[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8041-8049]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY DISARMAMENT AND NORTHERN UGANDA RECOVERY ACT OF 
                                  2009

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 1067) to support stabilization and lasting peace in northern Uganda 
and areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army through development of 
a regional strategy to support multilateral efforts to successfully 
protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's 
Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian relief and 
reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional justice, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1067

       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 ``Lord's Resistance Army 
     Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) For over 2 decades, the Government of Uganda engaged in 
     an armed conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in 
     northern Uganda that led to the internal displacement of more 
     than 2,000,000 Ugandans from their homes.
       (2) The members of the Lord's Resistance Army used brutal 
     tactics in northern Uganda, including mutilating, abducting 
     and forcing individuals into sexual servitude and forcing a 
     large number of children and youth in Uganda, estimated by 
     the Survey for War Affected Youth to be over 66,000, to fight 
     as part of the rebel force.
       (3) The Secretary of State has placed the Lord's Resistance 
     Army on the Terrorist Exclusion list pursuant to section 
     212(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1182(a)(3)), and LRA leader Joseph Kony has been designated a 
     ``specially designated global terrorist'' pursuant to 
     Executive Order 13224.
       (4) In late 2005, according to the United Nations Office 
     for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Lord's 
     Resistance Army shifted their primary base of operations from 
     southern Sudan to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, 
     and the rebels have since withdrawn from northern Uganda.
       (5) Representatives of the Government of Uganda and the 
     Lord's Resistance Army began peace negotiations in 2006, 
     mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan in Juba, Sudan, 
     and signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement on August 
     20, 2006, which provided for hundreds of thousands of 
     internally displaced people to return home in safety.
       (6) After nearly 2 years of negotiations, representatives 
     from the parties reached the Final Peace Agreement in April 
     2008, but Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance 
     Army, refused to sign the Final Peace

[[Page 8042]]

     Agreement in May 2008 and his forces launched new attacks in 
     northeastern Congo.
       (7) According to the United Nations Office for the 
     Coordination of Humanitarian Relief and the United Nations 
     High Commissioner for Refugees, the new activity of the 
     Lord's Resistance Army in northeastern Congo and southern 
     Sudan since September 2008 has led to the abduction of at 
     least 1,500 civilians, including hundreds of children, and 
     the displacement of more than 540,000 people.
       (8) In December 2008, the military forces of Uganda, the 
     Democratic Republic of Congo, and southern Sudan launched a 
     joint operation against the Lord's Resistance Army's bases in 
     northeastern Congo, but the operation failed to apprehend 
     Joseph Kony, and his forces retaliated with a series of new 
     attacks and massacres in Congo and southern Sudan, killing an 
     estimated 900 people in 2 months alone.
       (9) Despite the refusal of Joseph Kony to sign the Final 
     Peace Agreement, the Government of Uganda has committed to 
     continue reconstruction plans for northern Uganda, and to 
     implement those mechanisms of the Final Peace Agreement not 
     conditional on the compliance of the Lord's Resistance Army.
       (10) Since 2008, recovery efforts in northern Uganda have 
     moved forward with the financial support of the United States 
     and other donors, but have been hampered by a lack of 
     strategic coordination, logistical delays, and limited 
     leadership from the Government of Uganda.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States to work with regional 
     governments toward a comprehensive and lasting resolution to 
     the conflict in northern Uganda and other affected areas by--
       (1) providing political, economic, military, and 
     intelligence support for viable multilateral efforts to 
     protect civilians from the Lord's Resistance Army, to 
     apprehend or remove Joseph Kony and his top commanders from 
     the battlefield in the continued absence of a negotiated 
     solution, and to disarm and demobilize the remaining Lord's 
     Resistance Army fighters;
       (2) targeting assistance to respond to the humanitarian 
     needs of populations in northeastern Congo, southern Sudan, 
     and Central African Republic currently affected by the 
     activity of the Lord's Resistance Army; and
       (3) further supporting and encouraging efforts of the 
     Government of Uganda and civil society to promote 
     comprehensive reconstruction, transitional justice, and 
     reconciliation in northern Uganda as affirmed in the Northern 
     Uganda Crisis Response Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-283) and 
     subsequent resolutions, including Senate Resolution 366, 
     109th Congress, agreed to February 2, 2006, Senate Resolution 
     573, 109th Congress, agreed to September 19, 2006, Senate 
     Concurrent Resolution 16, 110th Congress, agreed to in the 
     Senate March 1, 2007, and House Concurrent Resolution 80, 
     110th Congress, agreed to in the House of Representatives 
     June 18, 2007.

     SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF A STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE DISARMAMENT 
                   OF THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.

       (a) Requirement for Strategy.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President 
     shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a strategy to guide future United States support 
     across the region for viable multilateral efforts to mitigate 
     and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability 
     posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
       (b) Content of Strategy.--The strategy shall include the 
     following:
       (1) A plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations 
     and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by 
     the Lord's Resistance Army while supporting the development 
     of institutions in affected areas that can help to maintain 
     the rule of law and prevent conflict in the long term.
       (2) An assessment of viable options through which the 
     United States, working with regional governments, could help 
     develop and support multilateral efforts to eliminate the 
     threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
       (3) An interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and 
     review diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military 
     elements of United States policy across the region regarding 
     the Lord's Resistance Army.
       (4) A description of the type and form of diplomatic 
     engagement across the region undertaken to coordinate and 
     implement United States policy regarding the Lord's 
     Resistance Army and to work multilaterally with regional 
     mechanisms, including the Tripartite Plus Commission and the 
     Great Lakes Pact.
       (5) A description of how this engagement will fit within 
     the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the 
     Great Lakes Region.
       (c) Form.--The strategy under this section shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
     annex.

     SEC. 5. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OUTSIDE UGANDA 
                   AFFECTED BY THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.

       In accordance with section 491 of the Foreign Assistance 
     Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) and section 2 of the Migration 
     and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601), the 
     President is authorized to provide additional assistance to 
     the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and Central 
     African Republic to respond to the humanitarian needs of 
     populations directly affected by the activity of the Lord's 
     Resistance Army.

     SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE FOR RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION IN 
                   NORTHERN UGANDA.

