[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 123 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7997-H8000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES OF 
 CARIBBEAN DEVASTATED BY HURRICANES CHARLEY, FRANCES, IVAN, AND JEANNE

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 496) expressing the sense of 
Congress with regard to providing humanitarian assistance to countries 
of the Caribbean devastated by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and 
Jeanne, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 496

       Whereas in May 2004, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Association (NOAA) predicted that 2004 would be an above-
     normal Atlantic hurricane season;
       Whereas from August to September 2004 Hurricanes Charley, 
     Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne devastated countries of the 
     Caribbean and the southern, midwestern, and eastern regions 
     of the United States;
       Whereas the people of the United States, who have 
     encountered the harsh consequences of the recent hurricanes, 
     can empathize with the countries of the Caribbean as they 
     begin the recovery process;
       Whereas Hurricane Frances displaced 800 people and 
     destroyed 80 homes in the Bahamas;
       Whereas Hurricane Frances caused an estimated $125,000,000 
     in damage to the islands of the Bahamas;
       Whereas four hurricanes have struck the region within five 
     weeks;
       Whereas 90 percent of homes in Grenada sustained 
     significant damage as a result of Hurricane Ivan;
       Whereas the International Committee of the Red Cross 
     estimates that 60,000 of the 95,000 inhabitants of Grenada 
     were made homeless as a result of the devastation;
       Whereas Hurricane Ivan is the worst natural disaster to hit 
     Jamaica in 50 years;
       Whereas an estimated 13,000 Jamaicans were displaced during 
     Hurricane Ivan;

[[Page H7998]]

