[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 727 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 727

   Congratulating Prime Minister-designate Portia Simpson Miller for 
     becoming the first female Prime Minister-designate of Jamaica.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2006

 Ms. Waters (for herself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Payne, Ms. Lee, Mr. Brown of 
    Ohio, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Crowley, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. 
Grijalva, Mr. Owens, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms. Watson, Mr. Meek 
 of Florida, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Sherman, Ms. 
Velazquez, Mr. Honda, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Baca, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. 
     Reyes, Ms. Solis, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Woolsey, Mrs. 
  Napolitano, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Costa, Mr. Mollohan, Mr. 
  Cleaver, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Kucinich, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Farr, Mr. 
 Nadler, and Ms. Carson) submitted the following resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Congratulating Prime Minister-designate Portia Simpson Miller for 
     becoming the first female Prime Minister-designate of Jamaica.

Whereas on February 25, 2006, Portia Lucretia Simpson Miller was elected by a 
        plurality of votes to the post of President of the People's National 
        Party in Jamaica, the first woman to be elected to that post in the 
        party's sixty-eight year history;
Whereas Mrs. Simpson Miller will make history by being sworn in as the first 
        female Prime Minister of Jamaica;
Whereas Mrs. Simpson Miller states that her achievements prove that ``in 
        Jamaica, any little boy or girl, from any walk of life, can become Prime 
        Minister of the country'';
Whereas, in 1970, Mrs. Simpson Miller was appointed Parliamentary Secretary in 
        the Ministry of Local Government and in the Office of the Prime 
        Minister;
Whereas, in 1989, Mrs. Simpson Miller was appointed as the Minister of Labour, 
        Welfare, and Sport by former Prime Minister Michael Manley;
Whereas Mrs. Simpson Miller has served in various posts in Prime Minister 
        Percival J. ``P.J.'' Patterson's cabinet since 1992, and prior to being 
        appointed President of the People's National Party served as Minister 
        for Local Government, Community Development and Sport;
Whereas Mrs. Simpson Miller considers herself an advocate for the poor, the 
        dispossessed, and the oppressed;
Whereas Mrs. Simpson Miller participated in the first Eleanor Roosevelt Caucus 
        of Women Political Leaders and the Women in Leadership Conference at 
        Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government;
Whereas Jamaica is an English-speaking Caribbean nation with a population of 
        approximately 2.7 million, has a stable parliamentarian democracy, and 
        is a middle-income developing country;
Whereas United States relations with Jamaica are close and characterized by 
        significant bilateral economic efforts on issues such as the reduction 
        of drug trafficking, hurricane reconstruction, and combating the AIDS 
        epidemic;
Whereas approximately 10,000 Americans, many with dual citizenship, live in 
        Jamaica and over 700,000 American tourists visited Jamaica in 2005, 
        accounting for over 70 percent of Jamaica's tourist arrivals;
Whereas the election of the Honorable Portia Simpson Miller represents a proud 
        moment, not only for women of Jamaica, but for women across the world; 
        and
Whereas it has been said about Mrs. Simpson Miller that ``while the nation 
        sleeps, she works'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates Prime Minister-designate Portia Simpson 
        Miller for becoming the first female Prime Minister-designate 
        of Jamaica;
            (2) honors and recognizes the achievements of the Honorable 
        Portia Simpson Miller; and
            (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
        make available an enrolled copy of this resolution to Prime 
        Minister-designate Portia Simpson Miller.
                                 <all>