Ed Royce: “I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her contribution to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, as chairman, I also…”

“I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her contribution to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, as chairman, I also want to thank our ranking member, Mr. Engel. I want to thank all my committee colleagues for their contributions to this bill. I think we should take the opportunity to thank our counterparts, Senator Corker and Senator Cardin, in the Senate for working with us to bring the first State authorization bill to the President's desk in over 15 years. Today, the Department is considering how to deploy diplomats in high- threat, high-risk places like South Sudan, like the Central African Republic, Yemen, Libya. It is our responsibility to make sure that U.S. personnel at these posts have every available means of protection, and this bill authorizes the Department to make critical upgrades in Embassy security. This bill also mandates that the Department uses leverage at the United Nations to make improvements that have been ignored for too long. In just the last year, we have heard horrific stories of peacekeepers sexually abusing and exploiting those they are sent to protect. Sadly, these are not the first instances of such predatory behavior, but the United Nations has failed to take steps to stop it. Oversight is necessary at any agency.…”