[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 666 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 666

      Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the 
  ratification of the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and 
                            Cultural Rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 30, 2019

 Ms. Ocasio-Cortez (for herself, Ms. Meng, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Napolitano, 
   Mr. Garcia of Illinois, and Ms. Lee of California) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the 
  ratification of the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and 
                            Cultural Rights.

Whereas the United States is, by many accounts, one of the world's wealthiest 
        countries;
Whereas the United States is also a land of stark inequality;
Whereas in 2017, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and 
        human rights found that among nations in the Organisation for Economic 
        Co-operation and Development, the United States ``ranked 35th out of 37 
        in terms of poverty and inequality'';
Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human 
        rights also found that 40 million people in the United States live in 
        poverty, the United States ranks 36th in the world ``in terms of access 
        to water and sanitation,'' and Americans can expect to ``live shorter 
        and sicker lives compared to people living in any other rich 
        democracy'';
Whereas poverty and inequality are not inevitabilities;
Whereas poverty and inequality are choices made by people in power;
Whereas every American has the right to just working conditions, quality 
        healthcare, an excellent education, healthy food, and safe housing;
Whereas the United States Government can and should be held accountable by 
        Americans and the international community for ensuring these rights for 
        all Americans; and
Whereas to guarantee this accountability, the United States must ratify the 
        International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the Senate should give its advice and consent to the ratification of 
the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
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