November 20, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10753 

SENATE RESOLUTION 713—CALLING ON ALL PARTIES TO THE 

ESCALATING VIOLENCE IN EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF 

CONGO TO IMPLEMENT AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE AND WORK 

WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE 

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 

TOWARD A COMPREHENSIVE 

AND LASTING SOLUTION TO THE 

CRISIS 

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. 

BROWNBACK, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. HARKIN, 

Mr. DURBIN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. DODD, Ms. 

SNOWE, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, 

Mr. ISAKSON, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs. 

BOXER, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BOND, Mr. 

COLEMAN, Mr. LAUTENBERG, and Mr. 

NELSON of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. RES. 713 

Whereas the Democratic Republic of Congo 

was devastated by civil wars lasting from 

1996 to 1997 and 1998 to 2003, spawning some 

of the world’s worst human rights violations 

and involving at least 6 neighboring countries; 

Whereas, despite the signing of a peace 

agreement and subsequent withdrawal of foreign forces in 2003, eastern Congo has continued to suffer from high levels of poverty, insecurity, and absent or inadequate institutions, allowing armed and criminal groups to 

operate freely; 

Whereas continuing abuses committed by 

the national military against civilians in 

Congo and apparent ties between the military and armed groups in the region have 

tainted attempts to restore the rule of law in 

the eastern region of the country; 

Whereas, according to a study by the International Rescue Committee released in January 2008, the conflict and related humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of 

Congo have taken the lives of an estimated 

5,400,000 people since 1998 and continue to 

cause as many as 45,000 deaths each month; 

Whereas sexual violence and rape remain a 

pervasive tool of warfare used by all parties 

in eastern Congo to terrorize communities, 

affecting hundreds of thousands of women 

and girls and frequently resulting in traumatic fistula and other severe genital injuries; 

Whereas the continued plunder and trade 

of eastern Congo’s rich mineral base, notably 

cassiterite, coltan, and gold, by armed 

groups and members of the national military 

make war profitable and undermine peace efforts; 

Whereas the Governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed 

the Nairobi Communique ́ in November 2007, 

committing to work together to address the 

continued activity of the Democratic Forces 

for the Liberation of Rwanda and other 

armed groups operating in their shared border region; 

Whereas, on January 23, 2008, with the active support of the international community, 

the Government of the Democratic Republic 

of Congo, and 22 armed groups in the eastern 

region signed the Goma accord, committing 

to an immediate ceasefire and buffer zones 

for troop disengagement and ultimately disarmament; 

Whereas these agreements together provided the first working framework in years 

for peace and lasting stability in eastern 

Congo, but a continued culture of impunity 

and suspicion has impeded their implementation; 

Whereas the United Nations reported more 

than 200 violations of these agreements between January and July of 2008, as well as 

2,000 cases of rape and hundreds of people 

killed; 

Whereas hate speech inciting ethnic violence by local and national leaders in Congo 

continued during this period, feeding the 

concerns and perceived insecurity of minority Tutsi communities; 

Whereas, since August 28, 2008, fighting has 

resumed in North Kivu Province between the 

national military and the forces of General 

Laurent Nkunda, known as the National 

Congress for the Defense of the People, the 

latter of which has taken control of several 

government military bases and major towns 

around the city of Goma; 

Whereas, according to Human Rights 

Watch, an estimated 250,000 people have been 

forced to flee their homes as a result of this 

renewed fighting in eastern Congo, often 

without access to shelter, water, food, and 

medicine, and adding to the over 1,000,000 

people already displaced from North and 

South Kivu; 

Whereas the United Nations Mission in 

Congo, known by its French acronym 

MONUC, has proven unable to protect civilians in light of this new offensive by General 

Nkunda’s forces, causing resentment and 

protests by local communities; 

Whereas allegations of troops from Angola, 

Rwanda, and Zimbabwe crossing into eastern 

Congo have strained existing regional tensions and increased fears of a wider war that 

could draw other countries from the region 

into the fighting, as happened in 1998; 

