1st step a success! This is huge. Read this!
“Dear all –
I just wanted to let you know the LRA Disarmament & Northern Uganda Recovery Act, S.1067, was passed unanimously this afternoon by Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a voice vote. We’ll be sending out a press release soon. This is a huge step forward to getting it past in the Senate and ultimately by all of Congress. Thanks for all your support and help thus far. The next step for us is ramping up the # of cosponsors so we can try to pass it through the whole Senate next month with unanimous consent.
All the best,
Senator Feingold’s office.”
Here is the press release:
SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES FEINGOLD BILL REQUIRING NEW STRATEGY TO CONFRONT THE LRA
Feingold’s Bipartisan Legislation Would Bring New Attention and Support to Ending Africa’s Longest Running Rebel War
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Washington, D.C. – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed bipartisan legislation today authored by U.S. Senator Russ Feingold and cosponsored by Sam Brownback (R-KS) requiring the Obama administration to develop a new multifaceted strategy to confront one of Africa’s longest running rebel groups, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). For more than two decades, under the leadership of Joseph Kony, the LRA has kidnapped more than 66,000 children and forced them to fight as child soldiers, wreaking havoc in northern Uganda and southern Sudan, and more recently, northeastern Congo and Central African Republic. Feingold’s bipartisan Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act requires the United States to work with multilateral partners to develop a viable path to disarm the LRA, while ensuring the protection of civilians.
“For too long, Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army have terrorized innocent civilians across four countries of central Africa, kidnapping thousands of children and forcing them to become child soldiers and commit horrific acts,” said Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, who visited Uganda in 2007. “My bill will commit the United States to develop a proactive strategy to work with regional governments to stop the LRA, while better targeting our assistance to address the conditions in northern Uganda that enabled the LRA to emerge in the first place. I will work with my colleagues to move this important piece of legislation through the Senate.”
“The LRA’s 30-year campaign of violence has scarred communities across central Africa, who have in turn been let down by their governments, the UN and the international donor community,” said Jon Elliott, Africa Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch. “This Bill offers an opportunity to put civilian protection where it should be, at the top of the agenda, and much-needed American leadership to finally bring Joseph Kony and his co-accused to justice. And it will hopefully ensure that victims receive the support and redress they need to rebuild their lives.”
Feingold’s bill authorizes $10 million in additional funding for humanitarian assistance for those areas outside of Uganda now directly affected by the LRA’s brutality. In this year alone, the UN reports that the LRA has killed more than 1,500 people, abducted over 1,800, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Central African Republic, Congo and southern Sudan. Feingold’s bill also authorizes $30 million over three years for transitional justice and reconciliation to encourage and help the Ugandan government to address the grievances and regional divisions that the LRA exploited for nearly two decades. The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act is cosponsored by Sam Brownback (R-KS) and 25 other senators, including several members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Hayley
WOOOOOO!!!!!! Nice job everyone! Keep the pressure on, this is just the beginning!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
amber Neal
THIS IS AWESOME! I’M SO EXCITED!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
Helper
I don’t get it, the aid from Fiengolds office said that it has to get past the Senate and then all of Congress. It works the otherway around right? Committees -> house -> senate ->prez…I hope this guy isn’t the one writing the bill
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
tyler
amber that is quite incorrect
bills can begin in EITHER the house OR the senate where they are assigned to a committee (foreign relations for example)
depending on which house it begins in, if it passes that chamber it moves to the other house, if it passes unadulterated, then it goes to the president
bills dont only begin in the house of representatives
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
malfin
WOW.
