[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12482-12483]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE OF GUATEMALA, HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR 
                      AFTER TROPICAL STORM AGATHA

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1462) expressing support for the people of 
Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as they persevere through the 
aftermath of Tropical Storm Agatha which swept across Central America 
causing deadly floods and mudslides, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1462

       Whereas, on May 29, 2010, Guatemala, Honduras, and El 
     Salvador experienced devastating floods and mudslides brought 
     on by Tropical Storm Agatha;
       Whereas Tropical Storm Agatha has left 174 dead and 62,827 
     families were directly affected in Guatemala;
       Whereas Tropical Storm Agatha has left 22dead and 7,998 in 
     shelters in Honduras;
       Whereas Tropical Storm Agatha has left 11 dead and 12,000 
     in shelters in El Salvador;
       Whereas over 2,000 Guatemalans were displaced with little 
     forewarning following the eruption of the Pacaya volcano;
       Whereas the combination of Tropical Storm Agatha and the 
     eruption of the Pacaya volcano have devastated Guatemala's 
     landscape leaving behind sinkholes and mudslides across the 
     country;
       Whereas, due to recent droughts, erratic rainfall, high 
     food prices, and a sharp drop in remittances, Guatemala has 
     suffered severe food insecurity that will increase in the 
     wake of Tropical Storm Agatha;
       Whereas Guatemalan officials are estimating that damages 
     will surpass $475,000,000;
       Whereas the loss in the agriculture sector could be close 
     to $18,500,000 in Honduras;
       Whereas 380 schools have been affected in El Salvador;
       Whereas critical infrastructure relating to water and 
     sanitation has been destroyed;
       Whereas the United States has provided relief for the 
     victims of Tropical Storm Agatha by deploying United States 
     Southern Command support helicopters and frigates for 
     assistance with the transport of food, water, and emergency 
     supplies;
       Whereas countries and organizations around the world have 
     contributed millions of dollars in medicines and aid, and 
     humanitarian aid agencies in the United States and around the 
     world are mobilizing to provide much needed assistance to the 
     relief and recovery efforts; and
       Whereas Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador have begun the 
     process of recovering from these natural disasters: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) mourns the loss of life and expresses solidarity with 
     all people affected by Tropical Storm Agatha;
       (2) commends the brave efforts of the people of Guatemala, 
     Honduras, and El Salvador as they recover from Tropical Storm 
     Agatha;
       (3) recognizes the assistance of the international 
     community during the recovery effort in providing relief to 
     the people of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador; and
       (4) urges the Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development (USAID), to continue to develop a strategic plan 
     to promote food security and recovery efforts with the goal 
     of mitigating the current and future effects of the recent 
     natural disasters that have devastated Guatemala, Honduras, 
     and El Salvador.

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

                              {time}  2040


                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Ms. WATSON. 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 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  On May 29, 2010, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador experienced 
devastating floods and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Agatha. 
Agatha has left 174 dead and directly affected more than 62,000 
families in Guatemala, killed 22 and forced nearly 8,000 into shelters 
in Honduras, and left 11 dead and 12,000 in shelters in El Salvador. 
And to make matters worse, over 2,000 Guatemalans were displaced with 
little forewarning following the eruption of the Pacaya volcano on May 
27, 2010.
  The combination of the tropical storm and the volcano has devastated 
Guatemala's landscape leaving behind sinkholes and mudslides across the 
country. In addition, due to recent droughts, erratic rainfalls and 
high food prices, a sharp drop in remittances, Guatemala now faces 
severe food insecurity, and this is expected to increase in the wake of 
Tropical Storm Agatha.
  Guatemalan officials are estimating that damages will surpass $475 
million. In Honduras, the loss in the agriculture sector could be close 
to $18.5 million. In all three countries, critical infrastructure 
relating to water and sanitation has been destroyed.
  The United States has provided relief for the victims of Tropical 
Storm Agatha by deploying United States Southern Command support 
helicopters and frigates to assist with the transport of food, water, 
and emergency supplies. Humanitarian aid agencies in the United States 
and countries and NGOs around the world are mobilizing to provide much-
needed assistance to the relief and the recovery efforts.
  The resolution before us recognizes the assistance efforts already 
under way and urges the Secretary of State in coordination with the 
administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, or USAID, to continue to develop a strategic plan with the 
goal of mitigating the effects of the recent natural disasters that 
have devastated these three countries. Guatemala, Honduras, and El 
Salvador face a major challenge as they recover and rebuild. They 
deserve our continued support.
  For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
important resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today as a proud cosponsor of House Resolution 1462, which 
expresses the support of the United States to the people of Guatemala, 
Honduras, and El Salvador in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Agatha.
  Having already declared a state of emergency following a volcano 
eruption just 50 miles from Guatemala City days earlier, Guatemala was 
hit by Tropical Storm Agatha on May 29, 2010. Floods and mudslides 
devastated parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as a result of 
the storm. Hundreds of lives were lost, hundreds of thousands of 
survivors left in shelters.
  Immediately following this disaster, as we always do, the United 
States, as a government and as a people, was standing by to lend a 
helping hand. The United States Southern Command, SOUTHCOM, located in 
my home district in Miami, Florida, deployed four helicopters from Soto 
Cano Air Base in Honduras to conduct aerial assessments and transport 
emergency relief supplies to areas impacted by the disaster.

