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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E814 HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON HON. SHEILA JACKSON

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E814 HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON HON. SHEILA JACKSON E814 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 22, 2014 Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join and for military construction, to prescribe bring Abubakar Shekau and other leaders of me in congratulating the R.L. Turner High military personnel strengths for such fiscal Boko Haram to justice. year, and for other purposes: Boko Haram, a militant group designated School’s NJROTC program on receiving the by the State Department in November 2013 Distinguished Unit Award. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, has f Chairman MCKEON and Ranking Member been conducting a reign of terror against in- SMITH for their work on this bill and their devo- nocent Nigerian women, children, and men 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF tion to the men and women of the Armed since 2009, when it killed hundreds of persons WASHINGTON, DC YOUTH RUGBY Forces. during a raid of a police station in I also thank them for including in En Bloc Maiduguri. In the last four years, Boko Amendment No. 1 the Jackson Lee-Wilson- Haram has carried out more than 480 violent HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON attacks against a broad array of targets: OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Lee Amendment, which makes three important Christian and Muslim communities, govern- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES contributions to the bill: ment installations, schools, hospitals and 1. First, it strongly condemns the ongoing vi- medical facilities, aid workers and journal- Thursday, May 22, 2014 olence and the systematic gross human rights ists. Since the beginning of 2013, more than Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to violations against the people of Nigeria carried 4,400 innocent persons have been killed and out by the militant organization Boko Haram, thousands more left homeless. ask the House of Representatives to join me According to media reports, the leader of in recognizing the 10th anniversary of the especially the kidnapping of the more than Boko Haram has threatened to ransom or Washington, DC Youth Rugby, a non-profit or- 200 young schoolgirls kidnapped from the sell the girls into the human trafficking ganization that reaches out to underserved Chibok School by Boko Haram; market for about twelve dollars each ($12.00 children in the Nation’s capital to promote 2. Second, it expresses support for the peo- USD). This outrageous conduct cannot be health and physical fitness and teach valuable ple of Nigeria who wish to live in a peaceful, tolerated or overlooked. Not only is it a vio- life skills through the sport of rugby. economically prosperous, and democratic Ni- lation of the girls’ human rights, it is also contrary to United States policy supporting In 2004, members of the Washington Rugby geria; and and promoting equal access to education and Club started out with the goal to teach rugby 3. Third, it requires that not later than 90 economic opportunity for women and girls. to a small group of students in Northeast days after the date of the enactment, the Sec- We know that terrorist groups cannot op- Washington, DC. What started with seven retary of Defense shall report to Congress on erate effectively without reliable and steady players and a rugby ball has evolved to over the nature and extent of the crimes against funding to support its criminal acts. There- a hundred students playing rugby in the Dis- humanity committed by Boko Haram in Nige- fore, we urge you to work with the inter- ria. national community to detect, disrupt, and trict at the youth and high school levels. dismantle the funding networks financing Washington, DC Youth Rugby has grown Since 2013, more than 4,400 men, women, Boko Haram, which published reports indi- from a summer-only program and is now and children have been slaughtered by Boko cate has received as much as $70 million working to implement rugby programs in DC Haram. from other Islamist groups, including Al- schools. Washington, DC Youth Rugby found- The victims include Christians, Muslims, Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and ed a boys’ team at Calvin Coolidge High journalists, health care providers, relief work- Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP), School, which ran from 2009–2012. This year, ers and schoolchildren. the Al Muntada Trust Fund, and the Islamic World Society. the organization has started both boys’ and I am confident that the international commu- Additionally, we urge you to consider girls’ rugby teams at Bell Multicultural High nity working with the African Union will assist working with the Government of Nigeria to School and is looking to start more programs the Government of Nigeria in bringing an end develop its own capacity to deploy special- in DC schools. They are currently working with to Boko Haram’s reign of terror and ensuring ized police and army units rapidly to rescue both Washington Latin and Ballou. that its crimes against humanity are docu- the schoolgirls and bring Boko Haram leader The program continues to be free to all chil- mented so its leaders can be held account- Abubakar Shekau to justice. Such units also can be deployed to prevent and combat sec- dren and has a diverse mix of participants, able. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to in- tarian violence in cities and around the both racially and socioeconomically. This pro- country where there has been a history of gram makes a difference to the youth of our clude in the RECORD a letter to President sectarian violence. The creation of an elite city in terms of health, self-esteem, teamwork Obama from myself and 15 House colleagues highly-trained rapid response unit would ap- and social skills development. commending his decision to deploy American pear to be a sound short-term strategy that In 2012, the program welcomed the support security experts and equipment in Nigeria to the Government of Nigeria should employ in of the Honorable Kim Beazley, the Australian help locate and rescue the more than 200 Ni- dealing with violent groups like Boko Ambassador to the United States, as the hon- gerian kidnapped schoolgirls and to work in Haram. This approach was used to successful concert with the Government of Nigeria and effect by the Indonesia Government in 2004 orary patron. The Ambassador recognizes the to neutralize the Laskar Jihad terrorist or- value of sport in international relations and the the African Union to bring Abubakar Shekau ganization. positive impact a game like rugby can have on and other leaders of Boko Haram to justice. Finally, we call upon you to take appro- young people. In recognition of the 10th anni- The Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment priate action to help the Government of Ni- versary, the Embassy of Australia will host a affirms that the United States stands with the geria establish a Victim’s Fund to provide celebration on Thursday, May 29, 2014. civilized world in solidarity with the people of humanitarian relief and economic assistance Nigeria. to the victims of attacks by Boko Haram so Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Represent- that they can rebuild their lives and commu- atives to join me in thanking the coaches, vol- The Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment nities. unteers, donors, partner schools, students, affirms that the United States is fully com- ‘‘People are the great issue of the 20th cen- parents, and alumni as we celebrate the 10th mitted to the fundamental principle that tury,’’ declared, then-Senator Hubert Hum- anniversary of Washington, DC Youth Rugby women everywhere have a right to be free, to phrey in 1948. The well-being of people re- and its many accomplishments. live without fear, and should not be forced to mains the great issue of the 21st century. And there is no better measure of any soci- f risk their lives to get the education they want and deserve. ety than the way its treats its women and girls. Boko Haram understands that when HOWARD P. ‘‘BUCK’’ MCKEON NA- I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member Nigerian girls are educated, Nigerian women TIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- for including this amendment in En Bloc can succeed; and when Nigerian women suc- TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015 Amendment #1 and all Members to support it. ceed, Nigeria succeeds. And that is why it is CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES so important that the United States help Ni- SPEECH OF Washington, DC, May 8, 2014. geria ensure that Boko Haram fails. President BARACK OBAMA Thank you for your leadership and your HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE The White House, Washington, DC. consideration of our recommendations. We OF TEXAS DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: We are writing to stand ready to work with you to bring about IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES commend your decision to deploy American the safe rescue of the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls and to reunite them with their Wednesday, May 21, 2014 security experts and equipment in Nigeria to help locate and rescue the more than 200 Ni- families and loved ones. The House in Committee of the Whole gerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the terrorist Sincerely, House on the state of the Union had under group, Boko Haram. We support your action LIST OF SIGNATORIES consideration the bill (H.R. 4435) to authorize and we strongly urge you to work in concert Marcia L. Fudge, Karen E. Bass, Donald appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for mili- with the Government of Nigeria and the Af- Payne, Jr., John Lewis, Yvette D. Clarke, tary activities of the Department of Defense rican Union to achieve this objective and to Robin Kelly, Janice Hahn, Sheila Jackson VerDate Mar 15 2010 06:02 Mar 07, 2015 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD14\MAY 2014\E22MY4.REC E22MY4 bjneal on DSK2TWX8P1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE May 22, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E815 Lee, Terri A.
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