Senate Approves Leahy Amendment
To Name Iraqi War Victims Fund
For Slain Aid Worker Marla Ruzicka

WASHINGTON (Thursday, April 21) – The U.S. Senate Wednesday approved legislation offered by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to name the Iraqi war victims program that she helped inspire for Marla Ruzicka, who was killed by a car bomb in Baghdad on April 15.

Leahy offered the amendment, to name the program the "Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund," to the Iraq Supplemental Appropriations Bill, which the Senate approved on Thursday afternoon, 99 to 0.  The bill now goes to conference with the House. 

The program to be named for her was a collaboration between Ruzicka and Leahy, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs.  Ruzicka visited with Leahy in 2003 to propose the initiative.  Leahy subsequently negotiated the outlines of the program with the Defense and State Departments and then introduced and won enactment of the legislation that chartered the unprecedented aid program for war victims, first in Afghanistan, and later in Iraq.  These programs help the innocent victims of war in both countries in a variety of ways, ranging from medical needs to home and school construction.

Ruzicka devoted her life to facilitating the relief effort by traveling widely through both countries to document the needs of innocent war victims.  Nearly $20 million has been used for this effort in Afghanistan and Iraq since enactment of the Leahy measure in 2003, and another $10 million was recently allocated to replenish the fund to continue its work, for a total of nearly $30 million to date.

“Marla’s vision, her commitment and her incredible energy and kindness have eased the suffering of many and inspired many others,” said Leahy.  “The most important thing we can do now is to make sure that her work lives on, now that she has left us.  This is a fitting tribute to her, and it’s a reminder to us of her courageous and selfless example.”

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