Congress is moving forward on an important piece of legislation, the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009 (H.R. 4128), which would improve transparency and reduce the trade in conflict minerals coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, thereby reducing human rights abuses and supporting peace and security in the DRC.
This groundbreaking bill is currently being considered by key policy makers in the House of Representatives and we need your help to ensure that as many Congressmen and Congresswomen support it as possible.
Write to your Congressman or Congresswoman today to ask them to co-sponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009.
*Language from Amnesty International (http://www.amnestyusa.org)
Please Sponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128)
Greetings,
I am writing today to urge you to co-sponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128), introduced by Congressmen Jim McDermott and Frank Wolf in November 2009. The bill seeks to improve transparency and reduce the trade in conflict minerals coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to promote the larger policy goal of supporting peace and security in the DRC.
The DRC is rich in natural resources, including large deposits of columbite-tantalite, cassiterite, wolframite and gold, which are used in everyday technology such as cell phones, laptops and digital video recorders and in jewelry. Many of the mines from which these minerals are extracted are under the control of armed groups, especially in the volatile eastern part of the country, where conflict has been ongoing for many years.
The Conflict Minerals Trade Act outlines a clear and comprehensive strategy aimed at ending the disastrous trade in conflict minerals that perpetuates the conflict in the DRC and enables gross human rights abuses. The system of audits and import declarations mandated by the bill would greatly enhance transparency and accountability for companies whose products contain mineral ores or their derivatives produced in the DRC.
This groundbreaking bill would enable the United States to take effective action to protect the rights of the people of DRC by ensuring that the trade in minerals does not perpetuate conflict. Your sponsorship on this bill would greatly help to achieve these goals.
[Your name]