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VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H. Con. Res. 190, H. Con. Res. 275,

H. Con. Res. 280, H. Con. Res. 284,

H. Con. Res. 294, H. Res. 438, H. Res. 456,

H. Res. 458, H. Res. 479, H. Res. 499,

H. Res. 529 and H. Res. 535

NOVEMBER 16, 2005

Serial No. 109–129

Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations 

(II)

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman 

JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, 

Vice Chairman 

DAN BURTON, Indiana 

ELTON GALLEGLY, California 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California 

PETER T. KING, New York 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado 

RON PAUL, Texas 

DARRELL ISSA, California 

JEFF FLAKE, Arizona 

JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia 

MARK GREEN, Wisconsin 

JERRY WELLER, Illinois 

MIKE PENCE, Indiana 

THADDEUS G. MCCOTTER, Michigan 

KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina 

CONNIE MACK, Florida 

JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska 

MICHAEL MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

TOM LANTOS, California 

HOWARD L. BERMAN, California 

GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

ROBERT WEXLER, Florida 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

BARBARA LEE, California 

JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York 

EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon 

SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

ADAM B. SCHIFF, California 

DIANE E. WATSON, California 

ADAM SMITH, Washington 

BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota 

BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky 

DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California 

THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel 

ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director 

DANIEL FREEMAN, Counsel/Parliamentarian 

JEAN CARROLL, Full Committee Hearing Coordinator 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF 

H. Con. Res. 190, Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian 

Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities 

without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by 

the Russian Constitution and international standards .................................... 3

H. Con. Res. 275, Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the education 

curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ...................................................... 8

H. Con. Res. 280, Mourning the horrific loss of life caused by the floods 

and mudslides that occurred in October 2005 in Central America and 

Mexico and expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should 

do everything possible to assist the affected people and communities ............ 12

H. Con. Res. 284, Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 

2005 presidential and parliamentary elections in Egypt, as amended ............ 19

H. Con. Res. 294, Calling on the international community to condemn the 

Laogai, the system of forced labor prison camps in the People’s Republic 

of China, as a tool for suppression maintained by the Chinese Government . 25

H. Res. 438, Urging member states of the United Nations to stop supporting 

resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United 

Nations General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to 

resolving conflict in the Middle East, as amended ............................................ 31

H. Res. 456, Expressing support for the memorandum of understanding 

signed by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh 

Movement on August 15, 2005, to end the conflict in Aceh, a province 

in Sumatra, Indonesia ......................................................................................... 34

H. Res. 458, Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of 

Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Sister Dorothy 

Kazel, and Cleveland Lay Mission Team Member Jean Donovan, who were 

executed by members of the armed forces of El Salvador on December 

2, 1980 ................................................................................................................... 37

H. Res. 479, Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution 

that began on October 23, 1956 and reaffirming the friendship between 

the people and governments of the United States and Hungary, as amended ........................................................................................................................... 43

H. Res. 499, Condemning the murder of American journalist Paul Klebnikov 

on July 9, 2004, in Moscow and the murders of other members of the 

media in the Russian Federation ........................................................................ 47

H. Res. 529, Recommending the integration of the Republic of Croatia into 

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as amended ...................................... 49

H. Res. 535, Honoring the life, legacy, and example of Israeli Prime Minister 

Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his death ...................................... 53

(1)

VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2005

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 12:05 p.m., in room 

2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Henry J. Hyde (Chairman of the Committee) presiding. 

Chairman HYDE. The business meeting of the Committee will 

come to order. We have several noncontroversial bills on the agenda, and it is the intention of the Chair to consider these measures 

en bloc, and, by unanimous consent, to authorize the Chair to seek 

consideration of the bills under suspension of the rules. All Members are given leave to insert remarks on the measures into the 

record should they choose to do so. 

Accordingly, without objection, the Chairman is authorized to 

seek consideration of the following bills under suspension of the 

rules, and the amendments to those measures, which the Members 

have before them, shall be deemed adopted. 

H. Con. Res. 190, Expressing the sense of the Congress that the 

Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities. 

H. Con. Res. 275, Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the 

education curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

H. Con. Res. 280, Mourning the horrific loss of life caused by the 

floods and mudslides that occurred in October 2005 in Central 

America and Mexico. 

H. Con. Res. 284, Expressing the sense of Congress with respect 

to the 2005 presidential and parliamentary elections in Egypt, as 

amended. 

