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December 3, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6083 We have seen the horrific ethnic H. RES. 996 Whereas according to an investigation by cleanings against the Rohingya in Whereas Yevgeniy Prigozhin is a Russian the London-based Dossier Center, the jour- Burma. We have seen the atrocities national who has maintained close personal nalists had been tracked by officers of the committed by Assad against his own ties with President since the gendarmerie who early 2000s; were in close communication with Russian people in . But bringing the nationals tied to the , includ- criminals behind these massacres to Whereas Yevgeniy Prigozhin is the patron and funder of the Wagner Group, also known ing Valery Zakharov and Alexander Sotov; justice can be difficult. That is why 35 as the (PMC) Whereas associates of Yevgeniy Prigozhin years ago, we enacted the State De- Wagner, a Russian organization were reported to discuss plans to set up partment’s Rewards program. It au- staffed by current and former military and camps ‘‘for combat prep and training in sab- thorizes the Secretary of State to offer intelligence officers, and the Internet Re- otage’’ with the goal of stoking racial vio- rewards for the arrest or conviction of search Agency (IRA), an organization en- lence and carrying out domestic terror at- some of the most dangerous people in gaged in online influence operations; tacks in the in the run-up to the world. Whereas the IRA has conducted online in- the November 3, 2020, presidential election; Originally written to be used against formation operations against the United Whereas associates of Yevgeniy Prigozhin States in an attempt to sow division and dis- have set up online influence operations based international terrorists, the successful in and to target program has since been expanded to in- cord among the American electorate, as well as the electorates of our European allies and audiences in the United States with the goal clude drug traffickers, war criminals, partners; of inflaming racial tensions and provoking and perpetrators of genocide. As the Whereas entities funded by Yevgeniy social unrest in the run-up to the November world changes and as the international Prigozhin have been used by the Government 3, 2020, presidential election; criminals evolve, we need to make sure of the Russian Federation to conduct mili- Whereas, on December 20, 2016, the Depart- this important program evolves with tary action, subversive operations, and ment of the Treasury designated Yevgeniy them. And that is why I urge my col- campaigns on its behalf while Prigozhin under Executive Order 13661, ‘‘Blocking Property of Additional Persons leagues to join us in supporting the giving it an appearance of plausible deniability; Contributing to the Situation in ’’, War Crimes Rewards Expansion Act. for having ‘‘materially assisted, sponsored, Mr. Speaker, the bill makes clear Whereas the Wagner Group was involved in the Russian Federation’s military invasion or provided financial, material, or techno- that these rewards are not just meant and attempted annexation of Ukraine’s Cri- logical support for, or goods or services in to support international tribunals. mea region in February and March 2014, and support of, senior officials of the Russian They can also be used to bring these in the subsequent insurgencies in the eastern Federation’’; dangerous criminals to justice here in Ukrainian regions of and ; Whereas, on June 20, 2017, the Department the United States, under United States Whereas the Wagner Group has been pro- of the Treasury designated the Wagner law. viding military support to the regime of Group under Executive Order 13660, ‘‘Block- Mr. Speaker, I thank the author of Bashar al-Assad in Syria since 2015, fighting ing Property of Certain Persons Contrib- uting to the Situation in Ukraine’’, for being this bill, the gentlewoman from North alongside its forces and helping it recapture significant parts of the country; ‘‘responsible for or complicit in, or having Carolina (Ms. FOXX), and my good Whereas, on February 7, 2018, the Wagner engaged in, directly or indirectly, actions or friend, Chairman ENGEL, for consid- Group led an armed assault on United States policies that threaten the peace, security, ering this bill today, which deserves troops near the city of Deir al-Zour in east- stability, sovereignty, or territorial integ- our support. ern Syria, prompting a United States coun- rity of Ukraine’’; Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance terattack, in what has been described as Whereas, on March 15, 2018, the Depart- of my time. ‘‘the deadliest U.S.- clash since the ment of the Treasury designated Yevgeniy Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- Cold War’’; Prigozhin, his affiliated entities, including self such time as I may consume. Whereas the Wagner Group has supported the , and his subor- Mr. Speaker, I echo the words of Mr. and his‘‘Libyan National dinates under Executive Order 13694, ‘‘Block- Army’’ by providing , artillery, ing the Property of Certain Persons Engag- MCCAUL. I am pleased to support this ing in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled legislation, and I urge all Members to tanks, drones, and ammunition, with Yevgeniy Prigozhin personally attending a Activities,’’ for being ‘‘involved in inter- do the same. meeting between Haftar and Russian Defense fering with [U.S.] election processes or insti- Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on No- tutions’’; of my time. vember 7, 2018; Whereas on July 15, 2020, under Executive The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Whereas a report made Orders 13848, 13694 (as amended), and 13661, question is on the motion offered by public on May 6, 2020, concluded that the the Department of the Treasury designated the gentleman from New York (Mr. Wagner Group has operated up to 1,200 mili- entities located in , , and ENGEL) that the House suspend the tary contractors in , including