it's also going to be important that you all release the application for your patient assistance program before its launched so that the public can see what you are crying from uninsured families, and just a note on the rural issue one of the other things to be aware of, of course is that a lot of rural communities don't have uniform access to high-speed internet. right. so we need to have processes that are meaningful for people who don't have that kind of access. i also just want to talk about the impact of the price increase on vaccine uptake. the fact remains that hiking prices, and requiring families to fill out forms will likely decrease vaccine uptake, and setback the public health effort to combat covid-19. what are your plans to quantify, and publicly disclose the consequences of your price hike for vaccine uptake, among the uninsured, and under insured. >> thank you senator, for the question.

i will work with my team, we are very happy to follow up with your office in terms of >> we are keeping our commitment to cover house of representatives. the house is coming in to debate several bills from the foreign affairs committee. live coverage. recognition? mr. mccaul: i move the house suspend the ruse and pass the bill, h.r. 1903. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1093. a bill to direct the secretary of state to submit to congress a report on implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between australia, united kingdom and the united states. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul, and the gentleman from new york, mr. meeks, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mccaul: thank you. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. speaker, as china continues its aggressive posture in the indo pacific, strengthening partnerships to deter chairman xi are more important now than ever. i want to thank my good friend, ranking member meeks, for standing with me in support of this bipartisan measure. the australia, the united kingdom, the united states partnership known as aukus is a long-term security pact to protect peace and stability in the ippedo pacific region -- indo pacific region. the recent announcement on auk us' implementation addressed only one piece of this partnership.

but there's much more to this partnership. the second pillar of aukus is cooperation of advanced capabilities. the purpose is to collaborate on high-tech research and the application of systems such as hypersonics, undersea capabilities, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and much more. this legislation focuses on ensuring the state department is authorizing technology transfers quickly to fully support implementation of this vital pillar. we are facing a generational challenge from the chinese communist party. we must bring all tools to bear in our effort to counter chairman xi's attempts to disrupt the global balance of power. with aukus, our three nations can achieve the shared strategic goal of defending the indo pacific region while maintaining our technological and military

superiority. this bill presses the state department to take action and account for our arms transfers with the u.k. and australia so that we can address any hurdles and act seamlessly now and not wait for a time of crisis or even war. for these reasons, i'm proud of this bipartisan bill which will begin to address numerous longstanding challenges in our arms exports to our closest allies. and potential serve as a road map for working with other close allies and partners. i want to again thank ranking member meeks, his team and our members for working with my staff to ensure that this bill, in support of a new long-term security pact with our allies, becomes a reality. mr. speaker, this bill deserves our unanimous support and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from new york is

recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. and -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: thank you. i want to thank the chairman and his staff for working collectively in this bipartisan bill at this very important time. clearly it's making sure that we're working collectively together with one voice on this serious issue is of utmost importance to all of us in the united states of america. you know, the biden administration in coordination with australia and the u.k. recently formalized the trilateral security partnership known as aukus which aims to strengthen shared defense priorities in the indo pacific. this new security framework represents an important step forward to the united states in the indo pacific and for strengthening our shared capabilities and the strategic

competition defining our world today and for years to come. within this broader aukus agreement, pillar two advances military capabilities with the intent of developing and enhancing joint capabilities between australia, the u.k. and the united states, to improve security and interoperability in the region. one aspect of this pillar is improving and synchronizing processes related to arms exports and sharing of sensitive defense technologies between participates. this includes -- participants this. includes encouraging and advising our partners on how to strengthen their regulatory frameworks to enable closer cooperation while maintaining appropriate safeguards. h.r. 1093 requires the state department to report to congress on its efforts toward implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of aukus, including international traffic in arms regulations and

improvements necessary in partner country regulations to enable secure and successful it implementation -- successful implementation. as the united states looks to build on this important shared security partnership with australia and the united kingdom within the aukus framework, i am proud, again, to co-lead this bipartisan initiative with chairman mccaul, to ensure we move forward in a meaningful way. as we engage in strategic competition, sharing our defense technologies and capabilities in a safe, secure and regulated manner with our partners is absolutely critical. therefore i encourage my colleagues, all of my colleagues, democrats and republicans, to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: i continue to reserve, mr. speaker, with the right to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. the gentleman reserves.

