Calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to use its unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence in Darfur, Sudan.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding, for his leadership and support to end the genocide in Darfur, and also let me just thank our chairman, Congressman Lantos; our ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the Foreign Affairs Committee; and Chairman Payne and the ranking member of the Africa subcommittee, Mr. Smith, for their leadership on the issue of Darfur and for working together to make sure that all of our efforts here continue to be bipartisan. We have over 128 cosponsors of this resolution today.

Again, thank you to Congressman Jerry Moran of Kansas and also Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and to all of our staff.

This is a mission that we are all on. Many of us have visited on several occasions, and each time we visit Darfur we come back recommitted and rededicated to do what we can each and every day to end this horrific genocide.

Thirteen years ago, the world stood by as nearly 1 million people, 1 million people, were slaughtered in the genocide in Rwanda. The best our country could do then, unfortunately, was to apologize for our failure to act, and that was after the fact. Many of us swore that another Rwanda would never happen again on our watch. But today, Mr. Speaker, it is happening again.

Nearly 3 years ago, under the bold leadership of our good friend, Chairman Donald Payne, on July 22, 2004, Congress formally declared that genocide was taking place in Darfur. Estimates indicate that nearly 450,000 people have been killed, and 2.5 million innocent civilians have been displaced to date.

I witnessed this ongoing tragedy for the first time in 2005 when I visited the refugee camps in Chad and Darfur with two great humanitarian leaders, Don Cheadle and Paul Rusesabagina, this delegation led, again bipartisan, by Chairman Ed Royce. In February, 2006, under the leadership of our great Speaker, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, I had the opportunity once again to visit the refugee camps in another region of Darfur. This again was a bipartisan delegation. And just this past April, along with my colleague Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, we visited another region in Darfur as part of this visit organized by our majority leader, Steny Hoyer.

As Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen has said, what we saw in Darfur, of course, is continuing to deteriorate. More and more people are dying, and even humanitarian aid workers are at risk. The day before our delegation arrived, five soldiers from Senegal were killed in Darfur, African Union soldiers there to protect innocent civilians.

Unfortunately, for many Darfurians the situation remains grim. Last week, many of us expressed our support for the President's announcement of additional sanctions on businesses controlled by the government of Sudan and on individuals in the Sudanese government. Today, we take another step forward by calling on the Chinese to use their unique influence with Sudan to end the genocide.

Mr. Speaker, there is no way to sugarcoat this. China is the principal trading partner of a genocidal regime that has thumbed its nose at the international community. China reportedly purchases as much as 70 percent of Sudan's oil and has cancelled over $100 million in debt and has provided $20 million in funding to build a palace for General Bashir. China unquestionably has the unique ability to influence Khartoum in a positive manner, but they cannot do so by simply following a policy of appeasement. They must put real pressure on General Bashir to comply with all U.N. resolutions and fully, unconditionally accept the U.N.-AU peacekeeping mission. And they must urge Sudan to pursue a renewed peace process with all parties, and they must insist that humanitarian organizations have unfettered access to the 2.5 million people who have been displaced.

Most importantly, they should deny Bashir the tools to continue perpetrating the genocide by cutting off, and I mean cutting off, all military arms sales and suspending economic opportunities and cooperation with the government of Sudan.

The economic costs to China for taking these steps today is minimal compared to the benefit they would achieve if they would provide to the people of Darfur an end to the genocide and the international acclaim that China could win by helping to end the genocide.

I urge our Chinese friends not to view this resolution as a condemnation but to view it as an opportunity to take action to end an urgent moral and humanitarian crisis. So we are urging the Chinese government to act, and our own steps must increase to stop this horrific and unbelievable tragedy occurring on our watch.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of the Members here who are speaking in support of this resolution.

Let me thank the gentleman once again for yielding and would like to thank so many of our young people from around the country who have been nonstop in their work to end the genocide. Also, I would like to thank and recognize and salute the faith community, because this has been a movement to save Darfur by young people in the faith community. I would just like to mention a few of the organizations that have been unbelievable and unrelenting in their commitment. The Save Darfur Coalition, and my colleague from California referred to our arm bands, Not on Our Watch, Save Darfur. The Sudan Divestment Task Force. The American Jewish World Service. STAND, which is the Student Anti- Genocide Coalition. Dream for Darfur. Genocide Intervention Network. ENOUGH: The Project to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities. These are examples of the type of organizations at the grassroots level that have been working day and night to help us here in the House of Representatives understand our focus and what we need to do as a country to join hands to end this horrible massacre that is taking place.

