A Look Ahead – April 27 - May 1
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the following upcoming Committee events:
Wednesday, April 29
Subcommittee Hearing: ISIS: Defining the Enemy
2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Ms. Maryam Rajavi President-Elect National Council of Resistance of Iran (Appearing via teleconference)
The Honorable Robert Ford Senior Fellow The Middle East Institute (Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria)
Walid Phares, Ph.D. Co-Secretary General Transatlantic Parliamentary Group on Counterterrorism
Mr. Daniel Benjamin Norman E. McCulloch Jr. Director John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding (Former Coordinator for Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State)
Chairman Poe on the hearing: "We cannot defeat ISIS if we do not understand it. It is critical that we know what its goals are and how it seeks to achieve them. ISIS uses ideology to recruit foreign fighters and justify its systemic murder of Christians and Muslims that do not agree with it. This hearing will explore what drives ISIS and how we can use ISIS' ideology against it."
Wednesday, April 29
Subcommittee Hearing: Progress and Challenges in the Western Balkans
2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29 in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Panel I
Mr. Hoyt Brian Yee Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs U.S. Department of State
Ms. Susan Fritz Acting Assistant Administrator Europe and Eurasia Bureau U.S. Agency for International Development
Panel II
Mr. Ivan Vejvoda Senior Vice President, Programs German Marshall Fund of the United States
The Honorable Joseph J. DioGuardi President Albanian American Civic League (Former Member of Congress)
Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: "As we approach the twentieth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords later in the year, this is an appropriate time for the Subcommittee to hear from the Executive Branch and outside experts about the progress that has been achieved in the Western Balkans. It is disturbing that the status quo is still in flux regarding the economy and sovereignty of Kosovo. Serbia and several other European states have yet to even recognize Kosovo's independent status, which has existed since 2008. It is time for all parties to get serious and set in place a foundation for stability, progress, and freedom in the future. It is remarkable that a region that witnessed open warfare and horrendous ethnic cleansing during the 1990s is now on the pathway to achieve European integration. Yet, progress in too many areas appears stalled and problems of corruption, rule of law, and creating ethnic tolerance still exists. I am eager for Congress to continue to play a constructive role in the region and to provide support to those who are working to build prosperous and peaceful states."
Wednesday, April 29
Subcommittee Hearing: The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act
2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29 in 2255 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Mr. William Browder Chief Executive Officer Hermitage Capital Management
Ms. Rebiya Kadeer President World Uyghur Congress
Mr. Kenneth R. Weinstein President and Chief Executive Officer Hudson Institute
Chairman Smith on the hearing: "Foreign government officials involved in murder or major corruption should not be welcomed into the United States. Coming to America and owning American property are privileges, not rights. This hearing will examine efforts to keep our neighborhoods and financial systems clean from some of the world's worst violators of human rights."
Thursday, April 30
2 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Mr. Scott Hamilton Central America Director Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs U.S. Department of State
Ms. Paloma Adams-Allen Deputy Assistant Administrator Latin America and the Caribbean Bureau U.S. Agency for International Development
The Honorable Alan D. Bersin Acting Assistant Secretary and Chief Diplomatic Officer Office of Policy U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Lieutenant General Kenneth E. Tovo, USA Military Deputy Commander U.S. Southern Command U.S. Department of Defense
Chairman Duncan on the hearing: "Last summer, the U.S. experienced a massive influx of migration to our U.S. Southern border. Over 68,000 unaccompanied children, most of whom were from the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, sought admittance to our country. This migration crisis overwhelmed U.S. law enforcement agencies, spurred the governments of these three countries to craft an ‘Alliance for Prosperity' Plan, and led the Obama Administration to propose an additional $1 billion in its FY16 budget for these countries. This hearing will examine the $1 billion request and the Obama Administration's strategy, determine whether the strategy and money will actually target the root causes of the migration, assess the strategy's performance metrics to effectively evaluate success or failure of this strategy, understand whether the countries themselves have the capacity and political will to implement this increase of U.S. taxpayer funds effectively, and ensure accountability to those taxpayers. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses as they make their case for how this $1 billion would be used effectively to advance U.S. national security and economic interests."
Thursday, April 30
Subcommittee Hearing: Regional Impact of U.S. Policy Towards Iraq and Syria
2 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Seth G. Jones, Ph. D. Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center RAND Corporation
General Jack Keane, USA, Retired Chairman of the Board Institute for the Study of War
Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: "The Obama administration's lack of a comprehensive strategy for the crises in Iraq and Syria has had a destabilizing effect on the entire Middle East. In Syria, Assad remains in power, over 220,000 people are dead, and terror groups continue to operate and expand in a conflict that has no end in sight. In Iraq, ISIL's expansion and Iran's influence are preventing stability there, and the turmoil in Iraq and Syria is spilling over into the region and wreaking havoc throughout the Middle East. This hearing will allow our Members to have an important discussion with experts in the field on the need for a comprehensive and decisive policy that can address and mitigate these growing threats."
Thursday, April 30
Subcommittee Hearing: Bangladesh's Fracture: Political and Religious Extremism
2 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 in 2255 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Ms. Lisa Curtis Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center The Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy The Heritage Foundation
Mr. Ali Riaz, Ph.D. Professor Department of Politics and Government Chair Illinois State University
Mr. Jay Kansara Director Government Relations Hindu American Foundation
Chairman Salmon on the hearing: "Bangladesh is in a state of chaos. Though the country has long been divided along political lines, the most recent parliamentary elections in 2014 have led to violent protests with the senseless deaths of numerous innocents on both sides of the political line. If this weren't concerning enough, there have also been repeated reports of radical Islamist violence in the country. At a time when international terrorist groups are increasingly recruiting across national boundaries, and because the United States is seeking closer cooperation with regional partners in South Asia, we need a full understanding of the state of affairs in this densely populated nation. Through this hearing, we will better understand the convoluted political situation in Bangladesh and investigate how the United States can advocate for a democratic regime in Bangladesh that is stable and intolerant of violent Islamic extremism."
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