The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PROVISION OF COSTS OF LOAN GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2215-H2220 on March 6, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PROVISION OF COSTS OF LOAN GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4152) to provide for the costs of loan guarantees for Ukraine.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4152
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROVISION OF COSTS OF LOAN GUARANTEES FOR UKRAINE.
From amounts appropriated or otherwise made available under
``Economic Support Fund'' in division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76), and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs, funding from unobligated balances shall be made available for the costs, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, of loan guarantees for Ukraine, which are authorized to be provided in an appropriations Act, in accordance with section 504 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: Provided, That amounts made available for the costs of such guarantees shall not be considered ``assistance'' for the purpose of provisions of law limiting assistance to such country: Provided further, That none of the funds may be made available from amounts designated pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the consideration of H.R. 4152.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring to the floor H.R. 4152, a bill providing the authority for loan guarantees for Ukraine.
As we all sadly know, Ukraine is facing an extraordinarily difficult time. As a valued partner and friend of the United States, our Nation has a duty to provide the people of Ukraine with help when they now need it most.
This bill will provide some stability for the government and the people of Ukraine as they navigate through these troubled waters. The legislation before us will allow funds to be used to guarantee loans for the Government of Ukraine, in support of the Secretary of State's
$1 billion pledge this week. This bill does not appropriate new funds, but simply allows funds to be used from existing State Department resources.
Ukraine's economy has been in a difficult position for years, but now the country faces, of course, real risks. Russia has punished Ukraine for leaning toward the West and has suspended the assistance they planned to provide.
This bill will not solve all of Ukraine's problems, obviously, but it is an important first step that will allow the country to shore up its finances and begin to make its economy more efficient.
With this legislation, Congress--and the United States--will show that we stand by those that oppose authoritarian rule. It will show that, as a nation, we will step up to help the people of Ukraine not only with our words, but with our deeds.
Ukraine is facing an uncertain economic future, Mr. Speaker, but they are choosing the right path of democracy and reform. The American people will stand with the Ukrainian people as they chart this new course, and today we will take a first step to quickly respond to their present need.
Mr. Speaker, this is a critically important bill and one that should pass the House and the Senate and be enacted into law without delay. I urge a ``yes'' vote.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
We must come together today on a bipartisan basis to support the people of Ukraine and take a stand against Russia's aggression and illegal violation of Ukraine's sovereign and territorial integrity.
Since last November, the world has watched with growing alarm as the hopes and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people were met with violent crackdowns against activists, harassment of journalists, and restrictive legislation limiting basic democratic freedoms. The bloody images from the city square and rising death toll are horrific.
Last month, the Ukrainian Parliament, the democratically elected institution, responsibly exercised its mandate and took action on behalf of the people of Ukraine. Within days, hope returned as the Parliament ousted the reckless and dangerous former President Yanukovych, began discussions with the IMF on a financial support package, and formed a transitional government with early elections scheduled for May.
But Russia, through its dangerous and illegal military occupation of Crimea, has imperiled this progress and unnecessarily escalated this crisis. Russia has violated international law and its own treaty obligations with Ukraine. Ukraine now teeters on the brink of disaster and bloodshed, and I urgently call upon President Putin to work with Kiev and the international community to deescalate the situation immediately.
Now is the time for us to support the people of Ukraine. I strongly support President Obama's comprehensive aid package to support Ukraine, which includes $1 billion in loan guarantees, technical assistance on trade, and recovery of stolen assets.
The IMF is working with the transitional government in Kiev and is instrumental in stabilizing the Ukrainian economy. This crisis illustrates the importance of the IMF to our national and global security interests, and I hope the final assistance package we enact for Ukraine will include support for the IMF.
In addition, I urge my colleagues in Congress to support the IMF quota reforms in the President's budget request, which would expand the IMF's capacity to respond to these kinds of crises and maintain U.S. leadership, instead of continuing to pursue shortsighted, isolationist attacks on the IMF.
