[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1529-S1530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 469--PROVIDING FOR A PROTOCOL FOR NONPARTISAN 
                   CONFIRMATION OF JUDICIAL NOMINEES

  Mr. SPECTER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Rules and Administration:

                              S. Res. 469

       Whereas judicial nominations have long been the subject of 
     controversy and delay in the United States Senate, 
     particularly over the last twenty years;
       Whereas, in the past, the controversy over judicial 
     nominees has occurred regardless of which political parties 
     controlled the White House and the Senate;
       Whereas, in the current Congress the controversy over 
     judicial nominees continues;
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. PROTOCOL FOR NONPARTISAN CONFIRMATION OF JUDICIAL 
                   NOMINEES.

       (a) Timetables.--
       (1) Committee timetables.--The Chairman of the Committee on 
     the Judiciary, in collaboration with the Ranking Member, 
     shall--
       (A) establish a timetable for hearings for nominees to the 
     United States district courts, courts of appeal, and Supreme 
     Court, to occur within 30 days after the names of such 
     nominees have been submitted to the Senate by the President; 
     and
       (B) establish a timetable for action by the full Committee 
     to occur within 30 days after the hearings, and for reporting 
     out nominees to the full Senate.
       (2) Senate timetables.--The majority leader shall establish 
     a timetable for action by the full Senate to occur within 30 
     days after the Committee on the Judiciary has reported out 
     the nominations.
       (b) Extension of Timetables.--
       (1) Committee extensions.--The Chairman of the Committee on 
     the Judiciary, with notice to the Ranking Member, may extend 
     by a period not to exceed 30 days, the time for action by the 
     Committee for cause, such as the need for more investigation 
     or additional hearings.
       (2) Senate extensions.--
       (A) In general.--The majority leader, with notice to the 
     minority leader, may extend by a period not to exceed 30 
     days, the time for floor action for cause, such as the need 
     for more investigation or additional hearings.
       (B) Recess period.--Any day of a recess period of the 
     Senate shall not be included in the extension period 
     described under subparagraph (A).

[[Page S1530]]

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      SENATE RESOLUTION 470--CALLING ON THE RELEVANT GOVERNMENTS, 
MULTILATERAL BODIES, AND NON-STATE ACTORS IN CHAD, THE CENTRAL AFRICAN 
 REPUBLIC, AND SUDAN TO DEVOTE AMPLE POLITICAL COMMITMENT AND MATERIAL 
 RESOURCES TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEGOTIATED 
RESOLUTION TO THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONFLICTS IN CHAD, THE CENTRAL 
                  AFRICAN REPUBLIC, AND DARFUR, SUDAN

  Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Hagel) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 470

