On May 9, 2014 Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for 60 seconds regarding Boko Haram and the situation in Nigeria with the kidnapping of hundreds of young girls, some as young as 12 years of age:
Mr. Speaker, we have all heard about the horrific and evil acts occurring in the country of Nigeria. Hundreds of young girls have been kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram and are currently being held in captivity.
What did these girls do that Boko Haram considered wrong? They simply were attending school.
As the father of four daughters, I can only imagine the anguish the families of these girls are experiencing as their loved ones are threatened to be sold into slavery. The international community cannot sit idly by while these atrocities occur.
I applaud the steps taken by the administration to send resources to the Nigerian Government to aid with the search, but more can still be done. The President needs to push for Boko Haram to be added to the United Nations Security Council’s al Qaeda sanctions list to weaken their power in the region.
Mr. Speaker, whether domestically or internationally, we need to make sure that we remain vigilant against those that wish to harm and exploit young children”, said Paulsen (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov ).
Congressman Paulsen is a powerful Member on the House Committee on Ways and Means. The Committee is the chief tax writing committee and is tasked with framing the nation’s economic, health care and trade policy.