I just want to once again thank Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman Lantos, Mr. Tanner from Tennessee and especially once again Congressman Don Payne for beating the drum, oftentime being a lone voice in the wilderness, but making sure that the rest of the world knew that it is incumbent upon the United States Government to lead to end this genocide and to say again to our country, to the world, not on our watch will this take place. And today we are taking one more step closer to bringing the world together to ask China to join with us, as Congressman George Miller said, to stop underwriting this genocide that is taking place and to come together now with people and countries of good conscience who stand together to say to General Bashir and the Sudanese government to stop this carnage, to allow the people of Darfur to return home to their villages. They want to go home. They want to go live their lives and raise their children. We want the international forces, the U.N. forces, to go in and to help protect the refugees and to help the AU forces to make sure that people are protected until they can go home. And, of course, finally to find a long-term political solution.

A month ago we called upon the League of Arab Nations to do the same thing. And so it's time that the world stand together and say, no more. It's time that we stand together and say to the people of Darfur that hope is coming and that 450,000 people should not have been tolerated, but we don't want to see another single death occur as a result. China has got to help us do this. And so today we are asking the Chinese government in the spirit of cooperation to help stop this genocide that is taking place.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 422, which calls on the government of the People's Republic of China to use its unique influence and leverage to stop genocide and violence in Darfur.

I wish to thank my colleague from California, Ms. Barbara Lee, for introducing this important measure, and for all of the cosponsors who she has gathered and their strong and steadfast support of efforts to halt the humanitarian disaster which continues to unfold daily in Sudan.

I had the honor of traveling to the camps of the internally displaced persons in Darfur with Ms. Lee, and I thank her for her courageous leadership in this effort.

In July 2004, as my good friend from Tennessee stated, the House boldly declared that genocide was occurring in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Nearly 3 years later, the bombing, rape and murder continue.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and more than two million people have been forced from their homes by marauding militias and a callous government bent on total destruction.

And while I'm encouraged by the leadership of our United States Government and attempts to end this carnage, I cannot help but feel a profound sense of frustration. Where is the rest of the international community?

The U.S. Government has provided vital support for the African Union, the United Nations peacekeeping forces. We've led diplomatic efforts to find a political solution to the crisis. We've donated over $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance for Darfur and Chad since 2005.

And just last week the President announced that he would impose tough additional sanctions against key individuals and businesses linked to human rights abuses in the region. Included among those businesses were five major petrochemical companies owned or controlled by the Sudanese regime, and an air transport company transferring arms to fighters in Darfur.

President Bush also announced that he had directed the U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.N. to seek passage of a Security Council resolution which would sanction the regime in Khartoum, expand and extend the arms embargo and impose a no-fly zone over Darfur.

These measures have been characterized as unhelpful by some, including the Sudanese regime's representatives here in Washington, as well as by Chinese officials.

And it's no wonder, Mr. Speaker. As the resolution before us indicates, China purchases up to 70 percent of Sudan's oil. It has $3 billion invested in the energy sector in Sudan, and it has exported at least $24 million in arms and ammunition and another $59 million in aircraft equipment to Sudan.

This continues, despite the Sudanese regime's insistence that it can use these funds and equipment for military operations in Darfur; that is, to continue the carnage against Sudanese civilians there.

Regrettably, the Chinese leadership appears unwilling to sacrifice its economic interests in Sudan for the sake of humanity. This is unacceptable, and it is also no surprise.

Beijing must take immediate steps to prevent further death, misery and destruction by compelling the regime in Khartoum to end these atrocities.

This means suspending economic cooperation with and stopping all military equipment sales to Sudan until the Sudanese regime stops its assaults on civilians in Darfur, allows the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers, disarms militias, and brings all rebel groups and high- level diplomats together to negotiate a political solution.

Through this resolution we are challenging China as well as other countries who have influence in Sudan to stand with the United States at the United Nations and press for immediate deployment of a robust peacekeeping mission in Darfur as authorized by Security Council Resolution No. 1706. We call on them to support and enforce a rigorous, multilateral sanctions regime against those individuals and businesses which are complicit in genocide. If China and other nations with influence in Sudan choose to look the other way, then we should reevaluate our relationship with those governments. It should be made clear that governments allied with Khartoum are complicit in a war on civilians and the immeasurable human suffering occurring in Darfur.

I strongly support Ms. Lee's timely resolution, and I take heart in the moral strength that has been demonstrated by this administration, this body, and the American people.

