[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 6, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H576-H580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CALLING FOR A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE CURRENT ELECTORAL CRISIS IN
KENYA
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 283) calling for a peaceful
resolution to the current electoral crisis in Kenya, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 283
Whereas on December 27, 2007, the citizens of Kenya went
peacefully to the polls to elect a new parliament and a new
President and signaled their commitment to democracy by
turning out in large numbers and, in some instances, waiting
in long lines to vote;
Whereas on December 29, 2007, the opposition presidential
candidate, Raila Odinga, was reportedly over 300,000 votes
ahead of the incumbent with 90 percent of the precincts
reporting;
Whereas on December 30, 2007, the head of the Electoral
Commission of Kenya (``ECK'') declared that Mwai Kibaki won
the presidential election by 197,000 votes;
Whereas Mr. Kibaki was sworn in as President within an hour
of the announcement of the election results, despite serious
concerns raised about the legitimacy of the election results
by domestic and international observers;
Whereas the lack of transparency in vote tallying, serious
irregularities reported by election observers, the
implausibility of the margin of victory, and the swearing in
of the Party of National Unity presidential candidate with
undue haste, all serve to undermine the credibility of the
presidential election results;
Whereas the Government of Kenya imposed a ban on live media
that day, and shortly
[[Page H577]]
after the election results were announced, in contravention
of Kenyan law, the Government also announced a blanket ban on
public assembly and gave police the authority to use lethal
force;
Whereas on January 1, 2008, 4 commissioners on the ECK
issued a statement which called into question the election
results announced by the Commission and called for a judicial
review;
Whereas the head of the European Union Election Observation
Mission stated that ``Lack of transparency as well as a
number of verified irregularities . . . cast doubt on the
accuracy of the results of the presidential election as
announced by the ECK'' and called for an international audit
of the results;
Whereas observers from the East African Community have
called for an investigation into irregularities during the
tallying process and for those responsible for such
irregularities to be held accountable;
Whereas in 1991 President Daniel Arap Moi agreed to move
from one party rule to multi-party politics, and in 1992,
Kenyans voted in record numbers in the country's first multi-
party election in almost 26 years;
Whereas in 1997 Kenya held its second multi-party
elections, despite extremely high levels of tension between
the opposition and the ruling party;
Whereas in 2002 the opposition succeeded in forming and
holding together a coalition that for the first time in
history ousted the ruling party from power, demonstrating to
Kenyans and Africans that incumbency and the entrenched clout
of a ruling party can be defeated through the ballot box;
Whereas the violence and unrest in Kenya threatens to roll
back the democratic gains made over the past 17 years;
Whereas more than 900 people have died and an estimated
250,000 people, 80,000 of whom are children, have been
displaced as a result of the violence;
Whereas Kenya has been a valuable United States ally since
independence, providing the United States with access to its
military facilities and political support in the United
Nations, and has been an important ally in the war against
terrorism, especially since the United States embassy
bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998;
Whereas the political instability in Kenya is connected to
a larger struggle for democracy and is not merely the result
of tribal violence;
Whereas continued violence and unrest could have serious
political, economic, and security implications for the entire
region; and
Whereas the Assistant Secretary of State for African
Affairs has stated that ``serious flaws in the vote tallying
process damaged the credibility of the process'' and that the
United States should not ``conduct business as usual'' in
Kenya: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) commends the Kenyan people for their commitment to
democracy and respect for the democratic process as evidenced
by the high voter turnout and peaceful voting on election
day;
(2) strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Kenya and
urges all parties concerned to immediately end use of
violence as a means to achieve their political objectives;
(3) calls for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the
conflict in Kenya;
(4) calls on the 2 leading presidential candidates to
continue to accept external and internal assistance to help
find a solution to the current crisis which has the support
of the people of Kenya;
(5) calls on Kenyan security forces to refrain from use of
excessive force and respect the human rights of Kenyan
citizens;
(6) calls for those who are found guilty of committing
