
47

Chairman ROYCE. All members may have 5 days to submit statements for the record on any of today’s measures. 

And after recognizing myself and the ranking member for brief 

opening remarks, I will be glad to recognize any committee members seeking recognition to speak on any of these measures. 

I am a strong supporter of H.R. 1897, the Vietnam Human 

Rights Act of 2013. Subcommittee Chairman Smith has worked 

hard on this bill. And over the years, this committee has held many 

hearings on Vietnam. If these hearings have had one consistent 

theme, it is the deterioration of human rights there in Vietnam. 

Government thugs brutalize peaceful dissidents. Anyone who dares 

to blog or publish material on democracy or anything critical of the 

Communist Party, faces years in jail and faces physical abuse. We 

need to send a message to the government, a message with teeth, 

and this bill does just that. And I strongly urge its passage. 

With regard to House Resolution 131, Congresswoman Bass has 

been dogged in bringing attention to the conflict in the Democratic 

Republic of Congo. And just last week, the State Department announced former Senator Russ Feingold as Special Envoy for the 

Great Lakes, in part, at her urging. Too many people have died. 

Too many people continue to suffer. The conflict in the DRC has 

lasted decades. Patience with this peacekeeping operation is wearing thin. We expect all regional leaders to respect and abide by the 

negotiated frameworks. 

House Resolution 273 expresses the sense of the House that the 

President should nominate a State Department Inspector General 

without delay. For months, on a bipartisan basis, the ranking 

member and I have called on the administration to fill the vacant 

Inspector General position for the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors. We have written to the President. We 

have written to Secretary Kerry, stressing the importance of appointing a permanent Inspector General. I raised it at our hearing 

with the Secretary. It has been 2,000 days since a permanent IG 

was last in place. It is time for this vacancy to be filled. 

IG’s are the government’s internal watchdogs. They police agencies for waste, for fraud, and for abuse. The resolution is non-partisan for the simple reason that the concept of a Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed, permanent IG is fundamental to the 

very notion of good government. 

Lastly, House Resolution 222 recognizes the long-term partnership and friendship between the United States and the Kingdom of 

Jordan. The committee recently hosted the King of Jordan who continues to be a critical voice of moderation in the region. It is a key 

partner for peace. Today, Jordan has worked to address the needs 

of 550,000 Syrian refugees which have poured across its borders in 

the last 2 years. This has resulted, by the way, in a 10-percent population increase for Jordan. This is seriously straining Jordan. And 

Mr. Meeks’ resolution notes the mutual benefits of a strong U.S.-

Jordan relationship. 

I hope the committee will support of all of these measures. And 

I now recognize my good friend, the ranking member, for his remarks. 

Mr. ENGEL. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for 

calling today’s markup on these four bipartisan measures. This 

48

goes in line with the way you and I have both tried to run this 

committee in the most bipartisan way possible. 

I will just make some brief comments about each one of these. 

H.R. 1897, introduced by our colleague, Chris Smith, addresses the 

troubling human rights situation in Vietnam. Despite the country’s 

increased economic freedom, religious and political freedoms for Vietnamese citizens remain severely limited. The bilateral relationship between Washington and Hanoi has improved since diplomatic 

relations were established over 15 years ago, but the lack of greater progress in protecting basic rights and civil liberties in Vietnam 

remains a barrier to closer cooperation in the future. 

H. Res. 131, introduced by Karen Bass, draws critical attention 

to the ongoing situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of the 

Congo. And I might say to the ranking member on the Africa Subcommittee, I appreciate her earnest involvement in all these very, 

very important issues. Violence continues to plague this region 

with thousands of people displaced, dying of disease, suffering from 

rampant sexual abuse, and living with constant uncertainty about 

their futures. This resolution calls for a comprehensive approach to 

the crisis that addresses the root causes of the conflict and it includes the active participation of all stakeholders, including the 

governments of countries in the Great Lakes region, the U.N. and 

the U.S. 

Both the U.N. and the State Department have appointed Special 

Envoys for the region and the U.N. recently deployed additional 

peacekeepers with a mandate to be more aggressive in responding 

to armed rebel movements. I hope that some of these actions will 

change the dynamic in Eastern Congo and allow the people of the 

region to finally live in peace. 

Mr. Chairman, I would especially like to thank you for your leadership in introducing H. Res. 273 which calls for the nomination of 

a permanent Inspector General of the State Department. I have 

been happy to work with you on this issue over the last several 

months and to be an original co-sponsor of this resolution. I know 

we share the view that having a permanent IG in place will help 

ensure independent and robust oversight at the State Department 

and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. 