the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from connecticut, my friend, representative joe courtney. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. courtney: thank you, thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to enthusiastically support h.r. 1093, a bill that will identify key parts of our nation's system of export controls that should be amended and expedited to achieve the goals of the new us a dwrail-u.k.-u.s. -- australia-u.k.-u.s. trilateral agreement which will contribute to peace and stability in the indo pacific region. i want to salute and thank chairman mccaul, run ranking mer meeks, the house and staff of the house foreign affairs committee for moving swiftly after last week's appearance of president biden and the prime ministers of australia and the united kingdom talking about much-needed deterrence in support of an international

rules-based order which today is increasingly under stress. mr. speaker, i had the honor to join these leaders on march 13 at naval base in san diego for this historic announcement, as was noted repeatedly, it marked the first time since 1958 that the u.s. and the u.k. pledged to share critical technologies with another country. in addition to sharing nuclear propulsion technology to recapitalize australia's submarine fleet, the three governments also committed to sharing other security capabilities, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and hypersonics. pooling these advanced capabilities will enhance our three nations' capabilities to protect maritime freedom of navigation and aviation which have been the pillars of peaceful co-existence in the commons of the seas and the skies since the end of world war ii. to achieve the goals of the aukus plan, it will require all three countries to use laser-like focus to removing any barriers that might occur from our system of export controls that are not aligned with this new enhanced alliance. admiral harry harris, formal

commander of indo pacific command -- and former ambassador to south korea said it best at a recent house armed services committee hearing on the contested environment in the indo pacific. quote, i can't emphasize enough how important it is to get through this export control issue with australia. we could have every good intention in the world but it will falter if we become bound up by our own regulations -- mr. meeks: i yield the gentleman another minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. courtney: thank you, mr. speaker. we get bound up by our own regulation and by our own regulatory policy. this bill heeds that call by directing the state department to inventory any and all administrative and statutory barriers to aukus implementation and report that back to congress within 60 days. this is exactly what congress needs to do. mr. speaker, i want to end by foot stomping the extraordinary bipartisan support that aukus enjoys in all three governments and was on full display last week in san diego. both the majority and opposition parties in the u.k. and

australia are rock solid in support of this agreement and tonight's bill is a strong signal of bipartisan support in the u.s. congress. indeed, in the last congress we overwhelmingly passed the first ever congressional action related to aukus by authorizing australian submariners to begin joint training at a training ship facility in south carolina and those sailors are here today. building on that effort, it is of utmost importance that we continue our efforts in congress and identify opportunities to smoothly implement aukus as the australian ambassador -- us. as the -- aukus. as the australian prime minister described last monday -- mr. meeks: i yield another minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. courtney: he said it very well. quote, a new chapter in the relationship between australia, the united states and the united kingdom is about to begin. a friendship built on our shared values, our commitment to democracy, and our common vision for a peaceful and prosperous future. mr. speaker, that is a vision

worth pursuing and that is why i urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. speaker, i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and i'm prepared to close if mr. mccaul is. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: mr. speaker, h.r. 1093 is an important, bipartisan measure which requires the state department to report to congress on its efforts toward implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of aukus and improvements necessary in partner country regulations to enable secure and successful implementation. so as we look to build on and implement our shared security partnerships with australia and the united kingdom, encapsulated

with aukus -- within aukus' framework, i'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan initiative with chairman mccaul. in this strategic competition, the most important of our era, sharing our defense technologies and capabilities in a safe, secure and regulated manner will only make us all stronger and more united. and i hope that all of my colleagues will join me in support of this very important bipartisan bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm prepared to close and yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. with aukus, we seek peace through strength. the previous administration laid the groundwork to collaborate with our closest allies and partners in countering china's threat to peace. in our nation, alongside the u.k. and australia, for the

launch of the aukus trilateral partnership in september of 2001. now we are prepare -- 2021. now we are prepared to best implement this important program. through aukus we are declaring that we will not stand idly by for chairman xi and other autocratic leaders to dictate when and under what circumstances the strength of our resilience is to be tested. this bipartisan measure is a commitment to our partners. the american people stand with the u.k. and australia in preserving freedom. and together we will uphold the international rules-based order and protect and preserve the right of sovereign nations to defend themselves. in the indo pacific, we have seen how one dictator, chairman xi, is defying the free world and threatening to open navigation and the free flow of trade. this week xi met with putin in

moscow and afterwards possibly iran. chairman xi chooses to closely partner with russia who launched an unprovoked war of aggression with ukraine where they're committing barbaric war crimes, as i just returned from kyiv and from bucha where i saw the mass graves. mr. putin also has a long track record of war crimes in mahle, -- mali, in syria and the central african republic. xi also chooses to associate with iran whose revolutionary guard corps is a designated foreign terrorist organization. these alliances are a clear indication that xi does not seek peace, but chooses to work with those who wish to destroy it. so today, mr. speaker, i'm proud to speak in a unified voice as we do so often on the foreign affairs committee with my dear friend, mr. meeks, in support of this great aukus partnership.

