Ed Royce: “In our committee, we heard the testimony of Deborah Peters, a young girl from northern Nigeria. She survived, but she…”

“In our committee, we heard the testimony of Deborah Peters, a young girl from northern Nigeria. She survived, but she was tied to her father's body and her brothers, who were massacred by Boko Haram. She came to tell us about what it was like, of her girlfriends or her schoolmates, of course, who have never been returned and of her chilling account of the practices committed as that village was decimated--``decimated'' is not the right word--as that village was eliminated. I mean, we are talking about communities here--villages--in which there are a handful of survivors when Boko Haram comes through, of young people like Deborah who are left with a world shattered, with their families massacred and, in her case, in front of her very eyes. Now, as this country of Nigeria prepares for elections, this insurgency that is burning in the north is creating a huge problem. U.S. support for the African Union force, which is making some gains in stomping out Boko Haram's violent march, has got to be stepped up. The region's stability depends on it. In the meantime, I just want to say that the presidential election in Nigeria is going to be critical not just for Nigeria, but for the region. Nigeria has the largest population and the largest economy. The outcome could have a far-reaching impact. This resolution puts the House's views on record, and I thank Ms. Kelly for that.…”