[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 1, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4242-H4246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING SYMPATHY TO FAMILIES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS MURDERED IN 
                               GUATEMALA

  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 100) expressing the sympathy of the House of 
Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in 
Guatemala and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end 
to these crimes.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 100

       Whereas Guatemalan women were among the victims during the 
     36-year Guatemalan internal armed conflict which ended with 
     the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords and ushered in the 
     process of reconciliation;
       Whereas since 2001, more than 2,000 women and girls have 
     been murdered in Guatemala often preceded by abduction, 
     sexual assault, or brutal mutilation;
       Whereas from 2001 to 2006, the rate at which women and 
     girls have been murdered in Guatemala has increased sharply, 
     at a higher rate than the murder rate of men in Guatemala 
     during the same period;
       Whereas the number of murders of Guatemalan women and girls 
     has increased significantly from 303 in 2001 to more than 500 
     in 2006;
       Whereas, according to reports from Guatemalan officials, 
     most of the victims are women ranging in age from 18 to 30 
     and many were abducted in broad daylight in well-populated 
     areas;

[[Page H4243]]

       Whereas the manner and rate of murders of Guatemalan women 
     and girls suggests an increase in gender based killings, an 
     extreme form of violence against women that can include 
     torture, mutilation, and sexual violence;
       Whereas, according to data from Guatemala's Public 
     Prosecutors Office, few arrests and fewer convictions have 
     taken place, leading to accusations that police, prosecutors, 
     forensics experts, and other state justice officials have not 
     brought the perpetrators to justice;
       Whereas inadequate financial, human, and technical 
     resources, as well as a lack of forensic and technical 
     expertise, has complicated the arrest and prosecution of 
     suspects;
       Whereas the Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman reports that 
     on ten separate occasions police officers have been 
     implicated in the murder of Guatemalan women and girls and 
     recommends that such officers and other officials be held 
     accountable for their acts;
       Whereas the Guatemalan Special Prosecutor for Crimes 
     Against Women, in her statements regarding the Guatemalan 
     murder cases, reported that her office has reviewed 
     approximately 800 reports of domestic violence per month, 
     with some of those cases ending in murder;
       Whereas the Government of Guatemala has undertaken efforts 
     to prevent violence against women, as evidenced by its 
     ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Torture 
     and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 
     Punishment, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination 
     of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention 
     of Belem do Para, and other international human rights 
     treaties, and the enactment of laws and the creation of state 
     institutions to promote and protect the rights of women;
       Whereas, in June 2006, the Government of Guatemala 
     successfully abolished the ``Rape Law'' which had absolved 
     perpetrators of criminal responsibility for rape and certain 
     other crimes of violence upon the perpetrator's marriage with 
     the victim;
       Whereas the Government of Guatemala has created special 
     police and prosecutorial units to address the brutal murders 
     of Guatemalan women and girls;
       Whereas Guatemalan legislators from various parties have 
     joined lawmakers from Mexico and Spain to form the 
     Interparliamentary Network against ``Femicide'';
       Whereas the Government of Guatemala and the United Nations 
     recently signed an agreement to establish the International 
     Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), which has a 
     mandate to investigate and promote prosecution of illegal 
     security groups and clandestine security organizations that 
     function with impunity and are suspected of attacking human 
     rights defenders, and other crimes that have undermined 
     overall security in Guatemala;
       Whereas murders of Guatemalan women and girls have brought 
     pain to the families and friends of the victims as they 
     struggle to cope with the loss of their loved ones and the 
     fact that the perpetrators of these heinous acts remain 
     unknown to the proper authorities; and
       Whereas continuing impunity for the crime of murder is a 
     threat to the rule of law, democracy, and stability in 
     Guatemala: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its sincerest condolences and deepest 
     sympathy to the families of women and girls murdered in 
     Guatemala;
       (2) expresses the solidarity of the people of the United 
     States with the people of Guatemala in the face of these 
     tragic and senseless acts;