again, this measure deserves our unanimous support. and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1093. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. mccaul: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking the vote will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from missouri seek recognition? mrs. wagner: i move the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1159. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1159 a bill to amend the taiwan assurance act of 2020 to require periodic reviews regarding to department of state's taiwan guidelines. pursuant to the rule, ms. wagner and the gentleman from new york, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from missouri. mrs. wagner: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mrs. wagner: thank you. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise in support of the taiwan assurance implementation act. my bipartisan legislation to ensure that the united states engages taiwan in a way that deepens our relationship with this important partner. taiwan faces an unprecedented threat from increasingly capable and erratic peoples republic of china. president xi jing ping has said reunification with tay wan is a key goal of his rejuve nation campaign and they have made clear that they are not afraid

to use force to achieve this goal. our own intelligence, mr. speaker, our intelligence community has addressed that they are investing in military capabilities that will enable it to take taiwan by 2027. we do not need intelligence to tell us what we already see. the p.r.c. is flying bombers and fighters jets, threatening to sanction businesses and harassing government officials. if we are to defeat china's plan to replace the united states as the world's preeminent power, we cannot be ruled by fear. that means boldly standing by our friends and partners particularly taiwan. we must increase our economic ties, defense relationships, the political support of taiwan's

democratic system. unfortunately our own statement state department has restricted its engagement with taiwan. hiding behind red tape hurts our partnership with taiwan at a moment when we need to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and partners. any waffling invites bullies like xi and putin to push the envelope. that is why the t.a.a. was enacted with strong bipartisan support in 2020 and the threat that taiwan faces has only grown since then. this bill amends the t.a.a. to ensure that the state department's policy of engagement with taiwan is appropriate to today's geo political challenges. we must acknowledge the growing threat taiwan faces and help build resilience to that

threat. i was proud to introduce this bipartisan bill along with the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, who has been an absolute champion for taiwan for so many years. it received unanimous support during markup and i urge my colleagues to support this bill. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from missouri reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i rise in strong support of h.r. 1159 and i yield myself such time as i may consume. this legislation introduced by the vice chair of the house foreign affairs committee, ms. wagner and mr. connolly and mr. loller showcases this body's steadfast bipartisan commitment to taiwan. as a vibrant democracy and reliable partner of the united states of america, taiwan has long been a force for good in

promoting prosperity and development in the indo-pacific and beyond. our longstanding friendship is built on our shared values of democracy and good governance, strong people-to-people ties and strong economic and commercial engagement. when i visited taiwan with speaker pelosi last year, the reception we received from the people was nothing short of incredible. we were welcomed with open arms. thousands of people greeted us. more than that, viewed us as our trip took its way to taiwan. our trip demonstrated that members of congress will not be dictated to by beijing and we will not sit by as beijing attempts to intimidate and coerce our friend. the people of taiwan showed us tremendous respect and affection, so much so, it was in

a way that i believe demonstrates their confidence that the united states congress will continue to stand up for them. an acknowledgement of our deep and lasting friendship, the biden administration took concrete steps to encourage greater friendship with tay wan. the state department had interactions with taiwan counterparts which is consistent with our one-china policy and honors our longstanding ties to taiwan as enshrined in the taiwan relations act. this legislation amends the taiwan assurance act of 2020 to re-authorize regular reporting on the state department's taiwan contact guidelines. this bill sends a strong message that congress stands with our friends in taiwan.