I have now been informed that Secretary Kerry and President 

Obama identified a candidate for the State IG position back in 

April. The vetting process for that candidate is nearly complete and 

the Secretary expects the nomination to be finalized and made public in the very near future. I know we all look forward to that announcement and I am proud of the role that this committee has 

played in helping that get closer and closer. 

Finally, H. Res. 222 introduced by my friend from New York, Mr. 

Meeks, highlights the long-term strategic relationship between the 

United States and Jordan which has been one of the few pillars of 

stability and peace in the Middle East. We all had the pleasure of 

meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan. This committee did, just 

several weeks ago, and I know that we listened to him intently. He 

is always such a breath of fresh air, but a breath of realistic air 

and tells us what we should be doing. And as far as I am concerned 

he is right on the money. Regional events such as transition in 

Egypt and war in Syria have put unprecedented stress on the JorVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:46 Sep 10, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_FULL\062713M\81696 HFA PsN: SHIRL
49

danian economy and society. Jordan is currently overflowing with 

refugees and its already limited resources are strained. 

At this moment in time, Jordan needs support from the United 

States more than ever. This important resolution commends the 

people and Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for 

their continued friendship with the United States and commitment 

to peace, security, and stability. It also praises the Government of 

Jordan for its response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis by 

hosting and caring for refugees fleeing violence instigated by the 

Assad regime in Syria. 

And finally, the resolution expresses a firm commitment to support the Government of Jordan as it faces regional challenges and 

works toward a more peaceful and stable Middle East. 

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you again for holding this 

markup. I look forward to supporting this package of measures. I 

yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Well, thank you. I want to thank Mr. Engel for 

his remarks and also his contributions to these measures here 

today. Do any members seek recognition to speak on the en block? 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I do. 

Chairman ROYCE. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen. 

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

of all, thank you for your great leadership on this committee and 

thank you to Mr. Engel for forging this warm working relationship. 

I am pleased to support these four bipartisan bills that are being 

marked up and considered en bloc by the committee today. I commend my good friend, Mr. Smith, for his unending support for 

human rights across the globe. I fully support his bill, H.R. 1897, 

the Vietnam Human Rights Act, a bill that promotes freedom and 

democracy in Vietnam. The United States is the world’s leading expert when it comes to living up to these two ideals, yet, too often 

we find ourselves sending money to governments that deny their 

citizens even the most basic human rights without leveraging that 

assistance to push for change to the status quo. 

One of the most important provisions of his bill would condition 

aid to Vietnam unless it meets certain specific requirements to improve its respect for human rights. This is an important way by 

which the United States can push for real reforms within countries 

like Vietnam. And I fully support this measure. 

We also have before us another important resolution on human 

rights, the Humanitarian and Military Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has been ongoing for far too long and has 

claimed the lives of over 5 million people while millions more have 

been displaced. The human rights violations that have occurred are 

unspeakable. I commend Ms. Bass and Mr. Smith for their Resolution 131 which is a step in the right direction of helping the people 

of the DRC by addressing several of the issues that must be resolved in order to help end this crisis. And I fully support this 

measure. 

And we also have a resolution before us, Mr. Chairman, which 

you have authored with our friend, Ranking Member Engel, which 

urges the President to nominate a qualified and independent individual to fill the Inspector General slot at the State Department. 

I pressed this issue when I was chair, held a hearing focused diVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:46 Sep 10, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_FULL\062713M\81696 HFA PsN: SHIRL
50

rectly on the need for the State Department to have an Inspector 

General that challenges the management of the State Department 

to function with transparency and accountability. I have been concerned as many of us here have been that this important watchdog 

position has been vacant for 5 years now and it is imperative that 

the President fill this slot post haste. 

And finally, we have a resolution recognizing the partnership 

and friendship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan is a 

great friend and an important ally to the United States. Our bilateral relationship is stronger now than it has ever been, but with 

the ongoing crisis in Syria and Jordan having to bear such a heavy 

burden as it takes hundreds of thousands of those who have fled 

Syria to seek refuse in a safer place, it is vital that we reaffirm our 

support for Jordan and we must do what we can do to help Jordan 

as it copes with the struggles that it is facing today. This resolution 

is an important way to announce to Jordan and to the world that 

we stand firmly and resolutely with our ally, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. I fully support this and all of the measures before 

us today. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, again for your leadership. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you. Congresswoman Bass is recognized. 

