Ed Royce: “I want to thank Representative Smith for introducing this important measure and for being a longtime champion on African…”

“I want to thank Representative Smith for introducing this important measure and for being a longtime champion on African issues. I again want to thank Mr. Eliot Engel for his forceful communication when we were in Congo on that issue. Frankly, we have had the opportunity to talk to Joseph Kabila in the past. He wouldn't meet with us on this trip, although we were able to meet with the other representatives of the government, as Mr. Engel has laid out. But if I could talk to Joseph Kabila, what I would share with him is that we should not forget that Nelson Mandela made that decision himself to step down after a single term--after a single term--despite his immense popularity as President. And far from ending his career, his decision represented a transition toward continentwide public service. He became the mediator in African conflicts. He became a prominent voice on health and other issues. Mr. Speaker, you have seen this as well. I think that President Mandela's choice to step down just as much as his personal struggle, the personal struggle that Nelson Mandela went through, the combination of those two factors is what allowed him to continue to exert strong moral and diplomatic influence not only in his home country, but across Africa and across the world.…”