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.

###