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

Tuesday, February 26

Subcommittee Hearing: Demonstrations in Tahrir Square: Two Years Later, What Has Changed?

11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa

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

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable Elliott Abrams
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Council on Foreign Relations

Katrina Lantos Swett, Ph.D.
Chair
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

Tamara Cofman Wittes, Ph.D.
Director
Saban Center for Middle East Policy
The Brookings Institute

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “It has been two years since Egyptians took to the streets in popular uprisings throughout the country to protest the authoritarian rule of Hosni Mubarak. It was hoped that Egypt would finally transition to a free and democratic government. However, taxpayers should ask whether their hard earned dollars should continue to go to Egypt since Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have taken control of the Egyptian government. The current actions and rhetoric coming from Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood led-government are cause for concern in the region as he has taken steps to consolidate his power, suppress human rights and marginalize minority groups, and has strengthened Egypt’s relationship with Tehran. This hearing will examine what has changed since the fall of the Mubarak regime, and it will also explore the potential dangers of engaging the Morsi government and what impact that has on U.S. national security issues for Egypt and the entire region.”

  

Tuesday, February 26

Subcommittee Hearing: The Rebalance to Asia: Why South Asia Matters (Part I)

2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable Robert O. Blake
Assistant Secretary
Bureau for South and Central Asian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Mr. Joseph Y. Yun
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau East Asian and Pacific Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Chairman Chabot on the hearing: “The United States relies on a strong set of bilateral defense and strategic relationships with nations in the Indo-Pacific.  The reality is that China’s growing presence in Asia is leading our regional partners and allies to take steps to counterbalance its expanding power, which is very much the underlining factor behind the Administration’s ‘pivot’ to Asia.  In South Asia particularly, China is developing alternative routes to the Indian Ocean in order to fulfill its insatiable demand for energy.  As we look toward a region that will only continue to become more unsettled, the Administration must recognize that in order for its rebalance to Asia to succeed, India and the broader Indian Ocean region must play a central role.  This hearing will be an important examination of how the Administration plans to enhance U. S. relationships in the region as part of its larger strategy in Asia.”

  

Wednesday, February 27

Subcommittee Hearing: Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths

9 a.m. on Wednesday, February 27 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Panel I
Robert George, Ph.D.
McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence
Princeton University

Zudhi Jasser, M.D.
President
American Islamic Forum for Democracy

Katrina Lantos Swett, Ph.D.
Chair
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

Panel II
Rabbi Andrew Baker
Personal Representative on Combating Anti-Semitism
Office of the Chairperson-in-Office
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

Tamás Fellegi, Ph.D.
Managing Partner
EuroAtlantic Solutions
(Former Minister of National Development Government of Hungary)

Rabbi David Meyer
Professor of Rabbinic Literature and Contemporary Jewish Thought
Pontifical Gregorian University

Mr. Willy Silberstein
Chairman
Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism

Wednesday, February 27

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: Islamist Militant Threats to Eurasia

1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman

Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

Panel I
The Honorable Robert O. Blake
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Panel II
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies
The Heritage Foundation

Mr. Jacob Zenn
Research Analyst
The Jamestown Foundation

Chairman Poe on the hearing: “The threat of Islamic militant groups that seek to destroy our way of life and steal the freedoms of people around the world must be countered at every turn. The changing dynamics in Central Asia will require the United States to remain focused on working with local governments in close coordination to ensure that these al-Qaeda linked terrorists have no place to lay their head at night.”

  

Thursday, February 28

Subcommittee Hearing: Overview of U.S. Interests in the Western Hemisphere: Opportunities and Challenges

9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 28 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable Roberta S. Jacobson
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Mark Feierstein
Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean
U.S. Agency for International Development

Chairman Salmon on the hearing: “As other global hot spots have claimed the interest of both the media and policy makers, our own neighborhood, the Western Hemisphere, has not received the attention it is due.  Through this first hearing of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, I hope we can gain insight from the State Department and USAID on areas where we can engage our neighbors to improve relations, grow our collective economies and find solutions to some of our shared challenges, including trafficking in persons and narcotics and developing regional energy assets.  We will also look to the Administration to explain some of the policies they have implemented to counter the growing influence of Iran in the region and to hold countries that have received U.S. economic aid accountable for their commitments to economic and democratic reforms.  This hearing should provide the Members of the Subcommittee an important overview of the region that will help lay out our agenda for the year.”

###