[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E684-E685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF MEDICAL NEUTRALITY PROTECTION ACT OF 2013

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2013

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Medical 
Neutrality Protection Act of 2013, which is an updated version of the 
bill I introduced in the 112th Congress. I have been encouraged by the 
tremendous support that this bill received since then, including major 
human rights advocacy groups, medical professionals, U.S. government 
officials, and medics living abroad who have been persecuted while 
serving in times of civil unrest.
  Since I first introduced this bill in July 2011, we have heard of 
widespread cases, particularly in the Middle East, where the 
independence of physicians and medics was severely hindered. 
Unfortunately, the situation remains dire. Many have been arrested, 
detained, interrogated, and even tortured for caring for the wounded. 
Countries that do this to their medical professionals do not deserve 
our military assistance.
  This bill elevates the protection of medical professionals as a 
foreign policy priority for the U.S. Government so that countries that 
violate norms of medical neutrality will no longer be able to receive 
U.S. military assistance.
  I first became aware of this issue back in the 1980s during the civil 
war in El Salvador. The conflict ended in the early 1990s with over 
75,000 people killed, some of whom were medical workers who were caught 
in combat or working in refugee camps. Then, as now, I was concerned 
that the United States was not doing enough to stop government forces 
from harming medical workers, who are some of the only unbiased 
eyewitnesses that we have on the ground.
  Protecting doctors and health care workers is a nonpartisan issue 
that should get broad support in Congress and our government.

[[Page E685]]

  I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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