Clarification Regarding Bipartisan CODEL to Sudan, Egypt

Delegation Led by Majority Leader Traveledto Region to Bring Attention and Action to Crisis in Darfur

Washington -Communications Director to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Stacey Bernards, issuedthe following statement today regarding a misleading wire report that Mr. Hoyermet with a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt:

"Mr. Hoyer led a bipartisan delegation to Sudanand Egypt this past week tobring attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and to ask the Egyptiangovernment to take a leading role in helping the people of Darfur. The delegation included 11 members of Congress, including Rep. IleanaRos-Lehtinen, the Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"On Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Egypt asked the delegation toparticipate in a meeting that day that the embassy had arranged with theSpeaker of the Egyptian Parliament. The delegation expected to meetone-on-one with the Speaker, however, the Speaker had invited about a dozenmembers of the Parliament, including Mohammad Saad al-Katatni. Thedelegation discussed various issues with the members of Parliament, but thefocus was the crisis in Darfur .

"The delegation was also invited by the Ambassador to his home to areception with about 200 people, including Members of Parliament, members ofvarious political parties and civil society groups, such as the AmericanChamber of Commerce in Egypt. Mr. Hoyer spoke briefly with Mohammad Saad al-Katatni at the reception, as hedid with the other guests in attendance.

"However, thebipartisan delegation, including Mr. Hoyer, did not have personal meetings withMohammad Saad al-Katatni."