Bipartisan Group of 120 Lawmakers Call on President Obama to Keep Sudan Humanitarian Crisis a High Priority

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Today a bipartisan group of 120 members of Congress is calling on President Obama to re-prioritize peace, accountability and protection of civilians in Sudan during his final year in office. The bipartisan letter is led by Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Joseph Pitts (R-PA), co-chairs of a bipartisan Congressional human rights commission, and the co-chairs of the bipartisan Sudan and…

Members of Congress Urge Secretary Kerry to Push for Investigation of Murder of Honduran Human Rights Defender Berta Cceres

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Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) – co-chair of a bipartisan Congressional human rights commission – and Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) are joined by 55 Members of Congress in calling for the involvement of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in the investigation into the March 3, 2016 killing…

McGovern Statement on Pentagon Response to U.S. Airstrike on Afghanistan Hospital

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Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat and leading voice on human rights, released the following statement in response to the announcement that the Defense Department has disciplined 16 service members for mistakes that led to the October 2015 U.S. airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. The bombing killed 42 and injured 43, including…

With President Obama in Saudi Arabia Today, Bipartisan Group of House Lawmakers Calls for President to Meet Human Rights Groups

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As President Obama visits Saudi Arabia today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) – a leading voice in Congress on human rights – joined Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA) in leading a bipartisan letter with 17 House lawmakers calling for President Obama to meet with representatives of civil society and human rights advocates, including those who may be currently in prison or their…

As President Obama Visits Saudi Arabia, McGovern Calls for Release of Human Rights Prisoner Raif Badawi

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As President Obama visits Saudi Arabia this week, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) – a leading voice in Congress on human rights – spoke on the House floor to call for the release of  Saudi Arabian blogger, Raif Badawi. Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for his liberal writings and support for secularism. His wife and children, fearing for their…

McGovern Applauds President Obamas Planned Trip to Cuba

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In response to today’s White House announcement that President Obama will travel to Cuba next month, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a leading champion for modernizing U.S.-Cuba relations, released the following statement. “President Obama’s announcement that he will travel to Cuba next month marks another strong step forward in U.S.-Cuba relations,” Congressman…

Ahead of President Obamas Meeting with Colombian President, McGovern Leads Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Urging Support for Peace Process

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Ahead of this week’s White House meeting between President Obama and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, a bipartisan group of 57 House lawmakers called on President Obama today to support the Colombian peace process. In today’s letter, led by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat and co-chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the…

McGovern Applauds State Department Announcement of New Names Added to Magnitsky Human Rights List

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Today the U.S. Department of State announced that five people have been added to the list of those sanctioned under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. Four of the individuals in question are linked to the Magnitsky case, while the fifth was sanctioned for the torture and death of a Chechen human rights activist. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat,…

McGovern, Gallego Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting the Peace Process in Colombia

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Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat and leading voice in Congress for human rights, joined Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and three other House lawmakers in introducing a bipartisan resolution in support of the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The resolution recognizes the importance…

McGovern Leads House Democrats in Debate on House GOP Syrian Refugee Bill

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Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), the second-highest ranking Democrat on the House Rules Committee, led the floor debate for House Democrats on H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act or American SAFE Act. Click here for video of the full video of the floor speech. McGovern called out the House Republican bill as a dangerous step backward that does nothing to…