In the meantime, however, we should not let the perfect stand as the enemy of the good. In the bipartisan spirit of this bill, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to stand beside the people of Ukraine in their hour of darkness.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), the committee's chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4152 and strongly support this bipartisan legislation before us today to provide economic assistance to Ukraine during her hour of need. This loan guarantee will help stabilize the Ukrainian economy during a time of political transition and when this country's sovereignty is being tested by Russia. Now, more than ever, the United States needs to demonstrate bold leadership and stand up for those who choose democracy over tyranny.
This bill does not mean the end of Ukraine's serious challenges, but it is an important first step that will allow the government to begin to repair the economic damage caused by the former leadership and will help bring stability back to a nation that values freedom.
This legislation also sends a clear signal to Ukraine and the world that the United States stands by our friends. The Ukrainian people want democracy, justice, reform, and peace. The American people will stand with Ukraine as they chart a new course forward.
I want to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey for their immediate, bipartisan response to this crisis in Ukraine.
Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation at a very important time. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' so we can send this bill to the President's desk for his signature without delay.
Mrs. LOWEY. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from New York, for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4152, legislation that would provide the Government of Ukraine with urgently needed funds to address pressing needs at a critical moment. The Ukrainian people bravely confronted a brutal and corrupt regime and stood up for democracy and justice. They need our help now. This bill is a first step in answering their call.
The bill authorizes the United States to provide repayment guarantees for bonds that the Ukrainian Government plans to issue to raise cash. These guarantees will make it easier for Ukraine to sell the bonds at the lowest possible price and at the longest term. Our guarantees would be backed up by reserves, using existing appropriated funds that the Congress provided for exactly this type of emergency.
This bill is the initial contribution to sustaining Ukraine's new government as it seeks to restore stability and return Ukraine to political and economic health. It is part of a larger financial commitment from the EU and other states, and will also help Ukraine's efforts to reach agreement with the IMF and to implement needed reforms.
Without this support, Ukraine's progress could stall in the face of unrelenting pressure from Russia, which has illegally occupied the Crimea, is encouraging separatism and conflict, and which has substantial leverage on the Ukrainian economy.
Our country has a long history of answering the call of people who have chosen freedom and democracy. Ukraine is now making that call as its people are seeking to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity and build a more democratic, prosperous, and just future for themselves and their country. We must answer. This bill is our first step.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4152.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the distinguished chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations.
{time} 1130
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation to provide critical loan guarantees to Ukraine as it struggles against Russian oppression.
A large and proud Ukrainian community has been part of my congressional district for well over a century. Initially, Ukrainians came to New Jersey in waves of immigration because of persecution under the czars, then later after the Soviet Union crushed an independent Ukraine in the 1920s.
Yes, from the days of my youth I have come to understand that Ukrainians have always cherished freedom almost more than any descendants of other Nations, peoples, and cultures. Even after living in America for decades, they remain devoted to their homeland, to independence.
Fiercely proud of their independent Nation, my constituents are now watching history repeat itself as Vladimir Putin occupies Crimea, and seems to be threatening other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Mr. Speaker, the people have the right and obligation to decide what they feel is best for their Nation--either closer ties to the EU, the European Community, and the West, or shift back to Russia. That is their choice, and it cannot and must not be decided through the force of arms.
Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I am pleased that the President has proposed and the House will soon approve these loan guarantees for Ukraine. This measure is not enough. The Ukrainian people need strong leadership from the United States.
This bill sends the right message, it sends the needed loan guarantees, and I urge strong support for its passage.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff), a member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of Appropriations.
Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I stand today with the people of Ukraine and in strong support of this legislation, which will provide the administration with additional and immediate flexibility to assist Ukraine. I look forward to working with the gentleman from Kentucky and my good friend from New York on further ways to assist Ukraine in the appropriations process.
This effort cannot be just about helping Ukraine. It must also be about reversing Russian aggression, curbing Vladimir Putin's revanchist policies in Russia's ``Near Abroad.'' President Obama's action this morning to cut off access to assets and place travel restrictions on those involved in the violation of Ukraine's sovereign is a positive first step. The pressure must be increased in the coming days if Russia fails to reverse course.