       (a) Authority.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     President should support efforts by the people of northern 
     Uganda and the Government of Uganda--
       (1) to assist internally displaced people in transition and 
     returnees to secure durable solutions by spurring economic 
     revitalization, supporting livelihoods, helping to alleviate 
     poverty, and advancing access to basic services at return 
     sites, specifically clean water, health care, and schools;
       (2) to enhance the accountability and administrative 
     competency of local governance institutions and public 
     agencies in northern Uganda with regard to budget management, 
     provision of public goods and services, and related oversight 
     functions;
       (3) to strengthen the operational capacity of the civilian 
     police in northern Uganda to enhance public safety, prevent 
     crime, and deal sensitively with gender-based violence, while 
     strengthening accountability measures to prevent corruption 
     and abuses;
       (4) to rebuild and improve the capacity of the justice 
     system in northern Uganda, including the courts and penal 
     systems, with particular sensitivity to the needs and rights 
     of women and children;
       (5) to establish mechanisms for the disarmament, 
     demobilization, and reintegration of former combatants and 
     those abducted by the LRA, including vocational education and 
     employment opportunities, with attention given to the roles 
     and needs of men, women and children; and
       (6) to promote programs to address psychosocial trauma, 
     particularly post-traumatic stress disorder.
       (b) Future Year Funding.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States 
     Agency for International Development should work with the 
     appropriate committees of Congress to increase assistance in 
     future fiscal years to support activities described in this 
     section if the Government of Uganda demonstrates a commitment 
     to transparent and accountable reconstruction in war-affected 
     areas of northern Uganda, specifically by--
       (1) finalizing the establishment of mechanisms within the 
     Office of the Prime Minister to sufficiently manage and 
     coordinate the programs under the framework of the Peace 
     Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP);
       (2) increasing oversight activities and reporting, at the 
     local and national level in Uganda, to ensure funds under the 
     Peace Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda 
     framework are used efficiently and with minimal waste; and
       (3) committing substantial funds of its own, above and 
     beyond standard budget allocations to local governments, to 
     the task of implementing the Peace Recovery and Development 
     Plan for Northern Uganda such that communities affected by 
     the war can recover.
       (c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United 
     States should work with other donor nations to increase 
     contributions for recovery efforts in northern Uganda and 
     better leverage those contributions to enhance the capacity 
     and encourage the leadership of the Government of Uganda in 
     promoting transparent and accountable reconstruction in 
     northern Uganda.
       (d) Termination of Assistance.--It is the sense of Congress 
     that the Secretary of State should withhold non-humanitarian 
     bilateral assistance to the Republic of Uganda if the 
     Secretary determines that the Government of Uganda is not 
     committed to reconstruction and reconciliation in the war-
     affected areas of northern Uganda and is not taking proactive 
     steps to ensure this process moves forward in a transparent 
     and accountable manner.

     SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE FOR RECONCILIATION AND TRANSITIONAL 
                   JUSTICE IN NORTHERN UGANDA.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, 
     despite reconstruction and development efforts, a continued 
     failure to take meaningful steps toward national 
     reconciliation and accountability risks perpetuating 
     longstanding political grievances and fueling new conflicts.
       (b) Authority.--In accordance with section 531 of the 
     Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346), the 
     President is authorized to support efforts by the people of 
     northern Uganda and the Government of Uganda to advance 
     efforts to promote transitional justice and reconciliation on 
     both local and national levels, including to encourage 
     implementation of the mechanisms outlined in the Annexure to 
     the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between 
     the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army/
     Movement, signed at Juba February 19, 2008, namely--
       (1) a body to investigate the history of the conflict, 
     inquire into human rights violations committed during the 
     conflict by all sides, promote truth-telling in communities, 
     and encourage the preservation of the memory of events and 
     victims of the conflict through memorials, archives, 
     commemorations, and other forms of preservation;

[[Page 8043]]

       (2) a special division of the High Court of Uganda to try 
     individuals alleged to have committed serious crimes during 
     the conflict, and a special unit to carry out investigations 
     and prosecutions in support of trials;
       (3) a system for making reparations to victims of the 
     conflict; and
       (4) a review and strategy for supporting transitional 
     justice mechanisms in affected areas to promote 
     reconciliation and encourage individuals to take personal 
     responsibility for their conduct during the war.

     SEC. 8. REPORT.

       (a) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     submission of the strategy required under section 4, the 
     Secretary of State shall prepare and submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress a report on the progress 
     made toward the implementation of the strategy required under 
     section 4 and a description and evaluation of the assistance 
     provided under this Act toward the policy objectives 
     described in section 3.
       (b) Contents.--The report required under section (a) shall 
     include--
       (1) a description and evaluation of actions taken toward 
     the implementation of the strategy required under section 4;
       (2) a description of assistance provided under sections 5, 
     6, and 7;
       (3) an evaluation of bilateral assistance provided to the 
     Republic of Uganda and associated programs in light of stated 
     policy objectives;
       (4) a description of the status of the Peace Recovery and 
     Development Plan for Northern Uganda and the progress of the 
     Government of Uganda in fulfilling the steps outlined in 
     section 6(b); and
       (5) a description of amounts of assistance committed, and 
     amounts provided, to northern Uganda during the reporting 
     period by the Government of Uganda and each donor country.
       (c) Form.--The report under this section shall be submitted 
     in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

     SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FUNDING.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 
     2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up 
     to $10,000,000 should be used to carry out activities under 
     section 5; and
       (2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 
     2011 through 2013 for the Department of State and foreign 
     operations, up to $10,000,000 in each such fiscal year should 
     be used to carry out activities under section 7.

     SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on 
     Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee 
     on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes Region'' 
     means the region comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of 
     Congo, Rwanda, southern Sudan, and Uganda.
       (3) LRA-affected areas.--The term ``LRA-affected areas'' 
     means those portions of northern Uganda, southern Sudan, 
     northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and southeastern 
     Central African Republic determined by the Secretary of State 
     to be affected by the Lord's Resistance Army as of the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ENGEL. 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 bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill and 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Senate bill under consideration today is a companion 
to H.R. 2478, legislation authored by the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern). I want to thank my good friend and colleague, Mr. 
McGovern, for championing the cause of the people of northern Uganda 
who have been victimized for over two decades by the Lord's Resistance 
Army, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the Secretary 
of State.
  Mr. Speaker, it is almost impossible to describe the horrors that the 
Lord's Resistance Army, also known as the LRA, has perpetrated on the 
people of northern Uganda and, more recently, in several neighboring 
countries.
  Joseph Kony, the LRA leader, has led a militia group responsible for 
the slaughter of thousands of people and the displacement of over 2 
million others since it was formed in 1986.
  The LRA is most notorious for abducting young children, an estimated 
30,000, over the past two decades, and forcing them into armed service 
and sexual servitude. While claiming to represent the legitimate 
grievances of the Ocholi people of northern Uganda, Kony has exploited 
those grievances to justify what only can be described as madness in 
his pursuit of power.
  The Ugandan war is now the longest running war in Africa, longer than 
the conflict in Sudan. During the course of this war, the LRA has been 
responsible for widespread human rights violations, including murder, 
abduction, mutilation, sexual enslavement of women and children, and 
forcing children to participate in killing of Ugandans, often family 
members and neighbors.
  The LRA shows no mercy for the young. Boys are kidnapped and turned 
into soldiers. Girls are kidnapped and used as sex slaves. And to 
terrorize communities, the LRA often amputates limbs and disfigures 
bodies as so-called lessons learned for those willing to resist.
  The Ugandan government and the LRA began peace negotiations in 2006, 
and signed an agreement in August of that year which provided for 
hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people to return home in 
safety. A final peace agreement was reached in 2008, but Kony refused 
to sign, and the LRA subsequently launched new attacks on civilians in 
eastern Congo.
  Despite the LRA leader's refusal to sign the agreement, the Ugandan 
government has made a commitment to carry out reconstruction plans for 
northern Uganda, and to implement those mechanisms of the final peace 
agreement not conditioned on the compliance of the LRA.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States Government is a friend to the people 
of northern Uganda, and it is in our interest to help rid Uganda and 
central Africa of the LRA. This bill authorizes the President to 
provide additional assistance to respond to the humanitarian needs of 
populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and 
Central African Republic affected by LRA activity.
  It further authorizes the President to support efforts by the people 
of northern Uganda and the government of Uganda to promote transitional 
justice and reconciliation on both local and national levels.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important that we pass this legislation today to 
draw attention to the LRA's reign of terror and to demonstrate our 
support for the people of Uganda. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I strongly support the policy objectives of Senate Bill 1067, the 
Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.
  For nearly 27 years, the Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, has been 
terrorizing civilians, leaving a trail of death and despondency in its 
wake. The LRA's leader is a soulless mass murderer who has perpetrated 
some of the most deplorable human rights atrocities known to man.
  The LRA is a predatory guerrilla force. They mutilate, torture, rape, 
and murder with impunity. They have abducted tens of thousands of 
civilians, mostly children, to serve as soldiers or sex slaves. 
Abducted children are forced to the front lines. And those who manage 
to escape find it difficult, if not impossible, to return home after 
being forced to commit atrocities in front of their very own families.
  While the LRA has withdrawn from northern Uganda and security 
conditions there have improved, it continues to wreak havoc on 
neighboring southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 
the Central African Republic.
  Recent reports indicate that, rather than being weakened, the LRA 
today is

[[Page 8044]]

stronger and strategically more sophisticated than it was just last 
year. The bill before us seeks to change that.
  It requires the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal 
with the LRA. It offers political, economic, military, and intelligence 
support for viable multilateral efforts to protect civilians, to 
apprehend or eliminate top LRA commanders, and disarm and demobilize 
the remaining LRA fighters.
  It then expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should 
support humanitarian efforts in LRA-affected areas, as well as programs 
to advance transitional justice in northern Uganda.
  I appreciate the chairman's efforts to ensure that this language does 
not represent an earmark in funding which would conflict with 
Republican Members' commitment to the American taxpayer to exercise 
fiscal restraint and discipline.
  I also appreciate that the bill conditions future assistance to the 
government of Uganda upon transparency and a substantial commitment of 
Uganda's own resources to support reconstruction efforts in the North.
  Mr. Speaker, the U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs has said that 
this conflict is ``characterized by a level of cruelty seldom seen, and 
few conflicts rival it for its sheer brutality.''
  Even so, it remains one of the most overlooked humanitarian and human 
rights crises in the world today. The fact that we are even debating 
this topic today is largely due to the tireless efforts of young 
advocates throughout the United States, including in my own 
congressional district, who have passionately taken up the cause of 
those whose lives have been destroyed by the LRA. I urge my colleagues 
to join them in supporting the objectives of this important bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to 
the gentleman from Massachusetts, the vice chairman of the Rules 
Committee, Mr. McGovern.
  Mr. McGOVERN. I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a very important day for U.S. policy in Africa. 
Just about 1 year ago, on May 19, my friend and colleague from 
California and the champion of human rights, Congressman Ed Royce, and 
I introduced H.R. 2478, the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and 
Northern Recovery Act. In the Senate, Senators Russ Feingold and Sam 
Brownback sponsored the same bill, S. 1067, which is the bill before us 
for consideration today. Today, H.R. 2478 has 200 bipartisan 
cosponsors.
  When the House passes S. 1067 today, it will be sent directly to the 
President's desk for his signature, and for the first time the U.S. 
will be required to design and implement a comprehensive strategy with 
our multilateral and regional partners to address the violence of the 
LRA; protect the victims of LRA violence in Uganda, the Democratic 
Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic; 
strengthen state presence and capacity in these regions to the benefit 
of the vulnerable civilian populations; and advance the recovery of 
northern Uganda from decades of violence.
  Mr. Speaker, a great deal has happened across the country to ensure 
that this bill is before the House Chamber today in scarcely 1 year. I 
want to especially recognize and thank the national networks, 
organizations, and grassroots activists of Invisible Children, Resolve 
Uganda, the ENOUGH! Project, and many other religious and human rights 
groups who have rallied in support of the people and especially the 
children of this region of Africa.
  These Americans, thousands of them high school and college students, 
understood that the children and people of northern Uganda, the DRC, 
the southern Sudan, and the CAR have no voice in Washington.

                              {time}  1845

  So they were determined to become their voice. They realized that 
these African children and families were invisible to Washington 
policymakers. So they decided to make them visible. They realized there 
is too much suffering, too much pain, too much destruction, too much 
killing in this region of Africa, so many thousands of miles away, and 
that there was just too much silence here in Washington. So they built 
a grassroots national movement of hope for peace, for justice, for 
reconciliation, for reconstruction, for the recovery of the human 
spirit. They believe that the people of northern Uganda, the children 
of Uganda, the DRC, Southern Sudan, and the CAR, have a right to 
protection and to have a voice in their own destiny.
  So today is a good day, a very good day, Mr. Speaker, because today 
these hundreds of thousands of voices have brought this bill to the 
House floor today for final passage. The unresolved crisis with the 
Lord's Resistance Army is one of Africa's longest running and most 
gruesome militia-driven conflicts. It has morphed into a sadistic 
force, wreaking terror on the local populations, filling its ranks with 
abducted child soldiers and slaves.
  Now, at this critical juncture in the conflict's history and when the 
terror once focused in northern Uganda is spreading throughout the 
region and surrounding countries, we must ensure that the United States 
commits to a proactive strategy to help see this conflict to its end, 
protect vulnerable populations, and support and strengthen recovery 
efforts in northern Uganda and the region.
  I thank the many Americans, especially the young people, who have 
supported this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of final 
passage of S. 1067. I thank the gentleman from New York, again, for his 
leadership.

