Howard Berman

I hope after my words, none of you will regret having supported the bill just approved by en bloc.

I have spoken previously about the fact that our interests and our values are in perfect sync in seeking the collapse of the Assad regime.

Mr. Manzullo and I introduced this bipartisan noncontroversial legislation to help increase U.S. exports and create jobs for American workers.

We have to be serious. I asked the members to read the bill very carefully, it wasn't written overnight on the back of an envelope.

Moving on, I would like to thank Mr. Duncan for introducing H.R. 3783, which seeks to promote U.S. security interest in the Western Hemisphere while protecting U.S. citizens here at home.

Don distinguished himself as a leader on many important issues in his district, his State, this country, and throughout the world.

There is no doubt that Bashar al-Assad is a war criminal.

We want to make sure that our actions in this body, to the extent possible, provide incentives for democratic forces, not discourage them.

I want to associate myself with the remarks both of you have made, very eloquent and very fitting for the loss of a great member of this committee.

I would like to thank you, Madam Chairman, for including H.R. 4041, the Expert Promotion Reform Act on today's agenda.

No issue concerns me more deeply than that of the disposition of Syria's weapons of mass destruction.

Assad and his cronies should stand trial for their crimes.

This bill will certainly help us accomplish the first by tightening the financial noose around Assad's neck.

He was a very hard working person, worked tenaciously for peace and reconciliation, especially on Sudan.

Just yesterday, I met with the delegation of Vietnamese Americans led by our former colleague, Congressman Joseph Cao.

He is an expert who left his mark, and he was also, you know, on his other committee a great staunch believer in affordable education.

I cannot imagine the Secretary could either make that certification or waive the requirement, as long as this NGO case moves forward.

I am a strong supporter of U.S.-Egyptian ties, but I do know this. We have no more serious responsibility in foreign policy than that of ensuring that our citizens are not abused.

The reform of U.S. export controls on defense and defense-related items is long overdue.

Isn't the logical conclusion, if the National Reconnaissance report is right, that we are going to end up having to import raw materials and components for our military satellites if we lose the commercial satellite manufacturing markets?

The current system of export controls now harms our national and homeland security, as well as our ability to compete economically.

Part of your testimony says that we shouldn't stop just at the reforming of the U.S. Munitions List and the Commodity Control List, but there should be new management models for licensing.

We applaud Ranking Member Berman's introduction last year of H.R. 3288, which SIA supports like AIA.

I think the administration's export control reform efforts are moving in the right direction.

Though our goal has not yet been reached, thanks to the leadership of this Congress and the Obama administration, more pressure has been placed on the Iranian regime than ever before.