Washington,
April 23, 2009
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Ashley Tanks
(770-210-5073)
Congressman David Scott (D-GA) completed a week-long Congressional visit to volatile regions in Africa, including Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Yemen. During the trip, Congressman Scott and four other members of the U.S. House meet with world leaders to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation.
Throughout the trip, the delegation was escorted by a NAVY Seal team through local neighborhoods. They also had to travel through the region by military aircraft in order to navigate impassable roads. While in the Congo, Congressman Scott met with UNICEF officials and visited a local health clinic to witness the facilities and humanitarian aid first hand.
“Many of the people living in these areas are suffering through abject poverty and deprivation,” stated Rep. Scott. “Their living conditions are awful, there’s a scarcity of jobs, and many people see little hope for surviving their circumstances. With a growing presence of Al-Qaeda in areas like Yemen, we must ensure that the humanitarian aid is reaching the ‘people’ if we are to have any hope of stabilize the region.”
Congressman Scott is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade. Also, Congressman Scott has been a Co-Chair of the Democratic Study Group on National Security since his first term.
