Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220328

A28 U.S. NEWS
Dialuna 28 Maart 2022

US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska announces resignation

(AP) — Republican U.S. “Working together, we will
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of keep this seat in Republican
Nebraska on Saturday re- hands,” Flood said, promis-
signed from office after a ing to “continue the fight for
California jury convicted our families, our economy
him of lying to federal au- and our conservative values
thorities about an illegal in Congress.”
campaign donation from
a foreign national. Pansing Brooks said Forten-
berry’s conviction is a “wake-
In a letter to the House, up call” that the district needs
Fortenberry said he was re- a change.
signing from Congress, ef-
fective March 31. In a statement Saturday,
Pansing Brooks said “This
“It has been my honor to opens the door for a new
serve with you in the United approach to serving (the 1st
States House of Representa- Congressional District). I am
tives,” he said in the letter. ready and able to meet that
“Due to the difficulties of my challenge and lead with in-
current circumstances, I can tegrity.”
no longer effectively serve.”
The timing of Fortenber-
Fortenberry’s resignation let- ry’s resignation is expected
ter opened with a poem, “Do to trigger a special election.
It Anyway,” that’s associated Nebraska Republican Gov. ington, D.C. speaker of the Nebraska Leg- Governors aren’t able to ap-
with fellow Catholic Moth- Pete Ricketts said Fortenber- islature, who has won en- point a person to the seat.
er Teresa. One line from ry should “do the right thing At trial, prosecutors pre- dorsements from Ricketts
the poem says “What you for his constituents” and sented recorded phone con- and former Gov. Dave Heine- Under Nebraska state law,
spend years building, some- leave the office he has held versations in which Forten- man, has a strong advantage the governor has to schedule
one could destroy overnight. since 2005. berry was repeatedly warned in the Republican-leaning 1st a special election within 90
Build anyway.” that the contributions came Congressional District. State days once a congressional seat
Fortenberry was indicted in from Gilbert Chagoury, a Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, a becomes vacant. Each politi-
Fortenberry’s announcement October after authorities said Nigerian billionaire of Leba- Democrat from Lincoln, is cal party gets to pick a nomi-
followed concerted pressure he lied to FBI agents in two nese descent. The donations also running for the seat. nee who will run to serve the
from political leaders in Ne- separate interviews about were funneled through three remainder of the congressio-
braska and Washington for his knowledge of an illegal strawmen at a 2016 fundrais- In a statement from his cam- nal member’s term.
him to step down. House $30,000 contribution from er in Los Angeles. paign, Flood thanked Forten-
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and his campaign from a foreign berry for “his many years Flood and Pansing Brooks
House Minority Leader Kev- billionaire. Fortenberry was Fortenberry’s withdrawal of honorable service” and will both run in the special
in McCarthy on Friday urged interviewed at his home in from the primary leaves state wished him and his family election to fill the seat and
Fortenberry to resign. Lincoln, and then again with Sen. Mike Flood as the likely the best. run in November so they can
his lawyers present in Wash- GOP nominee. The former serve the subsequent term.

US-backed group gets lifesaving meds to Ukrainians amid war

(AP) — Thousands of pa- Officials say the quiet work It has received millions of medications via postal and cations, Klepikov said. “It’s
tients in Ukraine are re- of the Alliance for Public dollars from the U.S. Agency parcel services. For refugees more than five thousand.”
ceiving lifesaving medi- Health shows how Ameri- for International Develop- who have left the country,
cines to treat HIV and can assistance is reaching ment as well as the Centers caseworkers are making con- The group’s fleet of medical
opioid addiction through individuals in the besieged for Disease Control and Pre- nections with aid groups that vans has been pressed into
a U.S.-funded group still nation, on a different wave- vention, and other federal can restock medications. In service to transport injured
operating despite the Rus- length from U.S. diplomatic programs to counter HIV places under attack but still civilians to hospitals that can
sian invasion. Supplies are and military support for the globally. in Ukrainian control, medi- treat complex cases, and to
running short and making Ukrainian government. cal vans are bringing in sup- deliver essential supplies for
deliveries is a complicated Executive director Andriy plies via convoys. The group daily living.
calculus with unpredict- The Ukraine-based humani- Klepikov said shutting down has even been able to get
able risks. tarian organization has oper- was not an option during the some deliveries into Russian- U.S. officials say they have
ated for more than 20 years. invasion. Ukraine has one of controlled areas, with the been impressed with the at-
the most serious HIV epi- help of intermediaries. It also titude of the Ukrainians,
demics in Western Europe, is distributing medicines for which evokes the tenacity of
and patients need their medi- tuberculosis. Asked how long Britons during the London
cations daily. it can keep going, Klepikov Blitz in World War II.
responded:
He said his group made a “We Ukrainians are quite re- “Going into the war, I think
“risk management plan” to silient. I am not the best sol- we assumed the services
continue its work if fight- dier. But in the area of medi- would probably not be work-
ing broke out. But it did not cine, humanitarian work, ing anymore, and we com-
envision the scale of the on- public health, human rights pletely understood,” said
slaught unleashed by Russian __ that’s my area, and I will Ryan Keating, a CDC epide-
forces, and that has forced do the maximum possible.” miologist overseeing AIDS
the group to adapt. He was interviewed by tele- prevention and treatment as-
phone several times recently. sistance for Ukraine. But “in
In areas of Ukraine that have most cases throughout the
escaped the worst, the orga- “We are still serving thou- country our partners have
nization is still able to deliver sands of people” with medi- continued to work every day.”