       Whereas armed groups have been moving freely among Sudan, 
     Chad, and the Central African Republic, committing murder, 
     banditry, forced recruitment, mass displacement, gender-based 
     violence, and other crimes that are contributing to 
     insecurity and instability throughout the region, 
     exacerbating the humanitarian crises in these countries and 
     obstructing efforts to end violence in the Darfur region of 
     Sudan and adjacent areas;
       Whereas, on February 2, 2008, rebels stormed the capital of 
     Chad, N'Djamena, in their second coup attempt in two years, 
     prompting clashes with forces loyal to President of Chad 
     Idriss Deby that caused more than 100 civilian deaths, 
     thousands of displacements, and an estimated 10,000 refugees 
     from Chad to seek refuge in neighboring Cameroon;
       Whereas, on February 2, 2008, the United States Embassy in 
     N'Djamena was forced to evacuate employees' families and all 
     nonemergency staff and urged United States citizens to defer 
     all travel to Chad;
       Whereas, on February 2, 2008, the United States Government 
     condemned the armed attack on N'Djamena and expressed 
     ``support [for] the [African Union]'s call for an immediate 
     end to armed attacks and to refrain from violence that might 
     harm innocent civilians'';
       Whereas, on February 12, 2008, the United Nations High 
     Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that recent 
     offensives by the Government of Sudan in Darfur have prompted 
     up to 12,000 new refugees to flee to neighboring Chad, where 
     the UNHCR and its partners are already struggling to take 
     care of 240,000 refugees from Sudan in eastern Chad and some 
     50,000 refugees from the Central African Republic in southern 
     Chad;
       Whereas cross-border attacks by alleged Arab militias from 
     Sudan and related inter-communal ethnic hostilities in 
     eastern Chad have also resulted in the displacement of an 
     estimated 170,000 people from Chad in the region, adding to 
     the humanitarian need;
       Whereas there have been allegations and evidence in both 
     Chad and Sudan of government support for dissident rebel 
     militias in each other's country, in direct violation of the 
     Tripoli Declaration of February 8, 2006, and the N'Djamena 
     Agreement of July 26, 2006;
       Whereas, on January 16, 2008, the United Nations' 
     Humanitarian Coordinator for the Central African Republic 
     reported that waves of violence across the north of that 
     country have left more than 1,000,000 people in need of 
     humanitarian assistance, including 150,000 who are internally 
     displaced, while some 80,000 have fled to neighboring Chad or 
     Cameroon;
       Whereas, since late 2007, arrests, disappearances, and 
     harassment of journalists, human rights defenders, and 
     opposition leaders-- particularly those reporting on military 
     operations and human rights conditions in eastern Chad-- 
     mirror the repressive crackdown in the aftermath of an attack 
     on N'Djamena in April 2006, and conditions have only worsened 
     since the February 2008 attempted coup;
       Whereas, on September 27, 2007, the United Nations Security 
     Council passed Security Council Resolution 1778 (2007), 
     authorizing a limited United Nations peacekeeping mission 
     (MINURCAT) and a concurrent European-led force (EUFOR), which 
     is permitted to ``take all necessary measures'' to protect 
     refugees, civilians, and aid workers in eastern Chad and 
     northern Central African Republic;
       Whereas, despite the explicit support of President Deby, 
     deployment of both the 3,700 EUFOR troops and the 350 
     MINURCAT officers has been hampered by political and security 
     delays as well as insufficient resources; and
       Whereas continuing hostilities will undermine efforts to 
     bring security to Sudan's Darfur region, dangerously 
     destabilize volatile political and humanitarian situations in 
     Chad and the Central African Republic, and potentially 
     disrupt progress towards peace in southern Sudan: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses the concern and compassion of the citizens of 
     the United States for the hundreds of thousands of citizens 
     of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic who have 
     been gravely affected by this interrelated violence and 
     instability;
       (2) calls upon all parties to these conflicts to cease 
     hostilities immediately and uphold basic human rights;
       (3) urges the governments of Chad and Sudan, with support 
     from other key regional and international stakeholders, 
     including France, Libya, and China, to commit to another 
     round of inclusive negotiations towards a sustainable 
     political solution for national and regional stability 
     facilitated and monitored by impartial third-party 
     leadership;
       (4) calls upon the governments of Chad and Sudan to 
     reaffirm their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration of 
     February 8, 2006, and the N'Djamena Agreement of July 26, 
     2006, refrain from any actions that violate these agreements, 
     and cease all logistical, financial, and military support to 
     insurgent groups;
       (5) urges the Government of Chad to increase political 
     participation, strengthen democratic institutions, respect 
     human rights, improve accountability and transparency as well 
     as the provision of basic services, and uphold its commitment 
     to protect its own citizens in order to redeem the legitimacy 
     of the Government in the eyes of its citizens and the 
     international community;
       (6) calls for diplomatic and material support from the 
     United States and the international community to facilitate, 
     implement, and monitor a comprehensive peace process that 
     includes an inclusive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders 
     to end violence, demobilize militias, and promote return and 
     reconstruction for internally displaced persons and refugees; 
     and
       (7) encourages the United States Government and the 
     international community to provide immediate and ongoing 
     support for the multilateral peacekeeping missions in Darfur, 
     eastern Chad, and the northern Central African Republic, 
     along with adequate assistance to meet the continuing 
     humanitarian and security needs of the individuals and areas 
     most affected by these interrelated conflicts.

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