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

Wednesday, April 11
Hearing: Financing Overseas Development: The Administration’s Proposal

10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Invited witness:

The Honorable Ray W. Washburne
President and Chief Executive Officer
Overseas Private Investment Corporation

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “Seventy percent of small businesses in emerging economies can’t access the capital needed to grow. But the organization tasked with helping U.S. businesses invest in development projects overseas is outdated. By reforming and modernizing our development finance institutions we can unleash the power of private-sector-led growth and create more opportunities for U.S. investment and trade while also protecting U.S. national security interests. This hearing will give members an opportunity to hear from the administration about its proposal to better leverage public-private partnerships.”

Wednesday, April 11
Subcommittee Hearing: North Korea’s Diplomatic Gambit: Will History Repeat Itself?

2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Sung-Yoon Lee, Ph.D.
Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor in Korean Studies and Assistant Professor
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Tufts University

Victor Cha, Ph.D.
Senior Adviser and Korea Chair
Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Honorable Christopher R. Hill
(Former Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea)

Chairman Yoho on the hearing: “We must remain clear-eyed about recent developments on the Korean Peninsula. Since the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Kim Jong Un has mounted a charm offensive, leading to proposed summits with President Moon Jae In and President Donald Trump. Kim also undertook a surprise visit to Beijing, underscoring China’s continued influence over the Kim regime. While I hope that these talks will lead to the denuclearization of North Korea, and I support the Administration in this process, North Korea has a long history of promises made and promises broken. The United States and the United Nations must not ease the maximum pressure campaign in exchange for empty promises. Considering the difficulty of the task ahead, the Subcommittee will discuss the realistic expectations of any negotiations, ensuring that North Korea does not once again use talks as a cover for continued sanctions evasion and weapons development.”

Wednesday, April 11
Subcommittee Hearing: No Abducted Child Left Behind: An Update on the Goldman Act

2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in 2200 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
Ms. Suzanne Lawrence
Special Advisor for Children’s Issues
Office of Children’s Issues
Bureau of Consular Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Panel II
Ms. Patricia Apy
International and Interstate Family Law Attorney
Paras, Apy, and Reiss

Mr. James Cook
Father of Four Children Abducted in Japan

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Every year, 600-800 more children are abducted by a parent from the United States. Every year, less than 20% come home. The Goldman Act requires the State Department to disclose the abduction records of countries that fail to return American children. The resulting report recognizes the suffering of American families, puts pressure on recalcitrant countries to cooperate, and prevents future abductions by warning family court judges which countries are unsafe. Accurate reporting is one of our best tools to prevent and resolve international parental child abduction – and yet the report leaves children behind, especially in Japan. This hearing will focus on ways that the State Department can more effectively use the annual Goldman Act Report to leave no child behind.”

 

***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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