[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H8860-H8864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO RELIEF, SECURITY, AND DEMOCRACY
PROMOTION ACT OF 2006
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the Senate Bill (S. 2125) to promote relief, security, and
democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 2125
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Democratic Republic of the
Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of
2006''.
TITLE I--BILATERAL ACTION ON ADDRESSING URGENT NEEDS IN THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The National Security Strategy of the United States,
dated September 17, 2002, concludes that ``[i]n Africa,
promise and opportunity sit side-by-side with disease, war,
and desperate poverty. This threatens both a core value of
the United States preserving human dignity and our strategic
priority combating global terror. American interests and
American principles, therefore, lead in the same direction:
we will work with others for an African continent that lives
in liberty, peace, and growing prosperity.''
(2) On February 16, 2005, the Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency testified, ``In Africa, chronic
instability will continue to hamper counterterrorism efforts
and pose heavy humanitarian and peacekeeping burdens.''
(3) According to the United States Agency for International
Development, ``Given its size, population, and resources, the
Congo is an important player in Africa and of long-term
interest to the United States.''
(4) The Democratic Republic of the Congo is 2,345,410
square miles (approximately \1/4\ the size of the United
States), lies at the heart of Africa, and touches every major
region of sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, a secure, peaceful,
and prosperous Democratic Republic of the Congo would have a
profound impact on progress throughout Africa.
(5) The most recent war in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, which erupted in 1998,
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spawned some of the world's worst human rights atrocities and
drew in six neighboring countries.
(6) Despite the conclusion of a peace agreement and
subsequent withdrawal of foreign forces in 2003, both the
real and perceived presence of armed groups hostile to the
Governments of Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi continue to serve
as a major source of regional instability and an apparent
pretext for continued interference in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo by its neighbors.
(7) A mortality study completed in December 2004 by the
International Rescue Committee found that 31,000 people were
dying monthly and 3,800,000 people had died in the previous
six years because of the conflict in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo and resulting disintegration of the social
service infrastructure, making this one of the deadliest
conflicts since World War II.
(8) In 2004, Amnesty International estimated that at least
40,000 women and girls were systematically raped and tortured
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1998, and
nearly two-thirds of ongoing abuses against women and girls
are perpetrated by members of the security forces,
particularly the Forces Armes de la Republique Democratique
du Congo (FARDC) and the Police Nationale Congolaise (PNC).
(9) According to the Department of State, ``returning one
of Africa's largest countries [the Democratic Republic of the
Congo] to full peace and stability will require significant
United States investments in support of national elections,
the reintegration of former combatants, the return and
reintegration of refugees and [internally displaced persons],
establishment of central government control over vast
territories, and promotion of national reconciliation and
good governance''.
SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to help promote, reinvigorate, and support the
political process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in
order to press all parties in the Transitional National
Government and the succeeding government to implement fully
and to institutionalize mechanisms, including national and
international election observers, fair and transparent voter
registration procedures, and a significant civic awareness
and public education campaign created for the July 30, 2006,
elections and future elections in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, to ensure that elections are carried out in a fair
and democratic manner;
(2) to urge the Government of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo to recognize and act upon its responsibilities to
immediately bring discipline to its security forces, hold
those individuals responsible for atrocities and other human
rights violations, particularly the rape of women and girls
as an act of war, accountable and bring such individuals to
justice;
(3) to help ensure that, once a stable national government
is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is
committed to multiparty democracy, open and transparent
governance, respect for human rights and religious freedom,
ending the violence throughout the country, promoting peace
and stability with its neighbors, rehabilitating the national
judicial system and enhancing the rule of law, combating
corruption, instituting economic reforms to promote
development, and creating an environment to promote private
investment;
(4) to assist the Government of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo as it seeks to meet the basic needs of its
citizens, including security, safety, and access to health
care, education, food, shelter, and clean drinking water;
(5) to support security sector reform by assisting the
Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to
establish a viable and professional national army and police
force that respects human rights and the rule of law, is
under effective civilian control, and possesses a viable
presence throughout the entire country, provided the
Democratic Republic of the Congo meets all requirements for
United States military assistance under existing law;
(6) to help expedite planning and implementation of
programs associated with the disarmament, demobilization,
repatriation, reintegration, and rehabilitation process in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
(7) to support efforts of the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Peacekeeping
Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), and
other entities, as appropriate, to disarm, demobilize, and
repatriate the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
and other illegally armed groups;
(8) to make all efforts to ensure that the Government of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo--
(A) is committed to responsible and transparent management
of natural resources across the country; and
(B) takes active measures--
(i) to promote economic development;
(ii) to hold accountable individuals who illegally exploit
the country's natural resources; and
(iii) to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative by enacting laws requiring disclosure and
