Joe Crowley

It is our duty to encourage Burma to continue down the path of opening up and democratizing while we point out the serious and ongoing human rights violations in the country.

they have taken a courageous stand as a party in opposition to that discriminatory legislation.

What is unprecedented about Burma's elections now, in 2015, is that no one actually knows who is going to win.

In fact, you would have to have every seat won by one party or in coalition with parties to in essence have any possibility of affecting change in terms of Burma's constitution.

Burma is at the very top of countries in the world, the single top country in which it is most likely that we will see mass atrocities and genocide in the coming weeks.

Political prisoners are being newly detained in that country. At least 91 prisoners of conscience are currently in prison while hundreds of activists await trial for their peaceful political activities.

I traveled to that area when that happened. I met these people and their families.

I don't believe these elections will really demonstrate the true intention of the people of Burma in the result of those elections given the fact that 25 percent of these seats will be held by the military no matter what.

I really do appreciate your calling this hearing. I also want to thank and commend both Congressman Andrews and Ms. Quigley for your own personal faithful dedication to democracy in Burma.

I think the President has acknowledged there has been backsliding, and I think it is a direct result of abandonment, in my opinion, of the action-for-action that was effective in moving Burma forward.

Doctors Without Borders is back in Rakhine State, but what they won't tell you is that they are back under severe restrictions.

The movement of extreme Buddhist nationalists, the Association to Protect Race and Religion, or Ma Ba Tha, is gaining strength across Burma as it relentlessly pursues a campaign fueling fear and bigotry against religious minorities.

I was elected to Congress in 1990. I went to Congress, Aung San Suu Kyi went to prison. It was a fundamental injustice.

The disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands white card holders, mostly Rohingya, undermines universal suffrage.

Most of the people I met had perished because of this governmental decision.

under Aung San Suu Kyi's leadership, the NLD voted against all four bills discriminating against the Rohingya population.

I join with Chairman Salmon and Chairman Royce in being deeply disturbed by the ongoing repression of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority.

the fact that those four laws that were put into place to really discriminate against a particular population, the predominantly Muslim Rohingya population, basically making them a people without a country.

The elections on November 8th will be an important milestone for Burma's transition.

I wish I could count how many times Members of Congress have come to this floor about the need to ``never forget'' September 11, 9/11, its victims, and our first responders. Members have offered resolutions, have given speeches, have come…

If we think that this is not a national issue, this is a State's rights issue; we really have to reexamine what we are doing here.

Surely this hearing can't be my colleagues' only response to calls from millions of struggling, middle-class, hard-working Americans who are concerned about how they will put their children through college.

What impact would cutting it have and that was the point I was suggesting.

Mike Kelly is a good man. I like Mike. I admire him. But I think he did a disservice to the House and to this debate by bringing up the issue of 9/11. I do thank him for honesty for at least showing that that is what this is all about…

Thirteen years ago, I stood here in the House of Representatives and I gave the benefit of the doubt to the then- President, and he took us to war. I will give today the benefit of the doubt to your President to take us to peace.