 Human Rights, Humanitarian, and Faith-Based Groups Back Landmark U.S. 
 Legislation To Help Protect Civilians From the Lord's Resistance Army

       Washington, DC, 21 May 2009.--The introduction of 
     legislation in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives 
     earlier this week to commit the United States to 
     comprehensive efforts to help civilians threatened by one of 
     the world's longest-running and brutal insurgencies is a 
     crucial step forward for U.S. policy in the region, a 
     coalition of twenty-two human rights, humanitarian, and 
     faith-based groups said today.
       If passed, the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and 
     Northern Uganda Recovery Act would require the Obama 
     Administration to develop a regional strategy to protect 
     civilians in central Africa from attacks by the rebel Lord's 
     Resistance Army (LRA) and enforce the rule of law and ensure 
     full humanitarian access in LRA-affected areas. The Act 
     additionally commits the United States to increase support to 
     economic recovery and transitional justice efforts in Uganda. 
     The coalition of supporting organizations includes groups in 
     Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Uganda, where 
     communities are currently threatened by the LRA.
       ``We continue to live in fear of LRA attacks and of our 
     children being abducted,'' said Father Benoit Kinalegu of the 
     Dungu/Doruma Justice and Peace Commission in DR Congo. ``We 
     are praying for help and protection and hope U.S. lawmakers 
     will hear our cries.''
       Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) and 
     Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Brad Miller (D-NC), and 
     Ed Royce (R-CA) introduced the bill. It affirms the need for 
     U.S. leadership to help bring an end to atrocities by the 
     Lord's Resistance Army and to advance long-term recovery in 
     the region.
       ``The LRA has long posed a terrible threat to civilians,'' 
     said Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. 
     `` This bill will help the U.S. government support for 
     comprehensive multilateral efforts to protect civilians in 
     LRA-affected areas and to apprehend or otherwise remove the 
     group's leader, Joseph Kony, and his top commanders from the 
     battlefield.''
       For more than twenty years, northern Ugandans were caught 
     in a war between the Ugandan military and the rebel group. 
     The violence killed thousands of civilians and displaced 
     nearly two million people. Kony and his top commanders 
     sustain their ranks by abducting civilians, including 
     children, to use as soldiers and sexual slaves. Though the 
     rebel group ended attacks in northern Uganda in 2006, it 
     moved its bases to the northeastern Democratic Republic of 
     Congo and has committed acts of violence against civilians in 
     Congo, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. In December 
     2008, Sudan, Uganda and Congo began a joint military 
     offensive, ``Operation Lightening Thunder,'' against the 
     rebel group, with backing from the United States. As a 
     result, the Lord's Resistance Army has dispersed into 
     multiple smaller groups and has brutally murdered more than 
     1,000 civilians and abducted over 400 people, mostly 
     children.

[[Page 8045]]

       ``Given the catalytic involvement of the U.S. military in 
     Operation Lightning Thunder--and the horrific aftermath of 
     this operation--the U.S. government now has a responsibility 
     to help end the threat posed by Joseph Kony once and for 
     all,'' said John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough 
     Project. ``One man should not be allowed to terrorize 
     millions of people in four Central African countries. The 
     bill is a crucial first step in galvanizing immediate and 
     effective U.S. action.''
       The legislation also aims to help secure a lasting peace in 
     Uganda by supporting measures to assist war-affected 
     communities in northern Uganda and to help resolve 
     longstanding divisions between communities in Uganda's north 
     and south. It authorizes increased funding for recovery 
     efforts in northern Uganda, with a particular focus on 
     supporting transitional justice and reconciliation. It also 
     calls on the Ugandan government to reinvigorate its 
     commitment to a transparent and accountable reconstruction 
     process in war-affected areas.
       ``Smart investment in long-term recovery is essential if 
     the people of northern Uganda are to live with peace and 
     dignity,'' said Annalise Romoser, Lutheran World Relief 
     Associate Director for Advocacy. ``Transitional justice 
     initiatives and the development of basic infrastructure such 
     as food and water systems are crucial elements to lasting 
     peace and reconciliation in Uganda. Such investment from the 
     United States will support the inspiring efforts of northern 
     Ugandans to return home and rebuild after decades of war and 
     displacement.''
       With questions, please contact:
       Michael Poffenberger, Resolve Uganda: 202.548.2517 / 
     [email protected]; Eileen White Read, Enough Project: 
     202.741.6376 / [email protected]; and Maria Burnett, 
     Human Rights Watch: 917.379.1696 / [email protected].
       Supporting organizations include:
       Human Rights Watch, Enough Project, Resolve Uganda, 
     International Rescue Committee, Invisible Children, Refugees 
     International, AVSI, Global Action for Children, Lutheran 
     World Relief, United States Fund for UNICEF, Women's Refugee 
     Commission.
       Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Genocide 
     Intervention Network, Refugee Law Project, Uganda, Gulu NGO 
     Forum, Uganda, Dungu/Doruma Justice and Peace Commission, 
     Democratic Republic of Congo Azande Community World-wide 
     Organisation, UK-South Sudan, Mbomu Charitable Organization, 
     Sudan; Ibba Charitable Organization, South Sudan, Azande 
     Women Organization, South Sudan, Hope Sudan Organization, 
     South Sudan, Eso Development Organization, South Sudan.
       Added after 21 May 2009: Nabanga Development Agency, South 
     Sudan, Comboni Missionary Sisters, South Sudan.

