A Look Ahead — Week of July 29 – August 2
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the following upcoming Committee events:
Wednesday, July 31
Subcommittee Hearing: The Iran-Syria Nexus and its Implications for the Region
2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman
Invited witnesses include:
The Honorable John Bolton
Senior Fellow
American Enterprise Institute
(Former United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations)
Mr. Mark Dubowitz
Executive Director
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The Iran-Syria nexus has been the catalyst for conflict and increased tensions in the Middle East. While over 100,000 Syrians have been killed and millions displaced in the current conflict, Iran has been instrumental in keeping Assad in power. Tehran has sent cash, goods, arms and foreign fighters to the Assad regime in an effort to keep it in power at any cost. This conflict has brought the entire region to the precipice of utter chaos and directly threatens the United States, our national security interests, and our allies. This hearing will examine the Administration’s policies toward Iran and Syria, and what implications those policies may have on the region.”
Thursday, August 1
Markup: H.R. ___, Department of State Operations and Embassy Security Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2014.
10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 1 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman
Thursday, August 1
Subcommittee Hearing: The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Outlook and Opportunities
1:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Chairman
Invited witnesses include:
Mr. Edward F. Gerwin, Jr.
President
Trade Guru LLC
Mr. Amgad Shehata
Vice President
International Public Affairs
United Parcel Service
Mr. Steven Metalitz
Counsel
International Intellectual Property Alliance
Ms. Celeste Drake
Trade and Globalization Policy Specialist
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Chairman Poe on the hearing: “The Obama Administration is currently negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-country free trade agreement that has the potential to create jobs in the U.S. and build our relationships abroad. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is being heralded as a ‘21st century high-standard agreement’ and will set a precedent for future world trade agreements. As such, it is important that TPP creates a level playing field for all parties involved.”
“This hearing will educate Members on TPP’s impact on the both the U.S. and global economy and the concerns with the agreement as it currently stands before it is sent to Congress for a vote. Witnesses include think tank as well as industry experts who will explain how TPP will impact the U.S. economy and international relations, as well as their specific businesses.”
Thursday, August 1
2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman
Invited witnesses include:
Matthew Levitt, Ph.D.
Director and Senior Fellow<br”>Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Mr. Michael A. Braun
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Spectre Group International, LLC
(Former Chief of Operations, Drug Enforcement Administration)
Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The recent State Department report on the activities of Iran in the Western Hemisphere drastically underestimates the influence and presence of Iran, and its proxy Hezbollah, in the region. Last week we commemorated the 19th anniversary of the AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires and we remembered those who were victimized by Iran and Hezbollah. This hearing will serve as a sounding of the alarm on this growing threat and will also serve as a caution to the Administration to not turn a blind eye to this menace.”
Chairman Salmon on the hearing: “Together with the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, this joint Subcommittee hearing seeks to probe deeper into Iran and its surrogates’ efforts to expand their influence in the Western Hemisphere. As Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, I remain committed to exposing this growing threat in our own part of the world and examining the implications it could have on the U.S. and our national security. Iran spews anti-American rhetoric around the globe and is a known state sponsor of terrorism, therefore, if we fail to thoroughly investigate and respond to Iran’s influence and actions in the Western Hemisphere, we do so at our own risk.”
Thursday, August 1
Subcommittee Hearing: The Impact of U.S. Water Programs on Global Health
2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 1 in 2255 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
The Honorable Christian Holmes
Global Water Coordinator
U.S. Agency for International Development
Aaron A. Salzberg, Ph.D.
Special Coordinator for Water Resources
U.S. Department of State
Panel II
Mr. John Oldfield
Chief Executive Officer
WASH Advocates
Mr. Malcolm Morris
Chairman
Millennium Water Alliance
Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Water is vital to the lives and health of all people and has long been considered a fundamental humanitarian need by Congress,“ said Rep. Chris Smith, chairman of the House global health subcommittee. “ Since funding for water programs was divided and distributed among several programs two years ago, the effectiveness of the U.S. government efforts to improve water accessibility in developing countries is not clear. Our hearing is intended to determine whether splitting this important funding among several programs has worked sufficiently to best help those in need of clean water.”
***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates.
***Coverage note: All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.
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