[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 162 (Friday, December 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H12036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             IRAQ ELECTIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, we have just witnessed one of the 
freest elections ever held in the Middle East. It is important to 
recognize that independent multinational election monitors have 
confirmed that yesterday's Iraqi elections, in which a remarkably large 
number of Sunnis turned out to vote, met international standards. It is 
estimated that 10 to 12 million Iraqis renounced fear and defied those 
who seek to demoralize them and to undermined U.S. and international 
support for their noble commitment to rebuilding a civil society.
  As we seek to encourage our friends in the Middle East on their 
journey of self-determination, let us take a moment to recall with an 
appropriate level of humility that our own democratic journey was 
neither quick nor easy and no less worthwhile for the difficulties 
endured.
  Mr. Speaker, this historic moment inspires me to highlight an 
outstanding bipartisan initiative here in the House which is making a 
significant impact to strengthen fledgling democratic institutions 
throughout the world.
  I want to commend Speaker Hastert for his foresight in launching the 
House Democracy Assistance Commission on which I serve along with 15 of 
my colleagues. I wish to thank my colleague, Congressman David Dreier, 
for his leadership on this initiative and his dedication to see it 
through to fruition.
  I also wish to acknowledge Representative David Price and my 
predecessor, Congressman Doug Bereuter, for their hard work since 2003 
to move this initiative and to make it a reality.
  Since the establishment of the commission in March 2005, Members and 
staff have worked diligently to identify countries and legislative 
bodies in need of technical assistance. The House Democracy Assistance 
Commission has established an exemplary framework to help elected 
legislators develop badly needed parliamentary infrastructures to 
foster just and thriving civil society based upon democratic 
principles.
  In his second inaugural address, President Bush issued a global call 
to freedom, the heritage of all mankind. Through the commission, 
Members of Congress have answered the President's call to move the 
principles of democracy around the world. And beginning next year, 
Democratic and Republican Members alike will join together to support 
and encourage our counterparts in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim 
country; in East Timor, the world's newest country which hungered for 
independence and now hungers for working democratic institutions; in 
Georgia, where the 2003 Rose Revolution ushered in peaceful change; in 
Macedonia, which emerged from the brink of civil war to a new day of 
freedom; and also in Kenya, a regional African power in the forefront 
of the war on terror.
  Through technical assistance missions, material assistance and 
exchange programs that bring legislators to the U.S. and allow our 
Members to share their knowledge and experiences with members of 
parliaments in partner countries, the House of Representatives is 
working directly with legislators around the world to provide expertise 
and parliamentary best practices. This assistance will emphasize 
committee operations, budgetary issues, defense oversight, specialized 
legislation and oversight, legislative procedures, research services, 
information services, as well as constituent services.
  The commission also plans to support emerging legislative 
institutions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Lebanon, countries where 
governments had imposed unspeakable hardships on their own people 
previously. It is staggering to realize that just a few short years ago 
the brutal Taliban regime held all of Afghanistan hostage.
  On December 19, thanks in great measure to the perseverance and 
dedication of our men and women in uniform, Afghans are inaugurating 
their first parliament in over 30 years.
  Khalid Farooqi, a legislator in Afghanistan's Lower House of 
Parliament, was recently quoted as saying, ``We want to build our 
country, we do not want to destroy it again.''
  For the first time since Saddam Hussein began his savage reign, and 
despite factional tensions and the threats of nihilistic insurgents, an 
astounding 70 percent of Iraqis courageously rose yesterday to 
determine their own future and held elections for a new National 
Assembly and government.
  We also look to a new dawn of hope in Lebanon, where, tragically, 
Gibran Tueni, a publisher and deputy at Lebanon's Parliament, was 
assassinated this Monday in a bombing by those who fear the freedom 
that comes from self-determination.
  Just as our troops and over 22,000 soldiers from 30 coalitions 
nations stood strong to help make yesterday's victory possible in Iraq, 
I am proud of my fellow Democrats and Republicans as we stand together 
to provide hope, encouragement, and vital technical assistance to the 
work of the House Democracy Assistance Commission.

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