As Senate Foreign Relations Committee considers historic legislation, Senator Inhofe speaks out
Today at 2:15pm, the Senate Foreign Relations committee will vote on whether the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act should be passed and sent for a vote in the full Senate. If they pass it, it would be a major accomplishment and a big step toward seeing the bill signed into law by President Obama.
This morning, in an impromptu speech on the floor of the Senate, Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) - a member of the Foreign Relations committee and a longtime chamption of peace in northern Uganda - spoke out in favor of the bill (see below for the full text)!
So far, the legislation has over 150 cosponsors from Members of Congress of all political stripes. This success is due entirely to the tireless efforts of activists across the country. Tomorrow, Resolve Uganda and Invisible Children are kicking off the Hometown Shakedown - our last big push to get this bill signed into law.
Here's what Senator Inhofe had to say this morning:
I WANT A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO ANNOUNCE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE. SENATOR FEINGOLD HAS AN AMENDMENT THAT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH. IT IS ACTUALLY NOT AN AMENDMENT. IT IS A BILL HAVING TO DO WITH THE L.R.A. LET ME JUST EXPLAIN REAL QUICKLY WHAT THAT IS. THE RESISTANCE ARMY IS SOMETHING TAKEN FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS, A GUY NAMED JOSEPH KONY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF UGANDA HAS BEEN MUTILATING KIDS. YOU'VE HEARD OF THE CHILD'S ARMY AND ALL OF THIS. THEY GO INTO THE VILLAGES AND THEY KIDNAP THESE KIDS. THEY TAKE THEM OUT, TEACH THEM HOW TO BE WARRIORS. ONCE THEY JOIN UP, THEY SEND THEM BACK TO THE VILLAGE TO MURDER THEIR OWN PARENTS AND THEIR OWN FAMILY. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. THIS AMENDMENT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY EXCITED THAT FINALLY WE HAVE THE ATTENTION OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT IS TO JOIN IN AND GO AFTER THIS ANIMAL NAMED JOSEPH KONY. IN THE PAST 18 YEARS THE L.R.A. HAS CAPTURED OVER 20,000 KIDS. I'VE BEEN UP THERE IN NORTHERN UGANDA. I'VE BEEN UP TO GULU. AND I HAVE WATCHED THESE KIDS AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN DISMEMBERED, AFTER THEY CUT THEIR LIPS OFF AND CUT THEIR EARS OFF AND ALL OF THIS. WHEN THIS FIRST CAME OUT, I WAS OPPOSED TO IT BECAUSE SENATOR FEINGOLD HAD TO PAY FOR THIS BILL A REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT, SO I JOIN HIM NOW IN SAYING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS ISSUE, TO LET IT SURFACE. I HAVE PERSONALLY TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT OF UGANDA, THE PRESIDENT OF RWANDA, THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE EASTERN PART OF CONGO WHERE JOSEPH KONY HAS KIDNAPPED THESE KIDS, MURDERED THESE KIDS, MUTILATED THESE KIDS AND I CAN TELL FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN AND WE ARE DOING IT BY VIRTUE OF THIS BILL. AND I YIELD THE FLOOR.