independent auditing of company payments and government
receipts for natural resource extraction;
(9) to promote a viable civil society and to enhance
nongovernmental organizations and institutions, including
religious organizations, the media, political parties, trade
unions, and trade and business associations, that can act as
a stabilizing force and effective check on the government;
(10) to help rebuild and enhance infrastructure,
communications, and other mechanisms that will increase the
ability of the central government to manage internal affairs,
encourage economic development, and facilitate relief efforts
of humanitarian organizations;
(11) to help halt the high prevalence of sexual abuse and
violence perpetrated against women and children in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and mitigate the detrimental
effects from acts of this type of violence by undertaking a
number of health, education, and psycho-social support
programs;
(12) to work aggressively on a bilateral basis to urge
governments of countries contributing troops to the United
Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (MONUC) to enact and enforce laws on trafficking in
persons and sexual abuse that meet international standards,
promote codes of conduct for troops serving as part of United
Nations peacekeeping missions, and immediately investigate
and punish citizens who are responsible for abuses in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo;
(13) to assist the Government of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo as undertakes steps to--
(A) protect internally displaced persons and refugees in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo and border regions from
all forms of violence, including gender-based violence and
other human rights abuses;
(B) address other basic needs of vulnerable populations
with the goal of allowing these conflict-affected individuals
to ultimately return to their homes; and
(C) assess the magnitude of the problem of orphans from
conflict and HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, and work to establish a program of national support;
(14) to engage with governments working to promote peace
and security throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and hold accountable individuals, entities, and countries
working to destabilize the country; and
(15) to promote appropriate use of the forests of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo in a manner that benefits
the rural population in that country that depends on the
forests for their livelihoods and protects national and
environmental interests.
SEC. 103. BILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF
THE CONGO.
(a) Funding for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007.--Of the amounts
made available to carry out the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), the Agricultural Trade
Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (68 Stat. 454, chapter
469), and the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et
seq.) for fiscal year 2006 and 2007, at least $52,000,000 for
each such fiscal year should be allocated for bilateral
assistance programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(b) Future Year Funding.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Department of State should submit budget requests in
fiscal years 2008 and 2009 that contain increases in
bilateral assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo
that are appropriate if progress is being made, particularly
cooperation by the Government of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, toward accomplishing the policy objectives
described in section 102.
(c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United
States should work with other donor nations, on a bilateral
and multilateral basis, to increase international
contributions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
accomplish the policy objectives described in section 102.
SEC. 104. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
must be committed to achieving the policy objectives
described in section 102 if the efforts of the United States
and other members of the international community are to be
effective in bringing relief, security, and democracy to the
country;
(2) the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
should immediately exercise control over and discipline its
armed forces, stop the mass rapes at the hands of its armed
forces, and hold those responsible for these acts accountable
before an appropriate tribunal;
(3) the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
in collaboration with international aid agencies, should
establish expert teams to assess the needs of the victims of
rape and provide health, counseling, and social support
services that such victims need; and
(4) the international community, through the United Nations
peacekeeping mission, humanitarian and development relief,
and other forms of assistance, is providing a substantial
amount of funding that is giving the Government of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo an opportunity to make
progress towards accomplishing the policy objectives
described in section 102, but this assistance cannot continue
in perpetuity.
(b) Termination of Assistance.--It is the sense of Congress
that the Secretary of State should withhold assistance
otherwise available under this Act if the Secretary
determines that the Government of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo is not making
[[Page H8862]]
sufficient progress towards accomplishing the policy
objectives described in section 102.
SEC. 105. WITHHOLDING OF ASSISTANCE.
The Secretary of State is authorized to withhold assistance
made available under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), other than humanitarian, peacekeeping,
and counterterrorism assistance, for a foreign country if the
Secretary determines that the government of the foreign
country is taking actions to destabilize the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
SEC. 106. REPORT ON PROGRESS TOWARD ACCOMPLISHING POLICY
OBJECTIVES.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of
the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the
progress made toward accomplishing the policy objectives
described in section 102.
(b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a)
shall include--
(1) a description of any major impediments that prevent the
accomplishment of the policy objectives described in section
102, including any destabilizing activities undertaken in the
Democratic Republic of Congo by governments of neighboring
countries;
(2) an evaluation of United States policies and foreign
assistance programs designed to accomplish such policy
objectives; and
(3) recommendations for--
(A) improving the policies and programs referred to in
paragraph (2); and
(B) any additional bilateral or multilateral actions
necessary to promote peace and prosperity in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
SEC. 107. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE GREAT LAKES REGION.
