Date: 2015-04-15
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I address the House to discuss a number of concerns that I believe we need to confront as quickly as possible. Yesterday and today commemorate. sadly. the snatching of over 200 girls from northern Nigeriathe area in which the girls lost their innocence and their right to a good quality of life. It was in the dark of night when heinous thugs. armed with horrific weapons. burst into the dorm rooms of sleeping girls who were preparing to take exams to improve their lives. Their parents had worked hard. They were like any other parents here in the United States or around the world. loving their children. and these heinous thugs with their vile leader. Boko Haram. stole themstole their innocence and. in a certain sense. their virginity. Now we are struggling to find them. For over a year. many of us pressed the Nigerian Government to find and bring back the girls. In the spring of 2014. I traveled to the northern state with my colleague Ms. WILSON and with my colleague from Texas. and we met with broken families and with the girls who had escaped. We saw the northern state. We were not welcomed by the words that we were saying. which was "bring the girls back." We met with generals in our military. We saw our militarys compassion under the Africa Command. and we saw that they were ready to be of assistance. Those generals. I must say. said that they were ready. In the course. Boko Haram has killed 15.000 people. There are thousands who are displaced1.5 million. I believe the number isand these girls are still missing. They are said to have been married off. but some girls are worth rescuing. All girls are worth rescuing. All children are worth saving. Today. we will stand on the steps of the Capitol. begging for help from the international community. I must make mention that the African Union. through the auspices of the United Nations. has developed a strategy and a military effort. led by Chad. Niger. Cameroon. and Nigeria. but they are still not foundthey are still not caughtand Boko Haram continues to be the heinous. vile organization that should not exist in attacking the innocent people of Nigeria. Boko Haram has declared itself part of the family of ISIL. That alone stands to promote them as a heinous terrorist group. and they should draw the attention of the world just like ISIL has drawn the attention of the world. Mr. Speaker. I am calling upon the United States. who I believe has a deep commitment to find these girls. to be able to engage in an intensified effort to find them and a collaborative effort with our expertise. continued. to be able to assure that these girls are brought home. but that Boko Haram does not continue to flaunt itself. Let me add alShabaab. that did the heinous killings of students in Kenya. We must be concerned about a continent that is our friend. a continent that desires to do trade and business with us. a continent that looks to AmericaAfrica. who loves America. You can see the array of Africans who are here in the United States. I have the largest population of Nigerianswonderful. good people. doctors and teachers. lawyers. public servants. But we must stand with them to bring these girls back. Let me show you the mutilating and destroying of Christian artifacts. the destruction of towns left in their midst. They dont care. and I am outraged that they are standing. Let me say this. Mr. Speaker. as I ask for them to be rescued. as I go to express this in an open forum to our community. our Nation. Let me add that part of the work of the Department of Justice deals with issues of human trafficking. and sometimes it takes it internationally. So I conclude my remarks by saying that we mustwe mustconfirm as General. Loretta Lynch. the Attorney General nominee of the United States of America. This is an African American woman that has been held without conscience. She is qualified. she is ready to serve. and I would ask my colleagues to show to the world what kind of country America isthat we follow process. and that this individual be allowed to serve her nation as she desires to do.