I have and will continue to believe that women have
the fundamental rights to make decisions regarding their
reproductive lives, and no womans choice should be subjected to
scrutiny based on her ethnic background.
Lewis on International Human Rights Conventions
Rep. John Lewis Introduces Resolution Calling on
U.S. To Ratify International Human Rights Conventions
One of the primary goals of U.S. foreign policy
has been to promote the expansion of democracy abroad, yet there
are seven United Nations conventions and six International Labor
Organization conventions that the U.S. has never ratified. These
have been accepted by most nations, and many are already fundamental
aspects of American common law.
Lewis has introduced legislation in honor of the
celebration of Juneteenth encouraging the U.S. Senate to combat
discrimination, xenophobia, slavery, torture, racism, human and
civil rights abuses in domestic and foreign policy by ratifying key
international human and civil rights conventions. Juneteenth, June
19th, also known as Freedom Day, occurred in 1865 when slaves in
Galveston, TX finally received the news that they had been
emancipated by President Lincoln two years earlier.
As a nation who has had to suffer the stain of
human rights abuses within our own history, said Rep. Lewis, it
behooves us to adopt a standard of foreign policy which suggests we
have a commitment to insure that these kinds of abuses never happen
again on our watch."
Lee chimes in on Afghanistan
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released the
following statement regarding the Presidents pending decision on
U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, which is expected soon:
The President and his national security team are weighing a
critical decision regarding the war in Afghanistan. As the
President contemplates this decision, I urge him to hold true to his
comments that he will seriously consider a significant reduction
of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.