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the 
ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global 
Health, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the condemnation of the Lord's 
Resistance Army expressed in S. 1067 and the bill's goal of supporting 
civilian protection and development in northern Uganda. Four years ago, 
I chaired a hearing of the Africa, Global Human Rights and 
International Operations Subcommittee on: The Endangered Children of 
Northern Uganda. A courageous young woman named Grace Akallo testified 
about her abduction at the age of 15, together with 138 classmates at a 
boarding school, by the LRA. They and approximately 30,000 other 
children have endured horrifying atrocities as child soldiers and sex 
slaves. Ms. Akallo eventually escaped, and her remarkable story was 
recounted in a book entitled, ``Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for 
Northern Uganda's Children,'' that she coauthored with human rights 
activist Faith McDonnell. I highly recommend the book to my colleagues 
and anyone who wants to learn more about these incredible human rights 
violations and how we can all work together to address and to stop 
them.
  Ms. Akallo stated back in 2006 that, unfortunately, her story was not 
uncommon. And I sadly add that, unfortunately, it is still not 
uncommon. Joseph Kony continues to lead the LRA in the commission of 
outrageous abuses and atrocities, including the abduction, rape, and 
killing of innocent civilians, not only in northern Uganda, but also in 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and 
Southern Sudan. Although Kony has been indicted by the International 
Criminal Court for these and other crimes against humanity, he and his 
cohorts have yet to be brought to justice.
  Mr. Speaker, we must do everything possible to stop the widespread 
suffering that he is inflicting and to help those who have survived 
these atrocities to recover. In her testimony, Ms. Akallo specifically 
asked for more resources to help people suffering because of this 
conflict, emphasizing that ``it will be important for the Government of 
Uganda and the international community to provide returnees with 
adequate resettlement assistance and support in restoring and 
developing community infrastructure so that people can begin to rebuild 
their lives.'' She went on to say, ``I ask for your help and the help 
of others to take action to end this war so that my sisters and 
brothers and all children of northern Uganda can sleep in peace.'' Mr. 
Speaker, I ask that all of my colleagues respond to Ms. Akallo's 
heartfelt request, and I do hope that this bill will pass.
  Finally, I would like to engage my good friend and colleague, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) in a very short colloquy.
  I would like a clarification that neither the term ``reproductive 
health'' as it appears in the Peace Recovery and Development Plan for 
Northern Uganda, referenced in sections 6(b) and 8(b) of S. 1067, nor 
the term ``sexual reproductive health and rights'' in the Uganda 
Ministry of Health's Sector Strategic Plan II referenced in the Peace 
Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda, nor any other 
references in this Act, include access to abortion for purposes of S. 
1067.
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. ENGEL. The gentleman from New Jersey is correct.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I appreciate that.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to a member of the 
Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Miller).
  Mr. MILLER of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of 
the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009. As other 
Members have already said, for more than 20 years, the LRA has 
terrorized the Great Lakes region of Africa and continues to commit 
atrocities and abduct children across areas of northern Uganda, South 
Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic, 
often targeting schools and churches. If the LRA ever sought to right 
some supposed wrong, if there was ever a grievance or cause that 
motivated the LRA, that has all long since been forgotten. The LRA's 
atrocities are barbarism for barbarism's own sake.
  The United Nations estimates that 90 percent of the LRA's combatants 
are abducted children, often as young as 10. When the horrific conflict 
finally ends, those children must somehow return to civilized society 
after learning as children to kill innocent human beings without 
hesitation or remorse. Since the brutal Christmas Day massacres of 2008 
in the Congo, the LRA has killed more than 1,000 people, abducted 
almost 2,000 others, and forced more than 300,000 others to flee their 
homes in vulnerable areas.
  The LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act would support 
multilateral efforts to bring stability and peace to northern Uganda 
and to protect civilians from the Lord's Resistance Army. This 
legislation authorizes humanitarian funding for communities across 
central Africa victimized by the LRA and assistance to help with 
recovery and reconciliation efforts in northern Uganda. This bill will 
help end permanently the LRA's campaign of brutality and terror and 
help families rebuild their lives.
  Please join me in supporting this legislation.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the ranking 
member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade, the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation to end 
the atrocities of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, and I am an 
original cosponsor of the House version of this legislation. From my 
view, with the passage of this bill, which now goes to the President's 
desk, we now are in a

[[Page 8046]]

situation where I think Kony's removal won't guarantee peace, but it 
certainly will make it possible in the region. I would also just add 
that the fact that this legislation has made it this far is really a 
tribute to a group of young people, young professionals who have come 
up here on their own time and gone to the universities around this 
country to organize in order to make people aware of the plight of 
these children in Africa. I really thank them for that work.
  Mr. Speaker, Joseph Kony is perhaps the most wanted man in Africa. He 
is an indicted war criminal. He is a designated terrorist. Many 
Americans don't know his name but the children of Uganda and Central 
East Africa certainly do. He is a very sadistic figure. He has a 
charismatic appeal to some. He heads a group called the Lord's 
Resistance Army, and under his two decades of tyrannical leadership 
that group has conscripted some 30,000 children into this killing 
squad. I can tell you as the former chairman of the Africa 
Subcommittee, if you talk to parents in Uganda or the Congo or South 
Sudan or the Central African Republic, the fear they have is the fear 
inspired by what he has been able to do.
  Human rights groups report that this LRA remains powerful. It has 
still the ability to kill and to capture children. It may be even 
accelerating its program of fear and mind control over children. I'm 
reminded of the words of a recent researcher who interviewed a boy who 
escaped from the group. He reported that he was forced to kill eight 
other children who disobeyed Kony's rules in a 5-week time span. Those 
victims were surrounded in a circle. Children were forced to take turns 
bashing them with a bat in a ``collective kill.'' That's eight times in 
5 weeks.
  The LRA's objective remains the same as it's been for a couple 
generations now: kill, capture, and resupply for its next pillage. 
There is no other reason for its being. Most experts agree that the 
removal of Kony and his top leadership would decapitate this group. 
Kony has long fought the government of Uganda. He has had the support 
of the Islamist government in Sudan for that war, which wanted to hit 
back at Uganda's leader for his support of Christians and animists in 
southern Sudan. Former LRA commanders report that Khartoum, Sudan, has 
provided ``ammunition'' and provides ``intelligence training'' for 
Kony's group. More recently, there have been credible reports of the 
LRA gaining sanctuary in Darfur. A referendum on Southern Sudan is 
looming next year. Unless the LRA is permanently dealt with now, you 
can bet that Khartoum will put this killing squad back to use again 
next year in Southern Sudan.
  Mr. Speaker, this civil war, originally contained within Uganda's 
borders, is now a regional crisis in four countries. This bipartisan 
legislation aims to spur the administration into devising a strategy to 
remove Joseph Kony and remove his top commanders from the battlefield. 
Some targeted assistance from the U.S. could make a world of 
difference.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1 additional 
minute to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. ROYCE. I thank the gentlelady.
  The world's problems can seem overwhelming at times. It is 
fashionable to blame conflict in Africa on poverty and other 
environmental factors. But sometimes just getting rid of one person 
does make a big difference. History is full of captivating leaders with 
bad ideas who do great damage. It's a lesson I learned as chairman of 
the Africa Subcommittee, when Liberian president Charles Taylor ran a 
gangster regime in West Africa that brought havoc to neighboring Sierra 
Leone, where he pioneered this idea of using child soldiers and using 
amputations and using the techniques that Joseph Kony does now. After 
the hard-fought removal of Charles Taylor, and after his imprisonment, 
that region is peaceful.
  Mr. Speaker, it isn't an exaggeration to say that the fate of 
hundreds of thousands of people--certainly of 30,000 children--rests in 
the hands of a few men. Kony's removal won't guarantee peace, but it 
will make it possible.
  I urge the passage of this legislation.

