[House Hearing, 113 Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2014; CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION OF EXIT PERMIT ISSUANCE BY THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FOR ADOPTED CONGOLESE CHILDREN; AND THE NEED TO BRING THE SOUTH SUDAN CONFLICT TO A SUSTAINABLE AND LASTING END ======================================================================= MARKUP BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H.R. 4653, H. Res. 588 and H. Res. 503 __________ JUNE 18, 2014 __________ Serial No. 113-181 __________ Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ or http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ ______ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 88-388PDF WASHINGTON : 2014 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800 DC area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402-0001 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American DANA ROHRABACHER, California Samoa STEVE CHABOT, Ohio BRAD SHERMAN, California JOE WILSON, South Carolina GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey TED POE, Texas GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia MATT SALMON, Arizona THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania BRIAN HIGGINS, New York JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina KAREN BASS, California ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts MO BROOKS, Alabama DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island TOM COTTON, Arkansas ALAN GRAYSON, Florida PAUL COOK, California JUAN VARGAS, California GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER, Illinois RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III, SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania Massachusetts STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas AMI BERA, California RON DeSANTIS, Florida ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California DOUG COLLINS, Georgia GRACE MENG, New York MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina LOIS FRANKEL, Florida TED S. YOHO, Florida TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii SEAN DUFFY, Wisconsin JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director ------ Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania KAREN BASS, California RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas AMI BERA, California MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina C O N T E N T S ---------- Page MARKUP OF H.R. 4653, To reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and for other purposes........ 3 Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4653 offered by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, and chairman, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.............................. 7 H. Res. 588, Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents............................................... 11 Amendment to H. Res. 588 offered by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith........................................................ 15 H. Res. 503, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable and lasting end and to promote reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances to allow for a peaceful society with good governance................................... 17 Amendment to H. Res. 503 offered by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith........................................................ 24 LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD APPENDIX Markup notice.................................................... 32 Markup minutes................................................... 33 Markup summary................................................... 34 UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2014; CONCERNING THE SUSPENSION OF EXIT PERMIT ISSUANCE BY THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO FOR ADOPTED CONGOLESE CHILDREN; AND THE NEED TO BRING THE SOUTH SUDAN CONFLICT TO A SUSTAINABLE AND LASTING END ---------- WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014 House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 1:30 p.m., in room 2200 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. Smith (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. Smith. Good afternoon, and I want to thank our colleagues for being here for this markup. Pursuant to notice we are here this afternoon to mark up three bills: H.R. 4653, United States Commission on the International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2014; H. Res. 588, Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents coming to the U.S.; and H. Res. 503, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable and lasting end and to promote reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances to allow for a peaceful society with good governance. All three measures enjoy strong bipartisan support that is typical of the cooperation that characterizes both the subcommittee and our full committee. Congressman Wolf's bill which reauthorizes the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has a nearly equal number of Democrats and Republican co-sponsors. The resolution on DR Congo adoptions is a Democratic measure authored by Congressman Collin Peterson of Minnesota, and again has strong bipartisan support and I am happy to say that the lead co-sponsor of our bipartisan resolution on the crisis in South Sudan is my dear friend and colleague, Ranking Member Karen Bass, who shares an abiding concern and deep concern for the Nation of South Sudan. I want to thank members of the subcommittee for their support for these resolutions as well, and I do think it will receive