Expressing the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.

I would like to thank the gentleman and also take this time to acknowledge the support of Chairman Lantos, Subcommittee Chairman Engel, Subcommittee Ranking Member Burton, who is here, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who are the original cosponsors of House Resolution 100, for their tireless work on this issue. I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.

Madam Speaker, I know that we have heard much this afternoon about this predicament that exists in Guatemala. It has been going on for many, many years. This resolution that I introduced earlier this year would acknowledge the murders of 2,500 or more young women and girls that have been mutilated, attacked, assaulted and killed in Guatemala.

The murder rate for women and young women continues to rise there. It's as though there's a blind eye on the part of the government in Guatemala, as well as ours. That is why I brought this measure to the floor here. I think it is important that when a crime against a woman is done in any part the world, it's a crime against all of us and humanity.

Therefore, I want to acknowledge the support of our colleagues, and especially for the hard work of the advocates, the groups that actually help to bring this issue before the Congress. They could have, at any time in the past 10 years, come and spoken to any Member of Congress about the issue. But the time wasn't right. Perhaps the politics, the environment, just wasn't fit for that. But now that we have seen resolutions come out of this House, where we worked on a bipartisan basis to deal with the issues of the women of Ciudad Juarez, and now we bring forward this issue.

Now we have more support on both sides of the aisle to say that the violence has to stop. There must not be impunity. Everyone should be held accountable. There needs to be transparency in government on the part of the Guatemalan Government, and on the part of our government as well, provide technical support, and also help to seek some resolution to the violence against these women that continues to go on.

I want to thank those groups that especially have worked hard with us to combat this particular crime. I would like to mention their names, Amnesty International, the Washington Office on Latin America, the Guatemala Human Rights Commission, Human Rights First, and, also, a group from my home area, CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center advocacy group based in Los Angeles.

They are strong supporters of House Resolution 100. Did you know, in fact, in the City of Los Angeles, this has one of the highest concentrations of Guatemalans. So many of them know distinctly how important this resolution is. They thank the Congress for bringing up this measure.

Madam Speaker, I include for the Record letters from CARECEN and 20 other advocacy groups that are also in support of this resolution.

Dear Congressmember: we write to urge your support for H.

Res. 100, which expresses sympathy to the families of women

and girls murdered in Guatemala and encourages the Government

of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.

Historically, the U.S. has offered asylum to those fleeing

persecution based on race, religion, political opinion,

national origin or membership in a particular social group.

Only in the past decade have women and girls fleeing gender-

based persecution (such as domestic violence, female genital

cutting, human trafficking, ``honor'' killings, etc.) been

recognized as refugees, but this remains an issue that is

still widely debated.

There is no doubt that asylum is a life-saving form of

protection, and recognition of gender-based claims is an

important statement by the U.S. that it takes women's rights

seriously. But asylum cannot be a solution to the underlying

human rights problem. By definition, asylum seekers are

forced to flee their home countries in order to save their

lives and to escape persecution, but they leave behind many

others who face the very same violations of their fundamental

human rights--and who have no protection at all. Therefore,

if we truly seek to address the problem at its source, we

must examine the ``root causes'' of the violence and

persecution that are forcing asylum seekers to flee in the

first place. The story of Rodi Alvarado and Guatemala's

femicides serve as a tragic case in point.

For more than a decade, Rodi Alvarado was brutalized by her

husband, a former soldier in the Guatemalan military, and her

repeated and desperate pleas for help from the police and

courts were ignored. Ultimately, she had no other option but

to flee for her life. Rodi's case--known as Matter of R.A.--

has been pending for almost ten years, and although two

successive Attorneys General--Janet Reno and John Ashcroft--

``certified'' the case to themselves, neither of them issued

a definitive decision. In 2001, the immigration agency

proposed regulations clarifying that domestic violence and

other related harms could form the basis of an asylum claim.

However, those regulations have yet to be finalized, and the

lives of women like Rodi Alvarado, who have sought asylum in

the U.S., continue to hang in the balance.

We ask you to strongly urge Attorney General Gonzales and

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff to issue

regulations which would clearly recognize that women in

circumstances such as Rodi Alvarado qualify for protection as

refugees. This would send a clear message that women and

girls fleeing gender-persecution will find a safe haven in

the U.S.

