[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10093-H10095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1145
 COMMENDING THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF 
    JORDAN FOR THEIR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO HOLDING ELECTIONS AND 
                   BROADENING POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 575) commending the people and the 
Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their continued 
commitment to holding elections and broadening political participation, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 575

       Whereas on June 17, 2003, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 
     held parliamentary elections, the fourth since 1989, and the 
     first during the reign of His Majesty King Abdullah II;
       Whereas His Majesty King Abdullah II has announced that the 
     next parliamentary elections in Jordan will be held November 
     20, 2007;
       Whereas municipal elections for the local councils were 
     held on July 31, 2007, under a new reformed municipal 
     elections law passed on February 4, 2007, under which the 
     mayors and councils of all municipalities in Jordan were 
     elected;
       Whereas the new reformed municipal elections law includes a 
     20 percent quota for women in the council seats and reduces 
     the age of eligible voters from 19 to 18 years of age in 
     order to expand the voter base;
       Whereas with the direct assistance of the United States 
     Agency for International Development and the Millennium 
     Challenge Corporation, Jordan has placed great emphasis in 
     recent years on the rights of women to vote and run for 
     public office, thereby serving as a model for other countries 
     in the region;
       Whereas the people and the Government of Jordan are 
     committed to continuing this progress;
       Whereas His Majesty King Abdullah II recently emphasized 
     the importance of building a thriving civil society when he 
     declared, ``We in Jordan--and many others, throughout the 
     Middle East--are working hard to create a civic environment 
     in which our people will thrive. The basic requirement is an 
     inclusive, democratic civil society--one that guarantees 
     rights, delegates responsibilities, honors merit and rewards 
     achievement. The foundation stones on which we build are 
     peace and stability, basic civil and political rights, 
     essential services, freedom of expression and the rule of 
     law.''; and
       Whereas Jordan continues to invest in reforming its 
     educational system to incorporate democratic values and 
     principles: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commends the people, the Government of the Hashemite 
     Kingdom of Jordan , and His Majesty King Abdullah II for 
     their decision to conduct municipal and parliamentary 
     elections in 2007;

[[Page H10094]]

