[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 143 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10781-H10782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COUNTRIES HIT BY HURRICANES FELIX, DEAN, AND HENRIETTE

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 642) expressing sympathy to and 
support for the people and governments of the countries of Central 
America, the Caribbean, and Mexico which have suffered from Hurricanes 
Felix, Dean, and Henriette and whose complete economic and fatality 
toll are still unknown.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 642

       Whereas on September 4, 2007, Hurricane Felix, a Category 5 
     storm, hit the Nicaragua-Honduras border, causing over 40,000 
     people in Nicaragua and Honduras to be evacuated, and killing 
     at least 100 people;
       Whereas just weeks before, Hurricane Dean, a Category 5 
     storm, hit Mexico and the Caribbean coast, killed 27 persons, 
     displaced over 260,000 persons, and destroyed over 36,000 
     homes;
       Whereas Hurricane Henriette, a Category 1 storm, made 
     landfall along the Baja California peninsula of Mexico hours 
     after Hurricane Felix made landfall, the first time since 
     1949 that two Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes hit land on the 
     same day;
       Whereas for the first time in the recorded history of 
     hurricanes, two Category 5 storms, Hurricanes Dean and Felix, 
     made landfall during the same year;
       Whereas Hurricane Henriette, though less powerful than 
     Hurricane Felix, killed 7 people;
       Whereas the homes of at least 5,000 Central Americans were 
     damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Felix and Henriette;
       Whereas thousands more individuals were unable to be 
     evacuated and forced to endure these hurricanes in the 
     shelter of their own homes;
       Whereas Hurricane Felix obtained wind speeds of over 160 
     miles-an-hour, causing widespread destruction with heavy 
     rains and subsequent mudslides and floods expected to follow;
       Whereas Hurricane Felix hit the Miskito Coast, home to the 
     Miskito Indians, an indigenous population of Central America;
       Whereas relief organizations have reported that thousands 
     of Miskito Indians were stranded on the coast and unable to 
     travel to safer regions;
       Whereas the poorest civilians of Honduras and Guatemala who 
     live in hillside villages will be most susceptible to 
     mudslides due to their inland location;
       Whereas Honduras and Nicaragua, the poorest countries of 
     Central America, have economies that rely heavily on limited 
     agricultural exports, which make both countries extremely 
     vulnerable to natural disasters;
       Whereas major tourist destinations, including Cabo San 
     Lucas, the Mayan Riviera, Cancun, Acapulco, and a host of 
     Caribbean islands, were forced to evacuate due to the 
     hurricanes, thus harming the tourist industry on which these 
     areas depend; and
       Whereas Honduras and Nicaragua were still rebuilding after 
     the devastating effects of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which 
     killed nearly 11,000 people and left more than 8,000 people 
     missing, destroyed the infrastructures and economies of both 
     countries, and caused billions of dollars in damage: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its sympathy to and support for the people 
     and governments of the countries of Central America, the 
     Caribbean, and Mexico in this time of devastation;
       (2) vows its continued friendship and support for our 
     neighbors in Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico;
       (3) urges all parties to continue their efforts in 
     evacuating and providing aid to those individuals displaced 
     by the hurricanes;
       (4) recognizes the United States Government's initial 
     efforts to provide assistance to populations affected by the 
     hurricanes and urges increased and continued assistance as 
     the effects of the hurricanes continue to unfold;
       (5) encourages public institutions, specialized agencies, 
     as well as private citizens, to offer their resources; and

[[Page H10782]]

