Statement of Rep. Lofgren on the United States-Morocco Free Trade Implementation Act

Media Contact: Heather Wong, 202.225.3072

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today offered the following statement on H.R. 4842, the United States-Morocco Free Trade Implementation Act:

“Mr. Speaker, we know the leaders of this effort. They have been mentioned with great gratitude, the chairman of leaders the committee and ranking member, Rep. Payne (D- New Jersey) and others.

“But I would like to talk about really the extraordinary experience I have had in the last several weeks with members not on the Committee on International Relations, but who came together to say we need to do something about this disaster in the Sudan.

“We have a very partisan situation here in the House of Representatives, but participating in these meetings were the most conservative and the least conservative Members, and everybody in between. And although we do not agree on a lot, we agree on this: the world cannot stand by while genocide is committed in the Sudan.

“We need to lead an international effort to stop the violence. We need to make sure that we participate in the humanitarian aid that is necessary. We worked together to make sure that this resolution could be supported, could be heard today, and that we take this first step. We agree we need to call it for what it is: genocide.

“I am proud to be a Member of this House this evening and to be a part of the great American tradition of all Members of the House of Representatives working together for the good of the world and for what is good and just and right with our conscience.”