|
(Washington D.C.)- U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), today made the following floor statement in support of legislation to strengthen US efforts to halt the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Mr. Levin's remarks are below:
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this important legislation, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act.
The people of this troubled region have experienced almost unimaginable suffering. As many as 400,000 people have already lost their lives and two million more have been forced from their homes. The House of Representatives, along with the Senate and the Administration, have long acknowledged that the crimes being committed in Darfur amount to genocide.
Last month the House voted to provide $271 million for peacekeeping in Darfur and another $228 million in humanitarian aid as part of the Supplemental Appropriations bill. This funding is a welcome and necessary step in the right direction. Today we take another step with the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act.
This legislation directs the President to take a number of steps to stop the genocide in Darfur. This includes providing assistance to an expanded African Union force in Darfur, advocating a NATO role in stopping the violence, pushing for an additional United Nations Security Council Resolution regarding Darfur, and freezing the assets of those responsible for acts of genocide.
I am pleased that this legislation emphasizes a multilateral approach. The entire international community has a responsibility to work together to stop these crimes against humanity, and the bill before us makes clear that we expect the President to work with our allies to stop the killing in Darfur.
The United States and the international community must do far more to break the cycle of violence and hunger that grips Darfur. In a word, we must put real resources and diplomacy into solving the problem. This legislation advances these goals, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
(####)
Home Page | Floor and Hearing Statements |
|
