On the recordJune 28, 2021
I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman, again, and Representative Keating for their work. As we have seen around the world, COVID-19 has made an already dire situation worse in this region. As humanitarian needs are rising, forced displacement has increased and local communities are becoming more vulnerable. In June, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations testified to the U.N. Security Council that terrorist groups are trying to capitalize on the pandemic to undermine and destabilize governments in the Sahel. This cannot wait. I urge the administration to work with international partners to increase our engagement in the region. It is imperative we address the underlying drivers of extremism in order to truly combat rising terrorist activities. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
