Joe Biden: “I want to begin by saying I respect the effort made by my friend, Senator DeWine. I understand the managers are going to…”

“I want to begin by saying I respect the effort made by my friend, Senator DeWine. I understand the managers are going to accept a proposal for $90 million or thereabouts to deal with this problem. There are already as many as 30,000 dead. Mr. President, 1.2 million people have been chased from their homes, and 200,000 refugees have fled to Chad. The civilians have been bombed from planes and helicopters by the Government of Sudan. And there are continued reports of systematic rape, murder, and torture by the Sudanese Government as well as by allied militia troops. Now, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report in which the U.N. investigators indicate they believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in Darfur. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that the State Department is contemplating whether Khartoum is engaged in the genocide. I think when they, in fact, finish they will conclude clearly that it is.”