human rights violations to be held accountable for their
actions;
(7) calls for an immediate end to the restrictions on the
media, and on the rights of peaceful assembly and
association;
(8) condemns threats to civil society groups, journalists,
religious leaders, human rights activists, and all those who
are making every effort to achieve a peaceful, just, and
equitable political solution to the current electoral crisis;
(9) calls on the international community, United Nations
aid organizations, and all neighboring countries to provide
assistance to those affected by violence and encourages the
use of all the diplomatic means at their disposal to persuade
relevant political actors to commit to a peaceful resolution
to the current crisis; and
(10) urges the President of the United States to--
(A) continue to support diplomatic efforts to facilitate a
dialogue between leaders of the Party of National Unity, the
Orange Democratic Movement, and other relevant actors that
will lead to the establishment of an interim or coalition
government in order to implement necessary constitutional
reforms, establish a mechanism to investigate the election
crisis, and address its root causes;
(B) consider the imposition of targeted sanctions,
including a travel ban and asset freeze, on political leaders
and other relevant actors who refuse to engage in mediation
efforts to end the political crisis in the country; and
(C) conduct a review of current United States aid to Kenya
for the purposes of restricting all non-essential assistance
to Kenya unless the parties are able to establish a peaceful
political resolution to the current crisis which is credible
to the Kenyan people.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
General Leave
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
and yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, ``Kenya is at a crossroads.'' Those are the words spoken
this morning by the chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Kenya in
a hearing that I chaired on the current crisis today.
Kenya had been considered a linchpin on economic and political
stability in the East Africa region for decades. We always were proud
of the accomplishments and the achievements of them, and we often
pointed to Kenya as a beacon of how other African countries and
countries throughout the developing world should move towards
democracy. However, we have seen very sad occurrences during the past
month or two. H. Con. Res. 283 seeks to address the unfortunate and
still unfolding political crisis in Kenya.
I went to Kenya last month to assess the situation and to encourage
political, religious, community, and civil society leaders to find a
peaceful resolution to the current situation. I visited thousands of
displaced children in Jamhuri showground and met with volunteers from
diverse backgrounds. It was remarkable and encouraging to see Kenyans
coming together to help their fellow citizens, donating food and
material to those in need.
Indeed, witnessing the violence and meeting the young victims was
deeply troubling. Yet, I am confident that Kenyans will come out of
this crisis united. Kenyans must put Kenya first.
Kenyans of different religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds live
together peacefully in a region long marred by civil war and political
chaos. Unfortunately, like the millions of Kenyans, the more than
170,000 refugees from the Ogaden and Somalia regions in Kenya will also
be affected, because when the central government is affected, those
other people, refugees and other groups in need, are also affected, as
will be the lives of so many others in the countries surrounding Kenya.
Many depend on Kenya for economic and industrial progress for their
countries to survive.
On December 27, 2007, the citizens of Kenya went peacefully to the
polls to elect a new parliament and a new president, despite the
logistics challenges and long lines. More than 14 million Kenyans
registered to vote. That is 82 percent of the eligible voters. An
estimated 2,547 parliamentary candidates were qualified to run in the
210 constituencies, a clear indication of the desire and the
determination of Kenyans to participate and to be a part of the
political process in their country.
Incoming President Mwai Kibaki was hastily declared the winner by the
Electoral Commission of Kenya, after a series of highly irregular
events which cast significant doubt on his so-called victory. Let me be
blunt: The election results announced by the ECK do not reflect the
wishes of the Kenyan people. The people of Kenya voted for change. What
they were given was more of the status quo.
In reaction to what occurred, Kenyans went to the streets to express
their frustration and anger. The protests soon turned violent, and it
is still unfolding as we speak. More than 1,000 people have been killed
and over 300,000 displaced as a result of unrest, including an
estimated 80,000 children under the age of 5, and these young lives are
being traumatized as we speak. Millions more have been adversely
affected. Two members of the parliament from the opposition ODM were
killed in
[[Page H578]]
January, reducing a five-member lead to three.
