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

Tuesday, September 12
Hearing: Sanctions, Diplomacy, and Information: Pressuring North Korea

10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Invited witnesses include:

Ms. Susan A. Thornton
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Marshall Billingslea
Assistant Secretary
Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “The nuclear test conducted by North Korea earlier this week was its most powerful to date, and its ICBM capabilities continue to improve. Sanctions, diplomacy and information must be fully utilized to address this direct threat to the United States and our allies. Fortunately, Congress has given the administration tools to help cut off cash to Kim Jong Un’s illicit weapons programs and, ultimately, help change North Korea from within. With this hearing, we will examine additional steps to exert maximum pressure on North Korea.”

Wednesday, September 13
Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The President’s FY 2018 Budget Request for Afghanistan and Pakistan

10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 13, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

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

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable Alice G. Wells
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Mr. Gregory Huger
Assistant to the Administrator
Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “With the administration recently unveiling its Afghanistan strategy and suspending a significant amount of aid to Pakistan, this is an opportune time to review the approximate $1.1 billion combined FY 2018 budget request for these two countries. This hearing will explore ongoing challenges in Afghanistan, including combating the Taliban, corruption, economic woes, and a lack of prioritization of counter-narcotics efforts, as well as Pakistan’s performance in preventing terrorist groups from establishing safe havens, and assess whether the budget request is meeting U.S. priorities.”

Chairman Yoho on the hearing: “The continuing security challenge of Afghanistan and the tension in our security partnership with Pakistan present some of greatest foreign policy challenges this Administration will face. In this hearing, the two Subcommittees will hear from State Department and USAID officials about the Administration’s FY2018 State and Foreign Operations budget request for these two countries, how their budgetary planning relates to the new strategy for Afghanistan, and what’s next for U.S. policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

Wednesday, September 13
Subcommittee Hearing: The Future of Democracy and Governance in Liberia

2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13, in 2172 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
The Honorable Donald Yamamoto
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau of African Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Ms. Cheryl Anderson
Acting Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Africa
U.S. Agency for International Development

Panel II
Mr. Dave Peterson
Senior Director
Africa Programs
National Endowment for Democracy

Ms. Aurelia Curtis
Founder and Executive Director
Weeks Educational and Social Advocacy Project

Mr. Rushdi Nackerdien
Regional Director for Africa
International Foundation for Electoral Systems

Christopher Fomunyoh, Ph.D.
Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa
National Democratic Institute

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Liberia, a country established in the 1800s by freed slaves from the United States, has a special place in U.S. foreign policy toward Africa. After seeing democratic progress under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during her two terms in office, this hearing will examine the prospects for further consolidation of democracy and governance in the administration elected in October elections.”

Wednesday, September 13
Subcommittee Hearing: The Venezuela Crisis: The Malicious Influence of State and Criminal Actors

2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13, in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building

Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Chairman

Invited witnesses include:

R. Evan Ellis, Ph.D.
Senior Associate
Americas Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Mr. Francisco Toro
Executive Editor
Caracas Chronicles

Harold Trinkunas, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scholar and Associate Director for Research
Center for International Security and Cooperation
Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Stanford University

Chairman Duncan on the hearing: “As the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, we must not forget that various state and criminal actors are actively undermining U.S. and international efforts to restore Venezuelan democracy and rule of law. Their influence props up the Maduro dictatorship, provides lifelines for its survival, and enables a culture of corruption and narcotrafficking to thrive while the Venezuelan people suffer. The U.S. and many other countries have enacted strong measures against the Maduro regime. However, the presence of Cuba, Russia, China, Iran, and criminal networks undercut U.S. and international efforts to pressure the Venezuelan government. This hearing will examine the economic, military, and political influence of these state and non-state actors and consider how the U.S. and our international partners can counter these underlying challenges.”

 

***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates.

***Coverage note:  All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-feed.

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