Ed Royce: “I thank the chairman for yielding. So I just want to say this: Nigeria and its neighbors--Chad, Niger, Cameroon--have…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding. So I just want to say this: Nigeria and its neighbors--Chad, Niger, Cameroon--have been making headway in the fight against Boko Haram. They have cleared a number of northern Nigerian towns. Now we have an opportunity with the African Union force--but it lacks equipment; it lacks capacity--for a protracted fight there. This amendment expresses support for robust security assistance, training, equipment, the capacity building they need so that the African troops that are fighting against Boko Haram can continue to advance on the field. The amendment also requires the Department of Defense and the State Department to produce a report to make sure the Congress is fully aware of the nature of the assistance being provided. We need to support Nigeria and the African Union authorized force with all appropriate means. It is the best chance we have to eliminate Boko Haram, to eliminate this terror so that other young girls are not snatched and their lives destroyed. The region's stability, by the way, depends upon it.”