       Whereas more than 60 people died and hundreds were injured 
     as a result of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan;
       Whereas as a result of Hurricane Jeanne, at least 2,000 
     people have died in Haiti while it is estimated that another 
     1,000 people are currently missing;
       Whereas many others have died in the Dominican Republic and 
     Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Jeanne;
       Whereas the United States Agency for International 
     Development reports that there is flooding in more than 80 
     percent of Gonaives, Haiti, and more than 30 percent of Port-
     de-Paix, Haiti;
       Whereas hurricane recovery assistance is being sought from 
     the Caribbean-American community, the European Union, and 
     Canada;
       Whereas the financial burden of providing emergency and 
     reconstruction assistance to the devastated countries is much 
     greater than the Caribbean region can sustain by itself;
       Whereas the cost of providing humanitarian emergency 
     assistance to the countries of the Caribbean continues to 
     increase with each natural disaster;
       Whereas the cost of assisting Grenada, Jamaica, the 
     Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other island 
     nations with reconstruction after the hurricane season of 
     2004 could exceed $250,000,000;
       Whereas in addition to disaster relief, governments of the 
     countries of the Caribbean are under pressure to secure their 
     communities and prevent looters and other criminals from 
     causing further harm to their citizens who are struggling to 
     recover from the devastation caused by the hurricanes;
       Whereas the United States Agency for International 
     Development's Office of United States Foreign Disaster 
     Assistance (OFDA) is coordinating with the Caribbean Disaster 
     Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) and members of the Eastern 
     Caribbean Donor Group (ECDG), including the Pan American 
     Health Organization (PAHO), International Federation of Red 
     Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations 
     Development Program (UNDP), and the Canadian International 
     Development Agency (CIDA) to provide urgently needed food, 
     potable water, temporary shelter, and other basic 
     necessities;
       Whereas multilateral development banks, such as the World 
     Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, and other 
     international organizations, such as the United Nations and 
     the Organization of American States, have joined the United 
     States in providing urgently needed assistance to the 
     countries of the Caribbean that have suffered the most from 
     the effects of the hurricanes;
       Whereas the damage caused by the hurricanes have 
     demonstrated that proper building and housing codes that are 
     consistently enforced significantly reduce the human and 
     financial toll caused by natural disasters;
       Whereas the Caribbean region is recognized as the third 
     border of the United States and the economic turmoil caused 
     by the hurricanes of August and September 2004 will have an 
     effect on the United States; and
       Whereas the countries of the Caribbean will need 
     significant assistance from the international community for 
     both relief and reconstruction efforts: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That Congress--
       (1) commends the governments of the countries of the 
     Caribbean for their efforts to respond and assist the people 
     of the region after the devastation caused by Hurricanes 
     Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne from August to September 
     2004;
       (2) commends the efforts of the Caribbean-American 
     community to provide relief to family and friends suffering 
     in the region;
       (3) supports the efforts of the United States Government to 
     assist in coordinating international efforts to help the 
     people of the region, particularly in Grenada, Jamaica, 
     Haiti, and the Bahamas, with assessing damage and providing 
     relief to affected communities;
       (4) urges the international community to take all necessary 
     steps to provide emergency relief and support reconstruction 
     efforts; and
       (5) urges the President, acting through the Administrator 
     of the United States Agency for International Development 
     to--
       (A) continue to make available to private volunteer 
     organizations, United Nations agencies, and regional 
     institutions the necessary funding to mitigate the effects of 
     the recent natural disasters that have devastated the 