The people of Darfur have known too much suffering with the leaders of the world showing too much procrastination and China showing far too much negligence. The time for action is now. It is long overdue, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the gentlewoman from California for introducing this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to Judge Poe of Texas, a distinguished member of our Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield 4 minutes to a leader in worldwide human rights efforts, Mr. Smith of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Goodlatte of Virginia, with whom I had the honor of traveling to Darfur on Ms. Lee and Mr. Hoyer's trip to that area recently.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 422) calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to use its unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence in Darfur, Sudan.

Mr. 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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Six days ago, the President imposed a new series of sanctions on the Sudanese government and its murderous leaders. The administration may have sent a stronger message a month ago, but did not. But new American sanctions, however belatedly imposed, are in place. Now the rest of the civilized world must respond. Strong sanctions represent a crucial bridge in efforts to force the regime in Khartoum to give

up its reprehensible program of genocide in Darfur. But it is now readily apparent that we can only cross that bridge with the help of China.

Time and again, we have witnessed national interests taking precedence over the destruction of people's lives, their society and their culture. China, purely for economic interests, in our opinion, has stood firmly in the way of a robust international response to the Darfur genocide.

It has been 3 years since this Congress declared that the unfolding atrocities in Darfur constitute genocide. Yet, since it began, China has acted as a shield for Sudan against international criticism and tough sanctions at the United Nations.

In spite of unimpeachable evidence of genocide and other atrocities, China has continued as Sudan's largest trading partner and the main foreign investor in its oil sector.

China's sales of arms and military equipment to Khartoum is even more disturbing. But China has taken it one step further by actually blocking efforts to send international forces into Darfur.

Several countries have been resistant. But among the states unwilling to support a robust civilian protection operation to stop the genocide, China assumes a unique culpability because of its influence, its permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, and its role in Sudan.

In 2004, China forced the Security Council to water down an oil sanctions resolution and threatened it would veto any future resolutions sanctioning Sudan.

China shielded Khartoum against international sanctions while the Sudanese military drove tens of thousands out of their communities and oil regions just to speed exploration.

In 2006, China explicitly argued to the Security Council against a peacekeeping deployment to Darfur, arguing that it could not support the resolution because Sudan's government was not yet ready to accept U.N. peacekeepers on its soil.

Not only did China oppose the deployment on behalf of Sudan, its Ambassador lobbied hard for the Russians to take the same position. Only under relentless international pressure, with the actress Mia Farrow and others raising the specter that the upcoming Beijing Olympics will become the ``Genocide Olympics,'' has China finally begun to take a few small, constructive steps in the right direction on Sudan.

If we are going to save lives in Darfur, it is imperative that we keep the pressure on China to force Sudan to end the atrocities, resume peace talks and bring resolution to the horror known as Darfur.

This very important resolution calls on China to condemn explicitly the atrocities in Darfur, to cease military arms sales, to suspend economic cooperation with Sudan and use its influence to urge President Bashir to comply with full and immediate deployment of the African Union peacekeeping force.

It also calls on all parties to the conflict to adhere to the ceasefire agreement and allow unfettered access by humanitarian workers to those in need. It's a clear signal to China and Sudan that their relationship cannot and will not withstand the glare of international scrutiny.

Unless it wants to permanently scar its reputation, China must act as a responsible world power and use its influence to stop this now.

I therefore urge passage and commend the author, my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, for her tireless leadership on the Darfur issue.

Let me also thank our majority leader, Steny Hoyer, for his consistent and effective efforts to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the author of the resolution, Ms. Barbara Lee of California.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 2 minutes to Ms. Shelley Berkley of Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize Mr. Steve Israel from New York for 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I now am proud to yield the floor to Mr. George Miller from California for 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time we have?

I am pleased to yield to the author of the resolution our remaining time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I thank my good friend and colleague for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ms. Lee for introducing H. Res. 422, which calls on the government of the People's Republic of China to use its unique influence and economic leverage to stop the atrocities being committed in Darfur.

This measure builds on numerous steps that this Congress and the United States Government, through the White House and the executive branch, have taken over the past several years to call a halt to the relentless killings, rapes and displacement of the innocent men, women and children in that region.

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that Sudan's soil has been soaked in the blood of innocent people. Sudan has not suffered just one, but two genocides. Everybody will recall that in southern Sudan, some two million people were slaughtered by the Bashir government; another 4 million people were displaced.

When President Bush came into office, he announced that Senator Danforth would become our special envoy, and very vigorous and robust efforts were made to try to stop the killing in southern Sudan. We succeeded. But after a short period of time new hostilities broke out in the Darfur region in 2003, in February, and the blood-letting was beginning again. Darfur is now the second genocide that has occurred in Sudan.