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the President should appoint a Special Envoy for
the Great Lakes Region to help coordinate efforts to resolve
the instability and insecurity in Eastern Congo.
TITLE II--MULTILATERAL ACTIONS TO ADDRESS URGENT NEEDS IN THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
SEC. 201. PROMOTION OF UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO IN THE UNITED
NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL.
The United States should use its voice and vote in the
United Nations Security Council--
(1) to address exploitation at the United Nations
Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(MONUC) by continuing to urge, when credible allegations
exist, appropriate investigation of alleged perpetrators and,
as necessary, prosecution of United Nations personnel
responsible for sexual abuses in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo;
(2) to conclude at the earliest possible date a Memorandum
of Understanding relating to binding codes of conduct and
programs for the prevention of sexual abuse and trafficking
in persons to be undertaken by the United Nations for all
countries that contribute troops to MONUC, to include the
assumption of personal liability for the provision of victims
assistance and child support, as appropriate, by those who
violate the codes of conduct;
(3) to strengthen the authority and capacity of MONUC by--
(A) providing specific authority and obligation to prevent
and effectively counter imminent threats;
(B) clarifying and strengthening MONUC's rules of
engagement to enhance the protection of vulnerable civilian
populations;
(C) enhancing the surveillance and intelligence-gathering
capabilities available to MONUC;
(D) where consistent with United States policy, making
available personnel, communications, and military assets that
improve the effectiveness of robust peacekeeping, mobility,
and command and control capabilities of MONUC; and
(E) providing MONUC with the authority and resources needed
to effectively monitor arms trafficking and natural resource
exploitation at key border posts and airfields in the eastern
part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
(4) to encourage regular visits of the United Nations
Security Council to monitor the situation in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo;
(5) to ensure that the practice of recruiting and arming
children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is
immediately halted pursuant to Security Council Resolutions
1460 (2003) and 1539 (2004);
(6) to strengthen the arms embargo imposed pursuant to
Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003) and ensure that
violators are held accountable through appropriate measures,
including the possible imposition of sanctions;
(7) to allow for the more effective protection and
monitoring of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, especially in the eastern part of the country, and
for public disclosure and independent auditing of natural
resource revenues to help ensure transparent and accountable
management of these revenues;
(8) to press countries in the Congo region to help
facilitate an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo and promote relief, security, and democracy
throughout the region; and
(9) to encourage the United Nations Secretary-General to
become more involved in completing the policy objectives
described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 102 and ensure
that recent fighting in North Kivu, which displaced over
150,000 people, as well as fighting in Ituri and other areas,
does not create widespread instability throughout the
country.
SEC. 202. INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN AND
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) In General.--The President should instruct the United
States permanent representative or executive director, as the
case may be, to the United Nations voluntary agencies,
including the World Food Program, the United Nations
Development Program, and the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, and other appropriate international
organizations to use the voice and vote of the United States
to support additional humanitarian and development assistance
for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to
accomplish the policy objectives described in section 102.
(b) Support Contingent on Progress.--If the Secretary of
State determines that the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo is not making sufficient progress
towards accomplishing the policy objectives described in
section 102, the President shall consider withdrawing United
States support for the assistance described in subsection (a)
when future funding decisions are considered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in describing American foreign policy after World War
II, General George Marshall said, ``Our policy is directed not against
any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and
chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the
world so as to permit an emergence of political and social conditions
in which free institutions can exist.''
Mr. Speaker, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen more than
its fair share of hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Since 1998,
an estimated 4 million people have died as a result of war, famine and
disease, and thousands more die each and every day. More than 40,000
women and children have been systematically raped and tortured at the
hands of the armed forces of the Congo, perpetrators of genocide from
neighboring Rwanda and an increasing intricate array of militia groups.
{time} 1930
Life expectancy in Congo has plummeted to 49 years, and years of war
and rampant corruption have decimated an economy that should have been
one of Africa's strongest.
Fortunately, hope for an end to the constant conflict and chaos that
have plagued the Congo since independence has been raised following the
historic elections that took place in July and October of this year. An
estimated 70 percent of eligible voters turned out to vote in the face
of great difficulties, and international monitors agreed that the
election results were uncompromised by irregularities.
But the conduct of elections represent only an initial step towards
normalcy. A legitimate result in the October runoff that is accepted by
both parties and the population at large is vitally important. Further,
the establishment of inclusive political institutions, the restoration
of critical infrastructure and essential public services, and the
creation of viable economic opportunities for development will be
critically important if Congo is to flourish.
