May 20, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 84 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H3966-H3970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GLOBAL FRAGILITY ACT

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2116) to enhance stabilization of conflict-affected areas 
and prevent violence and fragility globally, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2116

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Global Fragility Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) According to the United Nations, an unprecedented 68.5 
     million people around the world, the highest level ever 
     recorded, are currently forcibly displaced from their homes.
       (2) According to the World Bank, violence and violent 
     conflict are now the leading causes of displacement and food 
     insecurity worldwide, driving 80 percent of humanitarian 
     needs, with the same conflicts accounting for the majority of 
     forcibly displaced persons every year since 1991.
       (3) According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, 
     violence containment costs the global economy $14.76 trillion 
     a year, or 12.4 percent of the world's GDP.
       (4) Violence and violent conflict underpin many of the 
     United States Government's key national security challenges. 
     Notably, violent conflicts allow for environments in which 
     terrorist organizations recruit and thrive, while the 
     combination of violence, corruption, poverty, poor 
     governance, and underdevelopment often enables transnational 
     gangs and criminal networks to wreak havoc and commit 
     atrocities worldwide.
       (5) According to research by the University of Maryland and 
     University of Pittsburgh, exposure to violence increases 
     support for violence and violent extremism. Research 
     increasingly finds exposure to violence as a predictor of 
     future participation in violence, including violent 
     extremism.
       (6) United States foreign policy and assistance efforts in 
     highly violent and fragile states remain governed by an 
     outdated patchwork of authorities that prioritize responding 
     to immediate needs rather than solving the problems that 
     cause them.
       (7) Lessons learned over the past 20 years, documented by 
     the 2013 Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction 
     Lessons Learned Study, the 2016 Fragility Study Group report, 
     and the 2018 Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
     Lessons Learned Study on Stabilization, show that effective, 
     sustained United States efforts to reduce violence and 
     stabilize fragile and violence-affected states require 
     clearly defined goals and strategies, adequate long-term 
     funding, rigorous and iterative conflict analysis, 
     coordination across the United States Government, including 
     strong civil-military coordination, attention to the problem 
     of corruption, and integration with and leadership from 
     national and sub-national partners, including local civil 
     society organizations, traditional justice systems, and local 
     governance structures.
       (8) The ``Stabilization Assistance Review'' released in 
     2018 by the Departments of State and Defense and the United 
     States Agency for International Development states, ``The 
     United States has strong national security and economic 
     interests in reducing levels of violence and promoting 
     stability in areas affected by armed conflict.''. The Review 
     further states, ``Stabilization is an inherently political 
     endeavor that requires aligning U.S. Government efforts--
     diplomatic engagement, foreign assistance, and defense--
     toward supporting locally legitimate authorities and systems 
     to peaceably manage conflict and prevent violence.''.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States to--
       (1) ensure that all relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies coordinate to achieve coherent, long-term goals for 
     programs designed to stabilize conflict-affected areas and 
     prevent violence and fragility globally, including when 
     implementing the Global Fragility Initiative established 
     pursuant to section 6;
       (2) seek to improve global, regional, and local 
     coordination of relevant international and multilateral 
     development and donor organizations regarding efforts to 
     stabilize conflict-affected areas and prevent violence and 
     fragility globally, and, where practicable and appropriate, 
     align such efforts with multilateral goals and indicators;
       (3) expand and enhance the effectiveness of United States 
     foreign assistance programs and activities to stabilize 
     conflict-affected areas and prevent violence and fragility 
     globally;
       (4) support the research and development of effective 
     approaches to stabilize conflict-affected areas and prevent 
     violence and fragility globally, and data collection efforts 
     relevant to such approaches; and
       (5) improve the tools and authorities for assessment, 
     monitoring, and evaluation needed to enable learning and 
     adaptation by such relevant Federal departments and agencies 
     working to stabilize conflict-affected areas and prevent 
     violence and fragility globally.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Stabilization and Prevention Fund.--
       (1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of 
     the United States a fund to be known as the ``Stabilization 
     and Prevention Fund'' (in this subsection referred to as the 
     ``Fund''), to be administered by the Department of State and 
     the United States Agency for International Development 
     (USAID), and consisting of amounts authorized to be 
     appropriated pursuant to paragraph (2).
       (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Fund $200,000,000 for each of the 
     five fiscal years beginning with the first fiscal year that 
     begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. Amounts 
     authorized to be appropriated pursuant to this paragraph are 
     authorized to remain available until expended.
       (3) Purposes of the fund.--
       (A) In general.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Fund shall be used for economic and development 
     assistance for any of the following:
       (i) To support stabilization of conflict-affected areas and 
     prevent violence and fragility globally, including through 
     the Global Fragility Initiative established pursuant to 
     section 6.
       (ii) To provide assistance to areas liberated or at risk 
     from, or under the control of, the Islamic State of Iraq and 
     Syria, other terrorist organizations, or violent extremist 
     organizations, including for stabilization assistance for 
     vulnerable ethnic and religious minority communities affected 
     by conflict.
       (B) Addition.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Fund are in addition to any amounts otherwise made available 
     for the purposes described in subparagraph (A).
       (4) Congressional notification.--Not later than 15 days 
     before amounts from the Fund are obligated, the Secretary of 
     State or Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development shall submit notification of such 
     obligation to--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (C) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
       (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
       (b) Complex Crises Fund.--
       (1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of 
     the United States a fund to be known as the ``Complex Crises 
     Fund'' (in this subsection referred to as the ``Fund''), to 
     be administered by USAID.
       (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Fund $30,000,000 for each of the 
     five fiscal years beginning with the first fiscal year that 
     begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. Amounts 
     authorized to be appropriated pursuant to this paragraph are 
     authorized to remain available until expended.
       (3) Purposes of the fund.--
       (A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, except section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
     1961 (22 U.S.C. 2378d), amounts in the Fund may be used to 
     carry out the provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
     1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) to support programs and 
     activities to prevent or respond to emerging or unforeseen 
     foreign challenges and complex crises overseas, including 
     through the Global Fragility Initiative established pursuant 
     to section 6.
       (B) Addition.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Fund are in addition to any amounts otherwise made available 
     for the purposes described in subparagraph (A).
       (4) Limitations.--

