IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1159 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 10, 2010 Mrs. McCarthy of New York submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Supporting efforts to address the crisis faced by Haitian orphans following the earthquake of January 12, 2010.

Whereas the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, has had devastating effects, leaving Haiti vulnerable and unstable; Whereas the death toll in Haiti nears 250,000, leaving thousands of Haitians with broken families and thousands of children parentless; Whereas nearly 1,000 Haitian orphans were in the process of being adopted into United States homes, and a total of nearly 20,000 orphans were in Haiti prior to this tragedy; Whereas the earthquake has created hundreds or thousands of newly orphaned children; Whereas many of these orphans have family in the United States; Whereas thousands of Haitian children, now orphans, face an uncertain future for adoption and await placement or reunion with their families either in Haiti or the United States; and Whereas the United States Department of State and Department of Homeland Security have provided excellent leadership in relief efforts for the Haitian people, and have worked tirelessly on behalf of orphaned children in Haiti: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)remembers all of those lost and affected by this tragedy; (2)commends the efforts of the United States Department of State and Department of Homeland Security on behalf of orphans; and (3)urges the Federal Government to continue to work to improve the lives of Haitian orphans and to expeditiously develop a safe, legal process to reunite Haitian orphans with family members in the United States when possible.