A Look Ahead—December 5-December 9

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) announced the following upcoming Committee events: Tuesday, December 6 Hearing: American Compassion in India: Government Obstacles 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 6 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Committee on Foreign Affairs Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: Mr. Stephen Oakley General Counsel and Vice President of the General Counsel Office Compassion International Mr. John Sifton Acting Deputy Washington Director Asia Advocacy Director Human Rights Watch Irfan Nooruddin, Ph.D. Hamad bin Khalifa Professor of Indian Politics Walsh School of Foreign Service Georgetown University Chairman Royce on the hearing: "In three weeks, Compassion International – which provides critical tutoring, nutrition and medical services to children in India – could be shut down because of Indian government regulators.  It is my hope that by bringing attention to this issue, 145,000 children will not be tragically denied services they desperately need.  And then, relations between the two countries will be even stronger." Tuesday, December 6 Subcommittee Hearing: Step or Stumble: The Obama Administration's Pivot to Asia 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: Richard J. Ellings, Ph.D. President The National Bureau of Asian Research Derek M. Scissors, Ph.D. Resident Scholar American Enterprise Institute Ms. Kelley Currie Senior Fellow Project 2049 Institute Mr. Barry C. Lynn Director Open Markets Program New America Chairman Salmon on the hearing: "As we transition after two full terms of a presidency whose signature foreign policy initiative was a rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific, it is time to take stock of where U.S. policy stands in this critical region. High level contact between U.S. and Asian leaders has never been more frequent, but challenges persist and in some cases, have expanded. Our commitment to the region was anchored by a trade deal that is now floundering. The world is menaced by an increasingly belligerent and dangerous North Korea, and the American security guarantee has been called into question in the South China Sea and elsewhere. Events unfolding in Burma, Hong Kong, and throughout the region call for a reevaluation of U.S. democracy and human rights efforts in Asia, and the threat of radical Islamist extremism lingers. In this hearing, the Subcommittee will hear expert evaluations of the strategic, economic, and human rights dimensions of the rebalance, and form recommendations for the future of U.S. policy in the Asia-Pacific." Wednesday, December 7 Subcommittee Hearing: Corruption: A Danger to Democracy in Europe and Eurasia 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 7 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: Mr. Charles Davidson Executive Director Kleptocracy Initiative Hudson Institute Mr. Ivan Vejvoda Senior Vice President for Programs The German Marshall Fund of the United States Mr. Sergei Kolesnikov (Former Co-Founder of Petromed Holding) Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: "Next week the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee will hold a hearing on one of the most serious and insidious challenges to building modern and effective states: corruption and kleptocratic governments. Whether it is in Russia, eastern Europe, Turkey or elsewhere, corruption by those in power undermines economic growth and sets back democratic reforms. It is in the US national interest to support the forces of reform and not to allow Western financial institutions or banks to facilitate these sorts of corrupt acts. The hearing will give Members an opportunity to hear some extraordinary testimony and learn what more US policy makers can do in the future." ***See www.foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates. ***Coverage note:  All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.

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