[[Page H3967]]

       (A) In general.--Amounts in the Fund may not be expended 
     for lethal assistance or to respond to natural disasters.
       (B) Administrative expenses.--Not more than five percent of 
     amounts in the Fund may be used for administrative expenses.
       (5) Congressional notification.--Not later than five days 
     before amounts from the Fund are obligated, the Administrator 
     of the United States Agency for International Development 
     shall submit notification of such obligation to--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (6) Waiver.--Notification in accordance with paragraph (5) 
     may be waived if--
       (A) notification by the deadline specified in such 
     paragraph would pose a substantial risk to human health or 
     welfare; and
       (B) the congressional committees specified in such 
     paragraph--
       (i) are notified not later than three days after an 
     obligation of amounts from the Fund; and
       (ii) are provided with an explanation of the emergency 
     circumstances that necessitated such waiver.
       (c) Other Funding and Cost Matching.--The Global Fragility 
     Initiative established pursuant to section 6--
       (1) may be supported by funds other than funds authorized 
     to be appropriated pursuant to this section; and
       (2) shall seek to leverage funds from sources other than 
     the United States Government in order to promote coordination 
     and cost-matching to the maximum extent practicable.

     SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING ASSISTANCE FOR THE GLOBAL 
                   FRAGILITY INITIATIVE.

