Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006

DARFUR PEACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2006 -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 02, 2006)

* Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, and I thank my colleague from New Jersey, Mr. Payne, for his leadership on this issue--it is one of the critical moral issues of our times.

* I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation. It is long overdue, and I hope that we remember that passing this bill is not the end of our country's moral obligation to Darfur--merely a starting point for our nation to begin addressing some of the serious problems in that part of the world.

* This legislation arrives on the floor of this House not a moment too soon--at time when famine and war have already killed between 200,000 and 400,000 people and displaced over 2 million more Sudanese. It is nothing less than a humanitarian disaster--and unfortunately one that appears to be getting worse.

* Among the many tragedies is that, put simply, it did not have to be this way. With the end of the civil war in southern Sudan, these last six months ought to have been an opportunity for progress in Darfur.

* Instead, we have seen only more war, more famine, more despair. According to the latest reports, the latest wave of attacks has found thousands of people being chased from dozens of villages by government-backed militias, with death-squad attacks on civilians in Darfur and violence now spilling over into neighboring Chad as well.

* And while the African Union forces--numbering only 7,000--are doing what they can, they simply do not have the resources to carry out such a broad mission--particularly with the Sudanese government appearing to be actively obstructing their work. Indeed, one senior U.N. official recently predicted ``massively increased mortality'' unless effective peacekeepers are installed.

* And unfortunately, that has proven increasingly difficult. After two years of sanctions and countless resolutions adopted by this Congress and by the United Nations, the government of Sudan continues to defy the will of the international community. That makes our action here today ever more important--extending the embargo against Sudan and giving the Treasury Department the authority to freeze the assets of known supporters of the genocide.

* Also critical are this legislation's provisions to get the U.N. back into Darfur. Just last week, the government of Sudan blocked the United Nations' top emergency aid official from visiting the western Darfur region. That is why this bill directs the president to use our nation's position on the U.N. Security Council to resolve this matter.

* In my view, the best way to end this bloodshed and this human suffering is for the government of Sudan to immediately let the U.N. in to safeguard the residents of Darfur. But should the U.N. not be allowed in, this bill also grants the president the authority to summon NATO and get it more involved--an authority we must not hesitate to use. NATO's readiness to provide more support to the African Union may well prove critical.

* Mr. Speaker, we have arrived at a critical juncture. It has been 12 years since the world saw the horror of genocide in Rwanda--a half-century since we saw it on the European continent. Each time, the world has said ``never again,'' only to stand by as it happens again and again. Today, the House is giving the Administration the tools it needs to act to stop the killing in Darfur--it is a step forward, but certainly not be the last.

* Let's pass this legislation and ensure that the people of Darfur can return to their homes and live their lives in peace.

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