Ms. BASS. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank you, one, for 

all of the work that has happened on the committee so far and I 

wanted to speak in support of all four resolutions, but specifically 

H.R. 131. I wanted to thank the ranking member, and also Chairman Smith, for his long-standing leadership on this issue. 

All of us know that the crisis in the Congo has gone unresolved 

for so many years. We have seen numerous declarations and agreements for peace, yet too little has been done to prevent the death 

of millions and the displacement of those forced to flee their homes 

and livelihood. I am pleased that this bipartisan bill has many, 

many co-sponsors who also registered their strong support to end 

the status quo. Over the last several months, I am pleased to report that we have seen the United Nations appoint a Special Envoy 

to the DRC, former Irish President Mary Robinson. And last week, 

Secretary Kerry appointed former Senator Russ Feingold as the 

U.N. Special Envoy to the DRC. And that is one of the things that 

the resolution was calling for was the appointment of that Special 

Envoy. 

I had the opportunity to speak to Senator Feingold yesterday, 

and I am sure that the chair and ranking member have also, and 

I think it might be a great idea down the line after he has had a 

chance to settle in, if we would ask him to come and give us a report to the committee. 

In February, the Congolese, joined by other Great Lakes nations, 

as well as the U.N. and African Union, committed to an agreement 

that with the strong support from the international community, 

hopefully will finally lead to peace and stability. This committee 

has the opportunity and responsibility to send a clear message that 

the ongoing crisis in the DRC has not been forgotten in this chamber or in the U.S. Congress. It is time for the crisis in the DRC 

to come to an end and I really appreciate my colleagues’ support 

in our efforts to end this tragedy. I yield back my time. 

51

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Congresswoman Bass, and thank 

you for your efforts on this issue. And I do think you are right. I 

think we need to hear from Special Envoy Feingold. So we will ask 

him to meet with the committee and have a joint meeting with 

him. Thank you. 

Mr. Meeks is recognized. 

Mr. MEEKS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I, too, want to speak 

out for all four of the bills that are en bloc. I want to thank, of 

course, Chairman Smith, for his hard work and continuing to fight 

every day to try to make sure that human rights are seen all over 

the world. I think that really stands out very clearly that we are 

all related. We are all human. And you want to make sure that we 

all receive the same. And I want to thank you for your hard work 

on this. 

And of course, my colleague, Karen Bass, for all that she is 

doing. Just whispering here with Mr. Connolly who is saying how 

very seriously that Ms. Bass has taken the responsibility as the 

ranking member on the Africa Subcommittee and making a real 

difference in doing it. So thank you, on your bill. 

And of course, Mr. Chairman, what you and Ranking Member 

Engel are doing, not only in this bill, but the way that you have 

been conducting this committee in a bipartisan way and everyone 

having an opportunity to make real contributions and to feel that 

you really belong in being a part of this in a bipartisan way, you 

are really setting an example. And the way that you two work with 

one another is tremendously important. So I want to thank you in 

that regard. 

And I want to just make my references specifically to H. Res. 222 

and thank the committee and I appreciate the support of over 35 

colleagues as co-signers of this resolution and of course, including 

you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member Engel, and 16 members 

of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This resolution recognizes 

the long-term partnership and friendship between the United 

States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working together toward peace and security in the Middle East. This bipartisan resolution comes at a crucial time and a critical time of unrest and conflict in the region. This resolution is particularly timely today as 

Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Oman to begin a new 

round of peace talks. 

Jordan plays a critical role as a mediator of peace between the 

Israelis and the Palestinians. Jordan’s normalized relations and 

historic 1994 peace treaty with Israel greatly contributes to stability in the region. And Jordan is an advocate for progress in the 

Middle East peace process and often offers to host peace negotiations as a mediator. The United States has a close relationship 

with Jordan spanning over 60 years and we work side by side with 

Jordanians in multiple areas, from security cooperation and counterterrorism to economic development and humanitarian assistance. This resolution is not simply recognition of that friendship, 

it is a reaffirmation of the importance of the United States and Jordan’s partnership as a key element of U.S. strategic interests in the 

Middle East. 