       It is the sense of Congress that the President, the 
     Secretary of State, the Administrator of USAID, the Secretary 
     of Defense, and the heads of other relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies should work with the appropriate 
     congressional committees to provide sufficient types and 
     levels of funding to--
       (1) allow for more adaptive and responsive policy and 
     program planning, implementation, and scaling under the 
     Global Fragility Initiative established pursuant to section 
     6, including through more flexible funding mechanisms and 
     exemptions from specific and minimum funding levels when such 
     exemptions would make such programs better able to respond to 
     local needs, the results of monitoring and evaluation, or 
     changed circumstances in relevant countries;
       (2) better integrate the initiative and other conflict and 
     violence reduction objectives and activities into other 
     policy and program areas, where appropriate; and
       (3) support transparent and accountable multilateral funds, 
     initiatives, and strategies to enhance and better coordinate 
     both private and public efforts to stabilize conflict-
     affected areas and prevent violence and fragility globally.

     SEC. 6. GLOBAL FRAGILITY INITIATIVE.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
     with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development (USAID), the Secretary of Defense, 
     the Atrocities Prevention Board (or any successor entity), 
     and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies, shall, in accordance with subsection (b), establish 
     an interagency initiative, to be referred to as the ``Global 
     Fragility Initiative'', to stabilize conflict-affected areas 
     and prevent violence and fragility globally.
       (2) Stakeholder consultation.--The Global Fragility 
     Initiative required under this subsection shall be developed 
     in consultation with representatives of local civil society 
     and national and local governance entities, as well as 
     relevant international development organizations with 
     experience implementing programs in fragile and violence-
     affected communities, multilateral organizations and donors, 
     and relevant private, academic, and philanthropic entities, 
     as appropriate.
       (b) Establishment Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     coordination with the Administrator of USAID, the Secretary 
     of Defense, the Atrocities Prevention Board (or any successor 
     entity), and the heads of other relevant Federal departments 
     and agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees an interagency plan regarding the establishment of 
     the Global Fragility Initiative pursuant to subsection (a) 
     that includes the following:
       (1) Identification of the roles and responsibilities of 
     each participating Federal department or agency, while 
     ensuring that--
       (A) the Department of State is the overall lead department 
     for establishing United States foreign policy and advancing 
     diplomatic and political efforts;
       (B) USAID is the lead implementing agency for development, 
     humanitarian, and related non-security program policy;
       (C) where appropriate, the Department of Defense may 
     support the activities of the Department of State and USAID 
     by providing requisite security and support to civilian 
     efforts with the joint-formulation, coordination, and 
     concurrence of the Secretary of State and Administrator of 
     USAID; and
       (D) other Federal departments and agencies support the 
     activities of the Department of State and USAID as 
     appropriate, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State 
     and Administrator of USAID.
       (2) Identification of which officials of the Department of 
     State, USAID, and the Department of Defense, with a rank not 
     lower than Assistant Secretary or Assistant Administrator, as 
     the case may be, will be responsible for overseeing and 
     leading the initiative.
       (3) Identification of the authorities, staffing, and other 
     resource requirements needed to effectively implement the 
     initiative.
       (4) Descriptions of the organizational steps the Secretary 
     of State, the Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, and 
     the head of each other relevant Federal department or agency 
     will take to improve planning, coordination, implementation, 
     assessment, monitoring, evaluation, adaptive management, and 
     iterative learning with respect to the programs carried out 
     under the initiative.
       (5) Descriptions of the steps the Secretary of State, the 
     Administrator, the Secretary of Defense, and the head of each 
     other relevant Federal department or agency will take to 
     ensure appropriate host-country ownership and to improve 
     coordination and collaboration under the initiative with 
     international development organizations, international 
     donors, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.
       (6) Descriptions of potential areas of improved public and 
     private sector research and development, including with 
     academic, philanthropic, and civil society organizations, on 
     data collection efforts and more effective approaches to 
     stabilize conflict-affected areas and prevent violence and 
     fragility globally.
       (7) Descriptions of the processes for regularly evaluating 
     and updating the initiative on an iterative basis, including 
     regarding priority country and regional plans described in 
     subsection (d).
       (8) A list of priority countries and regions selected 
     pursuant to subsection (c), including descriptions of the 
     rationale for such selections.
       (c) Selection of Priority Countries and Regions.--The 
     Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
     USAID and the Secretary of Defense, and in consultation with 
     the appropriate congressional committees, shall select 
     certain countries as ``priority countries'' and certain 
     regions as ``priority regions'' for the Global Fragility 
     Initiative--
       (1) on the basis of--
       (A) clearly defined indicators of the levels of violence or 
     fragility in such country or region, such as the country or 
     region's--
       (i) ranking on recognized global fragility lists, such as 
     the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 
     States of Fragility report, the Fund for Peace Fragile States 
     Index, the World Bank Harmonized List of Fragile Situations, 
     the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index, and 
     Holocaust Museum Early Warning Project Risk Assessment;
       (ii) ranking on select United States Government conflict 
     and atrocity early warning watch lists; and
       (iii) levels of violence, such as violence committed by 
     armed groups, violent extremist organizations, gender-based 
     violence, and violence against children and youth; and
       (B) an assessment of--
       (i) the capacity and commitment of national and sub-
     national government entities and civil society partners in 
     such country or region to work with Federal departments and 
     agencies on the initiative, including by demonstrating the 
     willingness and making demonstrable efforts to improve 
     governance, enhance rule of law, and protect human rights; 
     and
       (ii) the likelihood that selection as a priority country or 
     priority region would allow the initiative to measurably 
     stabilize conflict-affected areas or prevent violence and 
     fragility in such country or region; and
       (2) in a manner that ensures that--
       (A) not fewer than three countries or regions are 
     designated as ``Stabilization Countries'' or ``Stabilization 
     Regions'', as the case may be, in which current levels of 
     violence are among the highest in the world;
       (B) not fewer than three countries or regions are 
     designated as ``Prevention Countries'' or ``Prevention 
     Regions'', as the case may be, in which current levels of 
     violence are lower than such levels in Stabilization 
     Countries or Stabilization Regions but risk factors for 
     violence or fragility are significant;
       (C) countries and regions selected are in the areas of 
     responsibility of at least three geographic bureaus of the 
     Department of State; and
       (D) regions, rather than individual countries, are selected 
     where the threat or spillover of violence, conflict, or 
     fragility threatens multiple countries within a single 
     geographic region.
       (d) Country and Regional Plans.--Not later than one year 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     State, in coordination with the Administrator of USAID, the 
     Secretary of Defense, the Atrocities Prevention Board (or any 
     successor entity), and the heads of other relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies, shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees ten-year plans to align and 
     integrate under the Global Fragility Initiative required 
     under subsection (a) all relevant diplomatic,