       (3) condemns the ongoing abductions and murders of women 
     and girls in Guatemala which have been occurring with 
     increasing brutality and frequency;
       (4) recognizes the courageous struggle of the victims' 
     families in seeking justice for the victims;
       (5) urges the Government of Guatemala to recognize domestic 
     violence and sexual harassment as criminal acts;
       (6) encourages the Government of Guatemala to act with due 
     diligence in order to investigate promptly the killings of 
     women and girls, prosecute those responsible, and eliminate 
     the tolerance of violence against women;
       (7) supports efforts to identify perpetrators and unknown 
     victims through forensic analysis, including DNA testing, 
     such as the National Institute for Forensic Science in 
     Guatemala (INACIF) and encourages such efforts to be 
     conducted by independent, impartial experts;
       (8) urges the President and Secretary of State to continue 
     to express support for the efforts of the victims' families 
     and loved ones to seek justice for the victims, to express 
     concern relating to the continued harassment of these 
     families and the human rights defenders with whom they work, 
     and to express concern with respect to impediments in the 
     ability of the families to receive prompt and accurate 
     information in their cases;
       (9) encourages the Secretary of State to urge the 
     Government of Guatemala to honor and dignify the victims of 
     the brutal murders and to continue to include in the 
     Department of State's annual Country Reports on Human Rights 
     Practices all instances of improper investigatory methods, 
     threats against human rights activists, and the use of 
     torture with respect to cases involving the murder and 
     abduction of women and girls in Guatemala;
       (10) encourages the Secretary of State to urge the 
     Government of Guatemala to hold accountable those law 
     enforcement and judicial officials whose failure to 
     investigate and prosecute the murders adequately, whether 
     through negligence, omission, or abuse, has led to impunity 
     for these crimes;
       (11) encourages the Secretary of State to support and urge 
     the Government of Guatemala to take measures to ensure that 
     the special Guatemalan police and prosecutorial units have an 
     adequate number of appropriately trained personnel with 
     sufficient resources to conduct thorough and proper 
     investigations and prosecutions that reflect the gravity and 
     magnitude of this national security crisis;
       (12) recommends that the United States Ambassador to 
     Guatemala continue to meet with the families of the victims, 
     women's rights organizations, and Guatemalan officials 
     responsible for investigating these crimes and preventing 
     such future crimes; and
       (13) recommends that the Secretary of State develop a 
     comprehensive plan to address and combat the growing problem 
     of violence against women in Latin America.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I want to 
thank our colleague, Congresswoman Hilda Solis, the sponsor of this 
resolution, as well as original cosponsors, the Chair and the ranking 
member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Eliot Engel and Dan 
Burton, for bringing this issue to us.
  This important resolution raises awareness of the increasing number 
of women and girls who have been brutally murdered in Guatemala. Since 
2001, more than 2,000 women and girls have been killed in Guatemala, 
and the murder rate of women has increased sharply, more so than the 
rate for men.
  Many of these murders are preceded by mutilation or sexual assault of 
the victims, and almost none of these cases are properly investigated 
or prosecuted. The fact that most of the murders go unpunished has 
contributed to the decline of overall security in Guatemala and 
demonstrates the dangerous situation for women and girls throughout the 
country.
  While Guatemala has made some strides to improve the treatment of 
women under the law, there are still major obstacles for the country to 
overcome. For instance, domestic violence and sexual harassment are not 
considered crimes in Guatemala. This resolution condemns the murders, 
expresses sympathy and support for the struggle of victims' families 
for justice and urges that the murders be promptly investigated and 
prosecuted.
  I hope that our two countries can work together to end the brutal 
murders of women and girls in Guatemala and to improve the security for 
all Guatemalans. I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 100.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  First of all, I want to congratulate Representative Solis for 
introducing this bill. She and I have worked together on it, and I 
really appreciate her hard work. She is really concerned about the 
rights of women around the world and not just Guatemala. I appreciate 
that.
  Let me start out by saying today we have heard a great deal about 
human rights violation, slavery and other issues. The problem is not 
confined just to one part of the world. In China today, as 
Representative Smith of New Jersey has pointed out many times, there 
are as many as 10 million people suffering in communist gulags, and 
other parts of the world. In the Sudan,

