[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 5977]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 163--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE 
 HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE CAUSED BY THE APRIL 25, 2015, EARTHQUAKE IN 
                                 NEPAL

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Markey, Mrs. 
Shaheen, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Tester, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Boxer, 
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Coons, Mr. Reed, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Rubio, 
and Ms. Ayotte) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 163

       Whereas, on April 25, 2015, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on 
     the Richter scale and the aftershocks of the earthquake 
     devastated Kathmandu, Nepal and the surrounding areas, 
     killing thousands, injuring thousands more people, and 
     leaving many thousands of people homeless;
       Whereas the earthquake also resulted in the loss of life 
     and destruction of property in India, Bangladesh, and the 
     Tibetan Autonomous Region of China;
       Whereas United States citizens were also killed in the 
     wide-scale destruction caused by the earthquake;
       Whereas Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries in the 
     world, has an estimated 25 percent of the population living 
     on less than $1.25 a day, has an estimated 46 percent 
     unemployment rate with a majority of the population engaged 
     in subsistence agriculture, and has one of the slowest 
     economic growth rates in the region;
       Whereas years of civil conflict in Nepal led to a massive 
     influx of people into urban areas despite the absence of 
     appropriate facilities, roads, housing, and infrastructure to 
     support the people;
       Whereas, since the end of hostilities, political gridlock 
     among the leadership of Nepal to finalize a constitution has 
     stymied growth and development;
       Whereas the loss of infrastructure will further inhibit 
     economic growth in the impoverished country of Nepal;
       Whereas the United States Government has worked with the 
     Government of Nepal on disaster risk reduction and earthquake 
     preparedness for years, which certainly saved many lives and 
     accelerated the ability of the Government and people of Nepal 
     to respond to disasters and earthquakes;
       Whereas the United States Government and the international 
     community are mounting a large-scale response and recovery 
     effort; and
       Whereas the United States Agency for International 
     Development is leading the response of the United States by 
     providing a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), 
     funding, and Urban Search and Rescue experts: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses profound sympathy to, and unwavering support 
     for, the people of Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and the Tibetan 
     Autonomous Region of China, who have always shown resilience 
     and now face catastrophic conditions in the aftermath of the 
     April 25, 2015, earthquake, and sympathy for the families of 
     the citizens of the United States who perished in the 
     disaster;
       (2) applauds the rapid and concerted mobilization by 
     President Barack Obama to provide immediate emergency 
     humanitarian assistance to Nepal, and the hard work and 
     dedication of the people at the Department of State, the 
     United States Agency for International Development, and the 
     Department of Defense in quickly marshaling United States 
     Government resources to address both the short- and long-term 
     needs in Nepal;
       (3) urges that all appropriate efforts be made to secure 
     the safety of orphans in Nepal;
       (4) urges that all appropriate efforts be made to sustain 
     recovery assistance to Nepal beyond the immediate 
     humanitarian crisis to support the people of Nepal with 
     appropriate humanitarian, developmental, and infrastructure 
     assistance needed to overcome the effects of the earthquake;
       (5) expresses appreciation for the ongoing and renewed 
     commitment of the international community to the recovery and 
     development of Nepal;
       (6) urges all countries to commit to assisting the people 
     of Nepal with their long-term needs;
       (7) calls on the Government of Nepal to take all necessary 
     actions to enable a faster and more sustainable recovery; and
       (8) expresses support for the United States Embassy team in 
     Kathmandu, DART members, other Federal agencies, and the non 
     governmental organization community in the United States, who 
     are valiantly working to assist thousands of people in Nepal 
     under extremely adverse conditions.

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