I support a slate of economic sanctions led by the United States and Europe to isolate Russia's economy and its leadership, so that Putin is made to understand that his violation of international law and the sovereignty of his neighbors will not be tolerated.
The collapse of the Soviet Union was one of the seminal events of the 20th century. The Cold War is over. Territorial aggression by Russia will not resurrect its empire but only diminish its standing in the world and the future of its people.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris), a distinguished member of our committee.
Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, thank you for yielding me time to speak on this bill before us.
Mr. Speaker, the situation in Ukraine is important to all of us, but for me it has a personal aspect. My mother, now 90 years old, escaped from Ukraine and the Communists after World War II. She understood firsthand how Joseph Stalin suppressed freedoms and liberties in Ukraine--much as Mr. Putin desires to do likewise now.
We are faced with a situation in which a new Government of Ukraine is being threatened with Russian expansion into its sovereign territories. It is as if the Budapest agreement of 1994, which involved both Russia and the United States, had not guaranteed Ukraine safe borders from invasion. It is as if the Cold War never ended. Perhaps to Mr. Putin and other Russian nationalists it never has.
Ukraine, situated between Russia and the rest of Europe, is of obvious strategic and economic importance, not only to Russia but to the United States and Western Europe.
That is why this bill is so important. It allows Ukraine to be allowed access to ESF funding. The ESF was established to, ``provide assistance to allies and countries in the transition to democracy.''
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the situation in which Ukraine finds itself today--in need of our help to advance democracy and resist the invasion, economically and physically, from Russia, attempting to relitigate the Cold War. We can't let that happen. They desperately need these loan guarantees. For the sake of freedom, democracy, and international justice, I urge passage of this bipartisan effort to help our friends in Ukraine.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in fervent support of this legislation. This bills comes at a clearly crucial time. The people of Ukraine need to be able to preserve their Nation. We need to help.
The people of Ukraine fought for their long-desired independence. We need to help them keep it. In my capacity as cochair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, I have had many chances to dialogue with the Ukrainian American community and members of the current Ukraine Parliament.
They have outlined in detail their determination to maintain and sustain one Ukraine against Russian aggression and any other force. The President has taken strong steps to support that endeavor.
We today should join together in unison with the President, and with, I believe, the overwhelming majority of the American people.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).
Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4152, which provides loan guarantees for Ukraine. I am deeply concerned about the crisis in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is clearly the aggressor, but the United States and our European allies have not done enough to support freedom, self determination, and human rights in Ukraine. When America does not provide strong and reliable leadership, bad things are more likely to happen.
Unfortunately, President Obama's foreign policy of leading from behind is a failure. Even the liberal Washington Post this week said that, ``President Obama's foreign policy is based on fantasy.''
We in Congress must do all we can to restore missing American leadership on foreign policy, and that starts with Ukraine.
The people of Ukraine should not be pawns in Vladimir Putin's hands. We must stand with our European and our other allies and do all we can to support freedom, self determination, and human rights in Ukraine. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 4152.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the minority whip of the House.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I want to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey for bringing this bill to the floor in a very timely fashion.
Mr. Speaker, Congress is coming together today to support loan guarantee authority for Ukraine that will be instrumental in stabilizing its economy and showing Ukraine's people that the United States stands with them.
I view this as a first step in what, hopefully, will be a series of actions to support the people of Ukraine, including IMF ratification authority.
I also support, Mr. Speaker, President Obama's action this morning to impose sanctions again Russian and Crimean officials who are exacerbating the crisis and put in place visa restrictions.
Mr. Speaker, I chaired the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe from 1985 to 1995. The final act says that borders cannot be changed other than by political means. The Russians need to comply with that admonition. I commend the administration's efforts to broker a diplomatic process that can resolve this dangerous situation in Ukraine.
The steps taken today are integral to that effort. We will stand hopefully as one in this Congress on behalf of this bill.
