Chris Smith: “To conclude, I want to thank Chairman Wolf again for, authoring the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. What we…”

“To conclude, I want to thank Chairman Wolf again for, authoring the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. What we reauthorize today is just one part of it, and that is the International Religious Freedom Commission. For the record, the Commission is comprised of nine Commissioners, plus the Ambassador at Large. As of July 1, the current Chairman is Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Dr. Robert George is Vice Chairman; Dr. James Zogby is Vice Chairman; and Dr. Zuhdi Jasser and Mary Ann Glendon are Commissioners. Dean Eric Schwartz--who, as we all know, used to work up on the Hill as a staffer on the Democrat side and who went on to work in the NSC and work on refugee policies--is also a Commissioner, as are Daniel Mark, Father Thomas Reese, and Hannah Rosenthal--who acted as--as point person in combating anti-Semitism. They work at their own expense. These are very, very dedicated individuals and their work is supported by a highly professional staff. Again, I would ask Members to read their reports. They are among the best reports that have been produced anywhere in Washington. They are accurately posting what is going on, and then they go into great depth as to what some of the remedies ought to be. I want to thank, again, Chairman Wolf for his extraordinary leadership for 34 years as a Member of Congress in combating all forms of human rights abuse, especially religious persecution.…”