Political Quotes

“I conclude by saying that the subcommittee which I chair of the Judiciary Committee, the Human Rights Subcommittee, had a hearing several weeks ago on genocide in Darfur. We are preparing legislation as a result of that hearing to authorize State and local governments and others to divest of investments in Sudan and businesses that are doing business in Sudan and furthermore to extend the authority of the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute those whom we find guilty of genocide in foreign lands. That authority currently exists for those whom we accuse and wish to prosecute for torture; the same thing should apply to crimes of genocide. Those two legislative changes may help, but in the meantime it is time for our Government to help. I commended the Bush administration 4 years ago when they finally used the word 'genocide' as it related to Darfur. I thanked then-Secretary of State Colin Powell for his courage in using that word. I said the same to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But, having said that, we must understand that if we use the word and fail to act, what does it say of us? If we acknowledge that a genocide is taking place and do nothing, what does it say of America? We have the power to do things, to change this. It will take political courage, not only in the White House but here in Congress. History will write in years to come whether we acted or not, as it is written about the lack of response to the Holocaust.”