snipers Thailand that have enabled Yevgeniy rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1819. and specialized military teams, serving as Prigozhin’s ability to evade United States ‘‘an effective force multiplier’’ for Haftar’s sanctions as well as Prigozhin-linked enti- The question was taken; and (two- ties that have attempted to suppress and dis- thirds being in the affirmative) the army. Whereas mercenaries from the Wagner credit protestors seeking reforms in Sudan; rules were suspended and the bill was Group were deployed to in Janu- Whereas, on September 23, 2020, pursuant passed. ary 2019 to provide support for the regime of to Executive Orders 13848, 13694 (as amend- A motion to reconsider was laid on Nicolas Maduro in the face of popular pro- ed), and 13661, the Department of the Treas- the table. tests against his dictatorship; ury designated a network of entities and in- f Whereas Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affili- dividuals working on behalf of Yevgeniy ated entities have spearheaded operations Prigozhin seeking to advance Russia’s influ- EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS with the intent to influence political proc- ence in the Central African Republic; THAT YEVGENIY PRIGOZHIN AND esses in Africa on behalf of the Government Whereas, on October 15, 2020, the European HIS AFFILIATED ENTITIES POSE of the Russian Federation in several coun- Union sanctioned Yevgeniy Prigozhin for en- A THREAT TO INTERESTS AND tries, including , , gaging in ‘‘and providing support for Wagner SECURITY OF THE UNITED Sudan, Zimbabwe, and the Central African Group’s activities in Libya, which threaten the country’s peace, stability and security’’; STATES Republic; Whereas the Wagner Group has deployed and Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to mercenaries to the Central African Republic Whereas current and former Administra- suspend the rules and agree to the reso- since 2018 and has provided security detail tion officials have affirmed that the malign lution (H. Res. 996) expressing the sense for Central African Republic President activities of Yevgeniy Prigozhin around the of Congress that the activities of Rus- Faustin-Archange Touadera, including Rus- world pose a significant threat to United sian national Yevgeniy Prigozhin and sian national Valery Zakharov, a former se- States national security interests: Now, therefore, be it his affiliated entities pose a threat to curity official with close ties to the Wagner the national interests and security of Group, who serves as the National Security Resolved, That the House of Representa- Adviser; tives— the United States and of its allies and Whereas, on July 31, 2018, Russian journal- (1) condemns any and all attempts by the partners, as amended. ists Orkhan Dzhemal, Kirill Radchenko, and Government of the Russian Federation and The Clerk read the title of the resolu- Alexander Rastorguyev were murdered in the associated actors to influence the domestic tion. Central African Republic while working on a politics of other countries and sow division The text of the resolution is as fol- documentary about the activities of the among their peoples, particularly the United lows: Wagner Group in that country; States and its allies and partners;

VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:28 Dec 04, 2020 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K03DE7.063 H03DEPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE H6084 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 3, 2020 (2) condemns the activities of Russian na- calls for the imposition of additional exposes the truth about the Kremlin’s tional Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated targeted sanctions. ridiculous claim that Mr. Prigozhin entities that pose a threat to the democratic As Putin and his henchmen, like and the Wagner Group operate inde- values, democratic institutions, and security Prigozhin, continue their attacks on pendently. of the United States and its allies and part- ners; democracies across the world, Congress Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to (3) urges countries and entities engaging must send a strong, unified message support this resolution’s passage, and I with Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated that we will not tolerate their desta- yield back the balance of my time. entities in business or advisory capacities to bilizing actions and that we are ready Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- cease these engagements; to hold them accountable. Passing this self as much time as I may consume for (4) supports the additional designations resolution does just that. the purpose of closing. made by the Department of the Treasury on Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this Mr. Speaker, Yevgeniy Prigozhin is September 23, 2020, and by the European measure, urge all my colleagues to do an enemy of democracy and an adver- Union on October 15, 2020, and calls on the the same, and I reserve the balance of sary of the U.S. and our allies. United States Government and the European From sowing discord and division Union to continue to target the ability of my time. Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated enti- Mr. MCCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield through disinformation campaigns to ties to conduct operations globally and to myself such time as I may consume. stoking violent conflicts around the interfere in the democratic processes of the Mr. Speaker, Yevgeniy Prigozhin is world, Prigozhin is a dangerous Putin United States and its allies and partners; one of the most destructive operators crony. and within Vladimir Putin’s corrupt re- This bipartisan measure condemns (5) calls for close coordination between the gime. The destabilizing activity that Prigozhin’s nefarious activities and United States Government and the govern- he has directed and financed can be felt demonstrates Congress’ support for ments of United States allies and partners to throughout the world. continued cooperation between the ensure that sanctions regimes against United States and our European allies Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his affiliated enti- Mr. Prigozhin bankrolls the Russian ties are enforced and coordinated. Wagner Group, whose mercenaries have to hold him and his Kremlin partners The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- fanned the deadly flames of conflicts, accountable. ant to the rule, the gentleman from propped up dictatorships, committed Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues New York (Mr. ENGEL) and the gen- gruesome human rights abuses, all at will join me in supporting its passage, tleman from Texas (Mr. MCCAUL) each the Kremlin’s direction. and I yield back the balance of my will control 20 minutes. In Ukraine, the Wagner Group sup- time. The Chair recognizes the gentleman ported Russia’s illegal annexation of The SPEAKER pro tempore. The from New York. and the pro-Russian separatists question is on the motion offered by in the country’s east. They have pro- the gentleman from New York (Mr. 1615 b vided military support to the mur- ENGEL) that the House suspend the GENERAL LEAVE derous Bashar al-Assad regime, and rules and agree to the resolution, H. Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unan- they even led an assault against U.S. Res. 996, as amended. imous consent that all Members may troops in Syria in 2018. The question was taken; and (two- have 5 legislative days in which to re- In Libya, Russia has jeopardized ef- thirds being in the affirmative) the vise and extend their remarks and in- forts to bring peace to the country by rules were suspended and the resolu- clude extraneous material on H. Res. supporting Haftar, as well as by send- tion, as amended, was agreed to. 996. ing advanced Russian aircraft and A motion to reconsider was laid on The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there thousands of mercenaries from the the table. objection to the request of the gen- Wagner Group into the country. f tleman from New York? The Wagner Group is also actively CONDEMNING POLITICALLY MOTI- There was no objection. meddling in the domestic politics of VATED IMPRISONMENT AND Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- numerous African countries. There, CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE RE- self such time as I may consume. they hope to expand Russian influence LEASE OF POLITICAL PRIS- Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my col- on the continent while also exploiting ONERS IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION leagues on both sides of the aisle for Africa’s natural resources for their own Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to joining me to introduce this measure profit. suspend the rules and agree to the reso- condemning one of the principal archi- The United States is not immune lution (H. Res. 958) condemning the tects of Russian aggression around the from the threat posed by the Wagner practice of politically motivated im- world. Yevgeniy Prigozhin is one of Group. Mr. Prigozhin financed the prisonment and calling for the imme- Vladimir Putin’s key cronies, with a Internet Research Agency, a Russian diate release of political prisoners in long history of working against Amer- that has attempted to inter- the Russian Federation and urging ac- ican interests on behalf of the Russian fere in the United States elections and tion by the United States Government Government. His Internet Research sow discord among the American peo- to impose sanctions with respect to Agency disinformation campaigns have ple. worked to sow division and undermine Let me be clear. Mr. Prigozhin is a persons responsible for that form of democratic elections right here at direct threat to the United States. We human rights abuse, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the resolu- home and also among our allies. cannot allow this behavior to go un- tion. Yevgeniy Prigozhin is also the leader checked. The United States has re- The text of the resolution is as fol- of the Wagner Group, a Russian merce- sponded forcefully, sanctioning him, lows: nary organization, that has spread the Wagner Group, the Internet Re- H. RES. 958 deadly conflict across the globe, engag- search Agency, and many more of Mr. ing in violent and subversive oper- Prigozhin’s front companies and affili- Whereas the right to liberty and security ations in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and of a person and the protection from arbitrary ates. imprisonment are among the principal sub-Saharan Africa. He has directed In October, I was glad to see the EU human rights guaranteed by Article 9 of the human rights violations in Syria, un- join the United States in sanctioning International Covenant on Civil and Polit- dermined U.S. operations in the Middle Mr. Prigozhin as well. ical Rights, Article 23 of the Concluding Doc- East, and played a key role in invading However, we must keep up the pres- ument of the Vienna Meeting of the Con- and destabilizing Ukraine. sure. That is why I support the resolu- ference on Security and Cooperation in Eu- We must hold Prigozhin accountable tion before us today. It condemns Mr. rope, and Article 5 of the European Conven- and take action to stop his nefarious Prigozhin’s corrupt activity, and it tion on Human Rights; activities. This resolution condemns sends a direct message to the Kremlin Whereas the Russian Federation, as mem- ber of the United Nations, the Organization Prigozhin and his Kremlin partners, ex- that the United States Congress will for Security and Cooperation in Europe presses strong support for the U.S. and continue to hold Mr. Prigozhin ac- (OSCE), and the Council of Europe, is bound sanctions on him, countable for his efforts to further the by international commitments with regard which were announced this fall, and Putin regime’s malign agenda. It also to human rights and the rule of law;

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