[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 37 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 37

        Expressing the sense of Congress on federalism in Iraq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2007

   Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Smith, Mr. 
    Nelson of Florida, and Mrs. Hutchison) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
        Expressing the sense of Congress on federalism in Iraq.

Whereas Iraq continues to experience a self-sustaining cycle of sectarian 
        violence;
Whereas the ongoing sectarian violence presents a threat to regional and world 
        peace, and the long-term security interests of the United States are 
        best served by an Iraq that is stable, not a haven for terrorists, and 
        not a threat to its neighbors;
Whereas Iraqis must reach a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement 
        in order to achieve stability, and the failure of the Iraqis to reach 
        such a settlement is a primary cause of increasing violence in Iraq;
Whereas the Key Judgments of the January 2007 National Intelligence Estimate 
        entitled ``Prospects for Iraq's Stability: A Challenging Road Ahead'' 
        state, ``A number of identifiable developments could help to reverse the 
        negative trends driving Iraq's current trajectory. They include: Broader 
        Sunni acceptance of the current political structure and federalism to 
        begin to reduce one of the major sources of Iraq's instability ... 
        Significant concessions by Shia and Kurds to create space for Sunni 
        acceptance of federalism'';
Whereas Article One of the Constitution of Iraq declares Iraq to be a ``single, 
        independent federal state;''
Whereas Section Five of the Constitution of Iraq declares that the ``federal 
        system in the Republic of Iraq is made up of a decentralized capital, 
        regions, and governorates, and local administrations'' and enumerates 
        the expansive powers of regions and the limited powers of the central 
        government and establishes the mechanisms for the creation of new 
        federal regions;
Whereas the federal system created by the Constitution of Iraq would give Iraqis 
        local control over their police and certain laws, including those 
        related to employment, education, religion, and marriage;
Whereas the Constitution of Iraq recognizes the administrative role of the 
        Kurdistan Regional Government in 3 northern Iraqi provinces, known also 
        as the Kurdistan Region;
Whereas the Kurdistan region, recognized by the Constitution of Iraq, is largely 
        stable and peaceful;
Whereas the Iraqi Parliament approved a federalism law on October 11th, 2006, 
        which establishes procedures for the creation of new federal regions and 
        will go into effect 18 months after approval;
Whereas Iraqis recognize Baghdad as the capital of Iraq, and the Constitution of 
        Iraq stipulates that Baghdad may not merge with any federal region;
Whereas, despite their differences, Iraq's sectarian and ethnic groups support 
        the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq; and
Whereas Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stated on November 27, 2006, ``The 
        crisis is political, and the ones who can stop the cycle of aggravation 
        and bloodletting of innocents are the politicians'': Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should actively support a political 
        settlement among Iraq's major factions based upon the 
        provisions of the Constitution of Iraq that create a federal 
        system of government and allow for the creation of federal 
        regions;
            (2) the active support referenced in paragraph (1) above 
        should include--
                    (A) calling on the international community, 
                including countries with troops in Iraq, the permanent 
                5 members of the United Nations Security Council, 
                members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Iraq's 
                neighbors--
                            (i) to support an Iraqi political 
                        settlement based on federalism;
                            (ii) to acknowledge the sovereignty and 
                        territorial integrity of Iraq; and
                            (iii) to fulfill commitments for the urgent 
                        delivery of significant assistance and debt 
                        relief to Iraq, especially those made by the 
                        member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council;
                    (B) further calling on Iraq's neighbors to pledge 
                not to intervene in or destabilize Iraq and to agree to 
                related verification mechanisms; and
                    (C) convening a conference for Iraqis to reach an 
                agreement on a comprehensive political settlement based 
                on the creation of federal regions within a united 
                Iraq;
            (3) the United States should urge the Government of Iraq to 
        quickly agree upon and implement a law providing for the 
        equitable distribution of oil revenues, which is a critical 
        component of a comprehensive political settlement based upon 
        federalism; and
            (4) the steps described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) 
        above could lead to an Iraq that is stable, not a haven for 
        terrorists, and not a threat to its neighbors.
                                 <all>