that it supports great engagement and wants to be an active part in strengthen the united states and taiwan relationships. as the united states and taiwan look to further enhance our cooperation, facilitating ways to bolster our ongoing people-to-people ties are vital. not only have our two sides benefited tremendously from our close engagement, but the world stands to benefit as well. so, again, i congratulate representative wagner, the vice chair of the committee, mr. connolly and mr. lawler coming up with this bipartisan bill and i support this bill and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from missouri is recognized. mrs. wagner: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentlewoman from missouri reserves. the gentleman from new york is

recognized. mr. meeks: i yield three minutes to my friend the gentleman from virginia, representative connolly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr.connolly: i thank my dear friend, the former chair and now ranking member of the foreign affairs committee for his leadership and friendship and i thank my dear friend, congresswoman wagner who served america in many roles and i thank her for her leadership and today's legislation, a bipartisan piece of legislation that is very timely and very important. this legislation provides an update to the taiwan assurance act, which i was proud to support in 2020 to underscore the support for taiwan. the key piece of legislation congress initiated back in 1979 is as chairman meeks indicated the taiwan relations act. it was passed at the time i was

a young staffer and originated out of that committee and it was designed by congress to help create architecture, unique architecture in the bilateral relationship between the united states and taiwan. it followed immediately after normalization with the peoples republic of china and designed by congress to make sure that no military solution would be available in the question of the status of taiwan. the taiwan relations act was designed to put forth parameters and a road map to governor our bilateral relationship and central to that road map is taiwan's ability to defend itself with support from the united states. and that's a promise we made then and it's a promise we must keep today. as an increasingly aggressive china threatens its neighbors as

it was their own pawn and encroaches on territorial air pace and waters and has claims that the south china sea, this is the time for the united states and this congress to reassert our support, our unequivocal support for the right of the people of taiwan to decide how they will manage their affairs and their respect -- relationship with beijing. i was proud to partner with my colleagues in this body and on both sides of the aisle to put china on the nato agenda for the first time in its 70-year history, believe it or not. this is a crucial moment for the u.s.-taiwan relationship. it requires a sober and comprehensive understanding of the challenge that china can

pose to the united states and security and prosperity as well as that to the people of taiwan. in this moment, our support for taiwan, its people and its democratic structure is paramount in the face of chinese aggression. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. again, i thank my colleague from missouri and i thank the form irchairman of the foreign affairs committee for their leadership, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from missouri is recognized. mrs. wagner: i reserve and am prepared to close. mr. meeks: i have no further witnesses and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: mr. speaker, h.r. 1159 is an important bipartisan measure that re-authorizes regular reporting on the state department's taiwan contact

guidelines to congress and encourages greater engagement with our friends in taiwan consistent with our one-china policy. as a vibrant democracy, a force of goodwill and model for the world, taiwan is indeed a key part of the indo-pacific region. it is vital that we find concrete ways to expand and deepen interactions at every level. and work together to advance our mutual priorities based on our shared values, strong people-to-people ties and common vision for the region. again, i want to thank vice chair wagner, mr. connolly and mr. lawler for coming together with this strong bipartisan bill. and i urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this very important bill.

and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. the gentlewoman from missouri is recognized. mrs. wagner: thank you, mr. speaker. the geo political situation surrounding taiwan is changing rapidly. our relationship with taiwan must be flexible enough to meet these new challenges. unfortunately, the state department's classified taiwan contact guidelines are often not conducive to a robust relationship with taiwan and congress had little insight into the decision making behind these guidelines. mr. speaker, the bottom line of this legislation is this, h.r. 1159 would re-authorize the bipartisan taiwan assurance act of 2020, strengthen its reporting requirements and require greater transparency from the state department.

it would ensure the united states is approaching its relationship with taiwan in a manner that strengthens our relationships with democratic partners who are under threat by aggressive dictatorships and it would ask the administration to identify opportunities to lift remaining self-imposed restrictions on engagement. i urge each of my colleagues to i urge each of my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan bill. i thank the ranking member, mr. meeks, and i thank the gentleman from west virginia, mr. connolly, for joining me in supporting this unanimously out of the house foreign affairs committee. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentlewoman from missouri yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 1159. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules

are suspended -- the gentlewoman from missouri is recognized. mrs. wagner: mr. speaker, on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings of this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from missouri seek recognition? mrs. wagner: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 406. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 406. a bill to provide for the treatment of the association of southeast asian nations as an international organization for purposes of the international