full floor consideration. The fact that this subcommittee will reconvene following this markup for a briefing and hearing as well as scheduling of other events including a competing hearing and votes scheduled by leadership, it is the intent of the Chair to consider these measures en bloc along with substitute amendments sent to you yesterday. All members do have copies of the documents before them, and then after we have concluded our expedited consideration I would be glad to recognize any member including myself and the ranking member and any of our other members for any statements they would like to make. All members are given leave to insert written remarks into the record should they choose to do so. Seeing that we have a reporting quorum, without objection, the following are considered as read and will be considered en bloc. H.R. 4653, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2014, with the Smith Amendment to H.R. 4653, again sent to your offices Tuesday; H. Res. 588, Concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents, and a substitute amendment offered by myself to H. Res. 588; and then H. Res 503, Expressing the sense in the House regarding the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable and lasting end and promote reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances to allow for a peaceful society with good governance, and another Smith amendment sent to your offices yesterday. [The information referred to follows:] [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Mr. Smith. The Chair moves that the en bloc amendments be adopted, and all those in favor say aye. All those opposed, no. The ayes have it in the opinion of the Chair, and the items that are considered en bloc are adopted. Without objection, the measures as amended are reported favorably to the full committee and the staff is directed to make any technical and conforming changes. I would like to note that we have completed our formal consideration of these measures and I recognize members for remarks. And I would like to first recognize myself on behalf of the first bill that just passed on to the full committee reauthorizing the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. In 1998, Congress had the foresight to make the protection and promotion of religious liberty a priority in U.S. foreign policy by creating an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the Office of International Religious Freedom at the Department of State, which authors the International Religious Freedom Report on every country in the world, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and their watchdog report which they send to Congress. Back in 1997 and 1998 I chaired all of the hearings in the House that led to the markup of the legislation authored by Chairman Frank Wolf of Virginia. It was at the time a very tough sell. There were people against it both in the administration as well as in Congress. But at the end of the day there was a great coming together and a consensus behind it that it was an idea whose time has come, to paraphrase Victor Hugo, and it has made a difference over the years in promoting religious freedom all over the world. Importantly, this landmark legislation, the International Religious Freedom Act, created a system for naming and taking action against Countries of Particular Concern or CPCs. History has shown that when the U.S. makes religious freedom a priority and that priority is conveyed to Countries of Particular Concern, especially, we have seen conditions change with minimal harm to security or economic cooperation. As a matter of fact, countless numbers of religious freedom advocates who have been persecuted have benefited from this legislation and have found freedom or at least a lessening of jail sentences and a mitigation of the abuse that they suffer. Two and a half years ago after passing with strong bipartisan support in the House, a reauthorization bill, it got bogged down in the Senate, though eventually the Commission was reauthorized, when the legislation was then signed into law by the President. This time we hope there will be no such bogging down. And obstacles in the Senate, we all know how so many bills that are sent there don't get acted on. We think this will and believe it will. We have worked with Mr. Wolf's office, members of USCIRF, and colleagues from both parties to accommodate concerns. This subcommittee held a hearing on May 22, where the USCIRF commissioner, Dr. Robert George, testified and members from religious minority communities, including Muslim, Baha'i, and Christian, spoke about the importance of the work of the Commission. We understand that this subcommittee's markup having been completed, the full committee will mark it up next week. This subcommittee has also held many-hearings on the Republic of South Sudan as part of our overall U.S. Government's effort to see this new Nation succeed. From our initial hearings and legislation to end the Sudanese practice of supporting the enslavement of southerners to the successful effort--and I held a hearing on slavery in the Sudan back in 1996. Chattel slavery, not unlike what we had sadly and regrettably in the United States, was still going on in Sudan. While we now know that the country emerged, it became independent, there now are some very serious problems that could derail its march toward democracy. Last December, staff director Greg Simpkins and I were actually preparing, in wake of the firing of government officials, a conflict with the Republic of Sudan over oil revenue, and a series of internal problems that threatened the security of this Nation, to travel there. Just days before we left, as a matter of fact, 2 days before