     countries of the Caribbean; and
       (B) provide assistance for the promulgation and enforcement 
     of housing and building codes in the countries of the 
     Caribbean.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Lee) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 496, 
the concurrent resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 
496, expressing the sense of Congress with regard to providing 
humanitarian assistance to the countries of the Caribbean devastated by 
Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.
  As a Member whose home State of Florida has experienced firsthand the 
fury of these hurricanes, my heart goes out to our neighbors in the 
Caribbean as they begin to rebuild their lives amidst the debris. Thus, 
at a time when hundreds of thousands of people across the Caribbean are 
coping with the destruction left by these four recent hurricanes, this 
resolution could not be more timely.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Lee) for introducing this measure, and I would like to thank our 
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere chairman, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger), as well as the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Hyde), the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), and our 
leadership for their efforts in helping to bring this resolution to the 
floor this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, in August and September of this year, Hurricanes 
Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne swept over the Caribbean, battering 
the islands of Grenada, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Caymans, Haiti, the 
Dominican Republic, Cuba, and other smaller islands. In their wake, 
they left nearly 2,000 dead, many thousands more injured and hundreds 
of thousands homeless. The cost in lost homes and property has yet to 
be tallied, but in many of these places the destruction has been near 
total.
  While the humanitarian response has been immediate, a long-term 
recovery plan is needed to prevent further suffering. I would like to 
commend the administration for immediately dispatching to the Caribbean 
emergency relief teams from USAID and the Office of Foreign Disaster 
Assistance. Through their efforts, humanitarian relief supplies have 
been reaching the affected areas and the many who are now suffering. As 
we speak, the Bush administration is preparing a recovery package which 
will likely be included in an emergency supplemental appropriations 
bill that is expected on the floor at a future date.
  But this is only the beginning. As with the recovery and the 
reconstruction of our own communities in those States ravaged or 
affected by these hurricanes, the full magnitude of the situation and 
the total need will not become clear for weeks to come. However, our 
friends and neighbors in the Caribbean need our help now. It is, 
therefore, my hope that this resolution will pass the House, as I 
believe it serves as an official call to action to help relieve the 
suffering caused by these recent hurricanes. Therefore, I urge my 
colleagues to vote in favor of this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to begin by thanking the gentlewoman from Florida, also our 
ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), along with my colleagues on this 
side of the aisle and on the other side of the aisle, including the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger), for their support and 
for their commitment to make sure that this important resolution moves 
off of this floor tonight.
  I also want to thank our staff, Paul Oostburg, Ted Brennan, Caleb 
McCarry, also Khalil Munir and Jamila Thompson of my staff, who all 
worked very, very hard, very diligently, and very quickly to craft this 
bill before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan resolution; and it is a very minor, 
very small resolution in terms of the enormity of the disaster that it 
is addressing, but it is a resolution that expresses the need for 
humanitarian assistance to hurricane-ravaged Caribbean countries. H. 
Con. Res. 496 acknowledges the hardship endured by all Caribbean 
islands, it recognizes the

[[Page H7999]]

international response to the tragedy, and it outlines the need for 
relief and reconstruction efforts throughout the affected areas.
  Americans, all of us, especially Floridians and Californians, know 
firsthand the suffering experienced by natural disasters: hurricanes, 
fires, tornadoes and earthquakes. For weeks, we have watched the 
devastation throughout the region in Grenada, the Bahamas, Jamaica, 
Haiti, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Barbados, just to mention a few of 
the affected countries.

