Updated: A Look Ahead – April 30 – 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:

Thursday, April 30

Subcommittee Hearing: Migration Crisis: Oversight of the Administration’s Proposed $1 Billion Request for Central America

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
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

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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