Political Quotes

“I rise today, on behalf of Senator Brownback, Senator Durbin, and Senator DeWine to introduce the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security and Democracy Promotion Act. As we try to conclude our business for the year here in the Senate, we are in the midst of sharp debates on a large number of issues. In the foreign policy arena alone, the Administration and Congress are consumed with nurturing a political process and defeating insurgents in Iraq, attempting to halt proliferation by Iran and North Korea, and trying to end the bloodshed in Darfur, Sudan. But there is another country embroiled in conflict that has not yet received the high-level attention or resources it needs. It's the Democratic Republic of Congo, and right now it is in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe. An International Rescue Committee report from 2004 found that 31,000 people were dying in the Congo each month and 3.8 million--3.8 million--people had died in the previous 6 years. This means that this conflict, which still smolders and burns in some regions, has cost more lives than any other conflict since World War II. Beyond the humanitarian catastrophe, resolving the problems in the Congo will be critical if Africa is to achieve its promise. The country, which is the size of Western Europe, lies at the geographic heart of Africa and borders every major region across the continent.…”