[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1504 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1504

    Urging the President to increase efforts under the Third Border 
Initiative (TBI) to deepen cooperation and collaboration with Caribbean 
                                nations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2008

 Ms. Clarke submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Urging the President to increase efforts under the Third Border 
Initiative (TBI) to deepen cooperation and collaboration with Caribbean 
                                nations.

Whereas the nations of the Caribbean, our ``third border'', are vital partners 
        on security, trade, health, the environment, education, regional 
        democracy, and other hemispheric issues;
Whereas enhancing regional measures to promote security along our ``third 
        border'' remains vital to the safety of our homeland and hemispheric 
        priority;
Whereas in response the United States established the ``Third Border 
        Initiative'' (TBI) in April 2001, in order to deepen cooperation between 
        the United States and Caribbean nations;
Whereas Carribean nations and the United States signed a joint declaration in 
        January 2004, stating that the TBI is ``a valuable framework for 
        structuring our engagement across the broad spectrum of matter that 
        affect the prosperity and the well being of the region and its 
        peoples'';
Whereas the joint declaration further stated that the objective of the TBI is to 
        focus United States and Caribbean engagement through targeted programs 
        to enhance cooperation in the diplomatic, security, economic, 
        environmental, health, and education areas;
Whereas the TBI is a necessary component in defining an optimal relationship 
        between the United States and its Caribbean neighbors, and is critical 
        to the establishment of effective counterterrorism measures to ensure 
        security on the southeastern border of the United States;
Whereas the TBI can strengthen United States partnerships with Caribbean nations 
        in countering natural and manmade threats to security;
Whereas TBI programs can have a direct, positive effect on the safety and 
        security of United States travelers to the region, as well as to the 
        protection of United States homeland security;
Whereas the TBI can strengthen regional and local border management, protecting 
        against criminal and terrorist elements who seek to travel freely to and 
        through the region, and enhancing the safety of some 5,000,000 United 
        States travelers in the Caribbean;
Whereas Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States 
        Albert Ramdin stated in October 2007 that the TBI was an ``explicit 
        recognition that the security and development issues of neighboring 
        states have the potential to have a direct impact on security in the 
        United States and vice versa;
Whereas according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, AIDS 
        remains one of the leading causes of death among adults in the Caribbean 
        aged 25 to 44 years old;
Whereas because of their geographic location, many Caribbean nations are transit 
        countries for cocaine and heroin from South America destined for the 
        United States and Europe;
Whereas many of the smaller countries of the Eastern Caribbean remain vulnerable 
        to drug trafficking from South America and associated crimes;
Whereas according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, 
        drug flights from Venezuela to Hispaniola in the central Caribbean grew 
        from 27 to 81 in the first three-quarters of 2007;
Whereas a March 2007 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and 
        the World Bank stated that narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean has 
        contributed to high rates of crime and violence in the region, which in 
        turn have had direct negative effects on human welfare, economic growth, 
        and social development;
Whereas a report published by the Council of Hemispheric Affairs in December 
        2007, stated that the Third Border Initiative is a vital program that 
        have been put on the back burner; and
Whereas annual funding for TBI activities has declined considerably since fiscal 
        year 2005: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the special significance of the Caribbean as 
        an important partner of the United States and seeks to build on 
        the long history of constructive engagement between the United 
        States and the Caribbean;
            (2) supports the Third Border Initiative (TBI) which is 
        designed to enhance diplomatic, economic, health, education, 
        disaster preparedness, and law enforcement cooperation and 
        collaboration;
            (3) especially supports TBI activities that provide support 
        to help Caribbean nations plan and prepare for natural 
        disasters;
            (4) urges the United States and Caribbean governments to 
        continue cooperative efforts to prevent, combat, and eliminate 
        terrorist threats to hemispheric security;
            (5) urges the United States and Caribbean governments to 
        expand strategies to contend with new and nontraditional 
        threats, including political, economic, social, health, and 
        environmental challenges;
            (6) urges the President to increase efforts under the TBI 
        to deepen cooperation and collaboration with Caribbean nations, 
        including counternarcotics cooperation;
            (7) urges the President to stem the decline in the TBI 
        funding levels that has occurred since fiscal year 2005; and
            (8) urges the Secretary of State to provide clear 
        information to Congress in the Department of State's annual 
        Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations on 
        the amounts being requested for the TBI and a description of 
        the projects to be funded under the TBI.
                                 <all>