Chris Smith

We will continue to remember Tiananmen until the Chinese people are free to discuss openly the tragic events of June 3-4, 1989, without censorship, harassment, or arrest.

It is my hope that we have an open and transparent debate about China policy, whether it be on trade agreements that relate to China or in growing Chinese foreign investments in this country.

Twenty-five years ago, the world watched as millions of Chinese gathered all across China to peacefully demand political reform and democratic openness.

Only in doing so and continuing to work for improvements in China's human rights and rule of law record that we can faithfully honor the memory of Tiananmen Square and ensure that the sacrifices were not made in vain.

I just wanted to make clear to some of our friends on the Democratic side and on the Judiciary Committee, again, they have worked very closely with us.

I would note parenthetically that Megan Kanka, the precious little 7-year-old who was brutally killed by a pedophile...

This truly is a bipartisan bill.

Since February, thousands of student activists have taken to Venezuela's streets to highlight rampant crime and lawlessness.

We should be pushing on the Nigerian Government to accept as much help as they can to save these young women now and to eliminate the Boko Haram threat soon.

President Maduro, who was Hugo Chavez's hand picked successor, has unleashed a heavy-handed and violent response that has resulted in many senseless deaths.

This resolution is part of that push.

It is clear the Nigerian forces are struggling in this fight. Direct U.S. security assistance, intelligence, and advisors in the field can make a big difference in rescuing these girls and combating this threat.

Members will recall that it was pressure from this committee that was critical in convincing the State Department--forcing the State Department to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization.

H.R. 4573, the International Megan's Law, this is authored by Mr. Smith.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4573 offered by the Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey.

I am concerned that there seems to be--maybe we have it now, but there has been a lack of urgency.

I think we are going to have to look at this on a regular basis and see what progress is being made, but to date the progress is not adequate and we acknowledge that.

This committee approved a resolution I have been pushing since September to create a war crimes tribunal.

Any sectarian violence is to be abhorred, condemned, fought against, struggled against.

I hope we can learn critical lessons from the vast experience and use them to increase support by the most effective measures to bring an end to the conflicts in the Central African Republic.

We need peacekeepers who will stop the carnage and will do it immediately.

We are witnessing a country that is in rapid disintegration, apparently descending again from a pre-genocide stage to one characterized by a word almost too painful to articulate, genocide.

The situation appears to have gotten demonstratively worse.

Those who have perpetrated human rights violations among the Syrian Government, the rebels and the foreign fighters on both sides of this conflict, must be shown that their actions will have serious, predictable, and certain consequences.

I, as no doubt all of you, have been shocked by images of horrific human rights violations, including summary executions, torture, rape, and chemical weapon attacks in Syria.