A Look Ahead — Week of December 8-12
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Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced the following upcoming Committee events: Wednesday, December 10 Hearing: Countering ISIS: Are We Making Progress? 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 10 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: The Honorable Brett McGurk Chairman Royce on the hearing: "It has been six months since the fall of Mosul, and ISIS continues to control roughly the same amount of territory in Iraq and Syria. The countries in this region are being dangerously destabilized as millions of people have been displaced and thousands of others slaughtered by this terrorist army. Meanwhile, ISIS has recruited thousands of foreign fighters and encourages sympathizers to carry-out attacks across the globe, including against civilians and military personnel here in the U.S. “This hearing will provide Committee members an opportunity to question the Obama Administration on the progress of the anti-ISIS effort, including the coalition air campaign, support of U.S. partners on the ground, policies toward hostile regimes, as well as the Administration's plans to deal with a worsening humanitarian disaster across the region."
Wednesday, December 10 Joint Subcommittee Hearing: Russian Arms Control Cheating and the Administration’s Responses 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Chairman Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: The Honorable Rose Gottemoeller The Honorable Brian McKeon Chairman Poe on the hearing: “Russia’s clear violation of the INF Treaty and blatant disregard for international norms is the new status quo. Putin cannot be allowed to continue to violate landmark arms control treaties without severe consequences. I hope that we can move past the finger-wagging stage and finally show the Russians that their actions will have serious repercussions. I look forward to hearing what option this Administration has drawn up to punish Putin.” Chairman Rogers on the hearing: “For the Obama Administration, making agreements with Russia has been the easy part. Compelling Vladimir Putin to abide by these agreements has been a different matter altogether. If the Administration seriously confronts Russia’s cheating on agreements like the INF treaty, Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions and the agreements related to halting nuclear testing, they will have my support and the support of the Armed Services Committee. If, however, the Administration continues to choose to ignore Putin’s dangerous and aggressive behavior, they’re going to have a very uncomfortable last two years.”
Wednesday, December 10 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: The Honorable Jarret Blanc The Honorable Donald L. Sampler Mr. James Soiles Chairman Ros-Lehtinen on the hearing: “The next few months are pivotal for the future of Afghanistan's stability. The United States cannot afford to make the same mistakes we did in Iraq by not leaving behind a sufficient U.S. presence to maintain the gains we've achieved over the past few years. As we're seeing with the rise of ISIL in Iraq, our hasty withdrawal created a power vacuum that allowed the terror group to grow. The stakes are even higher in Afghanistan with the Taliban eager to reclaim lost territory and establish another safe haven for terrorists to thrive. Many challenges still remain, especially since Pakistan continues to host terrorist groups and remains complicit in their ability to operate. The Obama administration must have an honest conversation about its relationship with Pakistan and make the hard choices necessary to ensure Pakistan's activities aren't working against US interests.” Chairman Chabot on the hearing: “Afghanistan has seen many changes this year—both promising and troubling. While we now have a better sense of what the post-2014 U.S. presence will look like, many challenges remain, including political and economic instability, and an extensive Taliban threat. This is further exacerbated by its neighbor, Pakistan, which continues to play host to Islamist extremism and militancy groups who are given support inside Pakistan’s borders. Pakistan’s role in combating these groups and stabilizing Afghanistan, however, is incredibly important, but due to its limited capacity, rampant corruption, and divergent interests, there is serious cause for concern. This hearing is a critical opportunity to evaluate ongoing challenges confronting the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, and how the Administration will address these concerns as we look toward a new post-2014 environment.”
Wednesday, December 10 Subcommittee Hearing: The United States as an Arctic Nation: Opportunities in the High North 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 in 2200 Rayburn House Office Building Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman Invited Witnesses Include: Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., USCG, Retired Chairman Rohrabacher on the hearing: “The appointment of Admiral Robert Papp to serve as the US Special Representative for the Arctic earlier this year was a long awaited and positive development for US diplomacy in the high north. As the US prepares to assume the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council there are a wide range of topics that need to be tackled. As Arctic ice recedes and opens up new areas of ocean for commerce and exploration it will be important for the United States to protect the environment, but also put in place the infrastructure to responsibly use the natural resources, conduct scientific exploration, and safeguard our national security. This hearing will be the first time Special Representative Papp is testifying in his new role and will provide Members a valuable opportunity to learn key details about the Arctic Council agenda for the next two years.”
***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. ### |
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