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     development, security assistance and cooperation, and other 
     relevant activities of the United States Government with 
     respect to each of the countries and regions selected 
     pursuant to subsection (c). Each such country and regional 
     plan shall include the following:
       (1) Specific multi-year interagency plans for coordination 
     and implementation under each such plan.
       (2) An up-to-date baseline analysis for each such country 
     or region, including an analysis of political dynamics, 
     impacts of violence, and conditions that contribute to 
     violence and fragility.
       (3) Prioritized descriptions of the goals and objectives 
     for stabilizing conflict-affected areas and preventing 
     violence and fragility in each such country or region.
       (4) Descriptions of how and when the relevant goals, 
     objectives, plans, and benchmarks for each such country or 
     region will be incorporated into relevant United States 
     country plans and strategies, including Department of State 
     Integrated Country Strategies, USAID Country Development 
     Cooperation Strategies, and Department of Defense Campaign 
     Plans, Operational Plans, and Regional Strategies, as well as 
     any equivalent or successor plans or strategies.
       (5) Interagency plans to ensure that appropriate local 
     actors, including government and civil society entities and 
     organizations led by women, youth, or under-represented 
     communities, have an appropriate ownership stake in 
     developing, implementing, assessing, monitoring, evaluating, 
     and updating relevant activities under each such plan.
       (6) Interagency plans to integrate existing and planned 
     security assistance and cooperation programs in each such 
     country or region with the initiative and to maximize 
     positive outcomes and mitigate risks associated with such 
     programs, including risks related to corruption, governance, 
     and human rights.
       (7) Assessment, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks for 
     diplomatic, development, and security activities, which shall 
     be informed by consultations with the stakeholders specified 
     in subsection (a)(2), with clear, date-certain metrics for 
     each such country or region, as well as interagency plans for 
     using such frameworks to adapt such activities on a regular 
     and iterative basis.
       (8) Descriptions of available policy tools and how such 
     tools will be used to stabilize conflict-affected areas or 
     prevent violence and fragility in each such country or 
     region.
       (9) A description of how planning and implementation for 
     each such country or region will be coordinated to ensure 
     such planning and implementation are conducted in partnership 
     between the United States Government and--
       (A) governments of such countries;
       (B) international development organizations;
       (C) relevant international donors;
       (D) multilateral organizations; and
       (E) the private sector.
       (10) A regional component outlining plans to address 
     relevant transnational issues in cases in which an individual 
     country is selected and such country is affected by or at 
     risk of regional fragility or violence.
       (11) A component outlining plans to address national-level 
     factors at the individual country level in cases in which a 
     region is selected and such region is affected by or at risk 
     of fragility or violence as a result of such national-level 
     factors.
       (e) Implementation.--The Secretary of State, in 
     coordination with the Administrator of USAID, the Secretary 
     of Defense, and the heads of other relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies, and in consultation with the 
     Atrocities Prevention Board (or any successor entity), 
     relevant United States ambassadors, USAID mission directors, 
     geographic combatant commanders, and other relevant 
     individuals with responsibility over activities in each 
     priority country or region selected pursuant to subsection 
     (c), shall ensure that--
       (1) the Global Fragility Initiative required under 
     subsection (a), including each of the country and regional 
     plans under subsection (d), is implemented, updated, and 
     coordinated on a regular and iterative basis; and
       (2) such initiative is used to guide United States 
     Government policy at a senior level and incorporated into 
     relevant strategies and plans across the United States 
     Government such that the activities of all Federal 
     departments and agencies are consistent with such initiative.

