On September 21, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (H.R. 3127) that would support peace efforts in Darfur and impose sanctions against individuals responsible for acts of genocide and war crimes in that region. The measure was approved by the House on April 5 (see The Source, 4/7/06).
A substitute amendment by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) was adopted by unanimous consent. The amended legislation notes the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement on May 5, 2006, and the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1706, which authorizes an expanded UN mission to take over from the African Union forces currently in Darfur. The Senate version of the bill does not include language passed by the House allowing states the right to prohibit the investment of state funds in Sudan.
Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) stated that “around 200,000 people have been killed in this genocide and probably two million people displaced from their homes. Things are getting worse. It deserves the attention of this body. We focused on it at a very early time. We continue to focus on it, but again, I think we are going to have to focus on it more and more.”
