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Washington Office on Africa Action Alert
Torture Victims Relief Bills need additional co-sponsors in the Senate and House
The Comprehensive Torture Victims Relief Act (S. 1058) was introduced on July 21st by Senators Wellstone and Specter. The other original co-sponsors were Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Mark Hatfield (R-OR), James Jeffords (R-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY). Congressmen Christopher Smith (R- NJ) and Tom Lantos (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1416 in April and there are now about 22 House co-sponsors. (They are listed below).
Senator Wellstone would like to offer S. 1058 as an amendment to legislation being considered on the floor of the Senate, but he needs additional Senators as cosponsors. Senators need to hear from constituents in their state if they are to co-sponsor the bill.
While the legislation is not specific to Africa, its passage would facilitate greater U.S. government responsiveness to asylum seekers or refugees from a number of African crisis situations.
The Washington Office on Africa urges you to contact your Senators and Representative asking them to co-sponsor S. 1058 or H.R. 1416. Your help in obtaining additional co-sponsors could help build momentum for this measure. We will appreciate any help you can give in this effort. We would also appreciate any feedback you receive about the bill.
We include talking points (which apply to either bill) and a list of Senators who we think could be persuaded to sign on to the bill. (But feel free to contact any Senator about the bill.) Senate offices should contact Colin McGinnis in Senator Wellstone's office (202-224-5641) if they wish to ask questions about the bill or sign on. Staff of House Members should contact Congressman Christopher Smith's staff at 202-225-5748.
Talking Points on the Comprehensive Torture Victims Relief Act (S. 1058) and the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1995 (H.R. 1416)
I support the above bills because they
Provide rehabilitation services for victims of torture around the world who are oftentimes in the forefront of the struggle for human rights and democracy;
Identify the United States in support of those who are struggling for freedom and justice in their own countries and in opposition to governments that resort to torture;
Provide rehabilitation services for victims of torture by foreign governments who now reside in the United States and enable them to recover their lives and become productive tax-paying members of our communities;
Provide for the U.S. Government in considering applications for political asylum or refugee status by torture victims to take into account how their torture experience may affect their applications; and
Would not cause an increase in the Federal budget because spending would be reallocated from funds already provided for in existing law.
Senators to ask to co-sponsor the Comprehensive Torture Victims Relief Act (S. 1058):
DEMOCRATS: (24)
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (DE), Barbara Boxer (CA), Bill Bradley (NJ), Dale Bumpers (AR), Thomas A. Daschle (SD), Christopher J. Dodd (CT), Russell D. Feingold (WI), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Daniel K. Inouye (HI), J. Robert Kerrey (NE), John F. Kerry (MA), Herb Kohl (WI), Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ), Patrick J. Leahy (VT), Carl Levin (MI), Joseph I. Lieberman (CT), Barbara A. Mikulski (MD), Carol Moseley-Braun (IL), Patty Murray (WA), Claiborne Pell (RI), Charles S. Robb (VA), John D. Rockefeller, IV (WV), Paul S. Sarbanes (MD), Paul Simon (IL)
REPUBLICANS: (19)
Spencer Abraham (MI), John Ashcroft (MO), Hank Brown (CO), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (CO), John H. Chafee (RI), William S. Cohen (ME), Alfonse M. D'Amato (NY), Bill Frist (TN), Rod Grams (MN), Charles E. Grassley (IA), Orrin G. Hatc (UT), Nancy Landon Kassebaum (KS), Richard G. Lugar (IN), John McCain (AZ), Bob Packwood (OR), Rick Santorum (PA), Olympia J. Snowe (ME), Fred Thompson (TN), John W. Warner (VA)
House Members who have endorsed H.R. 1416
Ronald Dellums (D-CA), Vic Fazio (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Martin Frost (D-TX), Elizabeth Furse (D- OR), Henry Hyde (R-IL), Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-MA), Tom Lantos (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Martin Meehan (D- MA), Constance Morella (R-MD), Major R. Owens (D-NY), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), John Porter (R-IL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Ed Royce (R- CA), Martin Sabo (D-MN), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Bruce Vento (D-MN), Charles Wilson (D-TX), Frank R. Wolf (R- VA), Sidney Yates (D-IL)
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Message-Id: 199508230005.RAA08678@igc3.igc.apc.org
From: "Washington Office on Africa" woa@igc.apc.org
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 20:03:26 +0000
Subject: Torture Victims Bills Need Support
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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