TAKE ACTION: Urge Foreign Affairs leadership to swiftly pass the bill

It’s down to the wire. 

Historic legislation to help end Joseph Kony's campaign of violence across central Africa is currently awaiting action from leaders in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.  For the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act to pass swiftly, these committee leaders must support the passage of the Senate version of the bill without revisions. Otherwise, it could take several more months for the bill to pass---or it might not pass at all.  The situation in central Africa is too urgent to let that happen.

After passing the Senate last month, the legislation now awaits action in the House Foreign Affairs Committee before it can be passed by the House as a whole and sent to the President's Desk This coming Wednesday, the Committee is meeting, and this will be our best chance to see this bill moved forward.

Thus far, we have seen incredible support for the legislation within the Foreign Affairs Committee. As of today, with the addition of Rep. Elton Gallegly (CA-24), 27 members of the Committee have cosponsored the bill, along with 183 members of the House overall. Congressman Berman (CA-28), Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18) have been champions of numerous human rights efforts throughout their leadership of the Committee, and we look forward to their continued leadership as the bill enters its final stages.

However, to ensure the bill’s swift passage, we need one last effort to show Committee leadership that activists across the nation are committed to seeing the Senate version pass through the House unaltered, with the full knowledge that amendments could delay the bill by months or risk its death as Congress draws nearer to campaign season. This bill has been in Congress for over 11 months, and further delays are unacceptable as the victims of the LRA's brutal violence continue to suffer in light of further inaction by our government.

SIGN THIS PETITION to Representatives Berman and Ros-Lehtinen, encouraging swift passage of the bill as it is considered by the Foreign Affairs Committee this Wednesday. Please join us in signing the petition now, to see this bill passed and sent immediately to the President.