we left, word came of the new conflict and that the airport was closed and the Embassy said don't come. What began as a political dispute among political rivals has blossomed into a poisonous clash that has taken on ominous ethnic tones that threaten this Nation's future stability. Consequently, I introduced H. Res. 503, with my friend and colleague, Ms. Bass, to recommend a more comprehensive approach to peacemaking in South Sudan. A mere peace treaty cannot overcome the problems that have led to this tragic situation. The resolution does call for sustainable cessation of hostilities and adds our congressional voice to those calls in Africa as well as within the country of South Sudan. But it goes well beyond the preliminary step to urge a process that includes greater transparency; inclusiveness for civil society in ensuring good governance; a clear and achievable road map to a free and fair election; the disarmament of militias and armed groups along with security sector reform; international and domestic procedure to ensure that those guilty of human rights violations are brought to justice; and continued U.S. humanitarian aid and support for capacity building and resilience programs to help South Sudan recover from the crisis. The United States has a significant stake in the long-term success of South Sudan, and we must think beyond the end of this conflict to creating an environment where peace and prosperity can flourish and be sustained. Finally, I wish to note the importance of making a strong statement in support of the children of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And I know, I have been there and I have seen again and again, and Greg and I have been to places like Goma and know how many children have been orphaned as a result of the horrible conflict that has occurred there and continues. This legislation deals with trying to find parents for children who may be adopted, and there are hundreds of kids who are in the pipeline that are no longer now adoptable because of a government change of policy that goes back to last September. And I am talking about the DR Congo. Kinshasa did a change of the view on this, and this encourages them to rethink that and to hopefully allow these children to be adopted here in the United States. I would like to now yield to Ms. Bass. Ms. Bass. Thank you very much, Chairman Smith, always, for your leadership. Your hard work on this important bill, H.R. 4653, I am going to speak just briefly about each of the bills. In a time when sectarian violence rages within and between various world religions and the repression of religious minorities persists, it is important to be supportive of national institutions such as the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Whether it is the desecration of mosques, churches, or synagogues, or the defamation or persecution of adherence to particular religious groups, it is critical to have oversight and forward-thinking policy in these matters to expand religious freedom. In terms of H. Res. 503, I also want to add my voice and support regarding the need to bring the South Sudan conflict to a sustainable end and to promote the reconciliation of longstanding and recent grievances allowing for a peaceful society with good governance. It is my hope that this legislation will help lay the groundwork to not only bring about a peaceful and sustainable resolution to the conflict, but also to establish a stable and economically viable South Sudan. In terms of H. Res. 588, this is another important piece of legislation. I am proud to join Representative Peterson as a co-sponsor of this resolution, and I have worked with my colleagues here in the House and the Senate, in particular my colleague, Senator Mary Landreau. In April, the co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption of which I am one, organized nearly 200 Members of Congress to bring concerns about the interruption of the adoption process directly to the Government of the DRC. As we all work to resolve this issue, Congress and advocates must continue to engage and communicate with the Congolese Government to ensure that all adoptive children are united with safe, loving and permanent families. I look forward to continuing to work with the Congolese Government to continue to improve the intercountry adoption process and the welfare and safety of all children globally. Mr. Smith. Thank you very much. Mr. Cicilline? Mr. Cicilline. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and the ranking member for bringing these three pieces of legislation before this subcommittee for markup. Mr. Smith. Dr. Bera? Mr. Bera. The same thing. Mr. Smith. Thank you. Thank you for joining today and for supporting these bills and resolutions. I would just note, more than parenthetically, we have with us today Andrew Natsios who was our Special Envoy to Sudan. Did a magnificent job in that position, and from 2001 to 2006 was the Administrator for USAID and was absolutely devoted to meeting crises worldwide, but had such a special heart and mind for the people of Sudan. And we in this Congress benefited greatly from his leadership and, of course, above all, the people of Sudan. So I do thank you. Mr. Natsios is speaking on behalf of the human rights in the next venue, but I do want to acknowledge his presence during this markup and thank him for his extraordinary service. This markup is concluded and we will now go to our briefing and then hearing, and I thank my colleagues again for their support in these bills. [Whereupon, at 1:51 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] A P P E N D I X ---------- Material Submitted for the Record [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] [all]