Whereas the United Nations’ Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the 

Democratic Republic of Congo, Alan Doss, 

and United Nations Secretary-General Ban 

Ki-moon have called for more troops and better capabilities for MONUC to stop the rebel 

offensive and protect civilians; 

Whereas United Nations Secretary-General 

Ban Ki-moon traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, on 

November 7, 2008, and convened a summit of 

regional leaders, including the heads of state 

of the Democratic Republic of Congo and 

Rwanda, which led to a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire and the creation of humanitarian corridors; and 

Whereas, in 2006, Congress passed the 

Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 

2006, which was signed into law by President 

George W. Bush on December 22, 2006 (Public 

Law 109–456), stating that it is the policy of 

the United States to work for peace and security throughout the Democratic Republic 

of Congo by supporting efforts to protect civilians, to disarm illegal armed groups, and 

to hold accountable individuals, entities, and 

countries working to destabilize the country: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) condemns the continuing violence, forcible recruitment of children as soldiers, and 

abuses against civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; 

(2) calls on the national military in Congo, 

the National Congress for the Defense of the 

People, and all armed groups operating in 

eastern Congo to cease hostilities, end all 

human rights abuses, and respect an immediate ceasefire based on the principles of the 

Goma agreement; 

(3) calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet its obligations under the Lusaka Agreement of 1999, 

the Pretoria Agreement of 2002, and the 

Nairobi Communique ́ of 2007 to take action 

to end the threat posed by the Democratic 

Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda; 

(4) calls on the Governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda— 

(A) to fully restore bilateral relations; 

(B) to work together to mitigate escalating 

tensions in the region; and 

(C) to break any ties that still exist between them and illegal armed groups in eastern Congo; 

(5) calls on all governments in the Great 

Lakes region of Africa and those of the 

Southern African Development Community 

to support a peaceful resolution to the crisis 

while ensuring that the volatile situation 

does not spark a wider regional war; 

(6) supports the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General, his newly appointed 

United Nations Special Envoy, former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, and the 

international facilitation team to bring all 

parties to the negotiating table and establish 

a clear roadmap to implement the signed 

peace agreements; 

(7) encourages the international community to take immediate measures to enhance 

the effectiveness of the United Nations Mission in Congo to protect civilians, specifically through increased troops and additional capabilities as requested by the Secretary-General; 

(8) urges the President to sustain highlevel diplomatic engagement together with 

the African Union, the European Union, and 

the United Nations to avert a wider regional 

war and revive a comprehensive peace process in eastern Congo; 

(9) urges the United States and the international community to develop and support 

monitoring and verification mechanisms 

that can hold the parties in Congo accountable to the signed peace agreements, investigate alleged ceasefire violations, and ultimately challenge the continued culture of 

impunity in Congo; and 

(10) urges the President and the international community to adopt measures to 

help the regional governments to identify 

and ultimately address the factors underlying the conflict in eastern Congo, especially weak governance and the exploitation 

of the region’s lucrative minerals. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 714—HONORING THE FIREFIGHTERS AND 

EMERGENCY WORKERS WHO 

COURAGEOUSLY FOUGHT FIRES 

IN CALIFORNIA IN 2008 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to: 

S. RES. 714 

Whereas, in 2008, there have been more 

than 10,000 wildfires in California started by 

natural causes and human activity; 

Whereas more than 1,440,000 acres of Federal, State, and local land in California 

burned in 2008; 

Whereas, in June 2008, fires started by 

lightning strikes burned approximately 

1,200,000 acres of Federal, State, and local 

land in California, making the June fires the 

largest single wildfire event in California’s 

recorded history; 

Whereas 41 counties across California were 

impacted by wildfires in 2008; 

Whereas more than 1,400 homes were destroyed by fires in California in 2008; 

Whereas State and local firefighters have 

been called to duty for increasingly long fire 

seasons, working on the front lines of these 

fires for weeks; 

