Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we shortly will be voting on the nomination of Stephanie Sanders Sullivan to be the U.S. Representative to the African Union, and I take this time, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to urge my colleagues to support that nomination. The African Union is the only continent-wide multilateral organization for diplomatic engagement and the advancement of peace and security in Africa. The U.S. Ambassador to the African Union plays a key role in representing the United States and advancing our national interests within this international body. The AU is critically important to helping find a diplomatic solution to conflicts on the continent, such as the ongoing war in Sudan. That conflict has led to the impending famine and what credible organizations have called genocide. It will not be resolved without AU participation. We should be there to support the AU's vital efforts, but we have been absent. The AU is also an essential voice in articulating continent-wide values related to democracy, good governance, respect for human rights, and gender equality--all values that we share. The alarming trend of democratic backsliding in the Sahel cannot be reversed without AU involvement. We should be there to support its efforts in this area, but we have not been. No, Mr. President, we have not been there, while the Chinese have been very active.…”