[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 554 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 554

Expressing the Sense of the Senate on humanitarian assistance to Burma 
                         after Cyclone Nargis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 7, 2008

   Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Biden, Mr. McConnell, Mrs. 
 Feinstein, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Obama, Mr. Webb, Ms. Murkowski, 
Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Hagel, Mrs. 
Boxer, Mrs. Clinton, Mrs. Dole, Mr. McCain, and Mr. Coleman) submitted 
      the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the Sense of the Senate on humanitarian assistance to Burma 
                         after Cyclone Nargis.

Whereas, on May 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis devastated Burma, leaving an estimated 
        22,500 people dead, 41,000 missing, and 1,000,000 homeless;
Whereas, on May 5, 2008, the United States embassy in Burma issued a disaster 
        declaration authorizing $250,000 in immediate humanitarian assistance to 
        the people of Burma;
Whereas, on May 5, 2008, First Lady Laura Bush stated that the United States 
        will ``work with the U.N. and other international nongovernmental 
        organizations to provide water, sanitation, food, and shelter. More 
        assistance will be forthcoming'';
Whereas, on May 5, 2008, Department of State Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey stated 
        that the United States has ``a disaster assistance response team that is 
        standing by and ready to go in to Burma to help try to assess need 
        there'';
Whereas, on May 6, 2008, President George W. Bush said, ``The United States has 
        made an initial aid contribution, but we want to do a lot more. We're 
        prepared to move U.S. Navy assets to help find those who've lost their 
        lives, to help find the missing, to help stabilize the situation. But in 
        order to do so, the military junta must allow our disaster assessment 
        teams into the country.'';
Whereas, on May 6, 2008, President Bush pledged $3,000,000 in emergency 
        assistance to victims of Cyclone Nargis, and stated that allowing the 
        disaster assistance response team to enter the country would facilitate 
        additional support;
Whereas the European Union has pledged to deliver $3,000,000 in initial 
        emergency disaster assistance to Burma;
Whereas according to the United Nations Country Team in Burma, the average 
        household in Burma is forced to spend almost \3/4\ of its budget on food 
        and 1 in 3 children under the age of 5 is suffering from malnutrition;
Whereas the prevalence of tuberculosis in Burma is among the highest in the 
        world, with nearly 97,000 new cases detected annually, malaria is the 
        leading cause of mortality in Burma, with 70 percent of the population 
        living in areas at risk, at least 37,000 died of HIV/AIDS in Burma in 
        2005 and over 600,000 are currently infected, and the World Health 
        Organization has ranked the health sector of Burma as 190th out of 191 
        countries;
Whereas the failure of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council to 
        meet the most basic humanitarian needs of the people of Burma has caused 
        enormous suffering inside Burma and driven hundreds of thousands of 
        Burmese citizens to seek refuge in neighboring countries, creating a 
        threat to regional peace and stability; and
Whereas, in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, the State Peace and Development 
        Council continues to restrict the access and freedom of movement of 
        international nongovernmental organizations to deliver humanitarian 
        assistance throughout Burma: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the Sense of the Senate--
            (1) to express deep sympathy to and strong support for the 
        people of Burma, who have endured tremendous hardships over 
        many years and face especially dire humanitarian conditions in 
        the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis;
            (2) to support the decision of President Bush to provide 
        immediate emergency humanitarian assistance to Burma through 
        nongovernmental organizations that are not affiliated with the 
        Burmese regime or its officials and can effectively provide 
        such assistance directly to the people of Burma;
            (3) to stand ready to appropriate additional funds, beyond 
        existing emergency international disaster assistance resources, 
        if necessary to help address dire humanitarian conditions 
        throughout Burma in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and beyond;
            (4) to call upon the State Peace and Development Council to 
        immediately lift restrictions on delivery of humanitarian 
        assistance and allow free and unfettered access to the United 
        States Government's disaster assistance response team and any 
        organizations that legitimately provide humanitarian 
        assistance; and
            (5) that the United States Agency for International 
        Development should conduct a comprehensive evaluation of which 
        organizations are capable of providing humanitarian assistance 
        directly to the people throughout Burma without interference by 
        the State Peace and Development Council.
                                 <all>