The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, and the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. Norton, will each control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and to heir remarks include any extraneous material in the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. Mr. Royce thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for such time. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, i would like to begin by thanking the gentlelady from d. C. , and also the gentleman from new york, the Ranking Member of this committee, mr. Engel, for working with us on this clear condemnation of the violence against Peaceful Protesters outside the turkish ambassadors residence. This was in washington, d. C. , on may 16. That day president he had began erdogan long was at an important meeting but that evening, armed members of the turkish president s security detail brutally attacked demonstrators who had thered outside the turkish ambassadors residence in Sheridan Circle in washington, d. C. , and they were there to protest various policies of the turkish government. Armed turkish personnel broke through d. C. Metro police lines and attacked the protesters. They choked, beat and kicked the demonstrators until d. C. Metro Police Officers and state Department Diplomatic security were able to stop the may lay and were able to restore order. One woman was beaten on conscious. She testified before the Foreign Affairs committee that she sustained brain damage as a result. A protester near her was beaten to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face. His front teeth were smashed. Mr. Speaker, what was the reason these and other american citizens were harshly beaten . They chose to exercise their constitutional right to free speech and assembly. They chose to criticize actions of president erdogans government. The protesters got under the turkish delegations skin. Let us be clear, at no time was president erdogan in danger. This was not an act of protection. It was an act of suppression on our american soil. The actions of the Turkish Security detail were unprofessional and dangerous. You had Armed Security personnel creating a may lay. The actions were unjustified and up to this point have gone largely unchallenged. Ouse resolution 354 puts congress firmly on record, in clear, unmistakable terms, condemning the actions of the Turkish Security guards last month. The resolution also demands that turkey immediately lift diplomatic immunity for all those who assaulted u. S. Citizens and Law Enforcement officers. This resolution also calls for the u. S. State department and the u. S. Secret service to review their security procedures and for them to convey to turkish officials in clear terms the expectations for the behavior of their security teams when they are operating in the u. S. Mr. Speaker, one of the most disturbing aspects of last months attack is that this assault by Turkish Security officials was not an isolated incident. Rather, it was the third instance of violence they have engaged in while operating in the United States in recent years. Passage of this resolution is an appropriate strong response by this house to those brutal actions by turkish forces, and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. Ms. Norton mr. Speaker, i rise in support of this resolution, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized for such time. Ms. Norton i want to thank the democratic and Republican Leaders who introduced this resolution condemning the violence of a security detail at the Turkish Embassy here in the Nations Capital. I am not surprised of the bipartisan nature of this of this resolution, coming from the top of the congress about the right to protest peacefully in our country. This was an assault, after all, not only on the protesters, but on one of our most important american values, the right to assemble and use the first mendment to protest. Mr. Speaker, we must persist a ause i do not recall demonstration like this. It was witnessed by the chief of police himself, peter newsome, and he himself is an eyewitness who declared that these protesters were all peaceful. There were also videos of the nonviolent protesters being assaulted. Now, the United States and the protesters deserve an appropriate response from the turkish government. Instead, we received a farfetched shifting of blame from turkey. That makes it all the more important because the shifting of the blame will lead some to believe that we are responsible for what happened. Actually, we need to protest in the strongest terms because it turns out that this is part of a pattern. A similar incident occurred about a half dozen years ago at the united nations. Same head of state. Ame thugs attacking Peaceful Protesters. Last year, just this past year, there was an attack on journalists outside of the brookings institute. So if we dont tell them its time to stop when we had the third attack, they will persist, that is for sure. We know who these security details are. They couldnt have gotten into the country accompanying a head of state without telling us who they are. Moreover, two of them were arrested, so we had their names. I have written the secretary of state, mr. Tillerson, to ask him to bar the reentry of these security personnel, to hold them if they are still here, and to request information on whether they are entitled to immunity, and if they are, to have this immunity waived. We will not let the turkish thugs who protest who took on our protesters unprovoked hide behind immunity. It can be waived. If its present it should be waived. These security personnel should be charge and prosecuted under u. S. Law. Imagine we would have done precisely the same if some of our security had behaved in this fashion in turkey. There will be no justice to the citizens exercising their First Amendment rights who were stomped, kicked and seriously injured until they and our country are vindicated with an appropriate response from the turkish government. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, ill reserve the right to close. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the right to close. The gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. Ms. Norton the speaker pro tempore do you wish to yield time . Ms. Norton im pleased to yield my friend from maryland 2 1 2 minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland is recognized for 2 1 2 minutes. Mr. Sarbanes i thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in strong support of House Resolution 354, which forcefully condemns the shocking assault carried out here on american soil, here in our Nations Capital by trained paramilitary agents of the turkish president ial Security Force against a Peaceful Assembly of protesters who were exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. Video footage offers evidence that president erdogan sanctioned the attack and then calmly sat back to watch as his bodyguards carried it out. Each of us in this chamber must ask the question what sort of foreign leader invited for an official visit by the president of the United States would conduct himself in such a reprehensible manner, would show such contempt for americas commitment to human rights and Civil Liberties . Make no mistake, this is the same man who has ordered mass incarcerations in his own country, who prosecutes dissenters and jails officials, who locks up journalists on a whim. In fact, hes the number one jailer of journalists in the world. The assault on protesters in washington, d. C. , is entirely consistent with the impulses of an autocratic turkey. It is unmass it has unmasked president erdogan for the bully he is and offers americans a teachable moment on the character of official turkey. It reflects a deeply imbedded reflex that in the modern era has brought the world, among other things, the unlawful invasion and occupation of cyprus, the Armenian Genocide and the violent repression of the kurdish people. This incident demands more than just the prosecution of erdogans security personnel, or thential pullings of the turkish ambassador or the strong condemnation of erdogan himself. All of which should happen. It is time for a complete reevaluation of the u. S. Relationship with turkey. We cannot pretend that it is business as usual with a foreign leader that has attacked our nations most cher cherished democratic value cherished Democratic Values on our very own soil. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Royce ill reserve the right to close. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman continues to reserve. The gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. Ms. Norton mr. Speaker, this has been painful not only for the protesters. Its painful for our country. Because turkey is an ally. We have our differences with turkey. But we are dependent on turkey for security matters. If this had never happened before, perhaps we could say that turkey just doesnt understand how we operate in this country. The fact that it was the third instance makes it particularly bother some. Bothersome. Now, we are aware of how sensitive this matter is. You cannot deal with a foreign adversary who happens to be an as if he same time were simply the enemy or our opponent. We have to understand the sensibilities of operating in the international sphere. But its clear that turkey didnt understand that. I was particularly concerned that mr. Erdogan was in his car the entire time. He could have gotten out of that car and called attention to his security detail. He could have asked the Staff Members to do the very same thing. Instead he stayed in hits car, got out in his car, got out after the security detail from the d. C. Police department had calmed things, stood there and had nothing to say. If we let this third instance o by with no response or accept or even seem to accept the turkish response, that will be a signal to keep it up. So i am so pleased that my good friend on the other side and i are in unison on this. I am particularly pleased that this was not a resolution introduced by me or by my good friend. That this resolution was introduced by top leaders of on the republican and the democratic side. And i am pleased at this time to yield four minutes or as much time as he may consume to my good friend from maryland, the democratic whip of the house. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland, mr. Hoyer, is recognized for such time as he may consume. Mr. Hoyer i want to thank representative the district of columbia, ms. Norton, for yielding. I want to thank mr. Royce for his continuing principled and focused leadership on issues that relate to foreign policy, that relates to human rights, and relates to international law. I appreciate very much his leadership. Mr. Speaker, i am pleased that i was able to join with the majority leader, mr. Mccarthy, my friend, in sponsoring this resolution. As an appropriate response to the terrible actions that were taken by Security Officers protecting mr. Erdogan on his visit here. I rise in support of this resolution, which im proud to have introduced along with the majority leader, Ranking Member engel, and chairman royce. The assault on nonviolent demonstrators here in our Nations Capital on may 16 by Turkish Security personnel was an outrage. Our resolution makes it clear, the United States will not tolerate violence against Peaceful Protesters on our shores and those responsible must face justice. Turkey remains a critical nato ally. But i am nevertheless extremely concerned, mr. Speaker, by the fact that this is the third such incident in recent years marking a pattern of violence by Turkish Security personnel in the United States. Unacceptable. Senator john mccain, i wont quote him, but his response was very direct, very basic. And he too said this was unacceptable behavior and he even suggested that perhaps the turkish ambassador ought to leave. I do not suggest that. But i do suggest the conduct must change. It is unacceptable. Our resolution calls on the state department to take appropriate actions to ensure that the tushish government understands that we will not allow this to happen again. There must be consequences to this unprovoked attack on peaceful american citizens in their own country. And those responsible should be charged and prosecuted by the United States. It should be clear to turkey and to all nations that we will oppose any attempt to suppress dissent or the freedom of speech. That is why that is in the First Amendment to the constitution of the United States. Because our Founding Fathers d, frankly, those who follow western values and, yes, some eastern values believe that ree speech is the absolute essential for democracy to succeed and flourish. I want to thank mr. Royce again. Or his principled leadership i want to thank ms. Norton and i want to thank the members of the Foreign Affairs committee for their work on this resolution. And i urge every member of this house to join not only in passing it, but sending this strong message not only to our turkish allies, but to all those who would come to this these shores and understand that our citizens may well have something to say and they may say it with signs, they may say it with their voices, they may say it by standing someplace in. Roximity and one of the facets of america is that they have the right to do that. And those who visit our shores must honor that right. Support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland yields back the balance of his time. Without objection, the remaining time for the minority will be controlled by the gentleman from new york, mr. Espaillat. Does the gentleman from new york have any additional speakers on this resolution . Mr. Espaillat no additional speakers, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore does the gentleman yield back the remaining time for the minority . Mr. Espaillat yes, i do. I would like to speak i would like to speak i reserve. The speaker pro tempore then the gentleman from new york is recognized for such time to speak on this for as much time as he may consume. Mr. Espaillat thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this measure. And i yield myself as much time as i may consume. I want to thank mr. Hoyer, the gentleman from maryland, as well as let me start by thanking the chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, mr. Royce of california, for authoring this legislation and working to bring it to this floor. By now weve seen the footage. We went to the film and saw the footage of turkish thugs attacking Peaceful Protesters during president erdogans visit to washington a few weeks ago. Its bad enough when we see governments anywhere crack down on basic rights like the freedom of assembly or expression. Its bad enough to see that sort of oppression on the streets of ankara orris tan bull, but its becoming or istanbul, but its becoming more and more common as turkey slips toward authoritarianism. But to see that on the streets of washington, d. C. , is absolutely unacceptable. Specialy at the hands of foreign especially at the hands of Foreign Government officials who were guests in our country. We cannot allow these actions to remain unnoticed and to trample on our constitutional rights. We know that president erdogan was never in danger. He simply decided to treat americans the way he treats his own people. His guards even had the nerve to attack Law Enforcement officials who were protecting him and his delegation. This behavior cannot stand. And the resolution before us sends a clear, decisive message that Congress Wont tolerate it. The state Department Must do whatever it takes to make sure that this does not happen again. And those responsible for this heinous act must be held accountable. Charges must be filed and pursued. I am glad to support this measure that puts the house on the record saying that we wont stand for this type of bullying, who attack american citizens and american democracy. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california has reserved the balance of his time to with the right to close. Does the gentleman from new york have any additional speakers . Mr. Espaillat yes, mr. Speaker. I would like to close. The speaker pro tempore then the gentleman is recognized to close for debate for the minority. Mr. Espaillat thank you, mr. Speaker. Free speech, Free Assembly and Free Expression are at