organization's immunities act -- organizations' immunities act and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from missouri ks mrs. wagner, -- missouri, mrs. wagner, and the ge the gentlemam new york, mr. meeks, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from missouri. mrs. wagner: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members my have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. wagner: thank you. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. wagner: mr. speaker, the association of southeast asian nations or asean is of immense strategic and economic importance to the united states of america. this powerhouse region joins the indian and pacific ocean regions and serves as a conduit for global trade. and southeast asian states are increasingly vital to the prosperity of the u.s. economy. generating hundreds of thousands of american jobs and investing

more in our economy than china and india combined. home to one of the world's largest and youngest populations and numerous key shipping routes, asean represents the future of growth in the indo pacific. it is an important region that cannot be forgotten and is certainly not forgotten by the people's republic of china. the p.r.c. is actively looking for ways to expand their footprint in asean, whether it be through infrastructure projects, predatory lending or police training. a growing number of southeast asian countries are no longer believing that china's intentions are benign. our partners are seeking ainsurance of u.s. -- assurance of u.s. support as they try to maintain economic independence from china and defend their

territorial claims in the south china sea. to strengthen our relationship with southeast asian governments and counter p.r.c. influence, we must find ways to deepen our relationship with the asean. the united states has worked closely with asean for more than four decades and 15 years ago we became the first nonmember to name an ambassador to asean. this bill will build on that legacy of cooperation and will enhance ties between the united states and this critical region of the world. it will accord asean representatives in the united states the same diplomatic immunities we provide other regional organizations such as the e.u. or the organization of american states. this is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to that organization.

i want to thank the gentleman from texas, mr. castro. i want to thank also my good friend from california, young kim, for introducing this important bill. together i have the great privilege of mr. cats troa and my -- castro and myself, we are on the asean caucus. i'm very sorry he's unable to join us on the floor today but want to convey our prayers and very best wishes for his full and speedy recovery, mr. speaker. this bill received unanimous bipartisan support during committee markup and deserves our full support today. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from missouri reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from new york, mr. mr. meeks: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 406,

the partner with asean act. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: this legislation, introduced by mr. castro and mrs. kim, and i join with what mrs. wagner said that we are wishing, of course, that mr. castro has a speedy recovery and returns to this body very soon. this legislation would solidify this body's strong bipartisan commitment to deepening our longstanding cooperation with southeast asia and facilitate stronger people-to-people ties with this vast, diverse region. southeast asia is vital to the united states' national interests and strategic priorities. the 10 southeast asian nations that comprise the important

regional body of the association of southeast asian nations or asean have an outsized role in shaping crucial political, economic and security developments in the indo pacific region and beyond. the united states has long recognized asean's central role in promoting peace, security and stability in the region. and this bill would allow us to deepen our collaboration and partnership on shared challenges. h.r. 406 underscores the importance of the united states and asean's partnership by authorizing that asean be designated as an international organization with diplomatic privileges and immunities consistent with the international organizations' immunities act. the ioia, which was enacted in

1945, is how the united states extends the rights and treatment generally accorded to embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with the united states to international organizations. this is a long overdue change that our partners in asean, it's a chance for them and the biden administration strongly supports. with this passage of this legislation, the united states would affirm our longstanding relationship and upgrade our capacity to collaborate with asean's robust and consistent en-- asean. robust and consistent engagement with southeast asia is critical to realizing our indo pacific strategy. this measure ensures that america remains a pacific power and a critical power in southeast asia as we address the

challenge of china. so we need to work collectively with asean so that we can tackle shared challenges such as economic resiliency, global health, climate change and attacks against the rules-based international order. our partnership with asean will be essential in delivering sustainable solutions to our combined one billion people. so, again, i urge all of my colleagues to support this strong bipartisan bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from missouri is recognized. mrs. wagner: mr. speaker, i yield as much time as she may consume to the representative from california, my good friend and colleague, young kim, who chairs the foreign affairs subcommittee on the indo pacific

and is the republican co-author of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. kim: thank you, congresswoman wagner, thank you so much for yielding. i rise in strong support of h.r. 406, the providing appropriate recognition and treatment needed to enhance relations partner with asean act. this is a bill that i introduced with my colleague, representative castro. i want to thank ranking member meeks and my colleague, chairwoman of our committee, mrs. wagner, but more importantly, your leadership on the asean caucus. thank you so much for your leadership there. much has been talked about with the importance of this legislation, but i think it's worth repeating that this bipartisan legislation extends the diplomatic privileges and immunities to the association of southeast asian nations under the international organizations'