Advancing protective U.S. asylum law is critical, but

equally important is addressing the root causes that force

women to flee their home countries. In Rodi Alvarado's case,

these causes are an epidemic of violence against

Guatemalan women; more than 3,000 women and girls have

been murdered since 2000. These gender-motivated killings

or ``femicides'' are notable both for their brutality and

for the virtual impunity of those responsible. The most

recent available statistics reveal the abysmal failure of

the Guatemalan government to effectively investigate,

prosecute, and punish those who carry out these horrific

crimes. Only 17 murders of women--of the thousands that

have been committed--have been prosecuted.

Guatemala's femicides demonstrate the lack of any

meaningful protection for women like Rodi Alvarado, who are

left with no other choice than to flee for their lives.

Unless and until the Guatemalan government reforms its

justice system such that there is an end to impunity that

exists for those who commit this violence, hundreds more

women will lose their lives, while others will be forced to

flee in order to save them.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, we ask

you to play a critical role in resolving the root causes of

gender-

based violence and persecution in Guatemala by co-sponsoring

H. Res. 100.

Sincerely,

The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS); Central

American Resource Center (CARECEN); Guatemala Human

Rights Commission; Foundation for Human Rights in

Guatemala; Network in Solidarity with the People of

Guatemala; Movement of Guatemalan Immigrants in the

United States (MIGUA); National Coalition of Guatemalan

Immigrants (CONGUATE); Guatemala Solidarity Committee

of Boston; National Alliance of Latin American and

Caribbean Communities (NALACC); United Latinos in

Massachusetts (LUMA);

Salvadoran American Nacional Network (SANN); Harvard

Immigration and Refugee Clinic; University of Texas

School of Law Immigration Clinic; Legal Momentum;

STITCH; Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights; Florida

Immigrant Advocacy Center, Inc.; Albuquerque Center for

Peace and Justice; El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos;

Casa de Esperanza; Asylum Access; and American Friends

Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program.

While I close, I would like to say that while the violence may continue momentarily, I think we have caught the attention of policymakers, not just in Guatemala, but in other parts of the hemisphere, because not only are we looking at setting a standard here, but we are letting people know that we are on watch, and that America will take their place, as we always have, in providing leadership.

I thank our chairperson for this committee. I thank the gentleman. I thank our ranking member on the other side of the aisle and all of those groups that helped to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

First of all, I want to congratulate Representative Solis for introducing this bill. She and I have worked together on it, and I really appreciate her hard work. She is really concerned about the rights of women around the world and not just Guatemala. I appreciate that.

Let me start out by saying today we have heard a great deal about human rights violation, slavery and other issues. The problem is not confined just to one part of the world. In China today, as Representative Smith of New Jersey has pointed out many times, there are as many as 10 million people suffering in communist gulags, and other parts of the world. In the Sudan,

we see the oppression and the horrible atrocities that are taking place and the mistreatment of not only men and women but children as well. It's just a horrible thing that we see these kinds of atrocities taking place around the world.

I really appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle working so hard to focus attention on what's going on in these various areas to try to bring them to a halt. For humanity's sake, we can do no less.

I, however, today, rise in support of H. Res. 100, which recognizes and honors the women and girls who have been murdered in Guatemala. This bill brings to light the problem women in the democratic nation of Guatemala face in their daily struggle for survival. Given the current environment in Guatemala, women are not safe to walk along the streets day or night. A simple walk from home or school or work to mean abduction, mutilation or death for a Guatemalan woman or girl. Given the lack of legislative protection and judicial investigation, women are often subjected to domestic abuse, often leading to death within the home as well.

Given that there is nowhere for these victims or their families to turn, over 2,000, as has been said to my colleague, over 2,000 Guatemalan women and girls have suffered horrendous deaths in the past 5 years. Tremendous efforts have been taken by some Guatemalan legislators and human rights workers and families of the victims. They come here to Washington to try to end such atrocities by focusing attention on them.

There has been a continuous rise, however, in the brutal female deaths. There can be no rest of the weary as long as these things go on. We must come together to assist their effort and urge the government of Guatemala to take quick deliberative action to investigate the killings and prosecute those responsible and eliminate the tolerance, the tolerance of violence against women.

The women in Guatemala deserve to experience peace and prosperity within their nation and not constant fear of sexual assault and deadly mutilation, in just walking to and from work, as I said before.

