[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                AMEND THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing, and I have just 
introduced a bill, to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to limit 
the provisions of the United States military assistance and the sale, 
transfer or licensing of United States military equipment or technology 
to Ethiopia.
  The bill requires that before the United States provides military 
equipment to the regime in Addis Ababa that our President certifies 
that the Government of Ethiopia is not using our equipment or 
assistance against prodemocracy advocates or peaceful civilian 
protesters in Ethiopia. Is that too much to ask?
  It is an outrage that in Ethiopia that over 80 opposition leaders and 
human rights activists and journalists have been recently charged with 
treason, violent conspiracy and genocide. These prisoners of conscience 
face brutal captivity and the possibility of death sentences. They 
include 10 newly elected members of the Parliament and other officials 
of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party, that is the 
CUD.
  These brave souls face charges filed against them by a corrupt and 
repressive government. This same government blatantly stalled the last 
election, making a sham out of the democratic process. Five of those 
being charged with criminal behavior work for the Voice of America. One 
of those being held is Dr. Berhanu Nega. He is an American citizen and 
mayor of Ethiopia's largest city. Dr. Nega is an advocate of democracy. 
He faces the death penalty for his involvement in mass protests over 
the election fraud that took place in Ethiopia during their last 
election.
  Now, in January, the British Government cut the equivalent of $88 
million in aid in support to Ethiopia. This was due to its concerns 
about the governance and human rights issues arising from this disputed 
election. Other international donors have taken similar measures.
  My legislation requires certification by the President of the United 
States that our military equipment provided to Ethiopia is not being 
used to beat down those who would bring honest and democratic 
government to that troubled land. In Ethiopia, it is incumbent upon us 
as Americans to be on the side of those struggling for honest and 
democratic government, not on the side of their oppressor.
  No pragmatic strategy can justify the United States backing a regime 
that stole the last election and has brutalized their own people and 
will, at some point, disintegrate from its own corruption and 
incompetent ways. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and 
supporting the democratic movement in Ethiopia, just as we did with a 
similar movement in Ukraine just 2 short years ago and in other 
countries throughout the world where the future was in play and human 
freedom was in the balance.
  That is what being an elected representative of the American people 
is all about, standing for our ideals and our principles. And nowhere 
could that be made more clear than to stand with the people of 
Ethiopia, who are struggling to make a democratic government, to form a 
democratic government, and to have honest government and the 
recognition and respect for people's rights within their own country.

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