Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the following upcoming Committee events:

Tuesday, April 14

Subcommittee Hearing: The Crude Oil Export Ban: Helpful or Hurtful?

10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

The Honorable Michèle Flournoy
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Center for a New American Security

Mr. Jason Grumet
Founder and President
Bipartisan Policy Center

Mr. Jason Bordoff
Founding Director
Center on Global Energy Policy
Columbia University

Chairman Poe on the hearing: “American innovation has led to an energy revolution in the U.S. and we now have more crude oil than we can refine or store. Without a policy change, oil producers will be forced to leave a valuable resource in the ground and thousands of hardworking Americans will lose their jobs. By lifting the crude oil export ban we can decrease gas prices, stabilize the global oil market, improve the U.S. economy, and strengthen America’s relationships abroad. The U.S. has been a long-time advocate of free and open markets and now it is time to stand behind that policy by allowing exports of U.S. crude oil.”

Tuesday, April 14

Subcommittee Hearing: Yemen Under Attack by Iranian-Backed Houthis

2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

The Honorable Gerald M. Feierstein
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “Last September, President Obama hailed Yemen as a model of success for our foreign policy and counterterror operations. A week later, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sana’a, and subsequently forced President Hadi to resign, disband the government and flee in exile resulting in the chaos we see in Yemen today. A Saudi-led coalition of states have launched a counteroffensive against the Iranian proxy in an effort to restore stability. And while the U.S. has withdrawn all government personnel, including our military personnel, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has seized this opportunity to expand their base of operations. This hearing will be an important opportunity for our Members to ask the administration what went wrong and how it plans on addressing the terror threat in Yemen as well as Iran’s increased antagonism in Yemen and the region.”

Wednesday, April 15

Hearing: Confronting Russia’s Weaponization of Information

10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

Mr. Peter Pomerantsev
Senior Fellow
The Legatum Institute

Ms. Helle C. Dale
Senior Fellow for Public Diplomacy
The Heritage Foundation

Ms. Elizabeth Wahl
Former RT Anchor
Freelance Journalist/Public Speaker

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “For years, Putin has used the Russian media to consolidate power at home and divide societies abroad.  The strategies employed today by the Kremlin are highly sophisticated and well-funded with an estimated annual budget of more than $600 million.  Russia’s media machine has polluted the media environment, the truth is lost, listeners don’t know whom to believe, and fear divides society.  Unfortunately, the U.S. has been slow to respond to this challenge and the agency charged with leading the effort – the Broadcasting Board of Governors – has a well-documented history of dysfunction.  We need to reform the BBG if we are to have a chance against this ‘weaponization’ of information.”

Wednesday, April 15

Subcommittee Markup: H.R. 1150 and H. Res. 50

2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations

Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Chairman

Bills to be marked up include:

H.R. 1150, Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015

H. Res. 50, Calling for the release of Ukrainian fighter pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who was captured by Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine and has been held illegally in a Russian prison since July 2014

Wednesday, April 15

Subcommittee Hearing: The Continuing Threat of Neglected Tropical Diseases

2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 in 2172 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:

Panel I

Ariel Pablos-Méndez, M.D.
Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Global Health
U.S. Agency for International Development

Panel II
Peter J. Hotez, M.D.
President
Sabin Vaccine Institute

Mr. Nicholas Kourgialis
Vice President, Eye Health
Helen Keller International

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) blind, disable, disfigure and sometimes kill victims. More than one billion of the world’s poorest people contract NTDs, trapping the most marginalized communities in a cycle of poverty and suffering. These diseases can also keep children from attending school and their parents from working, and can result in excessive loss of blood by mothers during birth, low birth-weight babies and other serious health problems. The hearing will examine the problem, especially the impact NTDs pose for U.S. foreign assistance programs.”

Wednesday, April 22

Hearing: Nuclear Agreement with Iran: Can’t Trust, Can We Verify?

10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Committee on Foreign Affairs
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman

Invited Witnesses Include:

Charles Duelfer
Former head
UN Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM)

David Albright
President
Institute for Science and International Security

Chairman Royce said:  “In announcing a nuclear framework agreement with Iran, President Obama declared that ‘If Iran cheats, the world will know.’  But just this week, Iran’s Supreme Leader asserted that Iran wouldn’t allow international inspectors access to its military facilities.  The issue of inspections and verification will be key to how Congress views any final nuclear agreement.  Will inspectors have quick, unimpeded, go-anywhere, anytime access?  Who can they interview; what documents can they review; can they take environmental samples?  All of these major issues still need to be resolved.  Iran’s record of clandestine activity and intransigence prevents holding any trust whatsoever in Iran.  At this hearing, the Committee will hear from former top weapons inspectors and experts to learn what it would take for the Administration’s bold assertion on verification to be credible.”

***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates.

***Coverage note: All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.

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