     SEC. 7. BIENNIAL REPORTS AND CONGRESSIONAL CONSULTATION.

       (a) Biennial Reports.--Not later than two years after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act and every two years 
     thereafter until the date that is ten years after such date 
     of enactment, the Secretary of State, in coordination with 
     the Administrator of USAID, the Secretary of Defense, the 
     Atrocities Prevention Board (or any successor entity), and 
     the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, 
     shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an 
     unclassified report, which may include a classified annex, on 
     progress made and lessons learned with respect to the Global 
     Fragility Initiative established pursuant to section 6, 
     including each country and regional plan required as part of 
     such initiative, including the following:
       (1) Descriptions of steps taken to incorporate the 
     initiative and such country and regional plans into relevant 
     strategies and plans that affect such countries and regions.
       (2) Accountings of all funding received and obligated to 
     implement each such country and regional plan during the 
     previous two years, as well as funding requested, planned, 
     and projected for the following two years.
       (3) Descriptions of progress made towards the goals and 
     objectives established for each such country and region, 
     including progress made towards achieving specific targets, 
     metrics, and indicators.
       (4) Descriptions of updates made during the previous two 
     years to the goals, objectives, plans of action, and other 
     elements described in each such country and regional plan, as 
     well as any changes made to programs based on the results of 
     assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
       (b) Congressional Consultation.--The Secretary of State, 
     the Administrator of USAID, and the Secretary of Defense 
     shall provide to any appropriate congressional committee upon 
     the request of any such committee regular briefings on the 
     implementation of this Act.

     SEC. 8. GAO REVIEW.