[[Page H4244]]

we see the oppression and the horrible atrocities that are taking place 
and the mistreatment of not only men and women but children as well. 
It's just a horrible thing that we see these kinds of atrocities taking 
place around the world.
  I really appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle working 
so hard to focus attention on what's going on in these various areas to 
try to bring them to a halt. For humanity's sake, we can do no less.
  I, however, today, rise in support of H. Res. 100, which recognizes 
and honors the women and girls who have been murdered in Guatemala. 
This bill brings to light the problem women in the democratic nation of 
Guatemala face in their daily struggle for survival. Given the current 
environment in Guatemala, women are not safe to walk along the streets 
day or night. A simple walk from home or school or work to mean 
abduction, mutilation or death for a Guatemalan woman or girl. Given 
the lack of legislative protection and judicial investigation, women 
are often subjected to domestic abuse, often leading to death within 
the home as well.
  Given that there is nowhere for these victims or their families to 
turn, over 2,000, as has been said to my colleague, over 2,000 
Guatemalan women and girls have suffered horrendous deaths in the past 
5 years. Tremendous efforts have been taken by some Guatemalan 
legislators and human rights workers and families of the victims. They 
come here to Washington to try to end such atrocities by focusing 
attention on them.
  There has been a continuous rise, however, in the brutal female 
deaths. There can be no rest of the weary as long as these things go 
on. We must come together to assist their effort and urge the 
government of Guatemala to take quick deliberative action to 
investigate the killings and prosecute those responsible and eliminate 
the tolerance, the tolerance of violence against women.
  The women in Guatemala deserve to experience peace and prosperity 
within their nation and not constant fear of sexual assault and deadly 
mutilation, in just walking to and from work, as I said before.
  I ask my colleagues to see the urgency of this bill, and to support 
it. Once again, Representative Solis, thanks for your hard work.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlelady from 
California (Ms. Solis).
  Ms. SOLIS. I would like to thank the gentleman and also take this 
time to acknowledge the support of Chairman Lantos, Subcommittee 
Chairman Engel, Subcommittee Ranking Member Burton, who is here, and 
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who are the original cosponsors of House 
Resolution 100, for their tireless work on this issue. I urge all my 
colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I know that we have heard much this afternoon about 
this predicament that exists in Guatemala. It has been going on for 
many, many years. This resolution that I introduced earlier this year 
would acknowledge the murders of 2,500 or more young women and girls 
that have been mutilated, attacked, assaulted and killed in Guatemala.
  The murder rate for women and young women continues to rise there. 
It's as though there's a blind eye on the part of the government in 
Guatemala, as well as ours. That is why I brought this measure to the 
floor here. I think it is important that when a crime against a woman 
is done in any part the world, it's a crime against all of us and 
humanity.
  Therefore, I want to acknowledge the support of our colleagues, and 
especially for the hard work of the advocates, the groups that actually 
help to bring this issue before the Congress. They could have, at any 
time in the past 10 years, come and spoken to any Member of Congress 
about the issue. But the time wasn't right. Perhaps the politics, the 
environment, just wasn't fit for that. But now that we have seen 
resolutions come out of this House, where we worked on a bipartisan 
basis to deal with the issues of the women of Ciudad Juarez, and now we 
bring forward this issue.
  Now we have more support on both sides of the aisle to say that the 
violence has to stop. There must not be impunity. Everyone should be 
held accountable. There needs to be transparency in government on the 
part of the Guatemalan Government, and on the part of our government as 
well, provide technical support, and also help to seek some resolution 
to the violence against these women that continues to go on.
  I want to thank those groups that especially have worked hard with us 
to combat this particular crime. I would like to mention their names, 
Amnesty International, the Washington Office on Latin America, the 
Guatemala Human Rights Commission, Human Rights First, and, also, a 
group from my home area, CARECEN, the Central American Resource Center 
advocacy group based in Los Angeles.
  They are strong supporters of House Resolution 100. Did you know, in 
fact, in the City of Los Angeles, this has one of the highest 
concentrations of Guatemalans. So many of them know distinctly how 
important this resolution is. They thank the Congress for bringing up 
this measure.
  Madam Speaker, I include for the Record letters from CARECEN and 20 
other advocacy groups that are also in support of this resolution.