                              {time}  1900

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Davis).
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons that we 
have this worthy legislation before us--and it certainly is that--is 
due to a group of young people who have dedicated their voices and 
energy to getting the heart-wrenching situation in Uganda the attention 
it demands. The Invisible Children Organization, which has its 
headquarters in my district, has brought the awful acts of the Lord's 
Resistance Army to light.
  The group has galvanized an entire generation of young people here to 
care about children halfway around the world. Their activism has 
painted for many people in our country the grim, intense reality that 
is faced by so many Ugandans, especially the children abducted by the 
LRA and forced to become child soldiers. The volunteers have traveled 
to our cities, our schools, our businesses, probably even to many of 
our offices here in Washington to show their films and speak out 
against Joseph Kony and his army's brutality.
  These young members of the Invisible Children Organization know that 
no child should live in fear of being abducted, mutilated or killed. 
With that belief, they have helped make the children of Uganda visible 
to us. And now with this legislation, we have the chance to truly join 
in this cause. This bill will require the President to devise an 
interagency strategy to address this crisis and heighten our country's 
level of support for stopping the LRA.
  Last August, I had the privilege of speaking with members of the 
Invisible Children Organization who had come to San Diego for their 
training as what they called them, ``roadies.'' I cannot do justice to 
their passion, their commitment, and their dedication to do what is 
right. Their energy absolutely ignites the room. Mr. Speaker, we cannot 
let them down, and more importantly, we cannot let down the suffering 
children this legislation will help.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2478--
the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act 
of 2009. This legislation calls for the end of the reign of terror 
perpetrated by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and 
beginning the work of reconstruction and reconciliation efforts across 
northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and 
Central African Republic.
  This predatory rebel group has been allowed to roam unchecked across 
Central Africa for nearly a quarter century, leaving behind a wake of 
communities ravaged by their senseless violence and barbaric means of 
recruitment. Since 1986, the LRA has abducted tens of thousands of 
children to be used as soldiers or sex slaves in one of the worst and 
most neglected humanitarian crises on the planet.
  On December 14, 2009, the LRA initiated a series of attacks in the 
Makombo region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where over the 
course of 4 days, the LRA massacred at least 10 villages, killing over 
321 civilians and abducting over 250 civilians--80 of whom were 
children. In a continuation of the LRA's 24-year history of brutal, 
unchecked violence, the terrorist rebel group forced children to kill 
other children, raped girls as young as 11 years old, and gave a 
warning of silence to the local population by cutting off a number of 
villagers' ears and lips. Out of the over 321 civilians whose lives 
were lost, only two died from gunshot wounds, as LRA combatants are 
known to conserve ammunition by killing with clubs and machetes. 
Despite the horrific nature of the attack and the sheer number of 
causalities, the outside world did not receive word of the massacre 
before Human Rights Watch released their report almost three months 
later.
  But ultimately there is hope in seeing an end to this crisis. For 
more than a year, American youth across the country have called for 
U.S. leadership in ending the conflict; Congress has listened, and in 
turn, taken concrete action in seeing an end to this war. The LRA 
Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act stands today as the most 
cosponsored piece of legislation on an Africa-related policy issue in 
modern congressional history; 65

[[Page 8047]]