I ask my colleagues to see the urgency of this bill, and to support it. Once again, Representative Solis, thanks for your hard work.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 100) expressing the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I want to thank our colleague, Congresswoman Hilda Solis, the sponsor of this resolution, as well as original cosponsors, the Chair and the ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Eliot Engel and Dan Burton, for bringing this issue to us.

This important resolution raises awareness of the increasing number of women and girls who have been brutally murdered in Guatemala. Since 2001, more than 2,000 women and girls have been killed in Guatemala, and the murder rate of women has increased sharply, more so than the rate for men.

Many of these murders are preceded by mutilation or sexual assault of the victims, and almost none of these cases are properly investigated or prosecuted. The fact that most of the murders go unpunished has contributed to the decline of overall security in Guatemala and demonstrates the dangerous situation for women and girls throughout the country.

While Guatemala has made some strides to improve the treatment of women under the law, there are still major obstacles for the country to overcome. For instance, domestic violence and sexual harassment are not considered crimes in Guatemala. This resolution condemns the murders, expresses sympathy and support for the struggle of victims' families for justice and urges that the murders be promptly investigated and prosecuted.

I hope that our two countries can work together to end the brutal murders of women and girls in Guatemala and to improve the security for all Guatemalans. I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 100.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Solis).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Woolsey), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, my good friend Don Payne.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California's Ninth District, a member of the Committee on Appropriations, Barbara Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, let me thank the prime sponsor, Ms. Solis, for introducing this very important House Resolution 100, expressing the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala, and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.

Let me commend Ms. Solis from California, not only for the women in Guatemala but she has actually expressed concerns for the deaths of women in Mexico. We have had discussions with Ms. Solis about the murders on the border of the United States and Mexico where women have been killed and there are a tremendous number of unsolved crimes there, and she visited that community in Mexico to express our concern for the women of that region and that country. So this is simply an extension of the work that she has done so well on behalf of women not only here in this country but throughout the world.

As we know, since 2001 more than 2,000 women and girls have been murdered in Guatemala, often preceded by abductions, sexual assault, or brutal mutilation. The murder rate has continued to increase and has grown from 2001 where there were 303 reported to more than 500 in 2006. And so we have asked the Government of Guatemala and actually the United Nations, and they recently signed an agreement to establish the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, which has a mandate to investigate and promote prosecution of illegal security groups and clandestine security organizations that function with impunity and are suspected of attacking human rights defenders and other crimes that have undermined the overall security in Guatemala.

So when we look to Guatemala and we express our sincerest condolences to the families of these women and girls, we must look at the condition of women throughout the world, even here in the United States. At a recent hearing last week of the Education and Labor Committee, we find that women make 82 cents on the dollar compared to what men make. And the sad part is that, as women progress in their years of work, the gap between men and women actually expands because they start at a lower base. Men's salaries go up, women's salaries remain stagnant, and the gap becomes even greater.

So as we remember the women of Guatemala, let's remember that there is still gender bias throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and for your leadership, and just say today that I fully support and am a cosponsor of this resolution, and want to thank Congresswoman Solis for staying on point and continuing to focus and make sure that this House of Representatives understands the type of torture and violence that is taking place with regard to Guatemalan women.

As the resolution says, the murders of Guatemalan women and girls have increased significantly, from 303 to more than 500 in 2006. Since 2001, unfortunately, more than 2,500 women and girls have been killed. So it is up to us, I believe, to make sure that we as a neighbor to Guatemala, as people who care about women and girls, that we urge the Guatemalan Government to do some of the things that have been put forth in this resolution.

First, of course, we extend our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the families of the women and the girls who have been murdered in Guatemala. But also we have to do more than just extend our sympathy and express solidarity. We have to do what this resolution says. Let me just mention a couple of those things that we need to do.

We need to urge the Government of Guatemala to recognize domestic violence and sexual harassment as criminal acts. Nothing less than that will do. We need to make sure that our Secretary of State works with the Government of Guatemala to hold those accountable for their crimes. We need to make sure that the ambassador continues to meet with the families and the victims of the women and girls. We also need to make sure, and this resolution calls upon our Secretary of State, to develop a comprehensive plan to address and combat the growing problem of violence against women in Latin America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Sires, because this is such an important effort for women and girls, not only in Guatemala and Latin America, but for women and girls throughout the world.