[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, a year ago we were filled with hope 
that the proposed United Nations Human Rights Council would correct the 
deeply flawed human rights mechanisms in that body. We thought that 
once and for all repressive regimes would be held accountable for their 
crimes.
  However, our hopes were quickly dashed last Thursday when the latest 
proposal for the new Human Rights Council was made public. Rather than 
taking the time to do something constructive, to make things right, the 
international community chose consensus over substance. There was a 
race to the lowest common denominator. And the result? A flawed 
proposal which empowers dictatorships while weakening democratic 
countries such as the United States and Israel.
  Much more work needs to be done, Mr. Speaker. We must ensure that the 
new council is not mere cosmetic changes, but true reform. Let us 
support our U.S. Ambassador, John Bolton, by rejecting this so-called 
reform. It is nothing but a farce.

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