H. Con. Res. 294, Calling on the international community to condemn the Laogai, the system of forced labor prison camps in the 

People’s Republic of China, as a tool for suppression maintained by 

the Chinese Government. 

H. Res. 438, Urging member states of the United Nations to stop 

supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote 

within the United Nations General Assembly more balanced and 

constructive approaches to resolving conflict in the Middle East, as 

amended. 

H. Res. 456, Expressing support for the memorandum of understanding signed by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia 

and the Free Aceh Movement. 

H. Res. 458, Remembering and commemorating the lives and 

work of Maryknoll Sisters and a Cleveland Lay Mission Team 

2

Member who were executed by members of the armed forces of El 

Salvador on December 2, 1980. 

H. Res. 479, Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian 

Revolution that began on October 23, 1956 and reaffirming the 

friendship between the people and governments of the United 

States and Hungary, as amended. 

H. Res. 499, Condemning the murder of American journalist Paul 

Klebnikov on July 9, 2004, in Moscow and the murders of other 

members of the media in the Russian Federation. 

H. Res. 529, Recommending the integration of the Republic of 

Croatia into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as amended. 

And H. Res. 535, Honoring the life, legacy, and example of Israeli 

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his 

death. 

[The resolutions referred to follows:]

3

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 190

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should

fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction,

whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 23, 2005

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. PITTS,

and Mr. MCINTYRE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which

was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious

communities without distinction, whether registered and

unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution

and international standards.

Whereas the Russian Federation is a participating State of

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE) and has freely committed to fully respect the

rights of individuals, whether alone or in community with

others, to profess and practice religion or belief;

Whereas the Russian Federation specifically committed in the

1989 Vienna Concluding Document to ‘‘take effective

measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination against


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•HCON 190 IH

individuals or communities on the grounds of religion or

belief’’ and to ‘‘grant upon their request to communities

of believers, practicing or prepared to practice their faith

within the constitutional framework of their States, recognition of the status provided for them in the respective

countries’’;

Whereas Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation declares ‘‘everyone shall be guaranteed the right

to freedom of conscience, to freedom of religious worship,

including the right to profess, individually or jointly with

others, any religion’’ and Article 8 of the 1997 Law on

Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations provides for registration for religious communities as ‘‘religious organizations,’’ if they have at least 10 members

and have operated within the Russian Federation with

legal status for at least 15 years;

Whereas registration is critical for religious groups to fully

enjoy their religious freedoms, as many rights and privileges afforded to religious communities in the Russian

Federation are contingent on obtaining registration;

Whereas many religious groups refuse to seek registration on

theological or other grounds, while other communities

have been unjustly denied registration or had their registration improperly terminated by local authorities;

Whereas many of the unregistered communities in the Russian Federation today were never registered under the

Soviet system because they refused to collaborate with

that government’s anti-religious policies and they are now

experiencing renewed discrimination and repression from

the authorities;


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3

•HCON 190 IH

Whereas over the past 2 years there have been an estimated

ten arson attacks on unregistered Protestant churches,

with little or no effective response by law enforcement officials to bring the perpetrators to justice;

Whereas in some areas of the Russian Federation law enforcement personnel have carried out violent actions

against believers from unregistered communities peacefully practicing their faith; and

Whereas the United States has sought to protect the fundamental and inalienable human right to seek, know, and

serve God according to the dictates of one’s own conscience, in accordance with the international agreements

committing nations to respect individual freedom of

thought, conscience, and belief: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the

3 United States should—

4 (1) urge the Russian Federation to ensure full

5 protection of freedoms for all religious communities

6 without distinction, whether registered and unregis7 tered, and end the harassment of unregistered reli8 gious groups by the security apparatus and other

9 government agencies;

10 (2) urge the Russian Federation to ensure that

11 law enforcement officials vigorously investigate acts

12 of violence against unregistered religious commu13 nities, as well as make certain that authorities are

14 not complicit in such attacks;


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6

4

•HCON 190 IH

1 (3) continue to raise concerns with the Govern2 ment of the Russian Federation over violations of re3 ligious freedom, including those against unregistered

4 religious communities, especially indigenous denomi5 nations not well known in the United States;