The horrific violence in neighboring Syria is threatening to destabilize an entire region. Jordan has worked closely with the United 

52

Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees to host an increasing 

number of refugees. According to the UNHCR, Jordan is currently 

hosting approximately 500,000 refugees and the number increases 

with each passing day. The number of refugees in Jordan accounts 

for almost 8 percent of the Jordanian population. This is a heavy 

burden for Jordan that cannot be underestimated. And I am 

pleased to recognize the friendship between the American people 

and the people of Jordan working toward peace and security in the 

Middle East. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. Would my colleague yield? 

Mr. MEEKS. I yield. 

Mr. CONNOLLY. I thank my colleague for yielding. I just want to 

add my voice to his and my other colleagues in supporting the legislation before us today. I am particularly proud of being an original co-sponsor of the Vietnam Human Rights Act where human 

rights violations continue. And I am pleased to support the legislation in front of us. And I want to thank the chairman and ranking 

member and echo your sentiments about the bipartisan manner in 

which they have conducted the business of this committee. And 

with that, I yield back to my colleague. 

Mr. MEEKS. I yield back my time. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Connolly, and Mr. Meeks. We 

go to Mr. Smith. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I, too, want to 

thank you and the ranking member, Eliot Engel, for the way you 

have conducted this committee and working in a very robust, bipartisan manner. And I support all four of the pieces of legislation 

that are under consideration. I want to thank you especially for 

bringing the Vietnam Human Rights Act before the committee. 

Previously we brought this to the floor of the House and it passed 

overwhelmingly. There were people who said things were improving in Vietnam, but of course, the record, as discussed at a hearing 

on June 4, clearly shows that there has been significant deterioration. Human Rights Watch testified on June 4th that in the first 

few months of 2013, more people have been convicted in political 

trials as in the whole of last year, in all of 2012. They pointed out 

how the trendlines have been worsening and that the governance 

by Vietnam is characterized by brutality and systematic suppression of freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. 

We heard at our hearing from a Vietnamese woman who was 

forced to work in a brothel in Russia with 14 other Vietnamese 

women. Last year, we heard at another hearing about a group of 

Vietnamese workers who were trafficked to Jordan. In each of 

these cases, and they are only the tip of the iceberg, officials from 

the Vietnamese Government not only failed to assist the victims, 

but instead were directly complicit in this egregious exploitation of 

women. 

We also heard from a number of people, Christians and Khmer 

Krom Buddhist monks who testified before the committee and told 

how each of their belief groups were being systematically harassed, 

imprisoned, and even forced to renounce their faith, particularly 

the Montagnards. 

53

It is imperative that the United States Government send an unequivocal message to the Vietnamese regime that it must end its 

escalating human rights abuses of its own citizens. This legislation 

seeks to do that by setting out very clear and very attainable 

benchmarks and calls for substantial progress in respecting freedom of religion, releasing all religious prisoners, respecting the 

rights of freedom of expression, assembly, and association, and releasing all political prisoners, independent journalists, and labor 

activists, repealing and revising laws that criminalize peaceful dissent, independent media, unsanctioned religious activity, so-called 

unsanctioned, and nonviolent demonstrations in accordance with 

human rights standards, and of course, respecting the human 

rights of all ethnic groups and taking all appropriate steps including prosecution of government officials and government complicity 

in human trafficking. 

I would note parenthetically the first case that was brought 

against Vietnamese officials pursuant to legislation that I authored 

in 2000 known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was 

against Daewoosa which had a sweatshop in American Samoa and 

the Vietnamese Government to this day has not honored the findings of that court which held very high officials to account. As a 

matter of fact, they were promoted in Vietnam to higher positions. 

It is serious human rights situation and in a bipartisan way, we 

are trying to address it. 

I also want to thank you for bringing to the committee Ranking 

Member Karen Bass’ resolution, H. Res. 131, as amended by the 

amendment in the nature of a substitute. We have had several 

hearings on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I, like other 

members, have been there. I have been to Goma and seen how horrific the abuse there is and this calls upon not only the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, but other border states to do far more than 

they have done to end the atrocities and the violence there. It also 

points out that the Atrocities Prevention Board, created in 2011, to 

coordinate U.S. policy to prevent mass atrocities and serious 

human rights violations should work with regional and international partners to help bring the tragedy in Eastern Congo to a 

definitive end. The Atrocities Prevention Board is directed to address, prevent, and ensure accountability for serious violations of 

humanitarian law and we are calling on them to do far more than 

we think that they have done so far. So very fine resolution and 

again, in a bipartisan way, I am glad to join Karen Bass as a cosponsor of her bill. 

Chairman ROYCE. Mr. Schneider is recognized. 