       (2) expresses its desire that Jordan's progress toward 
     democratization continue and flourish as a model for other 
     Arab countries;
       (3) commends His Majesty King Abdullah II and the Jordanian 
     people for striving to uphold women's rights and enhance 
     women's participation in the political process;
       (4) reaffirms the special relationship that exists between 
     the people of the United States and the people of Jordan; and
       (5) remains committed to assist Jordan , should it so 
     desire, in promoting democratic reform.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. 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 American Samoa?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
proposed resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Again my appreciation and gratitude to the leadership of the House 
Foreign Affairs Committee, the distinguished chairman from California 
(Mr. Lantos) and my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen), the senior ranking member of the committee, for their 
support and leadership in bringing this proposed legislation before the 
floor. I also would like to thank the chief sponsor of this proposed 
bill, my good friend from the State of Washington (Mr. Baird), for 
introducing this thoughtful and timely measure commending the Hashemite 
Kingdom of Jordan on its commitment to holding elections and to 
broadening its sphere of political participation in its country.
  The Kingdom of Jordan is an oasis of stability in the Middle Eastern 
desert full of difficulties and crises. Jordan is beset by most of the 
same threats that confront the whole Middle Eastern region, such as 
terrorism and extremism, but it also faces some distinct challenges. 
For example, a flood of Iraqi asylum-seekers numbering nearly 1 
million. These refugees are now straining the infrastructure of a 
resource-poor nation of only 6 million citizens.
  Despite these difficult challenges, and unlike other regional states 
that use Islamic extremism as an excuse to restrict democratic 
freedoms, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has courageously taken 
significant steps to broaden political participation. At the same time, 
it continues to hold the line against terrorism. This balance is 
exemplary.
  Madam Speaker, Jordan has long been a leader in the Arab world in 
enhancing women's political involvement, and it is continuing along 
that path. Thanks to recent reform, 20 percent of the municipal council 
seats determined in Jordan's July elections were reserved for women. 
Jordan also lowered its voting age to 18 in order to involve more 
people in the election process.
  As you know, Madam Speaker, there was some controversy surrounding 
these recent municipal elections. The Islamists withdrew their 
candidates 1 day before the vote, claiming that the system was unfairly 
stacked against them. However, based on the evidence I have been able 
to gather from the State Department and from other staffers who visited 
Jordan shortly after the elections, these elections were largely free 
and fair, marred only by minor irregularities that almost certainly had 
little or no impact on the final result. It now appears the Islamists 
were more concerned about an embarrassing, imminent defeat than they 
were about democratic procedures.
  Last month, after the municipal elections, King Abdullah II announced 
that parliamentary elections will be held on November 20. Thus, Jordan 
continues to pursue its path toward greater democracy.
  It is indeed impressive that Jordan keeps extremism at bay while 
expanding political participation. But it is no coincidence. By 
addressing reform, Jordan has encouraged moderation. That is a lesson 
that, unfortunately, too many Middle Eastern regimes have failed to 
understand.
  We encourage Jordan in its efforts to implement political reform, and 
we look forward to the kingdom's further progress towards achieving the 
comprehensive and ambitious set of goals it put forth last year as part 
of Jordan's National Agenda.
  Madam Speaker, King Abdullah's thoughtful and bold leadership has 
made him a welcome ally in difficult times in the Middle East, and the 
American and Jordanian peoples share a special friendship that this 
bill explicitly reaffirms.
  I know that the Foreign Affairs Committee, of which I am a member, 
and its distinguished chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos), remain committed to this special relationship with the 
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. I trust that my friends in the full House 
do as well.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my 
colleagues to do the same.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly support House Resolution 575, which 
commends the people and the Government of Jordan for their commitment 
to democracy. Today, much of the Middle East is sadly pervaded by 
tyranny, radical and extremist Islam, terrorism and hatred of the 
United States and Israel. However, Jordan continues to stand out as a 
nation committed to moderation, to modernity, to democracy and to peace 
with the United States and Israel.
  Madam Speaker, Jordan has taken the road less traveled in the Middle 
East, demonstrating to other nations the benefits of embracing 
democratic principles as the norm. Since 1989, Jordan has held four 
elections for its parliament, and King Abdullah has committed to 
holding the next set of elections by November of this year. Under a new 
election law passed in February, Jordanians went to the polls in late 
July, for the first time, to elect the mayors and the councils of every 
city and town in that country.
  Jordan has also recognized that democracy is much more than just 
holding elections. The Jordanian Government is acting to establish the 
rule of law, to build a civil society, to build strong institutions and 
to broaden political participation to meaningfully engage citizens from 
all walks of life.
  One example of this commitment, Madam Speaker, is the decision of the 
Government of Jordan to lower the voting age from 19 to 18 and to 
mandate that women fill at least 20 percent of council seats. This is a 
positive first step, and I hope that it will lead to further reforms 
and political participation.
  King Abdullah himself has courageously spoken out and led the way for 
reform. King Abdullah recently stated, ``We in Jordan, and many others 
throughout the Middle East, are working hard to create a civic 
environment in which our people will thrive. The basic requirement is 
an inclusive, democratic civil society, one that guarantees rights, 
delegates responsibilities, honors merit, and rewards achievement. The 
foundation stones on which we build are peace and stability, basic 
civil and political rights, essential services, freedom of expression 
and the rule of law.''
  Madam Speaker, a stable, peaceful and free Middle East is in the 
interests of the United States and indeed the entire world. And while 
much remains to be done, Jordan is serving as a model for other 
nations. It deserves our friendship and encouragement.
  House Resolution 575 is particularly important. It expresses the 
House's desire that Jordan's progress toward democracy continues and 
flourishes as a model for other Arab countries. It also commends King 
Abdullah and the Jordanian people for upholding women's rights and 
enhancing the participation of women in the political process.
  Finally, Madam Speaker, it reaffirms the special relationship that 
exists between the citizens of our two nations, as well as our ongoing 
commitment to helping Jordan, should it so desire, in promoting 
democratic reform.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this measure, Madam Speaker, and I 
urge

