[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,

[[Page H8861]]

     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.

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