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and let me also say 

thank you to the chairman and the ranking member for the leadership on this committee and the bipartisan way we approach all of 

the issues we face. I am proud to fully support all four resolutions 

and I am grateful as well for the leadership of many on this committee in speaking out and acting on human rights on oversight 

and let me focus, in particular, on Jordan. 

H. Res. 222, recognizing Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for its 

long partnership with the United States, its commitment to peace 

and security in the region, its leadership and promotion of peace 

with its neighbor, Israel, and in particular at this moment, its conVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:46 Sep 10, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_FULL\062713M\81696 HFA PsN: SHIRL
54

tribution toward dealing with both political and humanitarian crisis in Syria is crucial. Jordan has been a U.S. ally for over six decades. Nearly two decades ago, Jordan signed the historic peace 

treaty with Israel and in a sense under the leadership of King 

Abdullah II, actively and constructively sought progress toward 

peace, between Israelis and Palestinians. Jordan has been a reliable partner with U.S. providing intelligence and resources in the 

global war on terror, as well as security and humanitarian support 

of the United States’ efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Of particular note, Jordan has been a refuge for people seeking 

security and sanctuary from sectarian violence in Iraq, Libya, and 

now most urgently, Syria. Already over 500,000 people have sought 

refuge in Jordan from the atrocities of the Al-Assad regime and 

some estimate that number may double before the end of the year. 

Jordan presently faces significant challenges in dealing with this 

massive refugee crisis and its associated economic burden. The U.S. 

can and must do more to assist the people in the Government of 

Jordan as the conflict in Syria continues to threaten the stability 

of the entire region. 

We must work in partnership with our allies in the region, including Jordan, to ensure the crisis in Syria does not break out into 

a broader regional disaster. The resolution we are considering 

today accurately identifies the tremendous assistance Jordan provides throughout the region and recognizes our partnership in promoting both security and peace. I yield back. 

Chairman ROYCE. Mr. Bera, do you seek recognition? Before we 

go to you, I think Mr. Rohrabacher just indicated he would like to 

seek recognition. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I 

would like to congratulate you on doing the drudge work in making 

sure that legislation gets put together and brought before us and 

the compromises and the wordings and all of the things that go 

into your job, you are doing a good job for us and especially on important issues like we are discussing today and they are important. 

We are talking about human rights in Vietnam and in Africa and 

acknowledging Jordan as a very important player in the Middle 

East and an important friend of the United States. 

I would like to call attention specifically to the legislation and 

add my name to it, if we could, that references human rights in 

Vietnam. The people of Vietnam deserve special attention. They deserve the special attention that this legislation gives them. We encouraged the Vietnamese people during the height of the Cold War 

to resist the expansion of communism. They did so. They did so 

bravely, courageously, and unfortunately, their efforts were futile. 

We also, of course, lost 50,000 American lives and hundreds of 

thousands of wounded during that conflict in the 1960s. Let us remember, however, that the Vietnamese paid a much heavier price 

for that conflict which was indeed one of the epic conflicts of the 

Cold War. And we, of course, left the Vietnamese to fight on by 

themselves. And a few years after we left, not long after we left, 

they were, of course, overrun when this Congress decided to cut all 

funds off to the Vietnamese Government that we left behind. We 

cut off all funds for any military support for a conflict that we had 

convinced them to get into in the first place. 

55

With this history, Mr. Chairman, I think it behooves us to try 

our best to at least be on the record and to pressure the Government of Vietnam today to respect the human rights of its people 

to the degree that a government such as that government exists. 

It is hard to tell whether we can call them a Communist government as it is hard to tell whether or not the government in China 

is a Communist government, but we do know that the Government 

of China is the world’s worst human rights abuser. And we do 

know that there are major human rights abuses going on in Vietnam. 

With this special relationship that we paid for and they paid for 

in blood, we do need to go on record strongly when their rights are 

being violated. One of the groups of people here being mentioned 

are the Montagnards. And I will have to note that back in 1967 I 

spent some time in the Central Highlands with the Montagnard 

villagers and found them to be courageous and I will never forget. 

They give these little bracelets out that go around your arm that 

means you are a member of the tribe or their clan, I guess, and 

I remember when they gave me one and years later I determined 

that the war in Vietnam was not in our interest to stay and lose 

so many of our young lives. It was so divisive for our people. 

And I remember the day I decided that I was in the shower actually taking a shower and that bracelet broke at exactly that moment. And I looked down and that bracelet was in the drain. I 

looked down and I said, ‘‘I wonder what happened to those 

Montagnard people who trusted me and gave me that bracelet. 

