Chris Smith: “To close. Mr. Speaker, I include these letters of support in the Record. I call attention to the membership an excellent…”

“To close. Mr. Speaker, I include these letters of support in the Record. I call attention to the membership an excellent letter written by human rights and diaspora groups, six groups in all. It is entitled, ``Ethiopia: Joint Letter About U.S. House Resolution 128'', in support of it. They make a number of very important points. Ethiopia: Joint Letter About US House Resolution 128 Democracy, Human Rights and Diaspora Groups Urge Congress to Pass H. Res. 128 on Ethiopia Ethiopia is at a crossroads. On Monday, April 2, a new Prime Minister, selected from within the ruling coalition, delivered a speech about planned reforms while the country was under another State of Emergency. At such a juncture, amid mounting pressures, the role of the US, Ethiopia's longstanding international ally to encourage critically- needed reforms and human rights protections, should not be underestimated in urging the country toward a new era of stability. The undersigned human rights and diaspora groups fully support the passage of House Resolution 128 for the positive contribution it can make toward respecting basic human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia. The resolution has strong bipartisan support and more than 100 co-sponsors. In addition, H. Res. 128 has significant grassroots support among constituents across the US who have ties to Ethiopia.…”