Supporting Ndaa Amendment

Floor Speech

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Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which would deepen U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia by requiring the United States to develop a coherent regional strategy that addresses all aspects of the relationship, from trade and humanitarian goals to diplomatic and security arrangements.

Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, are vital to the prosperity the U.S. economy, generating hundreds of thousands of American jobs and investing more in our economy than China and India combined. ASEAN is the counterweight to Chinese aggression in the region and world.

The People's Republic of China is working aggressively to expand its influence in this strategically important region, using a combination of predatory investment, threatening new military installments, and outright bullying to achieve its goals.

Southeast Asian countries seek assurance that the United States is a steadfast partner as they try to maintain economic independence from China and defend their territorial claims in the South China Sea. We must support our partners and allies as they stand up to China's erratic and aggressive behavior.

I have had many opportunities to meet with ASEAN officials and foreign ministers, and one message I hear repeatedly is that the United States must demonstrate strength and leadership in the region. Congress should listen closely to our partners who are demanding stronger leadership and not just because China, which would be sure to fill a vacuum of power, is a bully. ASEAN is clearly a powerhouse and a critical region in which to engage in and of itself.

The U.S. should be proactively crafting and implementing its Southeast Asia strategy; this amendment would require the administration to do just that.

I thank Congressman Castro, with whom I co-chair and cofounded the ASEAN Caucus, for his support of ASEAN and this very amendment. I am gratified that my colleagues support and, in fact, passed my amendment. Preventing Human Rights Violations

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Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act which will improve the United States' ability to prevent human rights violations connected to the pandemic and improve its response to future public health catastrophes.

As countries around the world have struggled to contain the virus and protect their citizens, some bad actors are using coronavirus response efforts as a pretext to chip away at the rights of their citizens, stifle protests, and limit the freedom of speech and the press. We must hold accountable the authoritarians who see COVID-19 as an opportunity to suppress dissent.

I am pleased that my colleagues supported and passed Congressman McGovern's and my amendment, which will ensure the United States uses a robust tool kit, including reporting, foreign assistance, and guidance, to protect basic human rights during this time of uncertainty. I am proud to colead, in a bipartisan effort, this important amendment, and I am grateful for its adoption.

I also thank my colleagues for their support and adoption of Congressman Connolly's and my amendment, which will greatly improve the United States' ability to prevent and respond to global health threats like the coronavirus pandemic. This amendment will establish a Federal official tasked with coordinating interagency responses to global health emergencies and requires the United States to proactively strategize for future crises. It also strengthens U.S. efforts to help our partners fight and contain outbreaks within their own borders.

As we have seen during this tragedy, viruses can spread across borders and oceans with deadly speed. Improving nations' abilities to address public health threats before they spin out of control is a matter of national security. I am glad to have worked again in a bipartisan effort to see that the House both approved and adopted these amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act.

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