[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1181 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1181

  Expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the 
   grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2008

Mr. Crowley (for himself, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Towns, Mr. 
 Holt, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Olver, Mr. King of New 
 York, Mr. Pitts, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Manzullo, 
Mr. McDermott, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Sestak, Mr. 
 Honda, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Berman, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. McCollum of 
 Minnesota, and Mr. Souder) submitted the following resolution; which 
            was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the 
   grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis.

Whereas on the night of May 2, 2008, through the morning of May 3, 2008, Cyclone 
        Nargis, the first tropical cyclone to make landfall on Burma since 
        Cyclone Mala in 2006, struck the coast of Burma;
Whereas Cyclone Nargis caused more destruction in Burma than the Indian Ocean 
        tsunami of December 2004;
Whereas Cyclone Nargis has caused the death of tens of thousands of people, 
        displaced hundreds of thousands, and is anticipated to affect over a 
        million people;
Whereas Cyclone Nargis has caused significant damage to Burma's rice crop, 
        likely worsening the global food crisis and affecting the supply of rice 
        in Burma and worldwide;
Whereas on May 7, 2008, news media reported that the death toll, as accounted by 
        a United States envoy, could reach over 100,000;
Whereas tens of thousands of people remain missing in the storm's wake;
Whereas Cyclone Nargis has devastated major parts of Burma, including extensive 
        damage to Burma's largest city of Rangoon and throughout the Irrawaddy 
        Delta region, Bago (Pegu) division, Karen State, and Mon State;
Whereas initially 5 regions in Burma were declared disaster zones;
Whereas 2 Irrawaddy Division townships, Kyait Lat and Latputda, were almost 
        completely destroyed, leaving several hundred thousand people without 
        homes or shelters;
Whereas fallen trees, demolished homes, downed power and telephone lines, and 
        debris have blocked roads and blanketed the affected area;
Whereas hundreds of thousands of people are in dire need of emergency shelter 
        and clean drinking water;
Whereas Burma's military regime did little to warn the people and is not 
        providing adequate humanitarian assistance to address basic needs and 
        prevent further loss of life;
Whereas despite the devastation, the military regime has announced plans to go 
        ahead with its May 10, 2008, referendum on a sham constitution, delaying 
        voting only in portions of the affected Irrawaddy region and Rangoon;
Whereas the military regime has failed to provide life-protecting and life-
        sustaining services to its people;
Whereas more than 30 disaster assessment teams from 18 different Nations and the 
        United Nations have been denied permission to enter Burma by the junta;
Whereas the United States, through its Government, the Burma-American community, 
        and its people as a whole, has already extended significant support to 
        the people of Burma during this difficult time, including a $250,000 
        emergency contribution authorized by the United States Embassy in Burma 
        to be released immediately, and $3,000,000 in additional aid relief 
        announced on May 6, 2008, by the White House; and
Whereas a United States Agency for International Development disaster response 
        team is positioned in neighboring Thailand: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) extends its condolences and sympathy to the people of 
        Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by 
        Cyclone Nargis;
            (2) vows its full support of and solidarity with the people 
        of Burma;
            (3) calls on Americans to provide immediate emergency 
        assistance to cyclone victims in Burma through humanitarian 
        agencies;
            (4) expresses confidence that the people of Burma will 
        succeed in overcoming the hardships incurred because of this 
        tragedy;
            (5) calls for the Burmese military junta to consider the 
        well-being of its people and accept broad international 
        assistance; and
            (6) demands that the referendum to entrench military rule 
        be called off, allowing all resources to be focused on disaster 
        relief to ease the pain and suffering of the Burmese people.
                                 <all>