Jon S. Corzine: “I rise once again to speak out on the subject that I have addressed on the floor a number of times and feel passionately…”

“I rise once again to speak out on the subject that I have addressed on the floor a number of times and feel passionately about--a number of us do--and that is the continuing genocide in Darfur. I offer an amendment to the Foreign Operations bill to provide funds for the African Union to provide the troops that will protect and stop the genocide if we have the will to take the steps to have the resources made available. Hundreds of people are dying every day, some by guns, some by illness, disease, and a whole host of things. There have been over 300,000 lives lost over the last 2 years and 2 million people displaced. One year ago this Friday, the Senate recognized this genocide and spoke about it. Our Secretary of State testified in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the fact that genocide was taking place. To the President's credit, before he left for the G8, he spoke out again against the genocide that is taking place here and now. There is complete recognition that this is a tragedy that is unfolding, maybe more in slow motion today than it was 6 months or a year ago, but it is very much still taking place. People are losing their lives. Our President, the Congress, and the American people understand it is time to stop this genocide. Last weekend, there was a national weekend of prayer and reflection for Darfur based on a Senate resolution that Senator Brownback and I put forward. It was unanimously accepted by this body.…”