Whereas the United States people have a strong relationship with the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a strong commitment to the principles of democracy and adherence to the rule of law; Whereas, in 2006, the Government of the DRC adopted a new constitution that limited the President to two consecutive five-year terms, which for President Joseph Kabila expired on December 19, 2016; Whereas President Kabila swore to uphold the constitution of the DRC as part of his oath of office; Whereas the constitutionally required elections have not yet taken place; Whereas citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo have repeatedly demanded that their constitutional right to elect a new President after two terms be upheld and that President Kabila must therefore step down; Whereas, on December 31, 2016, the National Episcopal Conference of Congolese Bishops mediated a political agreement between the ruling coalition and main opposition parties under which President Kabila is prohibited from running for a third term, constitutional changes which would extend the President’s time in office are prohibited, and elections were to be held before the end of 2017; Whereas, on March 31, 2017, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2348, which called for a swift implementation of the December 2016 political agreement, including peaceful, credible, inclusive and timely elections no later than December 2017, leading to a peaceful transition of power ; Whereas, on June 21, 2017, the United National Security Council adopted Resolution 2360, which stressed the importance of the DRC and its national partners taking all necessary steps to accelerate preparations for the elections without further delays ; Whereas, on November 5, 2017, the Congolese electoral commission released a calendar that would delay elections until at least December 23, 2018, while noting numerous constraints that could impact respect of this calendar