Washington, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued a statement supporting the administration’s decision to impose sanctions against an individual who has contributed to the ongoing political crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The announcement comes after Chairman Royce joined members of the committee in introducing bipartisan legislation (H. Res. 780), led by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), urging President Obama to sanction individuals who undermine the DRC constitution or impede a peaceful democratic transition.

Chairman Royce said: “I’m glad the administration is heeding our call to sanction DRC officials responsible for deadly crackdowns on peaceful activists and political opposition.  Congolese citizens want free, fair, and timely elections.  That’s why I joined my colleagues in introducing legislation that both urges the Kabila government to respect the DRC Constitution, and calls on the Obama administration to impose sanctions on Congolese officials undermining the democratic process.  Today’s action is an encouraging first step.”

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