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

Tuesday, September 26
Hearing: The Department of State Redesign

10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 26, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Invited witnesses include:

The Honorable John J. Sullivan
Deputy Secretary
U.S. Department of State

Chairman Royce on the hearing: “The United States must remain a global leader in advancing democratic values, human rights, economic opportunity, and security.  Diplomacy and assistance is critical to our own security and prosperity.

“This hearing is the latest in our ongoing oversight of the State Department’s vital work. It will allow members to raise important questions about the State Department’s redesign plan, and help inform the committee’s efforts to authorize State Department functions.”

Wednesday, September 27
Subcommittee Hearing: Rwanda: Democracy Thwarted

2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27, in 2200 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

Panel II
Mr. David Himbara
Coordinator for Canada
Democracy in Rwanda Now

Major Robert Higiro, Rwanda Defense Force, Retired
Coordinator for the United States
Democracy in Rwanda Now

Mr. Mike Jobbins
Manager
Africa Programs
Search for Common Ground

Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Rwanda has been a valuable contributor to peacekeeping in Africa and is the sixth largest troop and police contributor to United Nations missions.  However, questions have increased about the status of human rights and rule of law inside Rwanda and its efforts to silence critics living abroad.  This hearing will examine the future of democracy and rule of law in Rwanda in light of persistent criticism of its government’s behavior at home and on the international stage.”

Wednesday, September 27
Subcommittee Hearing: Burma’s Brutal Campaign Against the Rohingya

2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Invited witnesses include:

Mr. Walter Lohman
Director
Asian Studies Center
Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy
The Heritage Foundation

Mr. Daniel P. Sullivan
Senior Advocate for Human Rights
Refugees International

Michael F. Martin, Ph.D.
Specialist in Asian Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Congressional Research Service

Ms. Andrea Gittleman
Program Manager
Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

Chairman Yoho on the hearing: “Long thought to be one of the most persecuted minority populations on earth, violence against the Rohingya has reached new levels. Following the August 25th attack by ARSA, Burmese authorities have conducted an indiscriminate and brutal crackdown throughout Rohingya areas in Burma’s Rakhine state, leaving over 400,000 displaced, hundreds dead, and villages decimated. Many, including UN officials, have described this recent wave of violence as ‘ethnic cleansing.’ This hearing will provide Members with an up-to-the-minute understanding of the situation on the ground in Rakhine state, the conditions in Burma that precipitated this ongoing crisis, and options  for the U.S. policy response.”

Thursday, September 28
Markup: H. Res. 422, H.R. 425, H.R. 1196, H.R. 2658, H.R. 3320, H.R. 3329, H.R. 3342, and H.R. 3445

10 a.m. on Thursday, September 28, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building

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

Measures to be marked up include:

H. Res. 422, Urging the adherence to the “one country, two systems” policy as prescribed in the Joint Declaration between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of the Hong Kong;

H.R. 425, FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2017;

H.R. 1196, Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2017;

H.R. 2658, Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act of 2017;

H.R. 3320, To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for other purposes;

H.R. 3329, Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017;

H.R. 3342, Sanctioning Hizballah’s Illicit Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act; and

H.R. 3445, AGOA and MCA Modernization Act.

 

***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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