This week, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) discussed the recent expulsion of NGO’s from Darfur during his weekly Pen and Pad with reporters:
"It is a grievous situation, a dangerous situation, to literally a million people or more, women or children. I have been to the camps. They are in very bad shape, and it is incomprehensible that they don’t have clean water, and how they, how we will not lose literally thousands and thousands and thousands of people."
Hoyer has been discussing possible Congressional action with the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ). Plans are also underway for a meeting between a bipartisan congressional delegation and Secretary Clinton to discuss Sudan as early as next week.
It is encouraging to see that our nation’s leaders are beginning to address the situation in Darfur and speak with one voice. Sustained pressure from constituents is vital now to ensure that their words of concern will be followed by expedient and effective action.