Maybe they are going down the drain, too.’’ Well, today, and for the 

last few years, those of us who have tried to remain true to the 

principals of human rights that I think our country stands for, 

know that we need to pay, we have a debt to pay to those people 

to pay special attention to those human rights that were violated 

and are being violated today by that vicious government that still 

controls and holds power, although how they can claim they gave 

so many lives to create this Marxist dream and there is no way 

they can claim that their economic system as in China has anything to do with Karl Marx because it is now an ultra-profiteering 

capitalist system. But it is more like a fascist system we should 

say. 

So thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for again all of the legislation that you have worked through, especially this legislation 

that gives a very special attention to the Vietnamese people to 

whom we owe a great debt. Thank you. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher. We will go now 

to Dr. Bera, but before I do, I will remind the members we have 

competing markups and members may submit statements for the 

record and after we recognize our next few speakers, we are going 

to go to a voice vote as soon as all members seeking recognition, 

we have complied with that request. Dr. Bera, go ahead. 

Mr. BERA. And I will keep my comments brief. First off, I will 

speak in favor of all four of the resolutions. I also want to commend 

the chairman and ranking member for the nature of this committee. Things in this town don’t always work very well, but this 

committee can be an example of what does work well by working 

together. 

56

I want to speak specifically to H. Res. 273, particularly in the 

timeliness of yesterday’s hearing and the importance of getting the 

Broadcasting Board of Governors working. Anything we can do to 

move this process forward, it was disconcerting yesterday to hear 

how dysfunctional the Board is and that is an important piece of 

our strategic dialogue. It is an important piece of our diplomacy 

and again, I speak in support of helping us move this process forward. So with that, I will yield back. Thank you. 

Chairman ROYCE. Dr. Bera, thank you. We look forward to working with you on that question of reconstituting the Broadcasting 

Board of Governors so that it operates in an effective way. 

I think Mr. Lowenthal was seeking recognition. Mr. Lowenthal. 

Mr. LOWENTHAL. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I support all four measures before us today, but I am proud to be an original co-sponsor 

of H.R. 1897, the Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013, an act to 

promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam. First, I would like to 

thank Congressman Smith for introducing this important legislation and for you, Mr. Chair, for bringing it to the full committee 

and I would also like to thank you, Mr. Chair, for conducting this 

committee in a bipartisan manner. 

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1897, the Vietnam Human Rights Act could 

not have come at a more critical time for the United States-Vietnam relations. As we all know, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has benefitted substantially since the time that 

it normalized relations with the United States. Through its partnership with the United States, the Government of Vietnam has 

gained access to the WTO, has received permanent normal trade 

status with our country and has expanded into American markets 

which is now worth approximately $25 billion a year. 

Now the Government of Vietnam wants to be part of the TransPacific Partnership without any commitment to respecting human 

rights, religious freedom, and political rights of its people. Despite 

the fact that Congress has passed numerous resolutions in the past 

calling on the United States Government to pressure Vietnam into 

improving its human rights record, we seem to be getting nowhere 

with progress on the ground. On the contrary, the Government of 

Vietnam has stepped its crackdown on activists, dissidents, and opposition voices in an unprecedented scale. This is due to the fact 

that increasingly intellectuals, former officials, and those who have 

worked for the ruling authorities are speaking out against the authoritarian regime and voicing their opinions for justice and for 

human rights. 

As reported by the Human Rights Watch on June 19th, blogger 

Truong Duy Nhat, blogger Pham Viet Dao, who is a former government official, and internet activist Nguyen Chi Duc, a former member of the Communist Party, they have been recently arrested by 

the Ministry of Public Security just for exercising their rights. 

Moreover, bloggers such as Truong Duy Nhat, Pham Viet Dao have 

both been critical of the Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan 

Dung and Vietnamese Communist Party Secretary General Nguyen 

Phu Trong, blaming them for mishandling the economy and calling 

for their resignation. It just goes on and on, Mr. Chair. Human 

rights abuses and crackdown on political dissents are on the rise 

in Vietnam. 

57

While these activists represent the latest wave of crackdown on 

dissidents by the government, we should not also forget that many 

prisoners of conscience are still serving their long and unjust sentences from years ago and they remain today in jail. It is with this 

heavy background of human rights abuses that I implore this Congress to pass the Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013 to send a 

strong signal to the Government of Vietnam to stand up for justice 

and human dignity. 

