{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-joins-durbin-boozman-and-others-in-pressing-president-trump-on-decision-to-continue-providing-assistance-to-countries-that-use-child-soldiers", "Leahy Joins Durbin, Boozman And Others In Pressing President Trump On Decision To Continue Providing Assistance To Countries That Use Child Soldiers", "2018-10-12", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.12.18\n\t\t\t Leahy Joins Durbin, Boozman And Others In Pressing President Trump On Decision To Continue Providing Assistance To Countries That Use Child Soldiers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Still today, there are estimated tens of thousands of children fighting in active conflicts around the world\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, Oct. 12, 2018)  Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is among the senators who Friday pressed President Trump for information regarding his recent decision to invoke troublingly broad waivers for continued United States military assistance to countries that use child soldiers  assistance prohibited under the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008, which was originally introduced by Durbin and former-Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS).\r\nThe letter was sent by Leahy and Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Boozman (R-AR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).\r\nThe Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008 bans the U.S. from providing military assistance or arms sales to governments that use children in combat, but the president may waive the application of the law for specific countries if it is deemed to be in the national interest. In his September 28, 2018, memorandum, President Trump waived Iraq, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.\r\nWhile we recognize there are challenging and important security interests in many of these nations, the United States and its allies should be doing everything possible to end military support for governments that engage in the abhorrent practice of using child soldiers and to also help reintegrate such children back into their families and society. Using sweeping waivers to continue such assistance undermines such efforts and the spirit of the law, the senators wrote.\r\nFull text of the letter is available here and below:\r\nOctober 12, 2018\r\nDear President Trump:\r\nWe write to request greater clarification on your decision to invoke a waiver for continued United States military assistance to countries that use child soldiersassistance prohibited under the Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-457). This law was amended in 2013 (Public Law 113-4) to include similar restrictions on U.S. funding for international peacekeeping missions.\r\nWe helped draft the original Child Soldier Prevention Act out of concern that the use of child soldiers around the world remains far too common. Still today, there are estimated tens of thousands of children fighting in active conflicts around the world.\r\nThese young boys and girls fight on front lines of combat, serve as human mine detectors, participate in suicide missions, carry supplies, and act as spies, messengers, lookouts, and sex slavesendangering their health and their lives. They are stigmatized and traumatized by their experiences and left with neither family connections nor skills to allow them to transition successfully into productive adult lives. Not only are they robbed of their childhoods, but the lasting effects remain with them for years if not entire lifetimes.\r\nWhile we recognize there are challenging and important security interests in many of these nations, the United States and its allies should be doing everything possible to end military support for governments that engage in the abhorrent practice of using child soldiers and to also help reintegrate such children back into their families and society. Using sweeping waivers to continue such assistance undermines such efforts and the spirit of the law.\r\nSincerely,\r\ncc: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo\r\n# # # # #\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-joins-durbin-boozman-and-others-in-pressing-president-trump-on-decision-to-continue-providing-assistance-to-countries-that-use-child-soldiers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6777110286056995, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}