Hal Rogers: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to take this time briefly to address the concerns the gentleman from Florida…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to take this time briefly to address the concerns the gentleman from Florida has raised with regard to these organizations, many of which I share. That is why the base bill includes some pretty tough conditions on these organizations. In fact, these conditions have never been stronger with regard to the U.N. Human Rights Council. No funds can be provided until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that participation in the Council is, one, in the national security interest of the United States and, two, the Council is taking significant steps to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item and increase transparency in the election of its members to the Council. We raised these issues, Mr. Chairman, with Ambassador Haley when she appeared before our committee. We all know she is actively engaging in these matters, and our conditions give her additional tools which she can use to get the Council to make some real reforms. Next, the bill prohibits funds for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency until the Secretary can certify to the Congress that this organization is conducting regular inspections of its installations to ensure they are only used for humanitarian purposes and that the content of educational materials does not induce excitement. These conditions provide Secretary Tillerson with leverage to demand accountability and reform.…”