During a recent visit to Kinshasa earlier this month, U.N. Under
Secretary of Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egelund asserted that ``the
Congolese people were still suffering one of the world's worst
humanitarian crises.'' Unfortunately, this is a fact that has largely
escaped the attention of many of us, particularly as we focus on other
well-deserved crises such as that which is occurring in Darfur and
northern Uganda and, as a result of U.S. policy towards Congo, really
has gone adrift and needs to be re-energized.
S. 2125 recognizes the importance of a coherent, forward-leaning U.S.
policy toward the Congo. It identifies key U.S. policies in Congo,
including the promotion of free, fair and democratic elections in the
future; support for security sector reform and disarmament;
[[Page H8863]]
demobilization, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation
programs; and the promotion of accountability for those who have
committed atrocities and gross human rights violations.
It also asserts that the United States will work to ensure that a
stable Congolese government is committed to the principles of good
governance and resource management, rule of law, and peaceful
coexistence with its regional neighbors. The bill suggests that the
U.S. partner with other governments with similar goals for the Congo.
Finally, it compels the U.S. to work to strengthen the mandate of the
United Nations peacekeeping force in the Congo, MONUC, to include
specific authority to prevent and effectively counter imminent threats,
protect civilians, enhance intelligence gathering capabilities, and
monitor arms trafficking, and of course, also to look into the terrible
problem of child soldiers.
S. 2125 further authorizes $52 million for fiscal years 2006 and
2007, an increase of $5 million, to carry out these objectives and
expresses support for additional funding in future years. However, the
bill makes it clear that U.S. assistance to Congo cannot continue in
perpetuity. It calls on the Secretary of State to withhold such
assistance if the government is not making sufficient progress towards
accomplishing the stated U.S. foreign policy goals.
Mr. Speaker, this is a timely bill. While providing a road map for
U.S. policy towards Congo during this critical stage in its transition,
it rightly places the burden of success on the Congolese themselves.
After all, solutions for Congo's ills cannot be imposed from the
outside. The Congolese themselves must seize the opportunity for peace
and prosperity that is before them. Still, this bill helps support them
in that effort.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I rise in strong support of this legislation.
I would first like to thank my good friend Senator Barak Obama for
introducing this important and timely measure. I would also like to
congratulate the people of the Congo for successfully holding their
first free and fair elections in four decades, as well as the victor of
this election, Laurent Kabila.
While the elections were a historic milestone, the euphoria is
sobered by the painful and disastrous wars of the past. In fact, for
the past 40 years, the people of the Congo have known nothing but
dictatorship, tyranny, corruption, poverty and war.
Congo is one of Africa's poorest countries. It is the eighth poorest
country in the entire world based on gross domestic product. Congo, a
country the size of all of Western Europe, has less than 300 miles of
paved road. Most of the country has no electricity, proper sanitation
and, most importantly, no safe water.
The United Nations estimates that 4 million people died in the past 8
years as a direct result of war. To give you another stark look at the
situation in the Congo, Mr. Speaker, the International Rescue Committee
reports that 31,000 people are dying each month, or about 1,000 human
beings every single day.
The Congo is in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe that has not
yet received the high-level attention or the adequate resources it
desperately deserves. The United Nations announced recently that it was
running out of money to feed some of the 1.7 million displaced
Congolese who urgently needed aid.
Mr. Speaker, the children of Congo have suffered immeasurable pain as
a result of war, poverty and disease. Children as young as 10 were
recruited as child soldiers into the ranks of the guerrilla forces.
Unprotected children as young as five or six work in some of Congo's
most prosperous mines for about $1 a day.
According to UNICEF, more than 600 Congolese children die every
single day, and even more are displaced, sexually abused or victimized
by abduction as child soldiers.
An estimated 1 million Congolese are living with HIV/AIDS, but no one
can realistically know for sure. The country has only seven doctors per
100,000 people, and life expectancy is in the low 40s.
Mr. Speaker, Congo has a long and difficult road to recovery, but
with their commitment and our support they can make it.
The country has enormous natural resources. In terms of its untapped
mineral wealth, it is one of the richest countries in the world. Its
soil is expected to contain every mineral listed on the periodic table.
Large deposits of gold, copper, cobalt, diamond, gas and oil still
remain untapped.
The Congo River has the second largest flow on Earth after the Amazon
and is the second longest river in Africa after the Nile. The estimated
hydroelectric potential has the capacity to provide electrical power to
the entire continent of Africa.
Congo is home to the world's second largest tropical rain forest,
with nearly 20 percent of the planet's remaining rain forests. The
Congo Basin represents 70 percent of the African continent's plant
cover, with over 600 tree species and 10,000 animal species.