Just recently on June 1st, I, along with Chairman Royce and 

Congresswomen Loretta Sanchez and others, hosted a community 

town hall for the United States Ambassador to Vietnam, David 

Shear, in my district which is the heart of Little Saigon in Orange 

County which is one of the largest concentration of Vietnamese outside of Vietnam. The overwhelming number of Vietnamese Americans and local, elected officials who attended the event called on 

Congress to pass the Vietnam Human Rights Act. Today, I am asking for the same. 

Freedom, democracy, and human rights must be a part of any future partnership with Vietnam. Let us support the people of Vietnam by voting yes on H.R. 1897, the Vietnam Human Rights Act 

of 2013. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I yield back my time. 

Chairman ROYCE. Thank you, Mr. Lowenthal. Do any other 

members seek recognition before we vote? 

Hearing no further requests for recognition, the question occurs 

on agreeing to the items being considered en bloc. 

All those in favor say aye. 

All opposed, no. 

In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and the items considered en bloc are agreed to. Without objection, the measures 

agreed to en bloc: H.R. 1897; House Resolution 131, as amended; 

House Resolution 273; and House Resolution 222, as amended, are 

ordered favorably reported to the House and staff are directed to 

make technical and conforming changes. And I want to thank 

Ranking Member Engel and all of our colleagues for their contributions and assistance with today’s markup. The committee is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 10:49 a.m., the committee was adjourned.] 

(59)

A P P E N D I X 

MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING RECORD

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81696n.eps

FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP NOTICE 

COMMlTTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATiVES 

WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6128 

Edward R. Royce (R-CA), Chairman 

June 27,2013 

TO: MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

You are respectfully requested to attend an OPEN meeting of the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs, to be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Ofilce Building (and available live on 

the Committee website at http://www.ForeignAffairs.house.gov) 

DATE: 

TIME: 

MARKlJPOF: 

Thursday, June 27,2013 

10:00 a.m. 

H.R. 1897, Vietnam Human Rights Act of2013; 

H. Res. 131, Concerning the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo and the need for international efforts toward long-tenn 

peace, stability, and observance of human rights; 

H. Res. 273, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 

President should nominate a qualified and independent individual for the 

position of Inspector General of the Department of State and Broadcasting 

Board of Governors to be confirmed by the Senate without delay; and 

H. Res. 222, Recognizing the long-tenn partnership and friendship 

between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working 

together towards peace and security in the Middle East. 

By Direction of the Chairman 
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81696m.eps

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAiRS MlNlITKS OF FULL COMMITTEE :\1A.RKLIP 

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Recesse, iN11 J ~to -> ~to -> L-to __ )( __ to __ ) L-to -> L-to-> 

Presiding Member(,) 

Chairman EdwrU'ti K RO)-'ct' 

Check all of the following that app(v: 

Open Session [Z] 

Execulh'e (closed) Session D Tdevi .. d [Z] 

Electronically Recorded (taped) [Z] 

S1enographic Record [Z] 

RILLS FOR MARKUP: (Include bill number(s) and title(s) of legislation.) 

H.R.1897(S",./h_N.I), "VM"'''''' H~IJrQn HrghlSAol of2~/i' 

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COMM1TTEE MEMBERS PR~:S~:NT: 

See Attached Sheel 

I\ON-COMMITTEI<: :v!E:v!BERS PRESENT: 

]t,{one 

STA'I'}]\fFNTS FOR TIlE RECORD: (List any sTatements suhmitted/or the record.) 

Rep_ Stockman 

ACTIONS TAKEN DURDIG THE MARKUP: (A ttach ""pie., r11eg(,lation alld amendments.) 

See Allached Summary 

RECORDED VOTES TAKE~ (FOR MARKUP): (Attach final vote tally sheet lis/inl[ e"cit member.) 