Russia has violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in its unlawful and unwarranted military occupation of Crimea and its threats against the government in Kiev.
I do not purport to say this is a simple situation that we confront. I would commend to my colleagues an article by Henry Kissinger in today's Washington Post.
The complexities of this situation are real, but the actions of the Russians are an unacceptable response and we must take action. As a former chairman of the Helsinki Commission during the waning days of the Cold War, I have seen firsthand the yearning for freedom by the people of the former Soviet Union.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mrs. LOWEY. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman.
Mr. HOYER. There are deep linguistic and political divisions within Ukraine. Frankly, that is true of many other countries as well. Democracy by its nature provides an avenue to overcome those differences through peaceful cooperation and dialogue. That is what must prevail in Ukraine, and what must guide all parties forward. Not force, not intimidation, and not separatism. The United States remains committed, Mr. Speaker, to standing with all of the people of Ukraine as they seek the better future they deserve.
Therefore, I urge my colleagues to overwhelmingly support this resolution and again thank Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Lowey for bringing this to the floor so quickly and decisively.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), a member of the Rules Committee and the ranking member of the Helsinki Commission.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this legislation, which is a beginning step, and which I hope we will follow with all that we can to assist those Ukrainians who are courageous and forward leaning to be about the business of determining their own fate. I had the good fortune of being an election monitor immediately after the Orange Revolution, and I spent a lot of time talking to the people there. What I learned, if nothing more, is that they do have the courage of their convictions.
What I want us to do, and what I beg my colleagues that speak about this matter to understand, is that it is extremely complex. It is nothing that you can put on a bumper sticker, and it is unfair to President Obama for people to take to this floor and allow that he is
``leading from behind,'' as I just heard a Member say. What that Member needs to understand is that it is not easy to make a determination in these kinds of matters. Whereas Putin is a dictator, Obama is in a democracy.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the full committee, Mrs. Lowey, for yielding me this time.
I am very proud of the Appropriations Committee at this moment for bringing the first bill to the floor that stands with freedom-lovers in Ukraine and around our world. We know a threat to liberty anywhere is a threat to liberty everywhere, and I rise in heartfelt support of this loan guarantee legislation to allow Ukraine time to stabilize and secure its liberty.
This money will be repaid, and I commend the bipartisan leadership of this House in acting with dispatch. President Obama and Secretary Kerry have been working overtime on Ukraine's crisis to exert every effort to bring the nations of the free world together in their mutual self-
interest, and that interest is liberty.
There are some Russian violations of international law in treaties that are so abhorrent they demand the strongest action. Russia's invasion of its undefended neighbor, Ukraine, cannot be allowed to stand. The now-20-year-old Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurance, signed in 1994 by the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, set the path for Ukraine to give up thousands of nuclear weapons, and she remains undefended because of it.
{time} 1145
The Budapest Accords welcomed the accession of Ukraine to the treaty of nonproliferation of nuclear weapons as a nonnuclear weapons state, so her inability to defend herself against such a powerful neighbor is very clear.
This week, in a joint statement, leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and our country said:
We join together today to condemn the Russian Federation's clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in contravention of Russia's obligations under the UN Charter and its 1997 basing agreement with Ukraine.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. LOWEY. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 3 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. This diverse group of nations from throughout the world coming together further illustrates the isolation Russia is certain to face if she does not relent and fall back from its aggressive push into Crimea.
In summarizing my remarks today, let me place on the Record, from the last century, no place in the world suffered more than the land of Ukraine, no place had more people forcibly starved, murdered, brutally beaten, buried alive, imprisoned, arrested into forced labor, including some of my ancestors.
I know, having traveled to Ukraine, how much the people of that great country want liberty. This is a moment that history will record in our new century the 21st. Joining with nations around the world, let us give Ukraine a bit of a lift to get her over this critical period she is facing.
I also wish to place into the Record information about what the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has done in Ukraine to date. I will tell the body today that journalists are not being allowed to report from Crimea. They are being blocked and beaten by the government of Russia, from the reports we are getting on the ground. How is the world community to know the full truth of what is occurring?
