Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) will participate in the 15th annual AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) forum in Washington. Mandated by Royce’s legislative initiative in 2000 to spur trade between the U.S. and countries in Africa that show a commitment to good governance and democratic principles, the forum will explore ways to deepen these critical trade and investment relationships.

Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) announced the Committee will convene a hearing on Thursday, September 29 to examine the Administration’s policies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

“For democracy to work, citizens must have confidence in their election process. Unfortunately that confidence is nonexistent in Gabon at the moment."

Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) announced the following upcoming Committee events

Tonight the House of Representatives passed Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce’s (R-CA) Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act (H.R. 5931). The legislation prohibits future cash payments to Iran – period.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) released the following statement on efforts by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the country’s National Electoral Council to block a constitutionally mandated presidential recall referendum from taking place this year

Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement after a meeting with Grigor Hovhannissian, Armenian Ambassador to the United States

Last night, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA) of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), H.R. 5708 requires the United States to oppose international loans to Nicaragua until the Ortega regime takes serious steps towards democratic reforms.

As Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine continues, the House of Representatives today took action and sent a strong message of support for the Ukrainian people by passing the Stability and Democracy for Ukraine Act (H.R. 5094). The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), strengthens sanctions on Russia, assists Ukraine’s democratic transition, and requires the State Department to develop a strategy to counter Russian dis-information and propaganda.

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution, introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), condemning the Iranian regime’s persecution of its Baha’i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.