                              {time}  2015

  Four hurricanes struck within 5 weeks. Over 440,000 individuals were 
displaced. This is hard to even imagine.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to step up and lend a helping hand. We cannot 
sit back and wait as people suffer in Florida and in the Caribbean. I 
understand that the administration has proposed $50 million in 
emergency spending for relief to the region, and I must say that that 
is a good, small, very small, step for a start. But we know that much 
more will be needed to help the entire region.
  In Grenada, the hardest hit island by Hurricane Ivan, the land is 
barren. Countless homes are destroyed, and schools will not open until 
2005. What is going to happen to the young people of Grenada who need 
and want to go to school? The Grenadian Ambassador, the Honorable 
Dennis Antoine, shared with me the devastation to his country. Ivan the 
Terrible caused, he said, ``The total destruction of the police 
headquarters, the official residence of both the governor general and 
the prime minister, parliament house, schools, churches, roads, 
bridges, one of two hospitals, the airport tower and the national 
stadium. More than 70 percent of the population is virtually homeless, 
and there is in excess of 60,000 persons needing relief.''
  Stories were similar in the Bahamas where all 29 of the inhabited 
islands felt the impact of Hurricane Frances. A few weeks later, 
Hurricane Jeanne assaulted Grand Bahama and Abaco where the flood 
waters were just receding. In Jamaica, the largest English-speaking 
Caribbean country, 18,000 people were displaced by Hurricane Ivan. Many 
other Caribbean countries affected by the storms have remained so 
focused on assisting their neighbors that they have not even had the 
chance to fully assess their own damage. However, the preliminary 
estimates for damages in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a country that 
sustained lesser harm, is more than their government's annual budget.
  For the Bahamas and Grenada, the damage cost total is more than $1 
billion, but we must remember that more than 15 islands throughout the 
region were affected. Throughout the Caribbean, primary crops, such as 
bananas, nutmeg, cocoa and sugar are just totally destroyed. Clearly, 
Caribbean economies are simply overwhelmed. There is a Haitian saying 
that an empty sack cannot stand up. More than 2,000 Haitians lost their 
lives. Hundreds remain missing. My heart breaks for those suffering and 
struggling. The Haitian people are resilient people, but we must help.
  Tropical Storm Jeanne was not even a category 1 hurricane when it 
demolished the Haitian towns of Gonaives and Port de Paix. It 
exemplifies how even the smallest natural disasters wreak havoc on the 
poorest people. In Haiti's flood-torn cities, children sleep on tin 
roofs because flood waters have still not subsided. Gunshots are heard 
in darkness as thieves and thugs continue to steal from the people and 
cheat them of their chance for protection and peace. Men and women dig 
mass graves, scrambling to identify the bodies of lost loved ones. And 
the government cannot even provide security to distribute emergency 
supplies.
  We need to join the efforts of the international community and show 
support for all the affected countries. The Caribbean-American 
community and neighboring Caribbean nations responded to the calls of 
assisting the hardest hit countries immediately. Across our borders, 
churches, nonprofit organizations, businesses and activists have rushed 
to support the entire region. Although the United States Agency for 
International Development assisted in some relief efforts, the United 
States Government can, we must, do more. We must work with other donors 
and Caribbean countries to plan and support the relief and 
reconstruction effort.
  Our third border is in great need and the United States needs to show 
our support for the entire region. Again, I want to thank my colleagues 
for supporting this effort. Again, this is a very good first start. I 
look forward to working with our appropriators, including our colleague 
from Detroit, Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick), who has been a tremendous 
advocate for the region, in order to obtain adequate emergency funding 
for the more than 15 Caribbean countries devastated by these 
hurricanes. Time is of the essence, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen) who is a leader not only in the Virgin 
Islands but for the entire Caribbean region who knows firsthand and has 
experienced firsthand the devastation of natural disasters.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 496, and 
I rise in strong support of the resolution which calls on Congress to 
support badly and immediately needed humanitarian assistance to the 
Caribbean countries which were devastated by the recent hurricanes, as 
we provide aid to the people of Florida; and our hearts go out to them 
as well.
  Mr. Speaker, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Gaston, Ivan and Tropical 
Storm Jeanne have caused widespread damage in large numbers of our 
neighboring Caribbean countries. We have seen the tragedy in Haiti 
where Hurricane Jeanne resulted in more than 2,000 deaths, many more 
still missing and over a quarter of a million people homeless. In 
Grenada, Hurricane Ivan destroyed 78 percent of the island's electrical 
system and homes as well as hospitals, schools and their spice 
industry. And Hurricane Frances has caused an estimated $125 million in 
damage to the islands of the Bahamas. More than 440,000 individuals 
have been displaced throughout the region.
  These storms left a path of destruction across a region that is our 
third border and which was already stressed and whose economies were 
already heavily burdened in part by our own homeland security needs. 
They do not have the capacity to respond. These countries, which 
include six of the top ten most indebted countries in the world, are in 
desperate need of our assistance for everything, emergency health 
services, water, shelter, food and infrastructure.
  To put the situation into perspective, the U.N.'s Office For the 
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in an October 1 report pointed out 
that Grenada, one of the smallest countries in the western hemisphere, 
bases its economy on tourism and agriculture and imports most of the 
food that it consumes. The majority of the island's 102,000 inhabitants 
make their living out of these two vital sectors which were severely 
hit by Hurricane Ivan. The negative impact of the disaster has been 
enormous at all levels and in all sectors, disrupting the livelihood of 
every single Grenadian and causing serious damage to the backbone of 
the country's economy.
  Mr. Speaker, President Bush and the administration have announced 
they will provide $50 million to assist the region, specifically Haiti, 
Jamaica and Grenada, with small amounts for the Bahamas, Trinidad and 
Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That is not enough. Much 
more will be needed to help the entire region. Because so many of the 
economies of the countries in the region have been severely damaged 
because vital income-producing crops were destroyed, and replanting and 
new seeding processes will not yield salable produce for several years, 
the members of the Congressional Black Caucus have called for an 
appropriation of $500 million for reinforcement and alternative 
economic development.
  Mr. Speaker, my district is part of the region. We know the 
devastation of hurricanes, not only to the physical structures but to 
the emotions and to the families, and the difficulty of recovery. Even 
with the strong and resilient spirit of the people of the Caribbean, 
things are very, very difficult today.
  I join my colleagues in urging this body to support the adoption of 
this

