| 00:00:00 | TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, AND I WANT TO RE-EMPHASIZE THAT EXTRA TERRITORIAL LAWS DO NOT REQUIRE THAT THE CONDUCT BE ILLEGAL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. |
| 00:00:15 | CONGRESS HAS ENACTED NUMEROUS LAWS AND RARELY HINGES ON WHETHER THE CONDUCT IS CRIMINALIZED IN THE FOREIGN COUNTRY. |
| 00:00:26 | TERRORISM, DRUG-RELATED, MONEY LAUNDERING, CHILD SOLDIERS, THESE ARE EXTRA TERRITORIAL OFFENSES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE THAT THE CONDUCT BE AGAINST THE LAW IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. |
| 00:00:40 | MOST STATUTES DON'T EVEN REQUIRE THAT THE CRIMINAL ENGAGE IN ILLEGAL CONDUCT INSIDE THE UNITED STATES EITHER. |
| 00:00:46 | IF THEY ENGAGE IN TERRORISM OR MONEY LAUNDERING AND COME INTO THE U. |
| 00:00:54 | S., THEY CAN BE PROSECUTED. |
| 00:00:55 | THE ISSUE OF CONDUCT IS NOT ADDRESSED IN EXTRATERRITORIAL LAWS, BUT IN EXTRADITION TREAT YEES. |
| 00:01:04 | THE TREAT YEES DO NOT REQUIRE THAT THE CONDUCT BE ILLEGAL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. |
| 00:01:09 | BEFORE THE U. |
| 00:01:10 | S. CAN EXTRADITE ANYONE, IT MUST FIRST ESTABLISH DUAL CRIMINAL ATLANTA. |
| 00:01:19 | IT IS THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE CRIME IN ONE COUNTRY HAS TO BE A CRIME IN A COUNTRY EXTRADITING YOU. |
| 00:01:29 | AND A PERSON IS LATER APPREHENDED, THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO ESTABLISH IT TO EXTRADITE HIM BACK TO THE U. |
| 00:01:37 | S. THE EXTRADITION LAWS AND TREAT YEES AMONG THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD PROVIDE FOR THIS. |
| 00:01:43 | THIS PRINCIPLE IS EXCLUDED FROM THIS LEGISLATION BECAUSE IT ALREADY EXISTS IN FEDERAL LAW. |
| 00:01:49 | FINALLY, MR. |
| 00:01:50 | SPEAKER, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION FULLY SUPPORTS THIS LEGISLATION. |
| 00:01:56 | THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SUPPORTED SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN THE LAST CONGRESS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STANDS BY ITS POSITION AS EXPRESSED IN THE 2010 VIEWS LETTERS AND SUPPORTS THIS LEGISLATION TONIGHT. |
| 00:02:11 | I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS STRONG BIPARTISAN PIECE OF LEGISLATION AND I YIELD BACK. |
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me try again to address some of the concerns of two of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee. I want to reemphasize that extraterritorial laws do not require that the conduct be illegal in foreign countries.
Congress has enacted numerous laws with extraterritorial effect. Our decision to do so rarely, if ever, hinges on whether the conduct is also criminalized in the foreign country.
Once again, terrorism, drug-related money laundering, genocide, child soldiers--these are all extraterritorial offenses that do not require that the conduct also be against the law in a foreign country.
Moreover, most extraterritorial statutes don't even require that the criminal engage in any illegal conduct inside the United States either. If they engage in terrorism or money laundering or genocide in a foreign country and simply come into the U.S., they can be prosecuted.
The issue of conduct being criminal in a foreign country is not addressed in extraterritorial laws but in extradition treaties.
Also, extradition treaties do not require that conduct be illegal in foreign countries. Before the U.S. can extradite anyone for violation of U.S. law, it must first establish ``dual criminality'' as required by most extradition treaties.
Dual criminality is the principle that a crime in one country has to be a crime in a country extraditing you.
If a drug trafficker engages in a conspiracy here in the U.S., but is later apprehended in a foreign country, the government will have to establish that dual criminality to extradite him back to the U.S.
The extradition laws and treaties among the countries of the world properly provide for this. This principle is rightly excluded from this legislation because it already exists in Federal law.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to also emphasize that the Obama administration clearly supports this legislation. The Department of Justice supported similar legislation in the last Congress, and the Department of Justice stands by its position, as expressed in the 2010 views letters, and supports this legislation tonight.
I urge my colleagues to support this very strong bipartisan piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.