6 (4) ensure that United States Embassy officials

7 engage local officials throughout the Russian Fed8 eration, especially when violations of freedom of reli9 gion occur, and undertake outreach activities to edu10 cate local officials about the rights of unregistered

11 religious communities;

12 (5) urge both the Personal Representative of

13 the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Racism,

14 Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on In15 tolerance and Discrimination against Christians and

16 Members of Other Religions, and the United Nations

17 Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

18 to visit the Russian Federation and raise with fed19 eral and local officials concerns about the free prac20 tice of unregistered religious communities; and

21 (6) urge the Council of Europe and its member

22 countries to raise with Russian Federation officials

23 issues relating to freedom of religion, especially in


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5

•HCON 190 IH

1 light of the Russian Federation’s responsibilities as

2 President of the Council in 2006.

Æ


24599a.AAF
8

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 275

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the education curriculum in

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 26, 2005

Mr. DAVIS of Florida (for himself, Mr. KING of New York, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr.

BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. WEXLER, Mr.

DELAHUNT, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr.

MEEKS of New York, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. WATSON, Ms.

BERKLEY, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. SAXTON, Mrs. TAUSCHER,

Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. HARMAN, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr.

ISRAEL, Mr. KIND, Mr. WAMP, Mrs. MALONEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr.

HINCHEY, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. FOLEY, Mr.

HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. NADLER, Mr. MARKEY, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.

BOYD, and Mr. MCNULTY) submitted the following concurrent resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the education

curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Whereas the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, were carried out by 19 hijackers, including 15 Saudi Arabian nationals;

Whereas since September 11, 2001, multiple terrorist attacks

have occurred inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that

were carried out by Saudi nationals;


24599b.AAB
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2

•HCON 275 IH

Whereas Saudi nationals have joined the insurgency in Iraq,

carrying out terrorist activities and providing financial

support;

Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia controls and regulates all forms of education in public and private schools

at all levels;

Whereas Islamic religious education is compulsory in public

and private schools at all levels in Saudi Arabia;

Whereas the religious curriculum is written, monitored, and

taught by followers of the Wahhabi interpretation of

Islam, the only religion the Government of Saudi Arabia

allows to be taught;

Whereas rote memorization of religious texts continues to be

a central feature of much of the educational system of

Saudi Arabia, leaving thousands of students unprepared

to function in the global economy of the 21st century;

Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia has tolerated elements within its education system that promote and encourage extremism;

Whereas some textbooks in Saudi Arabian schools foster intolerance, ignorance, and anti-Semitic, anti-American,

and anti-Western views;

Whereas these intolerant views instilled in students make

them prime recruiting targets of terrorists and other extremist groups;

Whereas extremism endangers the stability of the Kingdom

of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region, and threatens global security;

Whereas the events of September 11, 2001, and the global

rash of terrorist attacks since then, have created an urVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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•HCON 275 IH

gent need to promote moderate voices in the Islamic

world as an effective way to combat extremism and terrorism;

Whereas the report of the National Commission on Terrorist

Attacks Upon the United States stated that ‘‘Education

that teaches tolerance, the dignity and value of each individual, and respect for different beliefs is a key element

in any global strategy to eliminate Islamist terrorism’’;

and

Whereas the ascension of King Abdullah to the throne in August 2005 presents a new opportunity for education reform in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) urges the Government of Saudi Arabia to

4 reform its textbooks and education curriculum in a

5 manner that promotes tolerance and peaceful coex6 istence with others, develops civil society, and en7 courages functionality in the global economy;

8 (2) urges the President to direct the Secretary

9 of State to use existing public diplomacy channels,

10 international visitor exchanges, professional develop11 ment, and educational reform programs, including

12 those under the Middle East Partnership Initiative

13 and the Broader Middle East Initiative, to focus on

14 the issue of educational reform in Saudi Arabia in


24599b.AAD
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4

•HCON 275 IH

1 accordance with the objectives enumerated in para2 graph (1);

3 (3) expresses extreme disappointment with the

4 slow pace of education reform in the Kingdom of

5 Saudi Arabia;

6 (4) urges the President to take into account

7 progress in meeting the goals outlined in paragraph

8 (1) when determining the level and frequency of

9 United States bilateral relations with the Govern10 ment of Saudi Arabia; and 

11 (5) requests that the Secretary of State exam12 ine the educational system in Saudi Arabia, monitor

13 the progress of the efforts to reform the education

14 curriculum, and report on such progress, in classi15 fied form if necessary, to the appropriate congres16 sional committees.

