[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1021 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1021

 Expressing condolences to and solidarity with the people of Haiti in 
    the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 20, 2010

  Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Payne, Mr. Berman, Ms. Ros-
 Lehtinen, Mr. Engel, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Rangel, 
 Mr. Towns, Ms. Waters, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Hastings of 
  Florida, Mr. Meek of Florida, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Bishop of 
 Georgia, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Carson of 
Indiana, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Davis of Alabama, Mr. 
 Davis of Illinois, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Fattah, 
Ms. Fudge, Mr. Al Green of Texas, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, 
  Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Eddie Bernice 
  Johnson of Texas, Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, 
  Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Norton, Ms. 
Richardson, Mr. Rush, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Scott of Georgia, 
  Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Sires, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. 
  Watson, and Mr. Watt) submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
   Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing condolences to and solidarity with the people of Haiti in 
    the aftermath of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Whereas, on January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the country of 
        Haiti;
Whereas, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake 
        epicenter was located approximately 10 miles southwest of the capital, 
        Port-au-Prince;
Whereas the earthquake has been followed by dangerous aftershocks, including two 
        of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude, and with the most severe to date, at 6.1, 
        coming on January 20, 2010;
Whereas casualty estimates, still being compiled, as well as infrastructure 
        damage, including to roads, ports, hospitals, and residential dwellings, 
        place this earthquake as the worst cataclysm to hit Haiti in over two 
        centuries;
Whereas an estimated 3,000,000 people have been directly affected by the 
        disaster in Haiti, nearly one-third of the country's population, who are 
        currently at risk of long-term displacement and vulnerability;
Whereas the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) 
        headquarters collapsed with approximately 150 staff members inside, 
        including the head of the mission, Hedi Annabi, causing the largest loss 
        of life in United Nations history;
Whereas an unknown number of individuals remain trapped under collapsed 
        buildings, as rescue teams work around-the-clock to locate and extract 
        survivors;
Whereas the destruction of infrastructure, particularly to the port, airport, 
        roads, and telecommunications, continues to hinder the immediate 
        delivery of humanitarian assistance in Haiti;
Whereas Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, 
        and prior to the earthquake was ranked 149 out of 182 countries on the 
        United Nations Human Development Index;
Whereas prior to the earthquake, Haiti was still in the process of recovering 
        from a ruinous recent series of hurricanes and tropical storms, food 
        shortages and rising commodity prices, and political instability, but 
        was showing encouraging signs of improvement;
Whereas in addition to the pressure to secure communities and prevent looters 
        from causing further harm to their citizens who are struggling to 
        recover, Haiti's penitentiary collapsed and spilled untold numbers of 
        criminals into an already disturbing security situation;
Whereas a number of children legally confirmed as orphans are eligible for 
        intercountry adoption, and the uncertain welfare of children who are 
        already in the process of being adopted is of urgent concern to their 
        prospective adoptive parents in the United States;
Whereas it is in the interests of these orphans and their prospective adoptive 
        parents to facilitate and expedite legal adoptions of Haitian orphans to 
        the United States;
Whereas President Obama vowed the ``unwavering support'' of the United States 
        and pledged a ``swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives 
        and support the recovery in Haiti'';
Whereas the response to the tragedy from the global community has been 
        overwhelmingly positive;
Whereas the initial emergency response of the men and women of the United States 
        Government, led by the United States Agency for International 
        Development and United States Southern Command, has been swift and 
        resolute;
Whereas MINUSTAH peacekeepers, while still trying to rescue their colleagues in 
        their headquarters, have taken a leading role to assist in clearing 
        roads and providing security around Port-au-Prince to facilitate aid 
        into the earthquake disaster zone;
Whereas the United States Department of Homeland Security has temporarily halted 
        the deportation of Haitian nationals to Haiti in response to the 
        devastation caused by the earthquake;
Whereas the United States Department of Homeland Security granted the 
        designation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals who are 
        in the United States and unable to return to their country due to the 
        destruction and humanitarian crisis in Haiti;
Whereas individuals, businesses, and philanthropic organizations across the 
        United States and throughout the international community have responded 
        in support of Haiti and its populace during this time of crisis, 
        sometimes in innovative ways such as fundraising through text messaging;
Whereas throughout this terrible calamity, the Haitian people continue to 
        demonstrate unwavering resilience, dignity, and courage; and
Whereas once proper surveys and assessments are conducted, the initial and 
        crucial emergency relief response will likely move to a comprehensive 
        mission requiring sustained assistance from the United States and the 
        international community for reconstruction and development efforts: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy for the 
        horrific loss of life and the physical and psychological damage 
        caused by the earthquake of January 12, 2010;
            (2) expresses solidarity with Haitians, Haitian Americans, 
        and all those who have lost loved ones or have otherwise been 
        affected by the tragedy, including United States Embassy 
        personnel, United Nations peacekeepers, and humanitarian 
        workers;
            (3) commends the efforts and honors the sacrifice of the 
        men and women of the Government of Haiti, the United States 
        Government, the United Nations, and the international community 
        in their immediate response to those affected by this calamity;
            (4) commends the efforts of the American people, including 
        the Haitian-American community, to provide relief to families, 
        friends, and unknown peoples suffering in the country;
            (5) supports the efforts of the Administration to provide 
        and coordinate international humanitarian assistance and to 
        provide relief to affected communities;
            (6) expresses support for the recovery and long-term 
        reconstruction needs of Haiti;
            (7) recognizes that the recovery and long-term needs of 
        Haiti will require a sustained commitment by the United States 
        and international community based on comprehensive assessments 
        of the development needs for Haiti;
            (8) urges those who hold debt against Haiti, including the 
        Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary 
        Fund, and all other regional and international institutions and 
        countries, to immediately suspend further debt payments, and to 
        develop processes to cancel all remaining debt; and
            (9) urges the President--
                    (A) to continue to make available to United States 
                agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private 
                voluntary organizations, regional institutions, and 
                United Nations agencies the resources necessary to 
                confront the effects and consequences of this natural 
                disaster;
                    (B) to provide, when the emergency subsides, 
                assistance in partnership with the Government of Haiti 
                and in coordination with other donors to begin the 
                reconstruction of Haiti;
                    (C) to undertake comprehensive assessments of the 
                long-term needs for recovery and development in Haiti, 
                ensure transparency and accountability, and lead 
                coordination efforts with international actors who 
                share in the goal of a better future for Haiti and are 
                willing to support the costs of meeting those needs; 
                and
                    (D) to utilize new and innovative thinking in 
                providing long-term assistance to Haiti, including 
                tapping into the insight and immense potential of the 
                Haitian Diaspora, to help Haitians rebuild upon the 
                strongest possible foundation, in order to promote a 
                stable and sustainable future for Haiti.
                                 <all>