Praise God. This is so awesome!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
Peggy
Thankful to Sen. Corker for listening to the voices of his constituents and not only voting for this bill, but CO-SIGNING IT ALSO! That is h-u-g-e HUGE!!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
shelby
im thrilled!! lets get this passed! it can happen
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
happymanda
YAY!!! thank GOD! one step closer!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Laura Clark
WOOP WOOP! I have been telling everyone about the meeting today. I am so happy we done with step 1, now it’s time for the next! This is UBER EXCITING!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 3:00 pm
Miza
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY WOOOTHOOO LETS GET OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 3:03 pm
Kelly
YAY! Big Shout Out to Senator Feingold (my senator!) for writing this! It’s about time! Congrats to everyone involved on creating the awareness and movement that got it passed
Nov 17, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
Mikala
All of our work is paying off!!! It doesn’t take much activism for big things to happen!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
Anna
YES. this is great! next step OBAMA
Nov 17, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
Seona
yes yes! So proud of the bipartisan decision to fund and demand tangible reconciliation in Northern Uganda!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
Katie Teschler
i wonder how they will peacefully disarm the LRA..
Nov 17, 2009 @ 6:07 pm
Andre Jimmo
About time!!!!!!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 7:50 pm
Iman
thank God.
-Iman
Nov 17, 2009 @ 7:57 pm
Maria
Wow!! All I can say is that I’m crossing my fingers. Hopefully others see that these children need to be brought back home! Right now these news are amazing though.
Nov 17, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
Brooklyn
Today in art class
i watched the most moving movie ever.
A young rep was visiting our school and shared it with us.
during the movie, she received a phone call.
at the end she announced that the bill had passed.
after seeing the horrors on the screen, i felt so happy that the government is finally taking the steps to end it. never stop believing – keep the faith – hope forever – actions speak louder than words- GOOD JOB!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
Serena
Rawk on! Man, God is SO good! Everyone, keep it up! Things have got to get better. But don’t forget that now that we are done attempting, (and successfully doing so), to persuade the the Senate, now we have to move on to the Congress. We’ve already begun to give all the effort we got, we can’t back out now!
Nov 17, 2009 @ 9:42 pm
Brett Pallesen
Hey Guys,
Very good news!! Glad to hear of SOME progress coming from the Senate and hopefully from Congress next ( although they have recently showed reluctance to allocate a any of the DoD funds). Also, ecstatic and suprised to see the 30 million for transitional justice and, most likely, truth and reconciliation commissions. Lets hope congress will not hold this back. Great step forward!
Keep up the great work IC!
Cheers,
Brett
*(writing from the US Mission to the United Nations in Vienna and SD native)
Nov 18, 2009 @ 6:48 am
Amanda
Praise God!! May His will be done
Nov 18, 2009 @ 6:59 am
Ashley Heep
Praise the Lord! Its aboout time! This doesn’t mean it’s over yet! We need to keep on spreading awareness of the LRA!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 7:53 am
Anastasia
Great job guys! We got to keep going! Call your members of congress today! Hometown shakedown!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 8:28 am
Anastasia
Great jobs guys! But we still have more to do! Call your members of congress today! Hometown shakedown!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 8:29 am
Bree
YES! Praise the Lord! I’m so excited for this! It’s a big deal! Keep it up everyone!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 12:58 pm
bekki millar
PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! True answered prayer. Keep pushing – God will have His way
Nov 18, 2009 @ 2:21 pm
Heidi Bayliss
OMG! I cant stop crying. What an accomplishment! Peace!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 4:45 pm
Henny
That is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Now it’s President Obama’s turn to join the work
Nov 18, 2009 @ 5:41 pm
Rebekah
this is absoultely wonderful!!!!! im so thrilled right now!!!!
god is doing such amazing work and wow i just cant get over it!!!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
Bailey
CHANGING THE WORLD IS WHAT THIS GENERATION DOES BEST!
Nov 18, 2009 @ 8:45 pm
charity
yay i was at the Hawaii senate yesterday!!!
i thank God all the things that happend!!!
Nov 19, 2009 @ 10:27 am
Anton S
Awesome i CANT WAIT
Nov 22, 2009 @ 9:05 pm
-Courtney
Keep up the work and maybe we will get Obama in on this
Nov 23, 2009 @ 7:43 am
claire
I would just like to say that I am so very proud of Feingold- one of our WI senators. With the help and encouragement from people throughout the country we can get this bill passed and start major decision making to help end this war:)
Nov 24, 2009 @ 6:26 am