[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 469 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 469

    Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding 
   assistance to Mexico to combat wildfires, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 1998

    Mr. Hall of Texas (for himself, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. 
 Bentsen, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Filner, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mr. Archer, Mr. 
    Rohrabacher, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. 
McGovern, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Kolbe, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Barton of Texas, Mr. 
 Sandlin, Mr. Frost, Mr. Skeen, Mr. Manton, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Redmond, 
   Mr. Armey, Mr. Stenholm, and Mr. Turner) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding 
   assistance to Mexico to combat wildfires, and for other purposes.

Whereas fires in Mexico and Central America have burned over 1,000,000 acres in 
        recent weeks;
Whereas the severe drought causing the fires shows no signs of ending;
Whereas smoke from these fires has spread to the United States, and the 
        pollution caused by the smoke will likely lead to an increased incidence 
        of respiratory health problems;
Whereas the United States has a Cooperative Fire Suppression Agreement with 
        Canada to address the issue of fires occurring along the border between 
        the two countries;
Whereas in the past fires starting in Mexico have grown out of control and have 
        spread into the United States; and
Whereas both the United States Forest Service and the Mexican Forest Service 
        have expressed an interest in having a cooperative fire suppression 
        agreement between the United States and Mexico: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING ASSISTANCE TO MEXICO TO COMBAT 
              WILDFIRES.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the President 
of the United States should provide, from funds available for such 
purposes, the necessary assistance to Mexico, including disaster relief 
assistance, to extinguish the wildfires currently burning in Mexico and 
Central America.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING A COOPERATIVE FIRE SUPPRESSION 
              AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO.

    It is further the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
United States should initiate negotiations with Mexico at the earliest 
date possible in order to come to a mutually beneficial agreement as 
soon as possible addressing the concerns of both countries in 
suppressing fires occurring along the border between the two countries.
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