The instability in Kenya continues to threaten and affect the
economies of neighboring countries, imposing serious threats to
regional stability, a fragile region in the first place. But this is
going to make it even more fragile. The Kenyan economy has been hit
hard and recovery may take a long time.
H. Con. Res. 283 does several critical things. One, it strongly
condemns the ongoing violence in Kenya and urges all parties concerned
to immediately end the use of violence as a means to achieve their
political objectives. It also calls for all parties to participate in
good faith and dialogue mediated by former United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan, and asks President Bush to consider imposing asset
freezes and travel bans on leaders in the Party of National Unity, the
Orange Democratic Movement, and other relevant actors who refuse to
engage in this dialogue to end the current crisis.
Additionally, the resolution calls for the international community to
respond to the grave humanitarian needs of the people of Kenya and all
neighboring countries to provide assistance to those affected by the
violence.
{time} 1545
At the same time, it calls for a review of our assistance to Kenya
and restrict any nonhumanitarian assistance.
Before concluding, though, I would like to point out that U.S.
diplomatic efforts in the wake of the election have not been stellar.
Indeed, the response to the Kenyan election crisis proves beyond a
doubt that some of the administration officials are too quick to
embrace a government that engages in electoral abuses and overlook
rather than condemn its electoral and human rights abuses.
We saw this happen in the 2005 elections in Ethiopia. We must proceed
carefully and thoughtfully and work with our partners in the EU and AU
to help resolve this crisis. I also want to emphasize a very critical
point. Despite statements by some to the contrary, what is happening in
Kenya is not an ethnic conflict. It is a political conflict with ethnic
overtones.
We must look closely at the historical and political context to
really understand and to avoid making additional mistakes on how we
characterize what is happening today in Kenya. However, if political
leaders in Kenya do not make a serious effort to stop the violence now
and address the systemic problems that exist in their political
structures, the violence we are seeing could certainly reach a point of
no return.
Once that happens, it will be very difficult to stop. It is critical
that a transitional coalition government is established with a clear
mandate to implement necessary reforms such as a new constitution, a
new electoral law, a new electoral commission, and address the root
causes of the crisis and prepare the country for transparent
Presidential elections within 2 years. The people of Kenya deserve no
less.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 283, addressing
the current crisis in Kenya. I, like much of the world, was shocked by
the violence that followed the December 27 elections in Kenya, a
country that has proven to be a great friend and ally of the United
States over the years.
My heart and my condolences, as well as that of every Member of this
Chamber, go out to the victims of this violence and their families,
some 1,000 people who have been killed since that fateful election day.
There have been shocking events that few of us expected to see in
Kenya, protesters shot by police, gangs with machetes butchering
innocents, a crowd of people, including women and children, burned
alive in a church. Two opposition parliamentarians, as Mr. Payne just
pointed out, have been gunned down since the violence began. Now some
300,000 people have fled their homes, have fled their neighbors, and
remain displaced. They are virtual refugees within their own country.
Aid workers tell us that about 80,000 of these internally displaced
people are children under the age of 5.
The priority for everyone has to be to stop the violence and to end
the killing. In addition, we must examine the context in which the
violence erupted in the first place.
The broad strokes of what happened during and after the December 27
elections are now well known. Millions of Kenyans voted that day in the
country's fourth multiparty elections and it is a testament to the
Kenyan people that some 14.2 million people, 82 percent of all eligible
voters, were registered to vote. I won't recite the polling numbers or
give an autopsy of the election, but suffice it to say that at some
point the system went terribly wrong.
The European Union said the elections were ``marred by a lack of
transparency which raised concerns about the accuracy and final results
of this election.'' Election observers from the East African community
also raised serious concerns about the elections, and eventually the
United States, too, asserted that ``serious flaws in the vote tallying
damaged the credibility of the process.''