immunity act. similar international organizations such as the european union, the organization of american states and the african union currently enjoy these diplomatic privileges but not asean. as chairwoman of the indo pacific subcommittee, i believe this legislation is a step in the right direction for improving the america's standing in the indo pacific and addressing the economic and security threats posed to the region by the c.c.p. and their initiative. so to counter the initiative, we must prioritize trade, economic and diplomatic relations with southeast asian countries. without meaningful u.s. engagement and presence in the region, we will leave the region little choice but to turn to the c.c.p. whose conditions for these countries are erosion in democratic institutions and

threats to their sovereignty. this bill, while simple in scope, will signal to the region that the united states stands ready to engage in meaningful trade and have more discussions about security and human rights. and i want to thank my colleague and representative castro, the co-author of this bill, for his work on this legislation and i repeat what my colleagues who already said about his condition. i'm sorry that he could not be here to witness this legislation pass the house. so i wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to getting back to work with him once he returns to the house. with that, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentlewoman from california reserves her time. mrs. wagner: i reserve, mr. speaker, and i'm ready to close if the ranking member is ready to close. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentleman from new york is

recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: mr. speaker, h.r. 406 is a very important bipartisan measure that affirms the importance of the united states and asean's partnership by extending privileges and immunities under the international organizations' immunities act to asean. in fact, mr. speaker, i recall myself going to cambodia to attend the session with asean where they extended the opportunity for us to be official observers at their annual meetings and conferences. so this just emphasizes how the united states has long recognized and asean also

appreciates our engagement with this diverse regional body and demonstrated strong support for asean centrality. this measure demonstrates our commitment to this organization and it is very pivotal to the region. so, mr. speaker, there is no better way to honor over 45 years of the united states and asean relationships and build upon our partnership than passing this important bipartisan legislation so they know that jointly the united states congress recognizes the significance and importance of our partnership. so, again, i want to thank mr. castro. we want him back here soon. we want to make sure, and representative young kim, for their hard work on this bill to

send the appropriate message and i hope that all of my colleagues will join us in support of this very important bipartisan bill. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentleman from new york, the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentlewoman from missouri i recognized. mrs. wagner: in closing, we have a national interest in sustaining u.s. leadership in southeast asia, supporting human rights and respect for democratic freedoms and articulating our strategic priorities. we will find willing partners in our many friends and allies in the region who share our grave concerns regarding china's growing power. but we must demonstrate that these partnerships are a key u.s. priority and h.r. 406 sends

an important message to the region, the united states values its important relationship with asean, and we strongly support its mission to promote stability and growth in southeast asia. i urge my colleagues to join me, representative young kim, representative castro and the ranking member meeks along with chairman mccaul in supporting h.r. 406. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from missouri reserves -- yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 406. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules -- for what purpose does the gentlewoman from missouri rise? mrs. wagner: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking

this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin seek recognition? >> thank you, mr. chair. i rise in support of h. con. res. 25 and yield myself such time as i may consume the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. move to suspend the rules? >> yes. and call up h. con. res. 25? >> yes, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 25 concurrent resolution authorizing the use of emancipation hall for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of the days of remembrance of the victims of the holocaust. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. steel, and the gentleman from new york, mr. morelle each

will be recognized for 20 minutes. mrs.steel: every year the and and the united states holocaust museum is has led the remembrance ceremony since 1982. this brings holocaust survivors, liberators, members of congress, white house officials and community leaders. as with previous years, the museum is requesting access to utilize the house's emancipation hall. the house will consider a resolution led by david kustoff that authorizes the use of emancipation hall for a ceremony on april 20. the planned programming will be dedicated to the millions of

voices, hopes and dreams that were silenced by nazi germany. their policemanning will reflect the struggle to reflect human dignity. it will highlight stories of defiance, resistance, resilience that remind us of what is possible in moments of unfathomable crisis. i hope we can pass this legislation and approve their use of emancipation hall. i commend the efforts of the holocaust museum and no better place to commemorate than here in the people's house. we must never forget. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. >> i yield myself such time as i

may consume and want to thank my friend and colleague, chairman style, for his comments. and i rise in support of house concurrent resolution. this resolution authorizing the use of emancipation hall to honor victims of the holocaust, which has been considered and agreed to by the house with unanimous consent because there was universal agreement that debate on this issue was unnecessary. i don't know what has changed necessitating debate in the 118th congress. but i fully support the measure. we are considering this legislation at a time when acts of hatred and anti-see himmism is on the rise not just here but around the world. ante semitism has been ideologies and institutions. on january 6, a failed attempt

