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Congressional Record—Senate S7261 October 8, 2015 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7261 she must still report to the authorities Lukashenko, was finally released from serving those in desperate need in the every 15 days and cannot leave the jail. most dangerous parts of the planet. In country or speak to the news media. Michael Statkevich was released doing so, Pat Johns saved millions of Incredibly, Venezuela’s Attorney Gen- after nearly 5 years and, coinciden- people from war-torn countries, fed the eral denied in Geneva there was a com- tally, just days after he had passed the starving, and promoted peace and jus- plaint for sexual abuse and torture in- deadline to be an eligible opposition tice all over the world—what an inspi- volving Afiuni. candidate for the next Presidential ration. I know U.N. Ambassador Samantha election. Last spring, I gave the commence- Power has taken on this case. I want to You see on the eve of the 2010 elec- ment address at my nephew’s high join that effort and call for her uncon- tion—an election that could have school graduation. I asked the students ditional release and exoneration. brought an end to the distinction of to think about what they wanted peo- Venezuelan President Maduro is pre- being the last dictatorship in Europe— ple to say about their lives. I asked siding over the near collapse of his Lukashenko had seven candidates ar- them, ‘‘What will you be remembered once proud nation, manufacturing in- rested and thrown in jail—not much of for? What service did you render to ternal and external enemies to explain an incentive to be a candidate. your community? Your nation? Your his own government’s economic mis- Sadly, such repression and election world?’’ The great thing about living in management. manipulation has been the norm in America is we can choose the answers Not only has his government sen- Belarus which incredibly still operates to those questions. tenced Lopez to jail, but it has also its own KGB to enforce political re- Pat Johns will be remembered for started a border dispute with Colom- pression. many things: living through war, fam- bia, embarrassingly trying to further However, Belarus has another elec- ine, natural disasters, incredible deflect attention from its own disas- tion coming up next week on October human suffering; and for bringing hope trous policies. 11. I want President Lukashenko to to victims everywhere he went. But Furthering more division and repres- know that the world is watching and Sean Callahan, chief operating officer sion will only make things worse. I hoping that this time it will be a free for Catholic Relief Services, put it know this administration and others in and legitimate election worthy of the best. He said, ‘‘Perhaps the greatest the region have tried to offer paths for- Belarussian people. thing about Pat was that he was a gen- ward for Maduro, but I fear he is head- f tleman and a greatly caring person. He ing in the opposite direction with could work nonstop for 50 hours in ter- REMEMBERING PAT JOHNS Lopez’s sentencing. rible conditions, but still have the Now, some of you may remember the Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, last heart to offer comfort and friendship to international outrage that occurred month, Illinois—and America—lost a those around him.’’ That’s a legacy to when writer and activist Raif Badawi legend. Pat Johns passed away at the be proud of. was sentenced to 1,000 public lashes and age of 66. Pat Johns was from my home Today, the best way we can honor 10 years in prison on blasphemy and State of Illinois. He was born in Aurora Pat Johns is by continuing his life’s apostasy charges in Saudi Arabia. and raised in Plano. Known as the work. We need this generation of You may also recall his brother-in- ‘‘Master of Disaster,’’ Pat was em- Americans to live up to the example law and lawyer, human rights activist ployed with Catholic Relief Services, set by Pat Johns. We have big shoes to Waleed Abu al-Khair, who was sen- based in Baltimore, for 30 years. In fill, but Pat showed us that, with the tenced to 15 years in prison by Jeddah’s that time he was on the ground in right commitment, we can get it done. specialized criminal court for inciting some of the world’s most dangerous f public opinion and undermining the war zones and humanitarian emer- state. gency areas. GUN VIOLENCE These imprisonments—and both their Pat Johns was a soldier, but not in Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, we have dubious charges and inhumane punish- the traditional sense—he didn’t even all been deeply shaken by the horrific ments—were denounced around the carry a gun. He was a soldier of peace, tragedies in Charleston and Roseburg world by reputable human rights orga- armed only with the virtue of his mis- and by all the mass killings that now nizations, foreign governments, and sion. And his mission took him to occur with alarming regularity. The many others. places like the killing fields of Cam- American people overwhelmingly sup- Our State Department called for the bodia, the Ethiopian famine, the Rwan- port commonsense reforms that will release of both Raif and Waleed, and in dan genocide, Somalia, Kosovo, and keep firearms out of the hands of Congress, I was joined by seven of my Eritrea. And when natural disasters oc- criminals and dangerous individuals; Senate colleagues in writing to the late curred like the Asian tsunami, Hurri- yet in response to mass shootings, too King Abdullah urging their release. cane Katrina, or the earthquake in often Congress slips into a familiar Sixty-seven of my colleagues in the Haiti, Pat Johns was there—with en- cycle of shock, sorrow and, ultimately, House did the same months later when ergy, hope, and solutions. inaction. Some in Congress pretend King Salman became the new leader of In 1974, Pat joined Catholic Relief that there are no solutions; others Saudi Arabia. And just the other day, Services and was posted in Cambodia. claim that any restriction aimed at Badawi was awarded the PEN Literary Two years later, he was managing a keeping guns out of the hands of dan- Award. staff of 400 people. To say that Pat gerous people represents an affront to We have a longstanding friendship faced a challenge in Cambodia would be the Second Amendment. They are with the Saudi regime, and friends do a gross understatement. The Khmer wrong. at times disagree. But it is because of Rouge Army was storming its way to- Many, many Americans have had the nature of our friendship that I be- ward the capitol of Phnom Penh and enough. We will not be satisfied by lieve we have an obligation to encour- the Vietnam war was raging next door. those who only offer their sympathies. age Saudi Arabia to do better—to up- Pat’s job included working shifts of 50 And we will not be lulled into inaction. hold basic human rights for free hours or more and getting food and While I was chairman of the Senate speech, for women, for religious mi- supplies to nearly 2 million refugees Judiciary Committee last Congress, we norities, for foreign workers, and seeking safe haven from the Khmer addressed gun violence head-on. In the countless others. Rouge’s advances. He endured miser- wake of the horrifying and senseless I hope the new King, King Salman, able tropical weather and survived ma- murder of 26 people, including 20 chil- will show compassion and bring an end laria, all while keeping tens of thou- dren, at Sandy Hook Elementary in to Saudi Arabia’s troubling human sands of refugees alive. When asked Newtown, CT, I and all Democratic rights record. about the experience, he said, ‘‘The members on the committee resolved to And last, let me mention some hope- whole experience, in Cambodia really pass sensible reforms to protect our ful steps in Belarus, where recently the drove home my niche in life.’’ communities. We were moved by the last candidate who ran in 2010 for Many may have quit, but not Pat powerful words of former Congress- President against strongman President Johns. Instead, he dedicated his life to woman Gabrielle Giffords calling on us VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:26 Oct 09, 2015 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G08OC6.030 S08OCPT1 smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with SENATE.
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