Congressional Black Caucus
"The Conscience of Congress since 1969"
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(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC) will deliver the weekly CBC “Message to America” radio address this Saturday, March 4, 2006.  Congressman Clyburn details his recent trip to five African nations, including Liberia and the Darfur region of Sudan.

The CBC “Message to America” is distributed nationwide to the American Urban Radio Network’s (AURN) affiliate stations.
 
            WHO:            U.S. Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC)
            WHEN:          Saturday, March 4, 2006; 12:06 p.m. EST
            WHERE:        American Urban Radio Network Affiliate Stations
 
Congressman Clyburn is expected to deliver the following remarks:

“Hello, this is U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District and Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.  I am pleased to bring you this week’s CBC Message to America.
 
“I recently returned from a trip with 10 of my colleagues to five African nations, including Liberia and the Darfur region of Sudan.
 
“The main purposes of our visit were to see firsthand the horrific conditions in Darfur, to assess the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and to consult with heads of state in the region about the crisis, which the United States has characterized as genocide.
 
“We are convinced that action must be taken quickly to bring security and hope to Darfur.  The African Union military force is doing a great job.  However, as President Bush has said, ‘to secure and stabilize Darfur, the African Union force must be doubled and international organizations like the U.N. and NATO should play a coordinating role.’
 
“As the world responds to the suffering in Darfur, the Sudanese government must live up to its responsibilities to bring about a true cease-fire that protects civilians.  The needs of the people of Darfur must be addressed, and the government of Sudan cannot be allowed to continue to shirk its responsibility to protect its people and provide for their needs.
 
“We all went to Darfur with a sense of deep concern and we all left with a sense of outrage and urgency.  We are committed to working with President Bush to make sure the world community responds effectively and efficiently to end the genocide in Darfur.
 
“Liberia was the bright spot of our trip, and in many ways reminded me of a young America.  In fact, their flag is modeled very closely on ours and its capital city, Monrovia, honors our nation’s fifth president, James Monroe.  It's a nation on the path of rebuilding after civil unrest, with fifteen and sixteen-year-olds who are four-year veterans of war. 

“But with a spark of hope, the people of Liberia have elected the first female head-of-state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a woman they call the “Iron Lady.”   We are emboldened by the recent successful democratic elections, but our job is not done. 
 
“The Congressional Black Caucus has outlined a series of initiatives to maintain our support for the nations of Africa. 

“We have an obligation, not just as people of color but as Americans, to assist the people of Africa in working to end genocide, improve their countries and make a change.  Democrats are the party of change and we will lead the way.  Together, we can do better.

“This has been Jim Clyburn, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.”

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