[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5272-5273]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          10 YEARS SINCE THE DECLARATION OF GENOCIDE IN DARFUR

  (Ms. LEE of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, let me first send also my well 
wishes, prayers, and my sympathy to the city of Boston, the families 
and friends, and

[[Page 5273]]

all of those touched by yesterday's horrific tragedy.
  Ten years ago this month, the international community joined together 
to bring the world's attention to the brutal attacks by the Government 
of Sudan against the people of Darfur.
  The Congressional Black Caucus, Leader Pelosi, and others stood 
united and, led by our beloved, the great gentleman from New Jersey, 
Congressman Don Payne, introduced H. Con. Res. 467, declaring that 
genocide was occurring in Darfur. Many of us also traveled to the 
region several times and later passed the Darfur Peace and 
Accountability Act.
  Yet even after then--Secretary of State Powell finally declared 
genocide in 2004--the international community failed to act decisively 
to stop it. If we had acted then, we could have saved many innocent 
lives. If we do the right thing now, we could end the suffering, 
violence, and insecurity that tragically continues to plague the region 
to this day.
  Now is the time for the United States to provide high-level 
leadership and press for full humanitarian assistance in memory and in 
honor of our beloved Don Payne, our great warrior. He did so much for 
the people of Darfur. Let us do the right thing in his memory so that 
the next time we say, ``Not on our watch,'' we will mean it.

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