[[Page H8000]]

resolution as well as our request for additional funding for the 
region.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands for that very powerful statement and for laying out what is at 
stake and the reality of life during these very tragic times for those 
in the Caribbean region.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Waters) whose commitment to the Caribbean is longstanding and 
unwavering.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for 
helping to organize us to be able to address this most important issue 
this evening.
  I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 496, a resolution that simply 
supports humanitarian assistance to countries of the Caribbean 
devastated by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. The recent 
hurricanes have had devastating impacts on several Caribbean nations. 
In Grenada, Hurricane Ivan destroyed 90 percent of the homes and 78 
percent of the electrical system, as well as numerous government 
buildings, hospitals, schools and churches. Approximately 60,000 of the 
island's 95,000 inhabitants were left homeless. In Jamaica, 18,000 
people were displaced by Hurricane Ivan, which was the worst natural 
disaster to hit Jamaica in 50 years. The Bahamas incurred an estimated 
$125 million in damage as a result of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. In 
Haiti, Hurricane Jeanne caused extensive flooding and left 300,000 
people homeless. More than 1,500 Haitians were killed, and another 900 
are still missing. Thousands of people are in desperate need of food, 
clean water, emergency shelter and medical care. Relief efforts 
continue to be hampered by water and mud covering the main roads, and 
stagnant waters have given rise to a large mosquito population that 
could lead to a malaria epidemic.
  The nations of the Caribbean are small island nations that do not 
have the capacity to respond to the widespread death and destruction 
caused by hurricanes of this magnitude. Immediate assistance from the 
United States is critical to enable these countries to meet the 
emergency needs of their people and begin to rebuild damaged homes and 
infrastructure.
  I am thankful that the President did show some concern, and he 
proposed $50 million in supplemental appropriations to cover disaster 
relief for the nations of the Caribbean that have been devastated by 
hurricanes and tropical storms. But it is a very small amount, and it 
cannot begin to meet the tremendous needs of thousands of Haitians, let 
alone the needs of our other Caribbean neighbors. The affected 
countries and territories include Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman 
Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Puerto 
Rico, St. Vincent, the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, the Turks and 
Caicos, even Venezuela, Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, have all felt 
the devastation of these hurricanes. So we need a lot more to respond 
to this terrible devastation.
  Even though the President has proposed $50 million in supplemental 
appropriations, it is a small amount, and it cannot begin to meet the 
tremendous needs of thousands of Haitians, let alone the needs of all 
of these other countries. The Congressional Black Caucus is on record 
now in asking the President for at least $500 million in disaster 
relief to mount an effective response. Of course, I would urge my 
colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 496. I would also urge my 
colleagues to provide a supplemental appropriation of at least $500 
million in disaster assistance to help our Caribbean neighbors rebuild 
their homes and their lives after these unprecedented storms. This 
resolution does not have that amount in it, and we know that we must do 
the work with the Appropriations Committee, but this is a resolution 
that would give recognition to this tremendous devastation that has 
taken place and squarely place us on record in wanting to respond to 
it.
  I am very thankful for the opportunity to share with the gentlewoman 
from California this concern as we demonstrate through this resolution.
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 496. I 
fully support helping to relieve the suffering of people in the 
Caribbean. The news reports of the death and destruction in Haiti, 
Greneda and elsewhere in the Caribbean is just terrible. We all want to 
reach out and help our neighbors who are suffering.
  USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has been on the ground 
distributing emergency aid since just after these storms hit. The $50 
million aid package proposed by the Administration is, by all measures, 
a good start.
  But, it should not be considered an end to U.S. assistance. The 
current proposal represents what the Administration believes can be 
spent in the first year. By way of comparison, $52 million was expended 
during the first year of implementing disaster reconstruction after 
Hurricane Mitch hit in 1999. I expect to see more aid going to the 
Caribbean in subsequent years.
  Mr. Speaker, while I believe that $50 million is not sufficient to 
meet the needs of the Caribbean in the long term, I do believe it is 
enough to meet the immediate needs of those nations hardest hit. To 
meet the long term needs of these countries, I would support an effort 
to provide additional reconstruction funds. Although I am retiring, I 
am willing to work with my colleagues to secure long term assistance 
for the Caribbean nations before I go. I hope that my colleagues here 
tonight will join me in this area.
  I thank my colleague from California for bringing this important 
resolution recognizing the terrible suffering inflicted on the 
Caribbean by the same hurricanes that did so much damage to our own 
country. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 
496, a bi-partisan effort urging that Congress support humanitarian 
assistance to Caribbean countries devastated by the recent hurricanes.
  Four hurricanes--Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne--hit the region 
within five weeks. The affected countries and territories include the 
Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, 
Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the Turks and Caicos, Venezuela, and 
the U.S. Virgin Islands, but the burden is felt by all. More than 
440,000 individuals displaced throughout the region.
  Tropical Storm Jeanne killed more than 2,000 people in Haiti, and 
hundreds remain missing. Men and women dig mass graves, scrambling to 
identify the bodies of lost loved ones. An estimated 300,000 people 
remain homeless as a result of the floods.
  With eight weeks left to the 2004 Atlantic Hurricane season, the 
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) is urging the 
Caribbean to remain vigilant. The call comes against the background of 
an updated hurricane season forecast yesterday which calls for three 
more storms and two hurricanes this month with a 33 percent chance of a 
land falling storm and 17 percent chance of a land falling hurricane.
  The Administration announced providing $50 million to assist the 
region--specifically Haiti, Jamaica, and Grenada with small amounts for 
the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 
this is a good start, but much more will be needed to help the entire 
region.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to reiterate my support for H. Con. Res. 496 and 
urge the Administration to provide even more aid to assist the region.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 496, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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