In short, Mr. Speaker, Congo has the potential to turn that enormous
natural wealth into a rich and prosperous nation, if properly managed
under the stewardship of a free economy and a transparent, noncorrupt
and stable democracy.
The bill that we are voting on today is an important step on the long
road towards bringing peace and prosperity to the Congo.
Our bill establishes 14 core principles of U.S. policy across a wide
range of issues. It authorizes a 25 percent increase in U.S. assistance
for the Congo. It calls for a special envoy to help resolve the
situation in eastern Congo, and it urges the administration to use its
voice and its vote at the United Nations Security Council to strengthen
the U.N. peacekeeping force that is providing some security in parts of
the Congo.
Major faith-based and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations,
including some with extensive field operations in Congo, have endorsed
our legislation, including CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Global
Witness, International Crisis Group, International Rescue Committee,
and Oxfam America.
Mr. Speaker, I want to stress that we are under no illusion that
enacting the policies in this bill will be a panacea for Congo's many
ills. But we know that we cannot accept the status quo, particularly
not for Congo's children.
Mr. Speaker, the Congo, Africa's heart of darkness, need not languish
forever in its current state, decades of poverty, death and grief,
midst an enormous amount of natural wealth.
We can help move them on the path towards a bright and prosperous
future.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the
distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee.
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding, and I want
to congratulate my classmate and dear friend from New Jersey and also
the gentleman from California, my friend and neighbor, soon-to-be-
chairman of the International Relations Committee.
I also want to start by doing exactly what my friend from California
did, and that is extend congratulations to Senator Barak Obama, who
really authored and has been pushing S. 2125 for a long period of time.
I have had numerous conversations with him about this, and we talked
about the need to ensure that as we look at the military challenges
that we face, the promotion of democratization, political pluralism,
the rule of law, the building of these democratic institutions, while
at the same time we focus on the very important security needs, is a
priority for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This is, as Mr. Lantos has said, a country that for four decades has
gone through a tumultuous history. Nearly 2 decades ago, I had the
opportunity to visit with President Mobuto Sese-Seko in Kinshasa, and
then went to Boundji, which was his birthplace. I will never forget how
horrified we were seeing the tremendous resources about which my friend
spoke utilized to basically build a shrine to this man at his
birthplace.
It is a country that has gone through tremendous human rights
violations.
[[Page H8864]]
As section 102 of this act points out, since 1998 40,000 women and
children have been brutally raped in large part by those involved in
security for the country. I believe that it is essential for us to take
this very small amount of money and do everything that we can in our
quest to make sure that that four-decade history is history and that it
never repeats itself at all. I believe that this measure which enjoys
strong bipartisan support can send a signal.
I am very pleased to work closely with my colleague from North
Carolina (Mr. Price) with our House Democracy Assistance Commission. I
am going to be speaking about that on the next measure we bring
forward, but I happen to believe as we look at the House Democracy
Assistance Commission in its effort to build up parliaments in
emerging, new and reemerging democracies, it is important for us to
look at countries that will be natural partners of ours in this quest
to build these parliaments. I think that the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, along with Kenya, which we are working with on the continent of
Africa, and Liberia will potentially be a prime candidate for us to
partner with in building that, and I know I will be working with Mr.
Price on that in the coming months.
This measure is a very important first step, and I join in
congratulating the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo for
taking that step towards free and fair elections and look forward to
their continued success and obviously this multilateral approach which
the act calls for, getting other countries involved, will I believe go
a long way towards helping them.
I thank my friend for yielding.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2125, the
``Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy
Promotion Act of 2006.''
Three years after the end of ``Africa's World War'' and having
conducted the most logistically complicated election in history, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, faces its best chance for peace and
progress since independence. However, credible mortality studies
estimate that over 1,000 people continue to die each day from conflict-
related causes, mostly disease and malnutrition, and pervasive state
weakness threatens backsliding and a return to wide-spread violence.
The international community has played a critical role in supporting
the DRC until this point, and with the inauguration of the new
democratically elected government, such support will be even more
important going forward.
I am particularly proud of the role played by Lisa Shannon, a
constituent of mine and the founder of Run for Congo Women. After
learning about the Congo on Oprah, Lisa decided to do a solo, 31 mile
run on Portland's Wildwood Trail to raise money for Women for Women
International's work in Congo. Just over a year later, Run for Congo
Women has blossomed into a global effort to raise awareness and support
the women of the DRC. Lisa has tirelessly walked the halls of Congress
to promote the bill we're passing today and is a shining example of the
difference that one committed individual can make.
{time} 1945
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, we have no additional requests for time. We
yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, we likewise yield back the
balance of our time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Wamp). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 2125, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds of those voting having
responded in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the Senate
bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________