Whereas firefighters have risked their lives 

and endured great hardship to protect lives, 

property, and the environment in California; 

Whereas many firefighters were injured 

and 14 firefighters tragically lost their lives 

in California in 2008; 

Whereas 25,000 firefighters and emergency 

response personnel from California, 41 other 


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S10754 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 20, 2008 

States, and other nations worked side-byside to fight the wildfires; 

Whereas members of the National Guard 

from California and other States provided essential support to the firefighting effort; and 

Whereas the people of California and the 

United States recognize the steadfast dedication of the firefighters throughout the ongoing fire suppression and subsequent repair 

and rebuilding efforts: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) commends the firefighters and emergency workers from California, 41 other 

States, and other nations for their courageous actions and sacrifices in fighting 

wildfires in California; 

(2) supports the continued work of firefighters to protect National Forest System 

land, other public lands, and private property from further damage; 

(3) praises the people of California for their 

great courage in the face of the fires; and 

(4) extends heartfelt sympathy to the people who have lost loved ones, homes, and 

businesses in the wildfires. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 715—EXTENDING THE AUTHORITY FOR 

THE SENATE NATIONAL SECURITY WORKING GROUP 

Mr. REID submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to: 

S. RES. 715 

Resolved, That Senate Resolution 105 of the 

One Hundred First Congress, 1st session 

(agreed to on April 13, 1989), as amended by 

Senate Resolution 149 of the One Hundred 

Third Congress, 1st session (agreed to on October 5, 1993), as further amended by Senate 

Resolution 75 of the One Hundred Sixth Congress, 1st session (agreed to on March 25, 

1999), as further amended by Senate Resolution 383 of the One Hundred Sixth Congress, 

2d session (agreed to on October 27, 2000), as 

further amended by Senate Resolution 355 of 

the One Hundred Seventh Congress, 2d session (agreed to on November 13, 2002), as further amended by Senate Resolution 480 of 

the One Hundred Eighth Congress, 2d session 

(agreed to November 20, 2004), and as further 

amended by Senate Resolution 625 of the One 

Hundred Ninth Congress, 2d Session (agreed 

to on December 6, 2006), is further amended 

in section 4 by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting 

‘‘2010’’. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 716—ACKNOWLEDGING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS OF 

THE YOUTH IMPACT PROGRAM 

Mr. VITTER submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary: 

S. RES. 716 

Whereas many at-risk young men in the 

inner cities of the United States face a challenging and uncertain future; 

Whereas the future success of at-risk 

young men can be greatly enhanced through 

sustained mentorship; 

Whereas effective working partnerships between and within the public and private sectors can have a lasting and positive impact 

on the future of at-risk young men; 

Whereas participation in organized sports 

has provided a creative and disciplined outlet and a path to a better life for many atrisk young men; 

Whereas the Youth Impact Program combines the disciplines of football, mentoring, 

and academics in partnerships between local 

National Football League franchises and universities to promote discipline, learning, and 

positive values; 

Whereas the Youth Impact Program is a 

community-based program that has proven 

its value over the past 2 years in raising the 

outlook and aspirations of at-risk young 

men and has provided at-risk young men 

greater exposure to academics, core values, 

and life skills; 

Whereas the Youth Impact Program provides year-round mentoring to its participants, a proven formula for building success; 

Whereas the National Football League, the 

National Football League Players Association, the University of Southern California, 

and Tulane University have provided critical 

support to the Youth Impact Program; 

Whereas the Youth Impact Program will be 

expanded to 3 additional cities in partnership 

with local National Football League franchises and universities; 

Whereas the Youth Impact Program seeks 

to establish a presence in each city with a 

local National Football League franchise; 

and 

Whereas under the vision and leadership of 

Mr. Riki Ellison, the founder of the Youth 

Impact Program, a 10-year veteran of the National Football League, a 3-time Super Bowl 

champion, and a University of Southern 

California alumnus, the Youth Impact Program has expanded from a regional program 

to a program with a growing national presence: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) congratulates Mr. Riki Ellison for his 

leadership and vision in founding the Youth 

Impact Program; 

(2) recognizes the ongoing and significant 

contributions of the National Football 

League, the University of Southern California, and Tulane University to the Youth 

Impact Program; and 

(3) encourages the expansion of the Youth 

Impact Program to inner cities across the 

United States. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 717—DESIGNATING DECEMBER 13, 2008, AS 

‘‘WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA 

DAY’’ 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. 