I want to commend my friend and colleague, Chairman Payne, for his
leadership on this issue. I joined him to cosponsor this resolution,
which calls for an end to the violence and an end to restrictions on
the media. It condemns threats to human rights activists and others who
are working for a peaceful solution to this crisis. It calls on
President Kibaki and the challenger, Mr. Odinga, to work together for a
mediated solution to this crisis.
The U.S. must do all that it can to encourage them to move in this
direction. The resolution emphasizes our hope that this dialogue will
lead to an establishment of an interim or coalition government that can
enact constitutional reform and establish a mechanism to investigate
this crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support and backing for H. Con. Res. 283.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
Mr. ROYCE. I would like to begin by commending the gentleman from New
Jersey, Chairman Payne, of the Africa Subcommittee. I want to thank him
for introducing this resolution that addresses the troublesome violence
that is occurring today in Kenya, and I would like to recognize the
good work of the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Smith, as well.
Mr. Speaker, the situation in Kenya has been described. Since the
post-election violence erupted at the end of December, we know that now
over 1,000 Kenyans have been killed. We know that a quarter million
souls have been forced to flee from their homes. Many of these homes
have been burned. Many individuals have been burned. As this resolution
notes, international observers found the election to be seriously
flawed, implicating the government. Today, as Kenya's politicians fight
for power, its people suffer and some of those people are suffering
terribly.
This resolution calls on President Mwai Kibaki and opposition
candidate Raila Odinga to accept external assistance to find their way
out of this. This has been occurring of late with the former U.N.
Secretary General bringing about some progress. But without this, the
factions seem incapable of moving ahead on their own.
The resolution also calls for holding accountable those responsible
for violence. Widespread violence can almost always be traced back to
ringleaders. That was the case in Rwanda, where a small band sparked a
genocide. Kenyans don't want their country ripped apart, but a small
number of recruiters, I suspect, are leading it in that way. We should
do our best to let would-be killers, including government officials,
know that the world is watching and they will face the consequences if
they incite violence.
The State Department's top official charged with Africa recently
called the violence ``ethnic cleansing.'' We cannot be complacent. The
potential for violence spiraling upward should never be discounted.
This is the reason, of course, that our Peace Corps is leaving Kenya.
Looking back a few months, the U.S. and the international community
was complacent and somewhat naive about
[[Page H579]]
the Kenyan elections. News reports and analysts expressed surprise over
the election violence. I chaired the Africa Subcommittee for 8 years
working with Chairman Payne. There is a tendency, an understandable
one, to see African ``successes,'' and Kenya has been described as one.
While many African countries have made progress, many African countries
face fundamental and very difficult challenges that leave them very
vulnerable. A better realization of that, a more realistic view, I
think, would lead to a better Africa policy.
Kenya is a very important country. Its economy is key to East Africa.
This violence has been economically devastating to many Kenyans. We
have terrorism concerns in the region. So we have humanitarian and
other reasons, other reasons besides just the question of the
inhumanity here to help Kenyans move forward. It is Kenyans themselves
who must look within to help get out of this crisis. But the U.S. and
others should help, and this resolution calls for that help. I urge
support for it, and I commend Chairman Payne for authoring it.
Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank the gentleman from California and commend him
for the outstanding work that he did as chairman of this subcommittee
and his continued interest in the subcommittee's activities.
I would like to say that I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey
cosponsoring this resolution, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Wolf, who has been a
true real leader on issues in Africa, too. One of the things that I
must say, as I already mentioned about Mr. Royce, that our Subcommittee
on Africa, regardless of which political party tends to chair it, has
worked in a bipartisan manner for the 20 years that I have been a
member of the committee, sometimes in the majority, sometimes in the
minority.
But the thing that has been very encouraging is that in 95, 96
percent of the time, I would say we are on the same page. We see things
the same way. We might have to tweak a word or two here, but by and
large, we have been able to move forward on so many important issues
because of the bipartisan spirit.
