Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act

Floor Speech

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Madam Speaker, eighteen years ago, Congress had the foresight to pass the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. That landmark bill made advancing the right to religious freedom a U.S. foreign policy priority.

The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 needed to be upgraded to meet some of the new challenges of the 21st century. This bill, the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, accomplishes that goal by integrating international religious freedom into U.S. foreign policy; improving the ability of the U.S. government to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts; and giving the Secretary of State stronger and more flexible political responses to growing religious freedom violations.

Religion is an even more relevant foreign policy issue today than it was eighteen years ago. From China and Vietnam to Syria and Nigeria, we are witnessing a tragic, global crisis in religious persecution, violence and terrorism, with dire consequences for religious minorities and for U.S. national security.

The biggest threats to our nation often come from those most violently opposed to religious freedom. Thus, the promotion of religious liberty is not an isolated human rights concern, but a fundamental component of our national security.

The global religious freedom crisis we are experiencing today has created millions of victims and undermines liberty, prosperity and peace in places vital to U.S. national interests--posing direct challenge to the U.S. interests in the Middle East, Russia, China and sub-Saharan Africa.

Ancient Christian communities in Iraq and Syria are on the verge of extinction and other religious minorities in the Middle East face a constant assault from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS is committing genocide, mass atrocities, and war crimes to advance its cause--they must be stopped and those facing genocide must be giving the assistance.

A robust religious freedom diplomacy is necessary to advance U.S. interests in stability, security, and economic development. Research has shown that where there is more religious freedom, there is more economic freedom, more women's empowerment, more political stability, more freedom of speech, and less terrorism.

More than ever before, vigorous U.S. leadership and diplomacy are needed to address religious freedom violations globally. It is clear that our national security will depend on the protection and advancement of this fundamental freedom.

The Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act will upgrade the tools and used by the Administration to improve U.S. religious freedom diplomacy efforts globally; better trained and equipped diplomats to counter extremism; address anti-Semitism and religious persecution, and mitigate sectarian conflict.

The bill does this by:

Requiring that the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom report directly to the Secretary of State.

Elevating the position of the Ambassador within the Federal Government: Gives the Ambassador responsibilities to coordinate religious freedom policy throughout the government; develop training curriculum for all Foreign Service officers; and administer grants to promote religious freedom policy globally.

Requiring training in international religious freedom for all Foreign Service Officers: Requires development of curriculum and training for all incoming Foreign Service Officers and for Deputy Chiefs of Mission and Ambassadors going out to new posts. The curriculum used by the State Department will be made available to the U.S. Military and other relevant government agencies.

Creating an ``Entity of Particular Concern'' Designation for Non- State Actors: Gives the Secretary of State authority to designate as ``entities of particular concern'' in recognition of the fact that in the 21st century some of the most egregious religious freedom violations are committed by non-state actors.

Requiring more frequent Presidential actions to counter severe religious freedom violations globally: Requires annual Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designations. Limits the number of sanctions waivers (except in cases of the national interest) and requires more frequent reporting on countries where sanction waivers are used.

Creating a comprehensive Religious Prisoner's List: Lists of religious prisoners would be made available upon request from Members of Congress.

Increasing congressional oversight of State Department actions against individual religious freedom violators through the creation of a ``Designated Persons List:'' The list will include individuals who have been denied a visa or sanctioned because of their involvement in severe violations of religious freedom. Congress will receive frequent and regular updates on the list.

Requiring the State Department to create a ``Special Watch List'' of countries that tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but which may fail to meet the CPC threshold.

Sets Congressional Expectations for Staffing of the IRF Office and Expansion of Religious Freedom Program Grants: Requires ``appropriate staff' for the IRF office and seeks office staffing at FY 16 levels.
Urges the State Department to request ``sufficient funding for vigorous promotion'' of international religious freedom policy.

The bill is named after former Congressman Frank Wolf, a tireless champion for the rights of the poor and the persecuted globally. 18 years ago, he had the foresight to make advancing the right to religious freedom a high U.S. foreign policy priority. It is largely because of his efforts that religious freedom is taken seriously as a foreign policy issue. I had the distinct honor and pleasure of working with him for over thirty years. This bill is a fitting tribute to his work and service to our great nation.

I want to thank Rep. Anna Eshoo for her partnership on this legislation and her advocacy on behalf of religious minorities in the Middle East and the cause of all those oppressed for the beliefs they hold.

I also want to thank Senator Marco Rubio for his commitment to the cause of human rights and international religious freedom and for his assistance in getting this bill passed in the Senate.

As with many pieces of bipartisan legislation, this bill would not have gotten this far without the assistance of many individuals and groups invested in its passage. I want to thank Senators Bob Corker, and Ben Cardin, for assisting with the bill's amendment and passage on the Senate side. Congressman Ed Royce and Eliot Engel and their staff for helping to move this bill on a bipartisan basis through the House.
Also, I want to recognize the contribution David Saperstein, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, who's worked to strengthen the bill and assure its passage. Finally, I want to recognize and thank the many staff members, in the House and Senate, who have worked hard for this bill's passage over the past two years including, Scott Flipse, Elyse Anderson, Mary Noonan, Hannah Murphy, Caleb McCarry, Jaime Fly, Doug Anderson, Piero Tozzi, Sajit Gandhi, and Janice Kaguyutan.

International religious freedom is not a partisan or party issue. The freedom to practice a religion without persecution is a precious right for everyone, of whatever race, sex, status, or location on earth. This human right is enshrined in our own founding documents, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is a bedrock principle of open and democratic societies for centuries.

We Americans understand the importance of religious liberty. It is the First Freedom on which our nation was founded. We should be united in defending it, standing up for those who suffer grievously for its absence, and for the noble and essential cause of protecting our own country. I urge passage of this bill without objection.

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