Russia is moving the world backwards, not forwards. This bill is an important step in helping Ukraine to transition as we join with countries from throughout the world to condemn the violation of Ukraine's sovereign borders and to help give her the courage to stand up to those who would take her liberty away.
This will be the first time in modern history that that country has a chance to become the truly borderland great nation that she is meant to be, reaching west and north and east and south.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, which is a loan guarantee to help lift that country over this most trying time and difficult crisis in its recent history.
I thank the gentlelady for yielding me this time.
[From Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Secretary
General, March 6, 2014]
OSCE to Send Military and Civilian Personnel to Ukraine
Update at 12:00, 6 March: As of now, twenty-two OSCE participating States are participating in the activity, having sent up to two representatives each. Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. One representative from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre is also participating.
Vienna, 5 March 2014.--Eighteen OSCE participating States decided to send 35 unarmed military personnel to Ukraine in response to its request.
The matter was discussed at a joint meeting of the Permanent Council and the Forum for Security Co-operation
(FSC) in Vienna on 4 March 2014.
The visit is taking place under Chapter III of the Vienna Document 2011, which allows for voluntary hosting of visits to dispel concerns about unusual military activities. Ukraine has requested all OSCE participating States to send military representatives from 5 to 12 March 2014, starting in Odessa. This is the first time this mechanism has been activated.
As of now, eighteen OSCE participating States have responded positively to the request sending up to two representatives each. Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. One representative from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre will also be participating. The military visit participants are on their way to Ukraine now.
OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said: ``It Is my hope that this military visit will help to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine. By providing an objective assessment of the facts on the ground, the OSCE will be better placed to foster a political solution to the current crisis through dialogue.''
``Confidence-building and transparency are key elements of the OSCE approach to security, which seeks to foster openness and dialogue as the best way to resolve conflicts in our region,'' he added.
The Vienna Document 2011 is one of the main confidence-building measures developed by the OSCE. Under this document, all participating States are required to share information on their military forces, equipment and defence planning. The Document also provides for inspections and evaluation visits that can be conducted on the territory of any participating State that has armed forces.
Note to editors: Chapter III of the Vienna Document 2011
(full text see at http://www.osce.org/fsc/86597)
VOLUNTARY HOSTING OF VISITS TO DISPEL CONCERNS ABOUT MILITARY
ACTIVITIES
(18) In order to help to dispel concerns about military activities in the zone of application for CSBMs, participating States are encouraged to invite other participating States to take part in visits to areas on the territory of the host State in which there may be cause for such concerns. Such invitations will be without prejudice to any action taken under paragraphs (16) to (16.3).
(18.1) States invited to participate in such visits will include those which are understood to have concerns. At the time invitations are issued, the host State will communicate to all other participating States its intention to conduct the visit, indicating the reasons for the visit, the area to be visited, the States invited and the general arrangements to be adopted.
(18.2) Arrangements for such visits, including the number of the representatives from other participating States to be invited, will be at the discretion of the host State, which will bear the in-country costs. However, the host State should take appropriate account of the need to ensure the effectiveness of the visit, the maximum amount of openness and transparency and the safety and security of the invited representatives. It should also take account, as far as practicable, of the wishes of visiting representatives as regards the itinerary of the visit. The host State and the States which provide visiting personnel may circulate joint or individual comments on the visit to all other participating States.
____
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
To the Congress of the United States: Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the ``order'') declaring a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Ukraine.
The order does not target the country of Ukraine, but rather is aimed at persons--including persons who have asserted governmental authority in the Crimean region without the authorization of the Government of Ukraine--who undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and contribute to the misappropriation of its assets. The order blocks the property and interests in property and suspends entry into the United States of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:
to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have engaged in, directly or indirectly, any of the following:
actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Ukraine;
actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine; or
misappropriation of state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine;
to have asserted governmental authority over any part or region of Ukraine without the authorization of the Government of Ukraine;
to be a leader of an entity that has, or whose members have, engaged in any activity described above or of an entity whose property and interest in property are blocked;
to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order.