[[Page 12483]]

  The ability of SOUTHCOM to utilize resources from the Soto Cano Air 
Base demonstrates the important role that Honduras plays in enabling 
the United States to provide support for security and disaster 
purposes. SOUTHCOM also sent personnel from Miami to join a 
humanitarian assessment team on the ground in Guatemala. And I was 
proud to see Royal Caribbean Cruises, also of Miami, work with the Pan 
American Development Foundation to help transport food to the tens of 
thousands of survivors in the days following the storm.
  The growing security challenges facing Guatemala, Honduras, and El 
Salvador as a result of narcotraffickers and vicious gangs have only 
been complicated by this recent natural disaster. It will be critical 
for the United States to work with responsible democratic nations in 
the region to ensure that this does not become a window of opportunity 
for criminals.
  The success we have seen in Colombia and the ongoing efforts being 
taken in Mexico against the drug cartels have created an unfortunate 
sandwich effect in Central America. But only through a united 
hemispheric-wide approach that is based on a shared commitment to 
democracy, to security, to prosperity, will we achieve success against 
the narcotraffickers and organized crime.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences 
to the families and friends of those who suffered as a result of 
Tropical Storm Agatha. As the brave people of Guatemala, Honduras, and 
El Salvador continue to recover from this tragic disaster, please know 
that we have you in our hearts and in our prayers.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 1462, support for the people of Guatemala, Honduras and El 
Salvador as they persevere through the aftermath of Tropical Storm 
Agatha which swept across Central America causing deadly floods and 
mudslides. I would like to thank Mr. Mack for introducing this 
resolution underlining our heartfelt support for our North American 
neighbors in their time of desperate need.
  Mr. Speaker, the countries of Central America have suffered 
devastating damage and loss of life at the hands of Mother Nature. 
Tropical Storm Agatha has left over 200 dead and over 95,000 in 
shelters, most of them in Guatemala. The powerful storm has inflicted 
over $475,000,000 in damages throughout the region, destroying critical 
water and sanitation infrastructure. Combined with recent droughts, 
high food prices and a dramatic drop in remittances from the United 
States, Guatemala in particular has suffered severe food insecurity 
that will likely increase due to the effects of the storm.
  I join my fellow members in expressing our most heartfelt condolences 
for the loss of life and suffering the Guatemalan, Honduran and 
Salvadoran people have endured in the wake of the storm. We mourn for 
those who are no longer with us, and extend our deepest sympathies to 
those they have left behind, in many cases without food or shelter. It 
is a tragedy for anyone to lose their home, their father, their mother, 
their children, their friends. We will do everything we can to help 
them recover from this disaster.
  But we also commend the people of these ravaged countries for their 
bravery, and for standing tall in the face of adversity. In spite of 
the frustration and sadness that come in the aftermath of a disaster, 
they are fighting hard to recover. They could certainly use our help.
  The international community and the United States have already 
responded. Countries, NGOs and humanitarian aid agencies from around 
the world have generously contributed millions of dollars in medicine 
and aid, and mobilizing to transport and deliver support and supplies. 
The United States continue to assert and strengthen our commitment to 
participate in the global outpouring of support to our devastated 
neighbors to the south.
  After all, we are no strangers to the effects of natural disasters, 
and many of our cities have suffered through more than their fair 
share. As a Representative of the good people of Houston, Texas, many 
of the Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms that wreak havoc every 
summer hit very close to home. From Ike to Ivan to Wilma to Katrina, we 
know all too well the devastation that befalls those unfortunate enough 
to be standing in the path of one of the North Atlantic's deadly 
hurricanes or tropical storms. We have seen the destruction first hand; 
I have spoken to the victims; we have known the pain and suffering 
those natural disasters can cause.
  We know the road of recovery can be long and fraught with challenges. 
But we have recovered, and so shall the people of Guatemala, Honduras 
and El Salvador. And the United States must help ensure that they do.
  As such, I am proud to stand behind my fellow members in calling upon 
the Congress to urge the Secretary of State and the United States 
Agency for International Development to continue working on a strategic 
plan to promote food security and recovery efforts, with the aim of 
mitigating current and future effects of the recent natural disasters 
that have devastated Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
  Mr. McMAHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1462, 
stating our nation's unequivocal support for those people of Guatemala, 
Honduras, and El Salvador who have been affected by Tropical Storm 
Agatha. In the aftermath of the storm, mudslides and sinkholes formed, 
not only marring the natural beauty of these countries, but also 
causing immense amounts of damage and suffering.
  Hundreds of people lost their lives, and tens of thousands were 
displaced from their homes. Food shortages, destruction of 
infrastructure, economic losses in agriculture, and damages to vital 
buildings will inevitably adversely affect these countries for a long 
time to come.
  These Latin American nations represent crucial U.S. allies in the 
region and key economic trading partners. It is in the interest of our 
economic stability and national security to help them through these 
tough times.
  Our own experiences from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina remind us that 
we are all vulnerable to the cruel whims of nature. We will never 
forget how many countries around the world stood with us during those 
trying times for our nation, and we need to stand with Guatemala, 
Honduras, and El Salvador now.
  I commend the United States Southern Command for providing food, 
water, and necessary supplies to the victims of these natural 
disasters. We have not been alone in providing assistance to the 
disaster areas; the international community has come together in 
support of those who have been affected, contributing millions of 
dollars in medical supplies and other assistance.
  I urge the House of Representatives to keep in mind today those lives 
and livelihoods that have been destroyed in the aftermath of this 
disaster by supporting this resolution.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1462, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  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.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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