[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 455 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 455

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of 
 establishing a program to foster private investment by the people of 
the United States in Iraqi schools and hospitals through adopt-a-school 
                   and adopt-a-hospital initiatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 19, 2003

   Mr. Murphy (for himself, Mr. Kolbe, Mr. Cantor, Mr. Gerlach, Mr. 
 Shuster, Mr. Pearce, Mr. Latham, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Weldon of Florida, 
Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Taylor of North Carolina, Ms. Harris, and Mr. Kennedy 
of Rhode Island) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
              to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of 
 establishing a program to foster private investment by the people of 
the United States in Iraqi schools and hospitals through adopt-a-school 
                   and adopt-a-hospital initiatives.

Whereas throughout history, the people of the United States have reached out to 
        those in need and shown compassion for the people of nations in need 
        through the private donation of time, money, and supplies;
Whereas facilitating involvement by communities in the United States in the 
        reconstruction of Iraq's education and health systems will foster 
        greater cultural understanding between the people of the United States 
        and the people of Iraq;
Whereas establishing school-to-school and hospital-to-hospital partnerships 
        between Iraq and the United States will increase awareness in the United 
        States of the improving situation in Iraq;
Whereas fostering private investment in the reconstruction of Iraq will directly 
        promote the principles of peace, freedom, and democracy in Iraq;
Whereas there is widespread lack of access to formal education for large sectors 
        of the Iraqi population;
Whereas only 47 percent of Iraqi men and 29 percent of Iraqi women attended 
        secondary school under the Hussein regime;
Whereas widespread neglect by the Hussein regime has resulted in Iraqi schools 
        in utter disrepair, in many instances lacking plumbing, wiring, 
        lighting, desks, windows, and doors;
Whereas despite the rehabilitation of 1,700 schools this year, over 10,000 
        schools in Iraq are still in need of repair;
Whereas educational materials for Iraqi children are outdated and in short 
        supply;
Whereas improving the quality of and access to primary and secondary education 
        is essential for a successful and free Iraq;
Whereas over the last decade, health indicators in central and southern Iraq 
        have fallen to levels recorded in the least developed nations;
Whereas between 1990 and 2000, infant, child, and maternal mortality rates in 
        Iraq doubled;
Whereas almost \1/3\ of children in central and southern Iraq suffer from 
        malnutrition;
Whereas widespread neglect by the Hussein regime has resulted in a 90 percent 
        reduction in funding for the Iraqi health care system;
Whereas inadequate and antiquated medical equipment and training materials, 
        sometimes 40 years old, risks the lives of Iraqis daily;
Whereas only \1/3\ of Iraqi health care facilities offer emergency obstetric 
        services;
Whereas 60 percent of foreign assistance by the United States to developing 
        nations comes from private donation;
Whereas despite the recent economic downturn, private investment continues to 
        far exceed United States Government investment to developing countries; 
        and
Whereas there is currently no coordinated effort which allows private 
        individuals in the United States to support the Iraqi people at the 
        local level: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Coalition Provisional Authority, in coordination with the 
Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United States 
Agency for International Development, should establish a program to 
foster private assistance by the people of the United States to Iraqi 
schools and hospitals through adopt-a-school and adopt-a-hospital 
initiatives, whereby--
            (1) mechanisms are created to establish an inventory of 
        specific material and financial educational needs; those 
        educational needs are made known to schools, education 
        professionals, and students in the United States; avenues are 
        established for the donation, collection, and transfer of 
        supplies and funds directly to Iraqi schools; online peer-to-
        peer consultation between education professionals in Iraq and 
        the United States is established; and student-to-student 
        communication is instituted; and
            (2) mechanisms are created to establish an inventory of 
        specific material and financial medical needs, including 
        medical equipment and supplies; those medical needs are made 
        known to hospitals and health care professionals in the United 
        States; avenues are established for the donation, collection, 
        and transfer of supplies and funds directly to Iraqi hospitals; 
        and online peer-to-peer consultation between health care 
        professionals in Iraq and the United States is established.
                                 <all>