[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6816-H6817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ENDING THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to my colleagues' 
plea to this administration to make ending the genocide in Darfur a top 
priority.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise, joining my colleagues, thanking them for all of 
the work that they have done. The Congressional Black Caucus, led by 
Mr. Donald Payne, have done everything we could possibly do.
  Members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other concerned Members 
of Congress have written letters to the Bush administration, letters to 
the United Nations, visited the United Nations on more than one 
occasion, met with Kofi Annan. We have done everything we could 
possibly do. Each of us individually have written letters. I wrote to 
the President back in 2004 and implored him to take action.
  In July of 2004, I sent letters to the other members of the United 
Nations Security Council, urging that the United Nations take action to 
end the slaughter in Sudan. This letter was signed by 41 Members of 
Congress, including my good friend from across the aisle, Congressman 
Spencer Bachus.
  Last April, Members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State 
Condoleeza Rice expressing our support for the appointment of a Special 
Envoy

[[Page H6817]]

for Sudan. Well, I understand 2 years later, after the administration 
even admitted and agreed that genocide was going on and after the 
Members of Congress have sent letters to the Secretary of State and to 
the President, finally an envoy is being sent to the Sudan. A little 
bit late, but we are appreciative for that. We are desperate.
  Also, last April the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3127, the 
Darfur Peace Accountability Act by an overwhelming vote of 416-3. This 
bill would impose sanctions on the Government of Sudan and block the 
assets and restrict travel to individuals who are responsible for acts 
of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. 
Unfortunately, the Senate has yet to take up the bill. I understand 
that the Senate will be taking up the bill, but they have stripped out 
an important part of the bill on divestment, but we are desperate. Even 
with that part of it stripped out, we want this bill passed.
  My colleague Donald Payne who helped to author this bill has done 
everything that he could possibly do to get the Senate to move this 
bill. We humbly come before the people of this country tonight, not 
only imploring the President of the United States to use his bully 
pulpit to make this a priority, to talk with the Chinese, to talk with 
whomever needs to be talked with, to get something done, to get those 
troops up there to stop this genocide.
  Earlier this year, I traveled to Sudan as part of a bipartisan 
congressional delegation led by Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader. We 
visited the refugee camps. As far as the eye could see, there were 
crowds of displaced persons who had been driven from their homes, 
living literally on the ground, the little tarps just covering them. It 
is unconscionable that this should continue.
  On April 28, and again on May 16, several of my colleagues were 
arrested in front of the Embassy of Sudan, protesting the genocide.
  And as I said, yesterday, finally, Bush appointed a Special Envoy for 
Sudan, and this is 2 years after the Bush administration determined 
that genocide was taking place in Darfur. Again, it is late, but we are 
appreciative; but we want to say in no uncertain terms, the President 
must lead an all-out diplomatic offensive in support of a robust United 
Nations peacekeeping force that will have the authority to protect the 
people of Darfur.
  More than 450,000 people have died since 2003 as a result of the 
genocide in Darfur. There are 2.5 million displaced people in camps in 
Darfur and another 350,000 in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. Almost 
7,000 people are dying every month in Darfur. There can be no doubt 
that what is taking place in Darfur is genocide and the Government of 
Sudan is responsible.
  Crimes against humanity in Darfur have escalated in recent months. 
Over 500 women were raped over the summer in one camp alone. There have 
been renewed attacks and aerial bombardment and 12 humanitarian workers 
were killed, two of them in the last 4 weeks. If the United Nations 
does not intervene in Darfur now, the death toll could rise 
dramatically in the next few months.
  The world stood by and watched the genocide that occurred in Rwanda. 
The world has noted over and over again the atrocities of the 
Holocaust. Well, enough said.
  Yet we cannot seem to get the international community to move fast 
enough to stop the genocide that is taking place in Darfur.
  The Bush Administration and the international community cannot 
continue to ignore this genocide. The United Nations must put an end to 
these crimes before millions more men, women and children are allowed 
to die.

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