Rev. Danny Fisher

In a recent post, I urged readers to sign a petition sponsored by the Save Darfur Coalition that asked Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), chair of the Senate Banking Committee, to make sure that the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act (S. 831) came to the Senate floor for a vote without further delay.

I’m very pleased to report that Sen. Dodd has heard the collective request of Darfur activists. In an email today from the Save Darfur Coaltion, Colleen Connors writes:

Late last week, Senator Dodd announced he was seeking an accelerated vote on the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act, a bill that would help end the crisis in Darfur by empowering states to divest their pension funds from companies that help fund the genocide. The legislation had been held up for more than two months, until nearly 50,000 activists…took the time to email Senator Dodd to ask him to speed up the process!

This is great news, but there is still work to be done.

One thing that you can do is write a thank you note to Sen. Dodd that also asks him to take similar action on S. 1563. A form letter you can add your name to explains:

Just as you acted swiftly to move S. 831 to the floor, I hope you’ll also consider acting on a second bill in your committee, S. 1563, which would authorize additional funds for enforcement of the President’s newly announced “Plan B” sanctions, increase penalties for those who violate sanctions, and improve transparency of transactions linked to the Sudanese oil industry, amongst other provisions.

S. 1563 is a solid piece of legislation, and one that could be made stronger still if you and other committee members work to broaden the companies mentioned in this bill to include those targeted by recent state divestment legislation but not listed on the New York stock exchange. That accomplished, this bill should likewise be discharged by your committee and sent to the floor for a swift vote.

To send your thank you note/request to Sen. Dodd, just follow this link.