Subject 

NfA 

TIME SCHEDl:LED TO RECO~VENE __ , __ _ 

or 

TIME ADJOUR"<ED ~1",O.",·4,,-9 __ _ 

Doug Anderson, General Counsel 
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Present 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

HOllsI': COMMITTI':I': ON FORI':IGN AFFAIRS 

"Full Committee Markup" 

June 27,2013 

Memher Present Memher 

Edward R. Royce, CA Eliot L. Engel, NY 

Christopher H. Smith. NJ X Eni F.H Faleomavaega, AS 

Ileana Ras-Lehtinen. FL Brad Shennan, CA 

Dana Rohrabacher, CA Gregory W. Meeks. NY 

Ste,e Chabot. OH X Albia Sires, NJ 

Joe \Vilson. SC Gerald E. Connolly. V A 

Michael T McCauL TX X TIleodore E. Deutch. FL 

Ted Poe. TX Brian Higgins, NY 

Matt Salmon. AZ X Karen Bass. CA 

Tom Marino. PA \Villiam Keating. MA 

Jeff Duncan, SC X Dm id Cicilline. RI 

Adam I<inzingcf, IL X Alan Grayson. FL 

Mo Brooks. AL X Juan Vargas, CA 

Tom COttOI1. AR X Bradley S. Schneider, IL 

Paul Cook, CA X Joseph p, Kennedy III. MA 

George Holding. NC X Ami Bcra. CA 

Randy K. Weber. Sr., TX X Alan S. Lowenthal. CA 

Scott Pen-;, PA Grace Meng. NY 

StC\ c StOCk..t11311. TX Lois Frankel, FL 

Ron DeSantis. FL X Tuls; Gabbard, HI 

Trey Radel. FL X Joaquin Castro. TX 

Doug Collins, GA 

Mark Meadows, NC 

Ted S Yoho. FL 

Luke Messer. IN 
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6/27/13 Foreign Affairs Committee Marknp Summary 

The Chair called up the following measures for consideration by the Committee. By unanimous 

consent, the four measures and two amendments (previously provided to Members of the Committee) 

were considered ell bloc: 

L H.R. 1897 (Smith - NJ), "Vietnam Human Rights Act 01'2013" 

2. H. Res. 131 (Bass), "Concerning the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

and the need for international efforts toward long-term peace, stability, and observance of 

human rights." 

a. As amended by Bass II (amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Rep. Bass). 

3. H. Res. 273 (Royce/Engelt "Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 

President should nominate a qualitied and independent individual for the position of Inspector 

General of the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors to be confinned by 

the Senate without delay." 

4. H. Res. 222 (Meeks), "Recognizing the long-term partnership and friendship between the 

United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working together towards peace and 

security in the Middle East." 

a. As amended by Meeks 11 (amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Rep. 

Meeks). 

The measures and respective amendments were adopted by voice vote. By unanimous consent, the 

measures (as amended) were ordered favorably reported to the House. 

The Committee adjourned. 
64

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81696h.eps

Statement for the Record 

Submitted by the Honorable Steve Stockman 

Thank you, Chairman Smith, for addressing these four bills H. R. 1897, H. Res. 131, H. 

Res. 273, and H. Res. 222. The Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human 

Rights and International Organizations and the legislation we discuss here is one of my 

highest priorities. The testimonies we heard today give significant insight to confirm that 

the conditions in Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Jordan are a grave 

and serious matter. 

H.R. 1897, the Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2013, addresses the conditions of 

oppression in Vietnam. The Government of Vietnam is single-party Communist and 

forbids any challenge to the government, restricts freedom of the press, religion, 

association, Internet, telecommunications, and the right to organize. My district, Texas 

36, serves many of Houston's suburbs and stretches east to the Louisiana border. 

Houston, and its outer-suburbs have one of the largest populations of VietnameseAmericans and Vietnamese immigrants in the United States. In consequence, I hear 

detailed descriptions of these issues and cries of concerns from my constituents daily. 

U.S.-Vietnam relations reap countless positive results. Annual U.S.-Vietnam trade 

reached $25 billion in 2012. 

H. Res. 131, the Democratic Republic of Congo for Peace, Stability, and Human Rights, 

addresses the terrifying conditions of death, poverty, and crime. Locally, civilian women 

are faced with the immediate danger of rape, children are faced wit the immediate danger 

of child-soldier-slavery, and economically, the DRC is pursued aggressively by foreign 

nations who covet their natural resources, including elephant ivory going to extreme 

measures to take what they want. I have spent time in the DCR and have seen the 

suffering first hand. The basic rights to safety and the preservation of life should be 

fought for by neighbors and friends. 

H. Res. 222, offered by Committee Member Gregory Meeks, recognizes the effort and 

growth of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and calls on the U.S. Government to 

continue to help alleviate the economic and social impact of the terrorized Hashemite 

Kingdom of Jordon. We must considering the gravity and potential of H. Res. 222, and 

its ability to help a country facing severe threats of the basic principles of life. The alAssad regime has killed and displaced millions of civilians in Syria and continues to 

terrorize. 

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for holding this important markup.