Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)

A bill co-sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VE) titled  S. 3757, The Support for Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia Act of 2010 has been introduced in the United States Senate. The bill reaffirms United States objectives in Ethiopia and encourage critical democratic and humanitarian principles and practices.  The bill needs the support of at least 50 Senators and potentially 60 Senators to overcome any potential filibusters.  Introducing an act is the first step in a long process that can at times take months if not longer to enact.  Below is an excerpt of the act.

It is the policy of the United States—
(1) to support and encourage efforts by the people and Government of — (A) to achieve a participatory multiparty democracy, an active and unhindered civil society, rule of law and accountability, judicial capacity and independence, freedom of the press, respect for human rights, and economic development; and (B) to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat extremism and terrorism in a manner consistent with international law; (2) to promote peace and stability, equal access to humanitarian assistance regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or political views, and good governance, transparency, and accountability; (3) to seek the unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in , and the repeal of laws that enable politically motivated arrests without due process; (4) to prohibit funding to any unit of the Ethiopian security forces if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights, unless the Secretary certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the Government of is taking effective measures to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice; and (5) to seek a resolution of the ongoing dispute between the Government of and the Government of Eritrea consistent with the -Eritrea Border Commission arbitration decisions on border demarcation, to press the Government of Eritrea to cease all support for armed opposition groups in and the region, and to urge both Governments to contribute constructively to stability throughout the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia. SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. It is the sense of Congress that the United States Government should— (1) build on successful diplomatic efforts that contributed to the October 2007 release of political prisoners in Addis Ababa, and press the Ethiopian government to release Birtukan Mideksa, as well as other political prisoners; (2) urge the Government of to repeal or at a minimum amend the Civil Society Proclamation, the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, and the Mass Media and Freedom of Information Proclamation in order to genuinely protect the constitutional rights and freedoms of all Ethiopian citizens; (3) press the Government of to allow human rights and humanitarian groups, as well as the media, to have unfettered access to areas of concern throughout the country; (4) encourage and assist the United Nations and other independent organizations and the media to investigate credible reports of gross violations of human rights or international humanitarian law in the Somali region of , to publish any information of serious abuse, and send consistent messages to the Government of that the continuation of such violations or impunity in this region, or more generally, has consequences for relations between the United States and ; and (5) encourage the Governments of both and Eritrea to immediately take steps to lessen tensions, physically demarcate the border in accord with the -Eritrea Border Commission decision, and promote normalization of relations between the two countries. SEC. 5. RESTRICTIONS ON ASSISTANCE. (a) Conditions.— (1) PROHIBITION OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, assistance may not be provided to the Government of unless the Secretary of State certifies annually that the Government of has taken demonstrable steps— (A) to ensure the autonomy and fundamental freedoms of civil society organizations to pursue work on civic education, democratization, good governance, accountability, human rights, and conflict resolution, without excessive government intervention or intimidation; (B) to respect the rights of and permit non-violent political parties to operate free from intimidation and harassment, including releasing opposition political leaders currently imprisoned; (C) to strengthen the independence of its judiciary, including developing the capacity of the judiciary at the national, regional, and local levels; (D) to allow Voice of America and other independent media to operate and broadcast without interference in ; (E) to promote respect for human rights and accountability within its security forces, including undertaking credible investigations into any allegations of abuse and ensuring appropriate punishment; and (F) to ensure that humanitarian and development entities, including those of the United Nations, have unfettered access to all regions of the country without prejudice to the political views of recipients. (2) WAIVER.—The prohibition included in paragraph (1) shall not apply if the Secretary of State certifies in writing to Congress that waiving such a prohibition is in the national security interest of the United States. (b) Exceptions.—The prohibitions in paragraph (1) shall not apply to— (1) health and HIV/AIDS assistance; (2) humanitarian assistance; or (3) emergency food aid. (c) Report.—Not later than 120 days after exercising a waiver pursuant to subsection (a)(2), and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees assessing progress made by the Government of..

The rest of the act can be viewed by clicking here