[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 362 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 362

 Congratulating Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller for becoming the 
 first democratically-elected female Prime Minister of Jamaica and the 
                      first female head of state.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2006

Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Congratulating Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller for becoming the 
 first democratically-elected female Prime Minister of Jamaica and the 
                      first female head of state.

Whereas Portia Simpson-Miller won the 2006 parliamentarian election in Jamaica, 
        becoming the first female Prime Minister in the history of the nation;
Whereas on February 25, 2006, Portia Simpson-Miller was elected President of the 
        People's National Party and Prime Minister designate;
Whereas in the People's National Party internal vote, she received 1,775 votes, 
        while her nearest rival, national security minister Dr. Peter Phillips, 
        took 1,538 votes;
Whereas Ms. Simpson-Miller had been the Minister of Local Government and Sport 
        since October 2002;
Whereas she previously served as Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sports from 
        1989 to 1993, when she first entered parliament for South West St. 
        Andrew, then served as Minister of Labour and Welfare from 1993 to 1995, 
        Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sports from 1995 to February 
        2000, and Minister of Tourisms and Sports from February 2000 to October 
        2002;
Whereas she served as a Vice President of the People's National Party since 
        1978;
Whereas Ms. Simpson-Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts in public administration 
        from the Union Institute, and has since been awarded an Honorary 
        Doctorate of Humane Letters by the Union Institute;
Whereas 70 percent of Jamaican university students are female, and in law 
        schools, the percentage is between 80 and 90;
Whereas women in Jamaica have traditionally made up close to 50 percent of the 
        labor force and, over the past two decades, have increasingly moved into 
        many of the senior and middle-management positions across society;
Whereas there are still few women in the highest positions, particularly in the 
        male-dominated area of politics; and
Whereas Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller will take office on March 30, 2006: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) congratulates Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller for 
        becoming the first democratically-elected female Prime Minister 
        of Jamaica and the first female Jamaican head of state; and
            (2) commends the people of Jamaica for this benchmark for 
        women, for democracy, and for a diverse and prosperous nation, 
        and encourages further progress by Jamaican women to be strong, 
        successful leaders and policymakers.
                                 <all>