       Dear Congressmember: we write to urge your support for H. 
     Res. 100, which expresses sympathy to the families of women 
     and girls murdered in Guatemala and encourages the Government 
     of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.
       Historically, the U.S. has offered asylum to those fleeing 
     persecution based on race, religion, political opinion, 
     national origin or membership in a particular social group. 
     Only in the past decade have women and girls fleeing gender-
     based persecution (such as domestic violence, female genital 
     cutting, human trafficking, ``honor'' killings, etc.) been 
     recognized as refugees, but this remains an issue that is 
     still widely debated.
       There is no doubt that asylum is a life-saving form of 
     protection, and recognition of gender-based claims is an 
     important statement by the U.S. that it takes women's rights 
     seriously. But asylum cannot be a solution to the underlying 
     human rights problem. By definition, asylum seekers are 
     forced to flee their home countries in order to save their 
     lives and to escape persecution, but they leave behind many 
     others who face the very same violations of their fundamental 
     human rights--and who have no protection at all. Therefore, 
     if we truly seek to address the problem at its source, we 
     must examine the ``root causes'' of the violence and 
     persecution that are forcing asylum seekers to flee in the 
     first place. The story of Rodi Alvarado and Guatemala's 
     femicides serve as a tragic case in point.
       For more than a decade, Rodi Alvarado was brutalized by her 
     husband, a former soldier in the Guatemalan military, and her 
     repeated and desperate pleas for help from the police and 
     courts were ignored. Ultimately, she had no other option but 
     to flee for her life. Rodi's case--known as Matter of R.A.--
     has been pending for almost ten years, and although two 
     successive Attorneys General--Janet Reno and John Ashcroft--
     ``certified'' the case to themselves, neither of them issued 
     a definitive decision. In 2001, the immigration agency 
     proposed regulations clarifying that domestic violence and 
     other related harms could form the basis of an asylum claim. 
     However, those regulations have yet to be finalized, and the 
     lives of women like Rodi Alvarado, who have sought asylum in 
     the U.S., continue to hang in the balance.
       We ask you to strongly urge Attorney General Gonzales and 
     Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff to issue 
     regulations which would clearly recognize that women in 
     circumstances such as Rodi Alvarado qualify for protection as 
     refugees. This would send a clear message that women and 
     girls fleeing gender-persecution will find a safe haven in 
     the U.S.
       Advancing protective U.S. asylum law is critical, but 
     equally important is addressing the root causes that force 
     women to flee their home countries. In Rodi Alvarado's case, 
     these causes are an epidemic of violence against 
     Guatemalan women; more than 3,000 women and girls have 
     been murdered since 2000. These gender-motivated killings 
     or ``femicides'' are notable both for their brutality and 
     for the virtual impunity of those responsible. The most 
     recent available statistics reveal the abysmal failure of 
     the Guatemalan government to effectively investigate, 
     prosecute, and punish those who carry out these horrific 
     crimes. Only 17 murders of women--of the thousands that 
     have been committed--have been prosecuted.
       Guatemala's femicides demonstrate the lack of any 
     meaningful protection for women like Rodi Alvarado, who are 
     left with no other choice than to flee for their lives. 
     Unless and until the Guatemalan government reforms its 
     justice system such that there is an end to impunity that 
     exists for those who commit this violence, hundreds more 
     women will lose their lives, while others will be forced to 
     flee in order to save them.
       As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, we ask 
     you to play a critical role in resolving the root causes of 
     gender-