SNOWE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Comittee on the Judiciary: 

S. RES. 717 

Whereas, more than 15 years ago, the 

Worcester Wreath Company, a for-profit 

business in Harrington, Maine, began a tradition of donating, transporting, and overseeing the placement of Maine balsam fir 

holiday wreaths on the graves of the fallen 

heroes at Arlington National Cemetery each 

December; 

Whereas, since the Worcester Wreath Company began that tradition, through the hard 

work and generosity of the people involved 

in the Wreaths Across America project, hundreds of thousands of wreaths have been sent 

to more than 200 national cemeteries and 

veterans’ memorials in all 50 states; 

Whereas, in December 2008, the Patriot 

Guard Riders, a motorcycle and motor vehicle group dedicated to patriotic events, with 

more than 65,000 members nationally, will 

continue their tradition of escorting a tractor-trailer full of donated wreaths from Harrington, Maine to Arlington National Cemetery; 

Whereas hundreds of volunteers participate 

in the escort each December; 

Whereas Morrill Worcester, President of 

Worcester Wreath Company, has been nominated for, and received, several awards for 

his humble service and exemplary patriotism 

to our Nation through this project; and 

Whereas Wreaths Across America will continue this proud legacy on December 13, 2008: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates December 13, 2008, as 

‘‘Wreaths Across America Day’’; 

(2) honors Wreaths Across America, the 

Worcester Wreath Company, Morrill Worcester, the Patriot Guard Riders, and all other 

companies and individuals involved in this 

worthy legacy; and 

(3) recognizes the sacrifices our veterans 

and service members and their families have 

made, and continue to make, for our great 

Nation. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 718—DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 30, 2008, AS 

‘‘DRIVE SAFER SUNDAY’’ 

Ms. CHAMBLISS (for himself, Mrs. 

LINCOLN, and Mr. ISAKSON) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Comittee on the Judiciary: 

S. RES. 718 

Whereas motor vehicle travel is the primary means of transportation in the United 

States; 

Whereas everyone driving on the roads and 

highways needs to do so more safely to reduce deaths and injuries resulting from 

motor vehicle accidents; 

Whereas, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wearing 

a seat belt saved 15,434 lives in 2004, 15,632 

lives in 2005, and 15,383 lives in 2006; 

Whereas Secretary of Transportation Mary 

Peters has urged all people of the United 

States to understand the life-saving importance of wearing a seat belt and has encouraged motorists to drive safely, not just during the holiday season, but each time they 

get behind the wheel; and 

Whereas the Sunday after Thanksgiving is 

the busiest highway traffic day of the year: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) encourages— 

(A) high schools, colleges, universities, administrators, teachers, primary schools, and 

secondary schools to launch campus-wide 

educational campaigns to urge students to 

drive safely; 

(B) national trucking firms to alert truck 

drivers to focus on driving safely on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and to publicize the 

importance of the day using Citizen’s Band 

(‘‘CB’’) radios and truck stops across the 

United States; 

(C) clergy to remind members to travel 

safely en route to religious services and 

gatherings; 

(D) law enforcement personnel to remind 

drivers and passengers to drive safely on the 

Sunday after Thanksgiving; and 

(E) all people of the United States to use 

the Sunday after Thanksgiving as an opportunity to educate themselves about highway 

safety; and 

(2) designates November 30, 2008, as ‘‘Drive 

Safer Sunday’’. 


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