Foreign Affairs
Information regarding my stance on Foreign Affairs issues.
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
Washington, DC – As U.S. armed forces work with international partners to establish and enforce a no-fly zone in Libya, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement.
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
U.S. and Yemen Have National Security Interests in Defeating Al-Qaeda, Improving Life for Yemeni People
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1 - legislation introduced by the House Republican majority that would cut over $60 billion in essential funding to America's communities without making a significant impact on this year's federal deficit.
I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 519, a bill that would prevent vital upgrades to security around the United Nations building and break America's promise to pay legally-mandated U.N. dues. This legislation does not - as my Republican colleagues claim - reduce the deficit. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined that "implementing H.R. 519 would have no effect on the federal budget." Unfortunately, H.R. 519 would undercut America's global leadership at a time when international cooperation is urgently needed to safeguard America's interests.
I firmly belief that we can fight terrorism and keep our communities safe without sacrificing the rights and liberties that generations of Americans have fought so hard to secure. H.R. 514 fails this critical test, and I will vote to oppose it.
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement in response to the ongoing civil unrest in Egypt, a long-time U.S. ally. Throughout the past week, Egyptian citizens have taken to the streets, demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down from power after more than three decades of rule.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, service and sacrifice of General Vang Pao, who passed away yesterday evening in Clovis, California. General Vang Pao was a historic Hmong military leader who led his people against communist forces during a turbulent time in Laos from 1961 to 1975. In this country, General Vang Pao served as a civilian leader who continued to lead the Hmong-American community for nearly four decades.
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
Minutes Before Vote, Republican Leadership Circulated Misinformation Bill Contained Abortion
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement, regarding the House of Representatives' failure to pass the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act (S. 987).
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
H.R. 2103 Provides Strategy for U.S. Government to Reduce World's Number of Child Brides
Every year in the world's poorest countries millions of girls are forced into marriage. These girls - as young as age 8, but often 13, 14, 15 years old - are sold by impoverished parents to settle debts or they are given away to become wives to men years or even decades older.
For a young girl - a child - being forced to marry an adult man can only be described as a life of slavery, child molestation, and servitude. This is not marriage. It is a violation of the most basic human rights of a child.