I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order. All agencies of the United States Government are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
Barack Obama,
The White House,
March 6, 2014.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire as to how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Kentucky has 11\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from New York has 4 minutes remaining.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire of my colleague if she has further speakers?
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, it doesn't seem to me that we have additional speakers. We may have an additional speaker on the way.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As we wait for the additional speaker, I want to thank the chairman again. I think it is very important that we have been able to act so expeditiously in a bipartisan way to send a very strong message to Russia and to the people of Ukraine.
The people of Ukraine, as was explained so eloquently by my colleague, Ms. Kaptur, who has been there many times, are standing up for freedom.
There are many challenges they have, the challenge of adequate housing, the challenge of adequate food, the challenge of strengthening an economy; yet the fact that we must respond as our great democracy to a situation that has been imposed by Putin is very, very troubling, when there are so many real issues to which our resources can be extended.
My grandparents came from Kiev a long time ago at the turn of the century. They escaped from the pogroms; they escaped from the lack of democracy and the impact of intolerance and brutality that existed there. When you look back upon these years and you look at the struggles that the Ukrainian people have endured, to see the unnecessary brutality that has occurred is unacceptable.
Mr. Chairman, again, I want to thank you that we are working together in a bipartisan way to stand up for freedom, to stand up for democracy, to stand up for the people who are seeking a good future for their families.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to thank the gentlelady for cosponsoring this legislation and working in a bipartisan fashion to be sure that it is brought up in the quickest possible manner, which this is. Like you and the others who have spoken, I am proud of our committee for acting expeditiously and doing the right thing at the right time.
It is really a sad, sad, sad state of affairs that we find in Ukraine. I remember going there many years before when it was still a part of the Soviet Union under Communist rule and visiting the wonderful church where the Eastern Orthodox Church was born in Kiev and going through the labyrinth, the catacombs; and today, to realize that that peaceful, wonderful place, the home of Christianity, really, in that part of the world, is being torn apart by people of no faith is doubly troubling.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4152. This critical legislation will make Ukraine eligible for U.S. loan guarantees, helping to bolster Ukraine's struggling economy. Strong financial aid for Ukraine will send a message that the United States and the international community are backing the Ukrainian people with more than words. This step will help free Ukraine from Russia's economic coercion.
Russia's aggressive campaign to seize Ukrainian territory in the Crimean Peninsula and beyond presents a grave threat to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a crucial moment for Ukraine--any misstep from either side at this moment could lead to all-
out war. It is critical that the United States and the international community act decisively to support the Ukrainian people and isolate Russia for its transgressions.
I appreciate the work that the Obama Administration has already undertaken to suspend trade talks and military cooperation with Russia--as well as to assemble an economic aid package for Ukraine. It is fitting that the United States has quickly recognized the legitimacy of Ukraine's new government, reflecting the right of the Ukrainian people to choose their own future.
However, we must recognize that tough talk alone will not persuade Russia to change its course. Russia needs to feel tangible consequences for deploying troops in Ukraine. Our partners in Europe, particularly Germany, are positioned to have a large economic impact on Russia through sanctions. It will be critical to bring them along in our efforts. Russia should also be stripped of its current G8 presidency and suspended from the G8. G8 members should boycott the 40th G8 Summit, scheduled for June 4 and 5, 2014 in Sochi.
I represent New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, which is home to a large and active community of Ukrainian Americans. I am proud to have a productive and longstanding relationship with New Jersey's Ukrainian Americans. Since this crisis emerged, I have hosted meetings in my office and listened to the advice of those with close ties to Ukraine. The Ukrainian American community has proven to be an invaluable resource, and I am grateful for their guidance.
The people of Ukraine need support to realize a peaceful, democratic solution to this crisis. That's why it is so fitting that the United States act to support Ukraine. Once again, I urge my colleagues to support this vital measure for Ukraine in its time of need.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4152.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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