[[Page H10095]]

my colleagues to render their full support for its adoption.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, it is with pleasure that I yield 6 
minutes to my good friend and the chief sponsor of this proposed bill, 
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, it is indeed an honor for me to be here 
along with such distinguished colleagues giving just praise and 
recognition to a nation which is a leader in a very, very difficult 
environment. I want to thank Ms. Ros-Lehtinen and the distinguished 
gentleman from American Samoa, and I particularly want to thank the 
chairman of the committee, Mr. Lantos, for supporting and introducing 
this resolution.
  We all know the Middle East is a region which is fraught with 
difficulties. If ever there is a region that needs and deserves models 
of courage, integrity and vision that is such a region, and if ever 
there were such models of integrity, vision and courage, Jordan and 
King Abdullah II are precisely those models.
  In the most recent municipal elections, we saw not only a commitment 
to democratic reforms, but a commitment to moving forward with women's 
rights, and as many of us who have had the privilege traveling to 
Jordan know, the kingdom has been a real leader in this region, not 
only in promoting democratic reforms, but seeing that women are 
promoted to high positions of office within the cabinet and within the 
Parliament. It is a lesson that not only nations within the Middle East 
but within the world at large could benefit from.
  In addition, the Kingdom of Jordan and King Abdullah II have led 
efforts to try to bring Islamic scholars from around the world to craft 
new visions for modern, pluralistic, tolerant and progressive visions 
of Islam, and the Oman declaration, which does not get nearly the 
attention it deserves, has been, I think, a visionary statement guiding 
and inspiring many people throughout the region.
  In addition, I think it is worth saying that the Kingdom of Jordan 
has stepped up to try to help in the region. As we deal with the 
conflict in Iraq, they have provided valuable training to the Iraqi 
police and others. One of the challenges Jordan faces right now is the 
influx of nearly 1 million refugees, as was mentioned. This is a 
country that faces challenges in terms of energy costs, water 
availability, et cetera, and still, with all the challenges they face, 
they have reached out to try to assist others.
  We have talked a lot in this body and elsewhere about the need for 
models in the Middle East in the hope that Iraq could one day become a 
model of democracy. I certainly share that hope. But I would say to my 
colleagues, we already have some very, very good models in that region, 
and it is deserved that we would commend them and recognize them today. 
Jordan is precisely such a model. King Abdullah is precisely such a 
leader.
  I am grateful that my colleagues today would take the time and the 
effort to recognize such achievements by such a courageous leader in 
such a wonderful country.
  I would urge my colleagues to visit Jordan, to meet with their King, 
with the members of their Parliament and their cabinet officials, and I 
am sure they will share my sense of deep admiration and respect for 
what has been happening there.
  So I urge passage of this legislation. I hope it marks a positive 
step, not only in recognition of Jordan, but a step in which this body 
finds ways to acknowledge the many positive achievements that are 
taking place in a region which we all know has many difficulties. But 
if we only focus on the difficulties or the bad news and we neglect the 
good news and the accomplishments, particularly when they are achieved 
by nations and individuals of such prestige and courage as Jordan, we 
would be missing a golden opportunity.
  Thankfully, today, this House of Representatives will not miss that 
opportunity. We will acknowledge and recognize the recent elections and 
reforms by the Kingdom of Jordan and extend a hand of friendship and 
admiration to all the people of Jordan and to King Abdullah II himself.
  With that, I thank all of those who cosponsored this legislation on 
both sides of the aisle. It truly has been a bipartisan effort.
  Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this fine resolution.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I commend my good friend, the chief 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 575, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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