On the recordJuly 25, 2019
I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, for bringing this bill up, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), my good friend and colleague, the lead Republican on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. I can't tell you how important this bill is, and I rise today in support of H.R. 3352, the Department of State Authorization Act of 2019. You heard how long it has been since we have passed this. It recently passed out of the Foreign Affairs Committee with wide bipartisan support. This is the hallmark of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and it shows the good work that is done and how important this is, and that is why the Foreign Affairs Committee is the most important committee in the House. This legislation helps support the important work that the State Department does and its diplomats do to protect our national security. I have had the honor to travel on codels that are so important, and I encourage Members to do that, because it strengthens America's foreign policy, our engagement, and it leaves a belief in those other countries that America is here to be allies. What I am always amazed at is the hard work of our State Department employees; and not reauthorizing a bill that gives them the ability to work, it kind of affects their attitude. So this is a critical bill to be approved at this time.…
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