       (6) recognizes the efforts of relief organizations, 
     including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red 
     Crescent Societies, and the international community, in 
     aiding the people and governments involved.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. 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 Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  House Resolution 642 pertains to the hurricanes that have struck 
Latin America in recent weeks and expresses sympathy and support for 
the people and the governments of the countries of Central America, the 
Caribbean, and Mexico, which have suffered from Hurricanes Felix, Dean, 
and Henriette and whose complete economic and fatality toll are still 
unknown.
  As we all saw in the news in recent weeks, these hurricanes have 
devastated much of that region. We here in the House of Representatives 
want to express our sympathy and support for all the peoples in those 
regions that were impacted. We want to thank all those who have 
responded to the emergency with aid and various other efforts to help 
them and recognize the efforts of the United States in particular to do 
that and that we pledge to continue that help in any way we can as they 
try to recover from these terrible tragedies.
  We in the U.S. know only too well the impacts of hurricanes and want 
to be as helpful as we can to our neighbors in helping them get through 
this very difficult time.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette delivered a 
devastating toll to the countries of Mexico, the rest of Central 
America, and the Caribbean. Between the three hurricanes, nearly 200 
lives were lost, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and 
thousands of homes were destroyed.
  I join my colleagues today to express our sincere sympathy and 
support for the people who have suffered as a result of these 
destructive storms. The resiliency of the people of these nations to 
overcome the tremendous power of these catastrophes has been truly 
tested. When Hurricane Felix hit on September 4, Honduras and Nicaragua 
were still in the midst of rebuilding following the effects of 
Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Especially vulnerable to natural disasters due 
to their dependence on agricultural exports and the potential for 
damaging mudslides, the historic occurrence of two category 5 storms in 
1 year had an overwhelming impact for several of the countries in this 
region.
  I commend the courage that our neighbors in Mexico, the rest of 
Central America, and the Caribbean continue to demonstrate in their 
efforts to overcome the damage wrought, and I admire the courage and 
the contributions made by relief agencies, private citizens, and the 
international community to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix, 
Hurricane Dean, and Henriette.
  Our prayers are with the family and friends of those who were harmed 
by the perils of this terrible storm season.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I just want to thank the Committee on Foreign Affairs again, Mr. 
Lantos, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and the entire committee for their 
quick response to these issues. I think it is very, very important that 
we in the United States, particularly when we are talking about 
incidents in Latin America, our neighbors to the south, recognize as 
quickly as possible our solidarity with their struggles and their 
difficulties and our pledge to support and help them in any way we can.
  I also want to thank Ms. Solis, who was the prime sponsor of this 
legislation, for her leadership on this issue. Not just this issue but 
throughout Latin America on a number of issues on the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, she has been a tremendous leader for us. She is supposed to 
be here to speak, but I believe she has been caught up in committee.
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 
642, a resolution I authored to express our sympathy and support for 
those affected by the recent hurricanes in Central America, Mexico and 
the Caribbean. As the only Member of Congress of Central American 
descent, I am very concerned about the impact of the hurricanes on this 
impoverished region of the world.
  For the first time, two Category 5 storms, Hurricanes Dean and Felix, 
made landfall during the same year, both striking Central and Latin 
America. Earlier this month, Hurricane Felix, a Category 5 storm, made 
landfall along the remote border of Nicaragua and Honduras. The storm 
killed over 130 people and damaged or destroyed over 19,000 homes, 
mostly in Nicaragua. The aftermath has been devastating for thousands 
of families.
  Hurricane Dean, another Category 5 storm, hit Mexico and the 
Caribbean coast and killed 27 people and damaged or destroyed over 
50,000 homes. Nicaragua, in Central America, is one of the poorest 
countries in the area and was the hardest hit by Hurricane Felix.
  The complete economic and human toll of the hurricanes is still 
unknown, but we must act quickly to ensure that humanitarian aid 
continues to flow to the communities impacted. Supplies, including 
food, clean water and rebuilding materials, are essential. Economic aid 
for the agriculture economies that those countries rely on is also 
badly needed.
  House Resolution 642 recognizes the U.S. Government's initial 
humanitarian efforts and urges increased and continued assistance as 
the effects of the hurricanes unfold. The resolution also recognizes 
the efforts of humanitarian relief groups, including the International 
Red Cross.
  Unfortunately, the United States knows all too well the damage and 
destruction that can result from hurricanes and other natural 
disasters. The area I represent in Los Angeles is prone to wildfires 
and earthquakes, and we are still working to support those affected by 
Hurricane Katrina.
  Just as Hurricane Katrina showed us how disruptive and damaging 
natural disasters can be, they are all the worse for less developed 
countries. We all remember the devastation of Hurricane Mitch, which 
killed nearly 11,000 people and caused catastrophic mudslides in the 
same region nearly 10 years ago. We can and must help our neighbors in 
Latin America to recover from these hurricanes.
  I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 642.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 642.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________