Senators and 197 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives have 
put their names on this crucial human rights legislation.
  This legislation requires that the administration deliver a strategy 
to Congress within 180 days of the enactment of this legislation that 
outlines a multilateral, interagency plan for the apprehension of top 
LRA commanders and protection of civilians in LRA affected areas. This 
budget neutral bill also sets a priority within existing State 
Department funding for transitional justice mechanisms in northern 
Uganda, disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of former child 
soldiers, and immediate emergency humanitarian relief to communities 
devastated by the LRA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the 
Central African Republic, and Southern Sudan.
  Most importantly, this bill gives a mandate to the President from 
Congress and the American people in taking proactive steps to bring an 
end to the violence of the LRA and restoring peace and stability to 
Central Africa. By the end of the year, I and my colleagues will look 
forward to seeing a robust strategy submitted from President Obama and 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and we will continue tirelessly 
fighting for its successful implementation. I ask of my colleagues to 
support this bill.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, as I travel across Kansas, I 
frequently visit classrooms to speak with high school and college 
students about the importance of civic engagement and to let young 
people know that their thoughts and opinions matter.
  Today, the House of Representatives is considering legislation that 
in many ways is the result of civic engagement among young people, 
including hundreds of Kansans. We have before us S. 1067, the Lord's 
Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act. It is 
important legislation that requires the President to create a strategy 
to deal with the 24-year-old conflict in central Africa that has killed 
thousands and disrupted the lives of an entire generation.
  Many young Kansans have passionately advocated for vulnerable 
children and defenseless communities in Africa. They have participated 
in events like the Rescue and met with government officials. They have 
signed petitions, written letters to the editor, and educated others 
about the terrible violence committed by the LRA. They have done all of 
this and more knowing that they will not benefit in any material way--
they have done it simply because it is the right thing to do.
  The hundreds of thousands of young Americans that have advocated for 
this cause demonstrate to their peers and those younger than them that 
the voices of young people matter, that young people can make a 
difference.
  I commend the concerned young people in Kansas and across the country 
for their hard work and dedication. You have reason to be proud today 
that your efforts are paying off.
  As a sponsor of the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern 
Uganda Recovery Act, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this 
important bill. Let's do the right thing and bring an end to the LRA 
violence in central Africa.
  Ms. HIRONO. I rise in support of S. 1067, the Lord's Resistance Army 
Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.
  As a cosponsor of the House version of this legislation, I am 
grateful that the Senate passed S. 1067 by unanimous consent in March 
and that the House leadership has given this body the opportunity to 
vote on it today. I would also like to recognize the thousands of 
activists across the country, including students at Kalani High School 
and those affiliated with Invisible Children (Project Hope) in Hawaii, 
who have spoken out passionately about the need to act on this issue.
  This bill provides a critically needed mandate for the United States 
to develop a comprehensive regional strategy that targets the LRA 
threat. For too long, the LRA has committed unspeakable atrocities 
throughout Uganda, including murder, mutilation, and the sexual 
enslavement of women and children. In addition to displacing an 
estimated two million Ugandans, the LRA has abducted about 66,000 
children, forcing them to fight and commit human rights violations on 
behalf of this terrorist group. The violence has since spread beyond 
Uganda's borders to parts of Sudan, Central African Republic, and the 
Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in increased instability 
throughout the region.
  S. 1067 requires a plan to strengthen efforts by the United Nations 
and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks, support the 
rule of law, and prevent conflict over the long term. S. 1067 also 
calls for the United States to develop an interagency strategy and an 
assessment of options to lead in multilateral efforts to eliminate the 
threat posed by the LRA, protect children and families from further 
attacks, enhance efforts to help LRA abductees return home safely, and 
bring those wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity to 
justice.
  Enactment of this legislation will give us the tools necessary to 
respond to the humanitarian needs of those affected by this crisis and 
begin to support reconciliation efforts in Uganda. I urge my colleagues 
to vote in support of S. 1067.
  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has 
devastated communities in northern Uganda for more than 20 years and is 
now killing and abducting men, women, and children across areas of 
southern Sudan, Democratic Republic Congo, and Central African 
Republic. Following the brutal massacre of more than 800 Congolese 
villagers attending holiday worship celebrations on Christmas Day 2008, 
the rebel group led by Joseph Kony continued its rampage throughout the 
region. Under his leadership, the LRA went on to kill more than 1,000 
people, abduct nearly 2,000 others and force more than 300,000 
villagers to flee their homes during the weeks surrounding the 
Christmas holiday. In another horrific massacre just months ago, the 
LRA killed 321 people and abducted 250 more, many of whom were 
children. This particular rebel army's violence far outpaces other 
violent conflicts in the region, yet it tragically gets little 
attention.
  Thousands of Americans, especially our nation's youth, have 
recognized the urgency of this conflict. In my hometown of Chattanooga, 
I participated in an event last year called the Rescue, organized by 
college students as part of a national movement to raise awareness for 
the Invisible Children organization. I rescued a group that 
``abducted'' themselves for a night and stayed at Coolidge Park 
symbolizing the thousands of Ugandan children that have been kidnapped 
and forced to become LRA soldiers. At that Rescue, I committed to doing 
what I could to help their cause. Several months later, I met with 
three students from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., who 
walked 800 miles from their college campus to Washington, D.C., as a 
symbolic journey similar to the ``night commute'' that children in 
Uganda make into the cities to hide in schools, churches or hospitals 
in groups to be less susceptible to kidnappers from the LRA, then 
return home during the day.
  Today, I remain committed to bringing awareness to these atrocities 
as a cosponsor of the LRA Disarmament & Northern Uganda Recovery Act. 
The tremendous public and Congressional support behind this legislation 
calls on the Obama Administration to take robust steps to lead 
multilateral efforts to permanently stop the rebel group's brutal 
violence, protect these innocent children and families from LRA attacks 
and help rebuild the lives of those affected. I urge the President to 
devise an interagency strategy to address this crisis which has gone on 
far too long. Alongside my colleagues who support this legislation and 
the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have advocated for its 
passage, I look forward to seeing decisive action by President Obama 
and U.S. Department of State Secretary Hillary Clinton to bring about 
the U.S. leadership needed to see an end to this urgent and intolerable 
humanitarian tragedy.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the passage of the Lord's 
Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.
  Since 1987, The Lord's Resistance Army has conducted mass killings, 
mutilation, and forced recruitment of children. It has terrorized the 
citizens and families of Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic 
of Congo, and the Central African Republic.
  This legislation calls for serious action to protect and heal victims 
of Joseph Kony's LRA--Lord's Resistance Army.
  For more than two decades over 20,000 boys and girls have been 
abducted and over 1.5 million people have been displaced.
  Survivors of these horrors are haunted by medical, psychological and 
social consequences. We must help the abducted return home, where they 
can receive treatment.
  This tremendous humanitarian crisis involving young boys as child 
soldiers and girls as reward for combatants has almost completely 
destroyed a generation, in a post holocaust era, when we warn ``never 
again.''
  This legislation calls for the capture of LRA leader Joseph Kony to 
be tried for crimes against humanity. It is imperative he is removed 
from society to pave the way for reintegration and reconciliation.
  The United States and the appropriate agencies must assist in ending 
LRA violence and help the people of this region rebuild their lives.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of the House version of 
this resolution, I stand in strong support of S. 1067. This measure 
expresses the frustration of many members of Congress who feel that 
efforts to disarm the Lord's Resistance Army and to bring its members 
to justice are progressing too slowly.

[[Page 8048]]

