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The House and Senate have both passed the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (S.1158). Now it goes to the president’s desk to become law.

In this politicized environment, it is not often that Democrats and Republicans in Congress agree. But a worsening refugee crisis, rising humanitarian need, and seemingly endless wars have produced a rare consensus on Capitol Hill.

On December 21, the House of Representatives chose to make preventing atrocities a bipartisan priority by passing the final version of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act (S.1158) in an overwhelming 367 to 4 vote. Since the Senate unanimously passed the same measure last week, the bill now heads to the president to be signed into law.

These historic votes show the power of grassroots involvement. Your letters, phone calls, and advocacy have made progress towards a safer and more peaceful world possible.

This peacebuilding bill was supported by the hard work of FCNL staff, Friends, and other advocates over the last six years. As a faith community, FCNL and its partners know that the best way to end war and prevent human suffering is to address conflicts before they turn violent.

One final step remains. We call upon President Trump to sign the Elie Wiesel Act into law, joining Congress in this bipartisan effort to make “never again” a reality.

Ben Rowles

Ben Rowles

Program Assistant, Peacebuilding

Ben Rowles served as FCNL’s Program Assistant for peacebuilding in 2018-2019. In that capacity he supported FCNL’s lobbying efforts to change U.S. foreign policy from one that is overly militarized to one that prevents, mitigates, and transforms violent conflict.