[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1205 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1205

  Noting that the Government of Iraq will likely enjoy $32 billion in 
 surplus oil revenues in 2008 and requesting the Government of Iraq to 
    dedicate $1 billion to address the needs of Iraqi refugees and 
                     internally displaced persons.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2008

  Mr. Delahunt (for himself, Mr. Berman, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Inglis of 
 South Carolina, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Shays, Mr. Wolf, and Mr. Hastings of 
Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Noting that the Government of Iraq will likely enjoy $32 billion in 
 surplus oil revenues in 2008 and requesting the Government of Iraq to 
    dedicate $1 billion to address the needs of Iraqi refugees and 
                     internally displaced persons.

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the 
        International Organization of Migration estimate that more than 4.7 
        million Iraqis are currently displaced from their homes, including 2.7 
        million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 2 million more who have 
        fled Iraq for neighboring countries;
Whereas Syria plays host to an estimated 1.5 million Iraqi refugees, with 
        roughly half a million more located in Jordan;
Whereas several other countries in the region have allowed Iraqi refugees to 
        temporarily find shelter and Sweden has generously offered permanent 
        homes to 40,000 Iraqi refugees since 2003;
Whereas the United States has a moral responsibility to assist those affected by 
        the violence pervasive in Iraq since the United States invasion and 
        should generously support the efforts of international and 
        nongovernmental organizations to ease the human suffering of the 
        displaced;
Whereas the Government of Iraq has both the obligation to aid its citizens in 
        need and the financial resources with which to do so;
Whereas the Government of Iraq's 2007 budget dedicated only $14 million to the 
        newly created Ministry of Displacement and Immigration, and that amount 
        was raised to $18 million in 2008;
Whereas Iraq also offered a mere $25 million in 2007 to neighboring countries to 
        offset a small part of the burden they have assumed by hosting such 
        large numbers of Iraqis;
Whereas the Iraqi Government forecasted $38 billion in oil revenues during 2008 
        but with oil prices skyrocketing from $57 per barrel in early 2007 to 
        over $110 on the global market today, revenues have increased at an 
        equally dramatic rate;
Whereas the Iraqi Government could generate $70 billion in revenues in 2008, 
        leading to potentially $32 billion in additional oil revenues and a 
        substantial budget surplus;
Whereas in June 2008, the Iraqi Parliament will convene a special session in 
        order to consider the Iraqi Government's proposal on how to spend this 
        unallocated surplus;
Whereas dedicating funds at this session to meet the needs of refugees and IDPs 
        could make an immeasurable difference in alleviating the suffering among 
        this desperate community, many of whom lack adequate shelter, food, and 
        access to clean water;
Whereas providing funds to the UNHCR and other international organizations would 
        also ease the significant burden placed on neighboring countries by such 
        a large influx of people;
Whereas Jordan has struggled to provide even the most basic services to Iraqi 
        refugees now living in that country and increased assistance, along with 
        a resumption in subsidized oil exports to Jordan, would better enable 
        the Jordanian Government to care for the Iraqi refugees living there;
Whereas aiding refugees and IDPs will also serve to better stabilize the region, 
        as critically impoverished displaced communities both inside Iraq and in 
        neighboring countries represent a significant potential security threat;
Whereas recent reports highlight the danger in both Shiite and Sunni militias 
        providing humanitarian aid to IDPs, thereby increasing their base of 
        support; and
Whereas greater aid to refugees would demonstrate to the world that the Iraqi 
        Government is committed to repatriating those who fled the violence and 
        promoting reconciliation among all Iraqi ethnic and religious 
        communities and would also have a positive economic effect in reversing 
        the exodus of educated Iraqis, the very people essential for Iraqi 
        reconstruction: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on the Governments of the United States and Iraq 
        to work together in easing the suffering of the refugees and 
        internally displaced persons;
            (2) suggests that the Iraqi Government significantly 
        augment its contribution to efforts on behalf of this displaced 
        population;
            (3) requests that Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki propose in 
        his supplemental budgetary request to the Iraqi Parliament in 
        June 2008 that $1 billion be dedicated to meeting the needs of 
        this community; and
            (4) requests that the Iraqi Parliament accept this 
        budgetary request.
                                 <all>