to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, stormed the halls of the capitol wearing with ante semitic slogans. this didn't happen in a far-away country but happened in this very building and chamber just two years ago. it is so important we reject hate and authoritarianism at every turn to prevent malignant spread. this resolution allows us to honor the memory of 11 million people and 6 million jews killed in the holocaust and confirms our commitment to combat ant semitism. support house resolution 25 and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york,

mr. morelle, reserves. the speaker recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin mr. style. -- steil. mr. steil: i appreciate your work on this. in regards to the question why we are bringing this to the floor for a vote, but it's a moment to reflect at the issue at hand and appreciate and understand the horrors that occurred during the holocaust. i now would like to recognize my colleague, mr. david kustoff for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. kustoff: thank you to the chairman and ranking member for allowing me to speak today. i rise today to speak in support of this resolution that would authorize the use of emancipation hall by the united states holocaust museumium that on april 20, 2023. the day of remembrance was

accomplished by congress nation's annual commemoration of the holocaust. since 1982, the united states holocaust memorial museum has worked tirelessly to organ lead this meaningful ceremony in the united states capitol. i think it is imperative we honor the memory and bravery, the spirit of six million jewish victims of the holocaust and the millions of others who perished at the hands of the nazi regime. we must continue to listen and share the survivors' stories so we never forget the heinous atrocities that took place with each passing year. mr. speaker, we have fewer and fewer first-hand witnesses and individuals who were there and lost a family member or a friend. now more than ever, it's critical that we educate the

next generation and teach them about the horrors that occurred during the holocaust is so we never forget. to honor the victims of the holocaust and pay tribute to the liberators, we work and we must continue to work to keep their stories alive. hosting the days of remple brans here in the halls of congress, it does exactly that. and as we all know, ante semitism and hateful rhetoric and incidents continue to grow here across the country and world. as members of congress we have the ability to combatant thy semitism and ensure that our are taught about the cruelty that took place years ago. the way we can do this and prevent atrocities like the holocaust from happening again

is through education. as elie wiesel once said, quote, for the dead and the link we must bear witness, closed quote. i thank many who worked with me and i urge all my colleagues to support this crucial resolution that will honor the victims of the holocaust by authorizing the use of emancipation hall for the day's commemoration. mr. speaker, thank you again to the chairman and ranking member, and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time and the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. steil: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. morelle: i appreciate the chair's explanation of why we

are doing this. and i appreciate the gentleman from tennessee and his hard work. i represent rochester, new york, which has a significant jewish population and i talked a couple of weeks ago at jewish federation in rochester about the rise of ant thy semitism and i appreciate of talking about the increase and do everything we can to make sure we not only remember the past but cognizant of all the challenges. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. steil: i agree with my colleague as we see a rise. now is a time to remember how that can take us in this world down a dark path and no darker path than the holocaust.

i would like to recognize the gentleman from new york, m mr. dees possible eato. mr. d'esposito: i rise to voice my support for house concurrent resolution 25 which would authorize the use of emancipation hall for a sermony remembering the victims of the holocaust. it is important that this legislative body and the federal government at large do everything possible to ensure the horrors of the holocaust are never forgotten and the victims are always remembered. holding a ceremony right here demonstrates this nation's unified commitment to honoring those who fell victim to an evil

eyedology of ant thy semitism and fellow hatred. these remembrancees are particularly important because of generations that survived the holocaust dwindle in numbers. we must make sure that those survivors' supposer are told and perseverance are celebrated for years to come. i will be observing by pausing to remember the mill i don't knows of lives senselessly taken during the holocaust and thanking those survivors who continue to keep alives those stories. the memories of six million murdered jews and countless other victims of the holocaust serve as a reminder that evil exists and we must always stand guard against it and all hatred. let this congress always stand firm for a force of good and

prevent such evils from ever being carried out again. . . ., we must never forget the holocaust and this ceremony will help us keep that remembrance. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from wisconsin reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. morrelle: we have no further speakers on our side, i'll close by thanking to the chair for bringing the resolution forward. thank you anywhere colleagues for offering it. we stand in strong support of this and i urge my colleagues to support house concurrent resolution 25. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york, mr. mo reel lee, yields back. the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized