California Senator Dianne Feinstein signed on to the Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 (S.891) this Monday, making her the eleventh cosponsor of this important bill that seeks to ensure U.S. involvement in the mineral trade does not contribute to human rights violations and crimes against humanity in eastern Congo. Introduced by Senators Brownback (R-KS), Durbin (D-IL), and Feingold (D-WI), the bill would require all companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges, including major electronics companies, to disclose the origin of their mineral supply to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For minerals coming from Congo or neighboring countries, companies would have to disclose the precise mine of origin, thus lessening the chance that U.S. companies, and by extension, we the consumers, are financing violence in the area.
Click here to see the other co-sponsors of S.891. If your Senator isn’t already a cosponsor call the Capitol Switchboard at 202 224 -3121 and urge them to support this legislation..
Click here to read more about conflict minerals.
Photo: Senator Dianne Feinstein.