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Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006

Date: April 5, 2006
Location: Washington, DC


DARFUR PEACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - April 05, 2006)

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Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3127, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. I commend Chairman Hyde and Chairman Smith for their work in moving this important legislation forward.

Defending the basic human rights of the world's most vulnerable populations should be a priority for all of us. Sudan, the largest country in Africa, has been ravaged by civil war intermittently for four decades. An estimated 2 million people have died due to war-related causes and famine, and millions more have been displaced from their homes. This ongoing crisis in the Darfur region in Western Sudan has led to a major humanitarian disaster.

Estimates are that up to 300,000 people have been killed in the Darfur region over the past 24 months alone. In 2004, the House, the Senate and the White House declared the atrocities taking place in Darfur as genocide.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation to impose sanctions against individuals responsible for genocide, support humanitarian operations and promote peace efforts in the region. This is not only an issue of religion or politics. This is a matter of mercy and humanity.

I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3127.

I want to thank Chairman Smith, again, for this great bipartisan legislation.

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