Blunt-Sponsored Bill Aiding Families of Embassy Bombing Victims Passes House

Press Release

BLUNT-SPONSORED BILL AIDING FAMILIES OF EMBASSY BOMBING VICTIMS PASSES HOUSE

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after the House passed H.R. 2828 - a bill that recognizes the sacrifices of those Americans killed by the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, and offers compensation to their families. Blunt introduced similar legislation in 2002, and served as the lead co-sponsor of the bill this year.

"The bill we passed today takes another step toward completing the work we started five years ago - recognizing the 1998 embassy bombings in Africa as one of the worst attacks in our history, and remembering those who perished as a result," said Blunt.

On August 7, 1998, al Qaeda launched a devastating - and meticulously coordinated - attack on American citizens residing on American soil. On that day, 12 Americans and 200 Kenyans were killed at the US embassies in Nairobi - and another 11 lives were taken in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kenneth and Bonnie Sue Hobson of Lamar, formerly Blunt's constituents and now residents of the fourth district of Missouri, lost their son Army Staff Sergeant Kenneth Hobson in the attacks. Their concerns were first brought to the congressman's attention by Edith Bartley, who lost her father and brother in the bombings as well. Her tireless work has been instrumental in the ongoing fight to provide equitable compensation.

"Nothing we can do here today will replace the men and women who were lost nearly a decade ago," added Blunt. "But I'm hopeful that this effort will help demonstrate that those who died in these horrific attacks have not been forgotten, nor the lessons we learned on that day been ignored."

Having passed the House today by voice vote, H.R. 2828 will now be sent to the Senate for further consideration.

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