I think we should note for the record that no other nation on Earth has done as much as the United States to stop the genocide. Most of the food and the medicines at the refugee camps that my colleagues and I have all visited, looked in the eyes of so many people who have suffered so much, has come from the U.S. taxpayer. I think that should give us some sense of meaning that we have played a significant role in alleviating at least some of this suffering.

Just last week, President Bush announced the expansion and tightening of economic sanctions against the Sudanese government. These sanctions include the barring of 30 more companies owned and controlled by the government of Sudan from the U.S. financial system, and it is a crime for Americans to knowingly engage in businesses with these companies.

It is apparent, Mr. Speaker, that more can and must be done by other members of the international community to address these crimes against humanity. A primary culprit is the complicity in this genocide by the People's Republic of China. Instead of joining the international community in calling an end to the genocide, China has served as enabler-in-chief to the atrocities that continue to take place in Darfur. Not only has the Chinese government provided Bashir with funds and weapons, about over $90 million worth in 2005 alone, but it has lavished him with gifts and a false sense of legitimacy. The money and the weapons that Sudan has received from China has made the Chinese government absolutely complicit in these crimes against humanity.

And now we see China's thwarting or attempting to thwart a U.S.-led effort at the U.N. Security Council for a resolution that would impose extended international arms embargo and new sanctions against the Sudanese government. According to Reuters last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said, ``New sanctions against Sudan would only complicate the issue. China appeals to all parties to maintain restraint and patience.''

I would urge this spokeswoman and all Chinese officials to go to Darfur and again look into the eyes of those who have suffered, look in the eyes of at least some of the 2 million people who have been displaced from their homes, look into the eyes of some of the families, the survivors of the 450,000 that have been killed and say, ``let's look for patience and restraint.''

China has covered itself in shame. It has enabled two genocides, southern Sudan and now in Darfur. Still, because so many victims are going to be suffering today and tomorrow and the next day, we appeal to the Chinese government, Mr. Speaker, to join us as peacemakers in that troubled region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 422, calling on the People's Republic of China to use their influence and economic leverage with the Government of Sudan to stop the genocide and violence in Darfur. I am proud to join a large number of my colleagues, from both sides of the aisle, in cosponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, we stand in serious risk of allowing the ongoing slaughter in Darfur to become one of the blackest marks on humankind's history. This is absolutely unacceptable. It has been nearly 3 years since we in Congress declared that ``the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide,'' a sentiment that has been repeated only recently by President Bush, who went on to say ``we have a moral obligation to stop it.'' Congress has been outspoken in expressing a bipartisan consensus of disgust at the atrocious human rights abuses committed in the western region of Sudan.

Genocide in Darfur continues to play out on our watch. Current estimates put the death toll at 450,000 people, with an additional two million driven from their homes and livelihoods into wandering uncertainty or refugee camps. More than 3.5 million people within Darfur are currently entirely reliant on the international community for the crucial aid that might enable them to survive.

Some valuable foundations have been laid. The 22,500-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission authorized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706 is absolutely necessary to boost the brave but struggling African Union forces already in the region. These U.N. soldiers must be deployed immediately in Sudan, and given unimpeded access to the Darfur region. We must continue to press this issue until U.N. boots are actually on the ground in Darfur.

To do this, we must step up pressure on China. As the principle export destination of Sudanese oil, China is complicit in the genocide perpetrated by the Sudanese government. However, the immense economic and diplomatic weight wielded by the Chinese government could be used to great effect in ending the killing in Darfur, if applied to that end. It remains my hope that China may be persuaded to provide the type of constructive leadership in Sudan befitting a great power.

To this end, this resolution strongly urges China to acknowledge and condemn the atrocities in Darfur, to cease all military arms and related sales, to suspend economic cooperation with the Government of Sudan, and to work to positively influence the Government of Sudan to achieve a number of specific objectives, including the full compliance with Security Council Resolutions.

As China prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, I believe we should expect China to work to live up to its own Olympic slogan: ``One World. One Dream.'' The time for admirable speeches and impassioned rhetoric, valuable though these are, has passed. The people of Darfur need definitive action and decisive leadership, and they need it now. Now is the moment to seize upon bipartisan common ground, and to work together to respond actively, to fulfill our humanitarian promises, and to finally help bring an end to this shameful chapter in human history. This bill is an important, definitive, and imaginative step toward this goal, and I commend my colleague for introducing this bill.

Mr. Speaker, Darfur continues to burn on our watch. Since the genocide began, we have commemorated both the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide with candles and powerful speeches of regret. We have expressed a bipartisan consensus against the genocide, and yet it continues.

Though we in Congress are currently faced with a number of important and pressing issues vying for our attention, Darfur must be made a priority, and it must remain so until the genocide has ended. I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.