[[Page H4245]]

     based violence and persecution in Guatemala by co-sponsoring 
     H. Res. 100.
           Sincerely,
         The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS); Central 
           American Resource Center (CARECEN); Guatemala Human 
           Rights Commission; Foundation for Human Rights in 
           Guatemala; Network in Solidarity with the People of 
           Guatemala; Movement of Guatemalan Immigrants in the 
           United States (MIGUA); National Coalition of Guatemalan 
           Immigrants (CONGUATE); Guatemala Solidarity Committee 
           of Boston; National Alliance of Latin American and 
           Caribbean Communities (NALACC); United Latinos in 
           Massachusetts (LUMA);
         Salvadoran American Nacional Network (SANN); Harvard 
           Immigration and Refugee Clinic; University of Texas 
           School of Law Immigration Clinic; Legal Momentum; 
           STITCH; Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights; Florida 
           Immigrant Advocacy Center, Inc.; Albuquerque Center for 
           Peace and Justice; El CENTRO de Igualdad y Derechos; 
           Casa de Esperanza; Asylum Access; and American Friends 
           Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program.

  While I close, I would like to say that while the violence may 
continue momentarily, I think we have caught the attention of 
policymakers, not just in Guatemala, but in other parts of the 
hemisphere, because not only are we looking at setting a standard here, 
but we are letting people know that we are on watch, and that America 
will take their place, as we always have, in providing leadership.
  I thank our chairperson for this committee. I thank the gentleman. I 
thank our ranking member on the other side of the aisle and all of 
those groups that helped to support this resolution.
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from 
California (Ms. Woolsey), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I would like to thank my colleague from California (Ms. 
Solis) for introducing this bill. I would like to thank Chairman Lantos 
for working to bring it to the floor as quickly as he did.
  Madam Speaker, one of the top priorities of this 110th Congress has 
been to protect women's rights and to prevent violence against them. 
That is why I am particularly proud to be a cosponsor of this 
resolution, H. Res. 100, a resolution that brings the same kind of 
commitment to the women and girls of Guatemala. The supporters of H. 
Res. 100 are speaking loudly against the systematic abuse and sexual 
violence that the women and girls of Guatemala face.
  Since the year 2001, 2,000 women and girls have been murdered. We are 
saying that it's beyond time for the Guatemalan government to stand up 
against these inexcusable and inhumane acts. They are acts of violence, 
and they must punish the offenders. We want them to put the resources 
necessary toward providing for investigations and for DNA testing.
  Today, with this resolution, this Congress stands up and offers more 
than our condolences. We offer our support. We stand with the women and 
the girls of Guatemala, and we pledge to bring safety and justice to 
them. We want their government to work with us to that end.
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey's 10th Congressional District, chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, my good friend Don Payne.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, let me thank the prime sponsor, Ms. Solis, 
for introducing this very important House Resolution 100, expressing 
the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of women 
and girls murdered in Guatemala, and encouraging the Government of 
Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.
  Let me commend Ms. Solis from California, not only for the women in 
Guatemala but she has actually expressed concerns for the deaths of 
women in Mexico. We have had discussions with Ms. Solis about the 
murders on the border of the United States and Mexico where women have 
been killed and there are a tremendous number of unsolved crimes there, 
and she visited that community in Mexico to express our concern for the 
women of that region and that country. So this is simply an extension 
of the work that she has done so well on behalf of women not only here 
in this country but throughout the world.
  As we know, since 2001 more than 2,000 women and girls have been 
murdered in Guatemala, often preceded by abductions, sexual assault, or 
brutal mutilation. The murder rate has continued to increase and has 
grown from 2001 where there were 303 reported to more than 500 in 2006. 
And so we have asked the Government of Guatemala and actually the 
United Nations, and they recently signed an agreement to establish the 
