Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 And 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Chairman, as one of the Chairs of the Congressional Sudan Caucus, I am proud to offer this amendment to require the administration to, within 60 days, submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to address the ongoing atrocities in Sudan.

July 22, 2009, will mark the 5-year anniversary of the declaration by the United States Congress that the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan constitute genocide. It was an historic resolution because it represented for the first time that Congress had made such a determination while the killings were actually taking place.

Today, innocent civilians in Darfur are still suffering from genocide directed by a callous regime determined to hang on to power at any cost. They are dying at the hands of the Janjaweed, also known as ``the devil on horseback.''

The United States for years has been seeking to help find ways to ease the suffering in Darfur and find a lasting political solution to each of the interrelated crises in Sudan. We've passed resolutions, imposed economic and travel sanctions, frozen assets, and enabled divestment from companies linked to the Sudanese regime. The United States has led efforts at the United Nations and with bilateral partners to meet humanitarian needs while pressing for the full deployment of peacekeeping missions to help protect civilians.

In addition to supporting efforts to negotiate and implement the Darfur Peace Agreement, the United States also was at the forefront of efforts to resolve the conflict in southern Sudan, a conflict which has left over 2 million people dead and another 4 million displaced.

Today, there is universal acknowledgement that if the comprehensive peace agreement between the north and south fails, there can be little hope for Darfur. Unfortunately, the terms of this peace agreement have not yet been fully implemented, and observers consistently warn that it could fail at any time.

With the national elections due this year and reports of deadly conflict within and among various armed groups on the rise, the stakes could not be higher. During the presidential campaign, each of the candidates assured voters that Sudan would be a major priority for their administrations and spoke of robust actions that would need to be taken in order to resolve Sudan's multiple conflicts.

While serving in the United States Senate, President Barack Obama called for oil sanctions and the imposition of a no-fly zone over Darfur. While working for the Brookings Institution, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice went so far as to call for military action against the Sudanese regime. But then on April 22, 2009, almost exactly 1 year after then-Senator Obama condemned the supposed efforts by the previous administration to normalize relations with Khartoum as a ``reckless and cynical initiative,'' his Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, announced, ``The United States and Sudan want to be partners, and so we are looking for opportunities for us to build a stronger bilateral relationship.''

Obviously, this bold statement sent conflicting messages to observers and caused a great deal of confusion here in the Congress, where Sudan has such a high priority for Democrats and Republicans alike.

Implementing this comprehensive strategy will advance respect for democracy, human rights, and religious freedom throughout Sudan. It will address internal regional security while combating Islamic extremism. And by advancing regional security and cooperation, it will eliminate cross-border support for armed insurgents, and it will shut down safe havens for extremists who pose a threat to the national security of the United States and its allies.

During committee debate on an amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) regarding Sudan, it became clear that there is universal agreement on both sides of the aisle that the United States needs a coordinated, comprehensive strategy for Sudan which balances the United States' imperatives in Darfur and in southern Sudan.

This amendment simply goes one step further by giving the current administration the opportunity to resolve any outstanding issues with regard to the United States' policy towards Sudan by formulating such a strategy and reporting that strategy back to the United States Congress.

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