Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act Passes the U.S. Senate

The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act has finally made it through the U.S. Senate! The bill authorizes states and local governments to divest from companies that support the Khartoum government at the expense of marginalized populations and it prohibits federal contracts with those companies. Although the State Department and the Bush Administration have repeatedly voiced opposition to this bill and stalled it in the Senate multiple times, last night the Senators united and held their ground. Be sure to thank Senators Stevens and Murkowski for consenting to this bill's passage.

The bill will return to the House for consideration and then go to the President for final approval. The House passed a similar bill in July by a vote of 418-1 so the House should be no problem. (It's more a procedural mater than anything.) We'll see what President Bush does when he is asked to sign it into law.

To read more about the bill, see articles from
sudandivestment.org
savedarfur.org
ajws.org
allafrica.com
africa.reuters.com