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

Tuesday, April 17
Markup: H.R. 5040, H.R. 5129, H.R. 5274, and H.R. 5480

10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Measures to be marked up include:

H.R. 5040, Export Control Reform Act of 2018

H.R. 5129, Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018

H.R. 5274, Global Electoral Exchange Act

H.R. 5480, Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act

Tuesday, April 17
Subcommittee Hearing: Reinforcing the U.S.-Taiwan Relationship

2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. Mark Stokes
Executive Director
The Project 2049 Institute

Mr. Julian Ku
Maurice A. Deane Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law
Maurice A. Deane School of Law
Hofstra University

Ms. Tiffany Ma
Senior Director
BowerGroupAsia

Chairman Yoho on the hearing: “U.S. diplomats and policy experts like to call Taiwan a ‘beacon of democracy’ and a ‘force for good in the world.’ This isn’t just empty hyperbole. Taiwan is a model of upstanding international conduct, an important U.S. security partner, our tenth largest trading partner, and an exemplar of human rights and democracy in a region short on both. Taiwan’s example is all the more important as China recommits to one-man totalitarianism under Xi Jinping and places increasing pressure on Taiwan’s international space. For example, next month the World Health Organization will convene its annual assembly, and China has blocked Taiwan’s participation despite Taiwan’s leading contributions to global health. As Xi’s ambitions put Taiwan and U.S.-Taiwan relations under increased pressure, it will be incumbent on Congress to reinforce our bilateral relations. In this hearing, the subcommittee will discuss with an expert panel the importance of Taiwan’s participation in institutions like the World Health Assembly, and generate policy options to further enhance U.S.-Taiwan relations.” 

Wednesday, April 18
Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward a Turbulent Middle East

10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable David M. Satterfield
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable A. Wess Mitchell
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “Growing turmoil in the Middle East poses clear and immediate dangers to the U.S. and our partners. In Syria, Assad is using cover from Iran and Russia to continue abhorrent attacks on civilians that have destabilized the region. Meanwhile in Yemen, Iran’s malign influence has empowered the Houthis and left millions on the brink of starvation. This hearing will allow members to examine U.S. policy toward the Middle East as we grapple with these conflicts and approach a key deadline for the Iran nuclear agreement.”

Wednesday, April 18
Subcommittee Hearing: Libya Fractured: The Struggle for Unity

2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. Chris Blanchard
Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Congressional Research Service

Frederic Wehrey, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Middle East Program
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Ms. Alice Hunt Friend
Senior Fellow
International Security Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies 

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “Seven years since Gaddafi’s removal, Libya remains mired in political and economic crisis while terrorist groups, criminal organizations, and constantly evolving militias exploit the chaos. Libya’s instability represents a serious threat to U.S. interests, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa, requiring a clear and complete strategy that the administration has yet to present. This hearing will provide Members with expert assessments of the latest developments in Libya, including the state of play between the country’s various power brokers, as well as policy recommendations for the U.S. and its partners moving forward.”

Wednesday, April 18
Subcommittee Hearing: The Dayton Legacy and the Future of Bosnia and the Western Balkans

2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 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. Matthew Palmer
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Panel II
Sasha Toperich, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow and Director of the Mediterranean Basin, Middle East, and Gulf Initiative
Center for Transatlantic Relations
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Johns Hopkins University

Mr. Philippe Leroux-Martin
Director
Rule of Law, Justice, and Security
U.S. Institute of Peace

Mrs. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi
Balkan Affairs Adviser
Albanian American Civic League

Mr. Kurt Bassuener
Co-Founder and Senior Associate
Democratization Policy Council

Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: “In the past 25 years the United States and our allies have invested greatly to bring peace and stability to Bosnia and the Western Balkans. The 1995 Dayton Agreement stopped the bloodshed, but did not resolve the fundamental issues beleaguering Bosnia and the region.  The structures that brought peace then are today complicating Bosnia’s search for democracy. This hearing will discuss the legal and political dynamics which threaten to delegitimize elections later this year and how the United States government might work jointly with our partners to avoid a potential crisis.”

 

***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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