International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, which has a 
mandate to investigate and promote prosecution of illegal security 
groups and clandestine security organizations that function with 
impunity and are suspected of attacking human rights defenders and 
other crimes that have undermined the overall security in Guatemala.
  So when we look to Guatemala and we express our sincerest condolences 
to the families of these women and girls, we must look at the condition 
of women throughout the world, even here in the United States. At a 
recent hearing last week of the Education and Labor Committee, we find 
that women make 82 cents on the dollar compared to what men make. And 
the sad part is that, as women progress in their years of work, the gap 
between men and women actually expands because they start at a lower 
base. Men's salaries go up, women's salaries remain stagnant, and the 
gap becomes even greater.
  So as we remember the women of Guatemala, let's remember that there 
is still gender bias throughout the world.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from 
California's Ninth District, a member of the Committee on 
Appropriations, Barbara Lee.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and 
for your leadership, and just say today that I fully support and am a 
cosponsor of this resolution, and want to thank Congresswoman Solis for 
staying on point and continuing to focus and make sure that this House 
of Representatives understands the type of torture and violence that is 
taking place with regard to Guatemalan women.
  As the resolution says, the murders of Guatemalan women and girls 
have increased significantly, from 303 to more than 500 in 2006. Since 
2001, unfortunately, more than 2,500 women and girls have been killed. 
So it is up to us, I believe, to make sure that we as a neighbor to 
Guatemala, as people who care about women and girls, that we urge the 
Guatemalan Government to do some of the things that have been put forth 
in this resolution.
  First, of course, we extend our sincere condolences and deepest 
sympathies to the families of the women and the girls who have been 
murdered in Guatemala. But also we have to do more than just extend our 
sympathy and express solidarity. We have to do what this resolution 
says. Let me just mention a couple of those things that we need to do.
  We need to urge the Government of Guatemala to recognize domestic 
violence and sexual harassment as criminal acts. Nothing less than that 
will do. We need to make sure that our Secretary of State works with 
the Government of Guatemala to hold those accountable for their crimes. 
We need to make sure that the ambassador continues to meet with the 
families and the victims of the women and girls. We also need to make 
sure, and this resolution calls upon our Secretary of State, to develop 
a comprehensive plan to address and combat the growing problem of 
violence against women in Latin America.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Sires, because this is such an important 
effort for women and girls, not only in Guatemala and Latin America, 
but for women and girls throughout the world.
  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H. Res. 100, to express sympathy to the families of women and girls 
murdered in Guatemala. The senseless atrocities being committed in 
Guatemala are a grim reminder of the injustices that plague women and 
girls throughout the world. It is imperative that we speak out as a 
nation against these malicious acts, which demonstrate an utter lack of 
respect for human life.
  These irrational acts of violence targeted against women are not just 
a looming problem in Guatemala. Femicide has afflicted other countries 
in the world, but our attention turns to Guatemala as the most recent 
and serious case of negligence by government officials. According to 
reports, 40 percent of killings were never investigated or the 
investigations

[[Page H4246]]

were simply shelved. This pattern of impunity by the Guatemalan 
Government cultivates and perpetuates the cycle of violence.
  It has taken pressure from the international community to highlight 
this gross violation of human rights and force the Guatemalan 
Government to take steps towards alleviating these problems. Guatemalan 
officials have recently created a special police commission and 
prosecutorial unit to solely focus on femicide crimes.
  Although these are important and necessary steps, more must be done 
to address these issues.
  It is necessary for this House to focus our attention to Guatemala's 
passive attitude. This is why I urge my colleagues to join me in voting 
``yes'' on H. Res. 100.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lynch). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 100.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________