下院慰安婦謝罪決議案通過のニュース
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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF JULY 30, 2007
110TH CONGRESS - FIRST SESSION
http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html
2:40 P.M. -
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 121.
Considered under suspension of the rules.Mr. Lantos moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended
3:13 P.M. -
Mr. Lantos moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.
H. Res. 121:
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of Japan should formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Force's coercion of young women into sexual slavery, known to the world as "comfort women", during its colonial and wartime occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands from the 1930s through the duration of World War II
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
Suspension of the Rules is a special procedure used to speed up action by setting aside the regular rules.
Bills brought up under this process are debated for 40 minutes, may not be amended and require a 2/3 vote.
Pelosi Statement on 'Comfort Women' Resolution
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-30-2007/0004635543&EDATE=
WASHINGTON, July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today upon the passage of H.Res. 121, a resolution calling on the Japanese government to formally acknowledge and apologize for its Imperial Armed Forces' coercion of young women, known as "comfort women," into sexual slavery during its occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands during the World War II era:
"Today, the House of Representatives made a strong statement in support of human rights by calling on the Japanese government to formally acknowledge and apologize for their forced coercion of women into sexual slavery during World War II.
"More than 200,000 women were subject to inhumane treatment at the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army. Ironically called 'comfort women,' these women were deceived, kidnapped, and beaten to perform sexual acts against their will.
"More than 50 years later, the Japanese government has still not issued a clear apology to the 'comfort women.' This is disappointing because Japan is a critical ally of the United States and a leading international voice on issues such as global warming and assistance to the poorest people in the world. Yet in this case, the Japanese government should do more to
recognize these injustices.
"Although the violence against the 'comfort women' occurred many years ago, their wounds have yet to heal. Only a few hundred of these brave women are still alive. They continue to tell their stories today, so future generations will not repeat the mistakes of the past.
"Today's vote sends a strong signal that Congress will stand with the 'comfort women' in their struggle for truth and recognition."
SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House
House passes ‘comfort women’ resolution By Roxana Tiron July 30, 2007
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/house-passes-comfort-women-resolution-2007-07-30.html
Despite growing concerns that U.S. relations to Japan could be harmed, the House on Monday passed by voice vote a resolution that calls on Japan to acknowledge and apologize formally for sexually enslaving women leading up to and during World War II.
Monday’s vote is the culmination of a months-long grassroots lobbying campaign by the Korean-American community, which pressed to see the resolution passed in the House.
The vote came a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suffered a devastating defeat in the election for the upper house of Parliament. According to several sources, House leaders wanted to wait until after the election so as not to create the perception that Congress was looking to influence the elections.
Japan has been lobbying hard to prevent the resolution from being adopted, insisting that it has already apologized to the so-called comfort women.
Speaking on the House floor on Monday, members from both parties made sure to stress the strong relationship between the United States and Japan.
Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called that relationship the “bedrock of stability” in East Asia, but added that Japan’s unwillingness to apologize for its human-rights violation during the Second World War is “disturbing” to those who value the relationship between the two countries.
Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) called the resolution “long overdue,” while Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) acknowledged that Japan has been a strong ally to the United States on many issues, including non-proliferation.
During its occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands between the 1930s and the end of World War II, Japan used as many as 200,000 young women from Korea, China, the Philippines and, in some cases, Western Europe for sexual servitude in a program designed to increase the efficiency and morale of Japanese soldiers. The women were subjected to beatings, sexual violence and torture.
According to material provided by the Japanese Embassy, the Japanese government has extended official apologies on several occasions. One came in 1994 from then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama during the 50-year commemoration of the war’s end.
Outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent personal letters to former comfort women to convey Japan’s remorse, according to the embassy.
According to the Congressional Research Service, South Korea adopted national legislation to prevent former Korean comfort women from accepting payments offered by the Asian Women’s Fund.
The fund was established in 1995 to raise awareness of the issue and prevent such abuses, but supporters of the House resolution note that the fund is private. Tokyo argues that the fund was established with cooperation from the government and the Japanese people, and that the government contributed funds for the organization’s operating costs as well as its medical welfare support projects.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who expressed reservations about the effect the resolution will have on the relationship between the U.S. and Japan during the markup of the resolution in the Foreign Affairs panel, sponsored a resolution emphasizing the good relationship between Japan and the United States. That resolution will be marked up in the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
火曜日（2007年7月31日）に下院外交委員会で審議される、日本感謝決議案
＊マイク・ホンダ議員も共同提案者の一人
H.RES.508
Title: Recognizing the strong security alliance between the Government of Japan and the United States and expressing appreciation to Japan for its role in enhancing stability in the Asia-Pacific region and its efforts in the global war against terrorism.
Sponsor: Rep Saxton, Jim [NJ-3] (introduced 6/21/2007) Cosponsors (35)