Once again, Mr. Royce, I appreciate your continued support, and, of
course, Ranking Member Smith, who is not only doing a tremendous job
here but with the Helsinki Commission, and for the fact that he is very
interested in the situation in China, I appreciate your continued human
rights efforts. It's a pleasure to work with you.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. PAYNE. I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island.
Mr. KENNEDY. I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his
work in this area and just say, having just returned from another part
of the world that has been turned upside down by election disturbances
in Pakistan, with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, it's clear to me
that the United States' interest in monitoring elections is paramount
because of the national security implications in all of these parts of
the world, that we have election monitors stationed in all of these
places of the world where there are elections.
I know that the NDI and the NRI, the National Democratic Institute,
National Republican Institute and these organizations that we promote
as a country, we need to, as a Congress, continue to support those
organizations because they are absolutely indispensable towards our
national security in helping to secure better faith and confidence in
these elections that are taking place around the world. If there is
confidence in these elections, and, clearly, these elections have been
called into dispute, especially here in Kenya, then there is going to
be an unraveling of confidence, and, as we have seen, an occurrence of
violence. That occurrence of violence is going to be destabilizing, not
only to the region but also to our own national security interests.
That is why I support this resolution and certainly want to salute my
colleagues in saying that in the future, we need to do more to support
these efforts of monitoring these elections and giving the support that
they need on the ground to make sure that they really are transparent
elections in every sense of the word.
I thank the gentleman for his leadership.
Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank you very much. Let me also commend you for
the work that you continue to do in Cape Verde and other developing
countries, and your work in Haiti certainly makes all of us proud.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Again, I want to thank Chairman Payne for
his great leadership on this issue. We work very well together on that
committee.
Mr. Speaker, this was very important, and it is very important that
we get a very strong vote by the House on behalf of the Payne
resolution. We need to send a clear message to Kenya that we are
watching, that we care deeply about what is unfolding there, and that
we stand in solidarity there with those who have lost loved ones, with
the IDPs and others.
We want a robust democracy in Kenya because they want a robust
democracy in Kenya. The people deserve it. We thought they had it to
some extent.
I think the chairman's mention of Ethiopia was a very important one.
We thought Ethiopia was moving in the right direction. An election was
held. It was seriously marred with irregularities, and then a series of
killings followed thereafter. That's still a very unsettled part of the
world as well. Again, I want to thank the chairman for his important
resolution.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H. Con. Res. 283, calling for a peaceful resolution to the current
electoral crisis in Kenya, introduced by my distinguished colleague
from New Jersey, Chairman Payne. This important legislation commends
the Kenyan people for their significant strides towards democracy and
calls for the peaceful resolution of their current electoral crisis.
As a senior Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs as well as the
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, I am deeply concerned with
the current crisis in Kenya. It saddens me to see the once relatively
stable country of Kenya explode into chaotic violence, which has left
more than 900 people dead and forced 300,000 people from their homes.
Democracy must move forward in Kenya, and the cry for clear,
transparent and peaceful elections must not go unheard by the
international community. As Kenya's political crisis also becomes a
humanitarian emergency, with over 300,000 people displaced from their
homes and the distribution of food aid halted, experts have begun to
warn of a looming health crisis. It is vital for the people of Kenya
that we work rapidly to bring this conflict to a peaceful conclusion.
This important legislation denounces Kenyan security forces from
using unwarranted force and urges them to respect the human rights of
Kenyan citizens. This legislation further condemns the callous
terrorization to civil society groups, journalists, religious leaders,
and civil rights leaders.
While Kenya has long been an important friend and ally to the United
States, at times our relationship has been strained due to concerns
about corruption and human rights conditions in the sub-Saharan nation.
However, this intricate relationship has been recently renewed and
reinvigorated with the advent of the 1992 multiparty elections in
Kenya. The people of Kenya have shown a desire and commitment for
democracy that is unprecedented and sets a new standard for the region.
Their unparalleled commitment to democracy and respect for the
democratic process is indicated in the high voter turnout and peaceful
voting on election day.