  The LRA is currently branded a terrorist organization by the U.S. 
government for perpetrating two decades of violence in Uganda, Sudan, 
Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Led by 
Joseph Kony, who proclaims himself the ``spokesperson'' of God and a 
spirit medium, the LRA is responsible for the deaths of thousands of 
people in northern Uganda and Congo and the displacement of 2,000,000 
more.
  This resolution requires the president to develop a comprehensive 
strategy to guide future U.S. support across the region to mitigate and 
eliminate the threat posed by the LRA. It requires that the strategy 
include a plan to bolster the efforts of the United Nations and 
regional governments with the goal of protecting civilians and 
strengthening regional institutions. Additionally, the resolution 
recommends that an interagency framework be developed to plan, 
coordinate and review the diplomatic, economic, intelligence and 
military elements of U.S. policy across the region. Finally, the 
measure expresses the sense of Congress that $10 million should be 
provided in FY 2011 for assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo, 
southern Sudan, and Central African Republic to help them respond to 
the humanitarian needs of populations directly affected by the activity 
of the Lord's Resistance Army.
  For 20 years, the LRA has led a bloody campaign of murder, abduction, 
sexual enslavement and mutilation across central Africa. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in helping to establish a stable and lasting 
peace in northern Uganda and other areas affected by the LRA.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1067, the 
Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Recovery Act, which recently 
passed the Senate and is under consideration today by the House of 
Representatives. The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) formed in Uganda has 
committed countless atrocities. The LRA is responsible for the 
abduction of thousands of children from southern Sudan, the Democratic 
Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. These children 
have been forced to become soldiers of the LRA, and more than a 
thousand have died. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced 
because of the LRA's actions.
  The LRA Leader, Joseph Kony, is wanted for war crimes and crimes 
against humanity. Leaders who commit war crimes and other atrocities 
can not be allowed to stay in power and obstruct the peace process that 
is necessary for the Ugandan people to live without the threat of 
abduction, violence, or death. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 
2478, the House companion to S. 1067, which calls upon President Obama 
to devise a strategy that will remove Mr. Kony from power and allow 
Ugandans to rebuild their lives. The U.S. should show leadership by 
working with international partners to bring stability to Uganda and 
surrounding areas. We must work to end this reign of violence in 
Uganda, which is why I encourage my colleagues to support S. 1067.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of H.R. 2478, 
the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act 
of 2009. The legislation has the kind of broad support necessary for 
unanimous passage and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  I signed on as a co-sponsor to H.R. 2478 in November of last year. I 
am pleased to see that since that time, many of my colleagues have 
joined me in supporting this critical legislation. Unfortunately, the 
LRA's pattern of violence and intimidation in Uganda has shown no signs 
of slowing down. Joseph Kony, the LRA's leader, is overseeing 
atrocities and abductions in South Sudan, the Congo, and Central 
African Republic. Schools, churches, and community gathering places are 
often targeted by the LRA. Kony and two of his commanders are wanted by 
the International Criminal Court. The brutal and despicable nature of 
the LRA's crimes is unprecedented. We must act and we must act now.
  H.R. 2478 would be a crucial step in ending the LRA's reign of terror 
and provide assistance to the victims of the violence in rebuilding 
their lives. The legislation is of paramount importance and I hope my 
colleagues join me and provide the leadership necessary to show our 
disapproval of Joseph Kony and the LRA.
  I learned about this legislation when four young people came into my 
district office last year to urge me to support H.R. 2478. I was--and 
still am--incredibly impressed with their passion and knowledge. I have 
no doubt those young individuals will soon lead our nation forward; in 
fact, they already are. I hope this House will support their passion 
and knowledge and pass H.R. 2478.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the decades-long, unresolved crisis 
caused by the Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, is one of Africa's longest 
running and most gruesome rebel wars. For over 20 years, Uganda, a 
country slightly smaller than Oregon, and its neighbors have suffered 
from brutal massacres and torture instigated by the LRA. Originally 
based in northern Uganda, the LRA have infiltrated northeastern Congo, 
southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The humanitarian 
crisis has resulted in the torture, rape, and death of thousands of 
civilians and the displacement of over 1.5 million people. Over the 
past decade, the LRA has abducted over 20,000 children for forced 
conscription and sexual exploitation. In northern Uganda, children 
living outside protected camps often leave their homes at night to 
sleep in hospitals or churches for fear of attack.
  The ongoing crisis in Central Africa instigated by the LRA demands 
more attention, more support, and a more effective plan of action. A 
fellow Oregonian and constituent of mine, Lisa Shannon, founded the 
``Run for Congo Women,'' which has grown into a global movement that 
has raised over $600,000 for Women for Women International's Congo 
program.
  I'm pleased that we can help her efforts with S. 1067, which directs 
the administration to develop a strategy to protect civilians and 
increase aid and awareness about the effects of the war on the people, 
governments, and economies of the region. We must act to help Uganda 
and the three other LRA-affected countries aid their displaced citizens 
and rebuild their basic services, government, and economic 
infrastructure.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
strong support for S. 1067, the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda 
Recovery Act.
  I am grateful for the leadership that has brought this important 
legislation--which I am pleased to cosponsor--to the floor and to bring 
visibility, focus, and renewed attention and resources to what some 
have called an Invisible Conflict.
  For too long, the Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, has been conducting a 
campaign of violence and terror against the people of northern Uganda 
which has spread to southern Sudan and parts of the Democratic Republic 
of Congo and the Central African Republic.
  In each of these areas, the LRA is destroying lives and communities. 
Women and children are particularly targeted by this vicious group and 
have suffered harsh abuses and atrocities at the hands of the LRA and 
its ruthless leaders.
  Joseph Kony, the man directing this group's atrocious and senseless 
violence, and two other LRA commanders are wanted for war crimes and 
crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. The ICC 
indictment lists 33 charges against him including murder, enslavement, 
sexual enslavement, rape, intentionally directing attacks against 
civilian population, and the forced enlisting of children into the 
rebel ranks.
  Just last week, media reports indicated that the UN is investigating 
new allegations of a previously unreported LRA attack in February in a 
very remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo that killed over 
100 people.
  Unfortunately, unless more attention and resources are paid to 
stopping the LRA, we will probably only continue to hear more similar 
disheartening and tragic reports in the coming months and weeks.
  It is clear that current efforts to apprehend Kony and other LRA 
leaders are not working and vulnerable civilians in the region continue 
to pay the price with their lives for that failure. These terrorists 
must be brought to justice. The international community needs to step 
up its efforts to rid the affected communities of this threat and help 
them rebuild and recover. The U.S. can and must play a key role in that 
effort.
  The bill before us today, S. 1067--the LRA Disarmament and Northern 
Uganda Recovery Act, makes U.S. policy very clear: to work vigorously 
for a lasting resolution to the conflict in northern and eastern Uganda 
and other areas terrorized by the LRA and to eliminate the threat posed 
by the Lord's Resistance Army to civilians using the political, 
economic, military, and intelligence tools available to our nation in a 
comprehensive and multilateral effort that will result in greater 
protection of innocent civilians and lead to the capture of Joseph Kony 
and other commanders of the LRA.
  This bill is the work of exemplary leadership from colleagues from 
both sides of the aisle including Congressman Jim McGovern who has been 
a long time champion for ending conflict and promoting peace.
  This legislation is also the result of the hard work of thousands of 
activists across the country--young and old--including from my district 
as well who want to ensure justice and peace for the many victims of 
the LRA.
  The bill would give the administration a strong mandate to act 
swiftly and effectively to

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lead multilateral efforts to protect children and families from LRA 
attacks and put a permanent end to these atrocities.
  It would require the U.S. to create a strategy working with our 
international allies on a viable plan to protect civilians from LRA 
attacks, support the capacity of local authorities to maintain the rule 
of law, prevent conflict, and diplomatically engage on a regional basis 
to address the threat posed by the LRA.
  Lastly, it would express support for U.S. efforts and funding to 
assist the people of Uganda and the Government of Uganda in rebuilding 
and recovery projects in areas of northern and eastern Uganda heavily 
affected by fighting with the LRA and authorize humanitarian aid aimed 
directly at the families and communities that have been and continue to 
be victimized by the LRA, including the children pressed into service 
as soldiers by the LRA.
  The tremendous suffering caused by the LRA cannot end soon enough. I 
urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 1067.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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