comfort women resolution reaches foreign affairs committee

The ongoing months-long grassroots lobbying campaign over the 'comfort women' issue will culminate next week when the House Foreign Affairs Committee takes up a resolution calling on Japan to acknowledge formally and accept responsibility for sexually enslaving women during World War II: 'Comfort Women' resolution to reach Foreign Affairs panel. In a weird twist, the campaign's recent victory comes partly because a group of Japanese politicians and academics last week took out an ad in The Washington Post saying there is no proof women were forced into sexual enslavement: Japan Lawmakers Take Out U.S. Ad on Comfort Women. It appears to have had the opposite of it intended effect. Thanks to this ridiculous ad, there's apparently now more support for the resolution than ever.

According to Rep. Michael Honda, who authored the resolution, HR 121 is likely to be put to a vote at the full House of Representatives possibly in mid-July. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has decided to put the resolution to a vote on June 26. With support from 140 House legislators—both Republicans and Democrats—the resolution is expected to pass. To learn more about HR 121, as well as information about World War II "comfort stations," visit Support121.org.