On December 27, 2007, the desire of the Kenyan nation for a
meaningful change in politics and the revival of democracy was manifest
in the millions of Kenyans who took to the polls. The months preceding
the December elections showed opposition candidate Raila Odinga leading
in the polls over incumbent President Mwai Kibaki. Amidst domestic and
international cries of polling irregularities, the Electoral Commission
of Kenya declared President Kibaki as the winner.
It is not the election itself but rather the aftermath of the
elections and a way forward that concerns us here today. The Kenyan
Constitution authorizes the establishment of the Electoral Commission
of Kenya, ECK. While the ECK is comprised of 22 commissioners, 19 of
the commissioners were appointed by President Kibaki last year, which
is authorized by the Kenyan Constitution. What is not authorized was
the appointment of the new commissioners without proper consultation
with opposition parties, which violated the Inter-Parliamentary Parties
Group Agreement of 1997. While the ECK quickly declared President
Kibaki the winner, the chairman of the commission later admitted that
he ``was
[[Page H580]]
under intense political pressure from powerful political leaders and
the ruling party.'' Furthermore, press reports quote the Kenya
Electoral Commission Chairman Samuel M. Kivuitu as stating that ``the
day he went to deliver the certificate declaring Kibaki the winner, he
saw the chief justice already at the State House reportedly waiting to
swear in Kibaki.'' The swearing-in ceremony itself was so rushed that
it is said organizers forgot to include the national anthem in the
program. Mr. Speaker, to call these events ``irregularities'' as the
ECK commissioners and ECK staff have conceded, is a vast
understatement. In order for Kenya to continue moving forward on its
current democratic trajectory, elections must be transparent, free, and
fair, none of which were seen in the December 27 election. This
legislation calls upon the two leading presidential candidates to
accept offers of external and internal assistance to help find a
solution to the current crisis that has the support of the people of
Kenya.
What is equally disturbing was the United States' reaction to this
electoral crisis. While the EU observers criticized the election for
its myriad of inconsistencies, on December 30, the United States
government reportedly congratulated President Kibaki for his victory.
In a recently released report, the EU concluded, ``the 2007 general
elections have fallen short of key international and regional standards
for democratic elections. Most significantly, they were marred by a
lack of transparency in the processing and tallying of presidential
results, which raises concerns about the accuracy of the final results
of this election.'' Following both regional and international uproar,
the United States seemingly changed its position in January as
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer,
declared that ``serious flaws in the vote tallying process damaged the
credibility of the process.'' Such inconsistency on the part of
diplomatic corps of the United States sends a poor message to our
friends and allies struggling for democracy across the sea.
As outrage over the electoral results permeated throughout the
country, so too did spontaneous demonstrations of anger and ultimately
violence. Recent statistics reported by the UN and Kenyan sources state
that since late December more than 900 people have been killed and an
estimated 300,000 displaced, including some 80,000 children under the
age of five. International observers have proclaimed that while some
protestors died due to mob violence, many others were reportedly shot
and killed by police. While the Kenya military did not engage in riot
control for most of January, press reports and Kenyan sources state
that Kenyan police and security were given authority to use lethal
force to dissipate mobs. In the wake of the disputed election results,
the Kenyan government banned demonstrations and initiated media
restrictions, which seem to have further stoked the fire.
Mr. Speaker, with the intolerable number of Kenyans dead and
displaced, it is imperative that the United States play a meaningful
role in resolving the current crises. With, two failed international
missions, it is time that we rethink our strategy in addressing the
current crisis.
The ongoing violence as a means to achieve political objectives in
Kenya must come to a halt. We need the superior support of the United
Nations to assist those affected by violence, and use all the
diplomatic means to persuade relevant political actors to commit to a
peaceful resolution to the crisis. This legislation emphasizes
precisely these issues.
I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this extremely
important legislation that arbitrates for the Kenyan people.
{time} 1600
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 283, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________