Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15) issued the following statement on Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s comments on the “comfort women” issue at today’s Camp David press conference with President Bush:

“I am heartened that Prime Minister Abe today expressed his apologies for the suffering of ‘comfort women’. The logical extension of Mr. Abe’s remarks is now for the Government of Japan to endorse the prime minister’s personal sentiments in a formal, official and unambiguous fashion, recognizing that these women were coerced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army before and during World War II.”