       (a) In General.--Not later than two years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act and every two years thereafter 
     until the date that is ten years after such date of 
     enactment, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     consult with the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee 
     on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives regarding 
     opportunities for independent review of the activities under 
     the Global Fragility Initiative established pursuant to 
     section 6, including opportunities to--
       (1) assess the extent to which United States Government 
     activities in each country and region selected as part of the 
     initiative are being implemented in accordance with the 
     initiative and the relevant country or regional plan under 
     the initiative;
       (2) assess the processes and procedures for coordinating 
     among and within each relevant Federal department or agency 
     when implementing the initiative and each such country and 
     regional plan;
       (3) assess the monitoring and evaluation efforts under the 
     initiative and each such country and regional plan, including 
     assessments of the progress made and lessons learned with 
     respect to each such plan, as well as any changes made to 
     activities based on the results of such monitoring and 
     evaluation;
       (4) recommend changes necessary to better implement United 
     States Government activities in accordance with the 
     initiative, as well as recommendations for any changes to the 
     initiative; and
       (5) assess such other matters as the Comptroller General 
     determines appropriate.
       (b) Availability of Information.--The heads of all relevant 
     Federal departments and agencies shall ensure that all 
     relevant data, documents, and other information is made 
     available to the Comptroller General of the United States for 
     purposes of conducting independent reviews pursuant to this 
     section.

     SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committees on Foreign Relations, Armed Services, 
     and Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Relevant federal department or agency.--The term 
     ``relevant Federal department or agency'' means the 
     Department of the Treasury and any other Federal department 
     or agency the President determines is relevant to carry out 
     the purposes of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2116.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, on the Foreign Affairs Committee, we focus a great 
deal on the importance of diplomacy and development as pillars of 
American foreign policy. The reason why we to do this is simple: 
diplomacy and development advance our interests and values in a way 
that saves lives, that prevents war, that stops crises before they 
start, and helps stabilize countries where conflicts have occurred.
  These efforts strengthen old friendships and build new bridges of 
understanding with people and cultures and governments throughout the 
world.
  We will always need a strong military, but sending our servicemembers

[[Page H3969]]

into harm's way should, likewise, always be a measure of last resort. 
So, on our committee, we look for ways to make our diplomacy and 
development more effective. We try to give our diplomats and 
development experts the tools and resources they need to carry out 
their critical work.
  Today, the House is taking up six bills aimed at doing just that. The 
first is a bill of mine that I am glad is moving forward.
  Let me thank our ranking member, my friend, Mr. McCaul of Texas, for 
joining as a cosponsor. This legislation gets at the heart of what we 
want to see from our diplomatic and development efforts around the 
world: helping places already torn apart by violence to recover and 
preventing the start of violence in other places where factors are ripe 
for its outbreak.
  Over the past two decades, we have learned a great deal about what 
drives violence and instability in what are called fragile states. We 
know that it takes clearly defined goals and strategies. We know that 
it takes strong, sustained investment over the long term. We know that 
it takes serious research and analysis. And we know that it takes 
agencies across government working together toward the same goals.
  This bill takes all that knowledge and establishes an overarching 
policy framework for the United States Government. It will help ensure 
that our government is working in lockstep to prevent violence and 
extremism and that we are working closely with civil society groups to 
assess internal and external drivers of instability, to implement these 
initiatives on the ground, and to constantly monitor and evaluate the 
work.
  This bill takes into account the fact that no two countries are 
alike. Some will be willing partners in this work; others will require 
more rigorous engagement to get them on board. For this reason, the 
bill requires the selection of priority countries and regions based on 
a number of indicators, such as the challenges at hand and the 
commitments of respective governments.
  The bill also establishes and authorizes the Stabilization and 
Prevention Fund and authorizes the Complex Crises Fund for the next 5 
years, important steps in making sure this initiative has the resources 
needed for success.
  This bill will make a real difference in the lives of some of the 
world's most vulnerable people and communities, and it will do so in a 
way that serves U.S. interests.
  The United States must get ahead of the extremist threat if we want 
to ensure our own security. This bill helps us to do just that. I ask 
for the support of all Members to pass this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Global Fragility Act. I 
want to thank my good friend, Chairman Engel, for introducing this 
bill. I am proud to be the lead Republican on this vital bipartisan 
legislation.
  Violent conflict costs the global economy more than $14 trillion 
every year, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions 
from their homes. In the past, the United States has been investing 
billions of dollars to stabilize fragile states and conflict areas, 
often with little to show for it.
  We are successful militarily. For example, we have destroyed the so-
called caliphate in Iraq and Syria. But as former Secretary of Defense 
James Mattis once said: ``The more that we put into the State 
Department's diplomacy, hopefully, the less we have to put into a 
military budget as we deal with the outcome. . . . `'
  Simply put, we need to be more effective in helping to prevent 
conflicts before they erupt. That is what this bill is designed to do.
  Weak governance, corruption, and extreme poverty fuel instability. 
Jihadi groups prey on these conditions and plague key parts of the 
world with their violence and oppression. Fragile states provide 
fertile recruiting ground for these terrorists and, also, transnational 
criminal organizations.
  Sadly, we are seeing jihadists expand in the Sahel region of Africa. 
Violent attacks linked to terror groups have doubled every year since 
2016.
  When I was in Africa last month, I heard tragic stories of this 
growing threat. I am glad that we are taking action here today to help 
bring stability to this vital region by passing the Global Fragility 
Act.
  Our bill requires the administration to launch a new initiative to 
coordinate our assistance in fragile states. This will ensure that the 
United States takes a whole-of-government approach to preventing 
violent conflict rather than individual agencies funding piecemeal, 
uncoordinated activities.
  The bill requires the State Department to coordinate with USAID, the 
Department of Defense, and other agencies in standing up a pilot 
program in a select number of countries. It also ensures consistent 
future funding in order to take a long-term approach to our programs 
and objectives in those key selected locations.

