[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9561-9562]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING AND CONGRATULATING THE GOD'S CHILD PROJECT

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
141 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 141) recognizing the efforts and 
     accomplishments of the GOD'S CHILD Project and congratulating 
     the GOD'S CHILD Project on its 20th anniversary.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.

[[Page 9562]]


  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
preamble be considered, the Conrad amendment to the preamble, which is 
at the desk, be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the 
resolution be considered, the Conrad amendment, which is at the desk, 
be agreed to, and the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the motions 
to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any statements relating to the matter be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 492) was agreed to, as follows:

                   (Purpose: To improve the preamble)

       In the preamble, on page 2, in the first clause, strike ``, 
     the hometown of Patrick Atkinson''.
       In the preamble, on page 3, in the clause immediately 
     preceding the resolved clause, strike ``and Patrick Atkinson 
     have received numerous accolades recognizing their service'' 
     and insert ``has received numerous accolades recognizing its 
     service''.

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 491) was agreed to, as follows:

               (Purpose: To improve the resolved clause)

       On page 3, beginning on line 11, strike ``volunteers,'' and 
     all that follows through line 13 and insert ``volunteers and 
     staff of the GOD'S CHILD project.''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 141), as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 141

       Whereas international educator, human rights leader, and 
     native of the State of North Dakota Patrick Atkinson, deeply 
     concerned about the plight of poor and exploited children 
     around the globe, established the nonprofit GOD'S CHILD 
     Project in 1991 with the mission of breaking the bitter 
     chains of poverty through education and information;
       Whereas the GOD'S CHILD Project has a global presence, 
     serving the most vulnerable women and children on 3 
     continents, with operations in El Salvador, Guatemala, India, 
     Malawi, and the United States;
       Whereas the international GOD'S CHILD Project, true to its 
     roots, maintains its global headquarters in Bismarck, North 
     Dakota;
       Whereas more than 5,000 orphaned, abandoned, and 
     impoverished children and nearly 8,700 widowed, abandoned, 
     and single mothers and their dependents receive care from, 
     and are educated by, the GOD'S CHILD Project;
       Whereas since the GOD'S CHILD Project was founded, more 
     than 18,000 parentless children and thousands more women have 
     been given hope by the GOD'S CHILD Project;
       Whereas the GOD'S CHILD Project, taking a comprehensive 
     view of helping the destitute and exploited break free from 
     poverty and oppression, operates schools, a family clinic, 
     social work department, psychology clinic, domestic violence 
     program, legal aid department, and a center for malnourished 
     children;
       Whereas in response to the transnational problem of human 
     trafficking, the GOD'S CHILD Project established the 
     Institute for Trafficked, Exploited, and Missing Persons in 
     2001 to address the issues of human trafficking and 
     exploitation, which are particularly severe in Central 
     America;
       Whereas the GOD'S CHILD Project is often 1 of the first 
     organizations to respond to devastating natural disasters, 
     including Tropical Storm Agatha, which ravaged Central 
     America in 2010, taking nearly 180 lives and destroying the 
     homes of thousands;
       Whereas each year, approximately 2,500 volunteers and 45 
     homebuilding groups from around the world join with the GOD'S 
     CHILD Project staff to compassionately serve their brothers 
     and sisters in need; and
       Whereas the GOD'S CHILD Project has received numerous 
     accolades recognizing its service to the poor from United 
     States and foreign organizations, including the Guatemalan 
     Congressional Medal of Honor, Guatemala's Goodwill Ambassador 
     For Peace, and the 2010 Humanitarian Award from the Bismarck 
     City Human Rights Commission: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the GOD'S CHILD Project on its 20th 
     anniversary;
       (2) commends the GOD'S CHILD Project for its charitable 
     service to the poor and its efforts to help thousands break 
     the bonds of poverty and exploitation; and
       (3) recognizes those individuals who have served 
     impoverished children and women throughout the world under 
     the auspices of the GOD'S CHILD Project, including the 
     volunteers and staff of the GOD'S CHILD Project.

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