[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 292 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 292

 Expressing support for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines 
                      and the surrounding region.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 13, 2013

  Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cardin, Mr. 
Rubio, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Begich) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines 
                      and the surrounding region.

Whereas, on November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda, also known as Typhoon Haiyan, 
        struck the Republic of the Philippines and the surrounding region;
Whereas Typhoon Yolanda is the strongest typhoon in recorded history to make 
        landfall;
Whereas President Benigno Aquino III declared a state of national calamity after 
        Typhoon Yolanda hit the central Philippines;
Whereas the typhoon caused widespread flooding and landslides, particularly in 
        the provinces of Eastern Samar and Leyte, which experienced storm surges 
        of up to 13 feet and sustained winds of more than 175 miles per hour;
Whereas authorities in the Philippines have confirmed at least 1,798 deaths, a 
        toll that is expected to rise as thousands of individuals remain missing 
        as of the date of this resolution;
Whereas unofficial estimates project the number of deaths to be over 10,000;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of 
        Humanitarian Affairs, more than 670,000 people have been displaced and 
        11,300,000 people have been affected by Typhoon Yolanda;
Whereas, according to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and 
        Management Council, the typhoon destroyed or damaged approximately 
        149,015 houses, as well as public infrastructure and agricultural land 
        across 41 provinces;
Whereas, in Ormoc City, the second largest city in the province of Leyte, the 
        typhoon damaged or destroyed approximately 80 to 90 percent of housing;
Whereas the United Nations World Food Program estimates that 2,500,000 people 
        will need food assistance in the aftermath of the typhoon;
Whereas the Government of the Philippines has been leading and coordinating the 
        disaster response in the Philippines, including the evacuation of more 
        than 792,000 people to temporary shelters and pre-positioning food 
        commodities and emergency relief supplies in advance of the typhoon, and 
        deploying military assets and road-clearing equipment to assist with 
        relief operations;
Whereas the response by the United States Government to this tragedy has 
        included $20,000,000 in aid;
Whereas a United States Agency for International Development Disaster Assistance 
        Response Team, elements of the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, and 
        other United States military and civilian personnel have deployed to the 
        Philippines to provide aid and coordinate United States relief efforts;
Whereas the Philippines and the United States fought side-by-side during World 
        War II to defend the Bataan Peninsula and subsequently liberate the 
        Philippines from Japanese control;
Whereas the Philippines and the United States share a long, close relationship 
        as allies, as evidenced by the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense 
        Treaty, which was reaffirmed by the Manila Declaration signed in 2011, 
        and the United States designation of the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO 
        Ally;
Whereas the Philippines and the United States share strong economic, security, 
        and people-to-people ties, including approximately 4,000,000 Americans 
        of Philippine ancestry living in the United States, and more than 
        300,000 United States citizens residing in the Philippines; and
Whereas the Philippines and the United States share a long tradition of mutual 
        support and cooperation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) mourns the loss of life resulting from the typhoon;
            (2) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of 
        the victims of this tragedy;
            (3) expresses solidarity with the survivors, and all those 
        who have lost loved ones or otherwise been affected by the 
        tragedy;
            (4) supports the efforts of the Government of the 
        Philippines to lead and coordinate assistance to address 
        immediate humanitarian needs and to begin reconstruction 
        efforts;
            (5) supports the ongoing efforts of the United States 
        Government, the international community, relief agencies, and 
        private citizens to assist the governments and peoples of the 
        Philippines and the surrounding region in their time of need; 
        and
            (6) encourages the United States and the international 
        community to provide additional humanitarian assistance to aid 
        the survivors and support reconstruction efforts, as 
        appropriate.
                                 <all>