[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 34 (Monday, March 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1668-S1669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 15, S. Res. 12.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 12) recognizing the third anniversary 
     of the tragic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, 
     honoring those who lost their lives in that earthquake, and 
     expressing continued solidarity with the people of Haiti.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
Relations, with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble, as 
follows:

       Whereas hundreds of thousands of people as a result of the 
     earthquake will have some form of a long term disability, in 
     addition to approximately 800,000 persons with disabilities 
     living in Haiti;
       its Office of the Secretary of State for the Integration of 
     Persons with Disabilities, and civil society, and with the 
     support of the private sector;

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported amendment be agreed to; the resolution, as amended, 
be agreed to; the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be 
agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions 
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 12), as amended, was agreed to.
  The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                               S. Res. 12

       Whereas, on January 12, 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 
     on the Richter scale struck the country of Haiti, followed by 
     59 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater;
       Whereas more than 220,000 people died as a result of the 
     earthquake, more than 300,000 people were injured, and more 
     than 3,000,000 people were directly affected by the disaster;
       Whereas the total cost in terms of human lives, 
     infrastructure damage, and economic losses makes the 
     earthquake one of the worst urban disasters in modern 
     history;
       Whereas President Barack Obama vowed the ``unwavering 
     support'' of the United States Government and pledged a 
     ``swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives and 
     support the recovery in Haiti'';
       Whereas the initial emergency response of the men and women 
     of the United States Government, led by the United States 
     Agency for International Development and United States 
     Southern Command, was swift and resolute;
       Whereas the Haitian diaspora, other individuals, 
     businesses, and philanthropic organizations throughout the 
     United States and the international community overwhelmingly 
     responded to the crisis by sending emergency relief supplies 
     and significant financial contributions;
       Whereas the Senate passed 3 successive resolutions 
     expressing its profound sympathy and unwavering support for 
     the people of Haiti and urging all nations to assist the 
     people of Haiti with their long-term needs;
       Whereas, 3 years later, significant challenges still remain 
     in Haiti as it works to recover and rebuild;
       Whereas, according to the International Organization for 
     Migration, approximately 360,000 people remain in spontaneous 
     and organized camps in Haiti and hundreds of thousands of 
     poor people in Haiti continue to live in non-permanent 
     housing, conditions that make them vulnerable to future 
     natural disasters;
       Whereas hundreds of thousands of people as a result of the 
     earthquake will have some form of a long term disability, in 
     addition to approximately 800,000 persons with disabilities 
     living in Haiti;

[[Page S1669]]

       Whereas, according to an independent panel investigation by 
     the United Nations, on October 19, 2010, an imported strain 
     of cholera was detected in the Lower Artibonite region of 
     Haiti;
       Whereas, according to the Haitian Ministry of Public Health 
     and Population, as of December 31, 2012, more than 7,900 
     people in Haiti have died from cholera and more than 635,000 
     have been infected with the disease since the earthquake on 
     January 12, 2010;
       Whereas the United Nations Secretary-General announced a 
     plan to eliminate cholera from the island of Hispaniola 
     through enhanced treatment and prevention efforts and through 
     the development of clean water and sanitation infrastructure 
     that is accessible to all people in Haiti;
       Whereas gender-based violence against women and girls in 
     Haiti continues to be a chronic problem, and judicial 
     barriers that have prevented victims from finding redress 
     remain a significant issue of concern;
       Whereas, in 2012 alone, Haiti faced a long drought period 
     and 2 major tropical storms that destroyed 70 percent of 
     agricultural crops in Haiti, impacting the lives of millions 
     of people in Haiti facing food insecurity and further 
     crippling the economy of Haiti;
       Whereas the sustained assistance to Haiti from the United 
     States and the international community bolsters the efforts 
     of the Government of Haiti to confront these challenges; and
       Whereas, since the earthquake on January 12, 2010, the 
     people of Haiti have demonstrated unwavering resilience, 
     dignity, and courage: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) mourns the loss of lives as a result of the tragic 
     earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, and the subsequent 
     cholera epidemic;
       (2) honors the sacrifice made by the men and women of the 
     Government of Haiti, civil society, the United States 
     Government, the United Nations, and the international 
     community in their response to those affected by the 
     calamity;
       (3) reaffirms its solidarity with the Government and people 
     of Haiti as they work to rebuild their country and 
     livelihoods;
       (4) supports the long-term reconstruction efforts of the 
     United States Government to improve housing, energy, job 
     creation, food security, health care, education, governance, 
     and rule of law in Haiti in full cooperation with the 
     Government of Haiti, its Office of the Secretary of State for 
     the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, and civil 
     society, and with the support of the private sector;
       (5) urges the President and the international community to 
     continue--
       (A) to focus assistance on increasing the capacity of the 
     public sector of Haiti to sustainably provide services to the 
     people of Haiti;
       (B) to develop, improve, and increase communication and 
     participation to more substantially involve civil society in 
     Haiti and the Haitian diaspora at all stages of the post-
     earthquake response;
       (C) to provide programs that protect and involve vulnerable 
     populations, including internally displaced persons, 
     children, women and girls, and persons with disabilities; and
       (D) to work to enhance the ability of the Government of 
     Haiti, at all stages of the democratic process, to improve 
     economic development, attract private sector investment, 
     pursue judicial reform, enhance the rule of law, reduce 
     incidences of gender-based violence, improve water and 
     sanitation systems, develop a civil registry, and reform land 
     tenure policies;
       (6) welcomes evidence of progress in building a better 
     future for Haiti, including--
       (A) significant improvements in agricultural yields via the 
     Feed the Future initiative;
       (B) the opening of the Caracol Industrial Park in northern 
     Haiti, which is projected to create approximately 20,000 jobs 
     by 2016;
       (C) programs to support economic opportunities for women 
     and survivors of sexual violence through microcredit, short 
     term jobs programs and leadership training, health services, 
     and reintegration and repatriation assistance to Haitian 
     migrants;
       (D) the reduction of the cholera mortality rate to lower 
     than one percent, and the provision of sophisticated HIV and 
     AIDS prevention and treatment services; and
       (E) the recruitment, training, and provisioning of new 
     officers for the Haitian National Police; and
       (7) urges the President--
       (A) to continue reconstruction and development efforts, 
     closely coordinated with the Government of Haiti, the Haitian 
     diaspora, and international actors who share in the goal of a 
     better future for Haiti;
       (B) to ensure close monitoring of the implementation of aid 
     programs funded by the United States Government; and
       (C) to work with the Government of Haiti and private 
     landowners to prevent the forced eviction of internally 
     displaced people and communities and to provide sustainable 
     and safe housing solutions for the most vulnerable people in 
     Haiti.

                          ____________________