  Madam Speaker, we must get this right. We are seeing unprecedented 
levels of instability, displacement, and humanitarian needs around the 
world in Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, the Sahel, South Sudan, and 
elsewhere. Preventing conflict and violence can save the U.S. taxpayer 
dollars and make our country and the rest of the world safer.
  I want to recognize the development community and NGOs, like the ONE 
Campaign, for the important work that they have done on this critical 
humanitarian and national security issue. They have been extremely 
supportive of this bill, and I look forward to working with them to get 
to final passage.
  Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to say that we have done a 
lot of good things in terms of defending this Nation. As chairman of 
Homeland Security, I think that we stopped probably 95 percent of the 
threats that we saw coming at us.
  We have done very good offensively in our military, defeating and 
destroying extremist groups like al-Qaida and ISIS in Iraq and Syria 
and the collapse of the caliphate. But, Madam Speaker, I think where we 
have been probably not as good and where we need to do better is in 
prevention and getting at the root causes of the problems.
  Getting to the root cause of the problems, particularly in Africa, is 
extremely important, as the military tells us the Sahel will be the 
next caliphate.
  We have to pass this bill because it gets to the root cause. It is 
the prevention piece that the State Department, USAID, and the 
Department of Defense will work together to stop and prevent extremism 
at its core roots, and I believe it will make the world a safer place 
long term.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, the United States works to prevent and stop violence 
when we help to build stronger, more secure communities around the 
world; when we try to make the most vulnerable regions more stable and 
prosperous, we are improving the lives of large numbers of people. We 
are also advancing our own interests by eliminating the root causes 
that allow extremism to fester and drive threats to our own security.
  That is the aim of my bill. That is the aim of this bill we are 
considering today. It is a smart approach to a serious foreign policy 
challenge.
  The House passed it in the last Congress. I hope the other body will 
take it up soon so we can get it to the President's desk.
  Madam Speaker, I again thank the ranking member, Mr. McCaul.
  Policies like this should always be bipartisan. As I always stress, 
as does Mr. McCaul, we try to work in a bipartisan way on the House 
Foreign Affairs Committee because, after all, the work we are doing is 
work for all Americans. It helps all Americans. It helps our great 
Nation.
  So I again want to thank the ranking member, Mr. McCaul. I ask all 
Members to support this effort, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2116.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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