Æ


24599b.AAE
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1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 280

Mourning the horrific loss of life caused by the floods and mudslides that

occurred in October 2005 in Central America and Mexico and expressing

the sense of Congress that the United States should do everything

possible to assist the affected people and communities.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 27, 2005

Mr. BURTON of Indiana (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr.

MENENDEZ, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. LEE, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. WELLER,

Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. MACK, Ms. HARRIS, and Mr. FORTUN ̃O) submitted

the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee

on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Mourning the horrific loss of life caused by the floods and

mudslides that occurred in October 2005 in Central

America and Mexico and expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should do everything possible to assist the affected people and communities.

Whereas on October 4, 2005, Hurricane Stan made landfall

on Mexico’s Gulf coast, bringing sustained winds of 80

miles per hour before weakening to a tropical storm and

generating separate storms across southern Mexico and

Central America;

Whereas Hurricane Wilma, a category four hurricane, made

landfall in Cozumel, Mexico on October 22, 2005, and


24599c.AAB
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2

•HCON 280 IH

stalled over the Yucatan Peninsula bringing over 60

inches of rain to some parts of the Peninsula and causing

severe flooding, over 75,000 evacuations, damaging between 30–40 percent of the houses in Cancun, and causing severe damage to the area’s vital tourism industry;

Whereas the heavy rainfall associated with these storms

caused widespread and severe flooding that has affected

millions of people across Central America, including the

people of Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala, and

the people of Mexico;

Whereas, as of October 12, 2005, the flooding had killed an

estimated 2,000 people across Central America and Mexico, according to government estimates which are expected to be revised upwards;

Whereas rains have produced more than 900 landslides, burying entire villages and causing numerous deaths in Guatemala, with official government estimates confirming

654 deaths, 577 people missing, and more than 120,000

people affected across 621 communities in the provinces

of Escuintla, Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, Chiquimula,

San Marcos, Chimaltenango, El Quiche ́, and Baja

Verapa;

Whereas many of the affected areas are especially vulnerable

to natural disasters and lack access to basic healthcare,

sanitation, and medical services;

Whereas the flooding and landslides have damaged housing

and public infrastructure in 251 of the 331 municipalities

in Guatemala and sustained rains across much of the

country have hampered ongoing relief efforts;

Whereas two simultaneous emergencies in El Salvador—the

severe flooding caused by Tropical Storm Stan and the


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3

•HCON 280 IH

eruption of the Santa Ana volcano on October 1, 2005—

have affected half of the country and forced the evacuation of more than 69,000 people to local shelters;

Whereas Tropical Storm Stan caused massive flooding in the

Mexican States of Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco,

Puebla, Hidalgo, and Guerrero and forced the evacuation

of approximately 370,000 people from nearly 3,000 communities to local shelters, according to the Government

of Mexico;

Whereas extensive rainfall in the Costa Rican provinces of

Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas, and

San Jose in the Pacific and Central Valley caused severe

flooding and landslides, forcing more than 1,000 people

in 459 communities to evacuate to local shelters, damaged 550 houses, 117 bridges, and 11 educational buildings, and more than 281 roads have been blocked or

damaged by mudslides;

Whereas many families in these affected areas are homeless

and in desperate need of reconstruction help;

Whereas the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/

OFDA) initially provided $150,000 to USAID/Guatemala

for the local purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies, as well as for helicopter support, including

fuel and rental of local helicopters and an additional

$1,200,000 to USAID/Guatemala for emergency grants

to nongovernmental organization partners for emergency

health, water and sanitation, and shelter activities;

Whereas USAID/OFDA committed $200,000 to support the

Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) emergency


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4

•HCON 280 IH

health and water and sanitation activities as part of the

United Nations joint appeal;

Whereas USAID/OFDA is working closely with the Governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico to coordinate transportation and distribution of relief

commodities to affected communities and for the local

purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies,

water, and food;

Whereas on October 8, 2005, the United States Southern

Command (USSOUTHCOM) deployed a 58-person team

to Guatemala City to assist with ongoing disaster relief

efforts in southwestern Guatemala and sent nine United

States Army helicopters to conduct search and rescue

missions and provide for the transportation of emergency

relief supplies, including food, medical supplies, and communications equipment, to affected areas, as well as flying in host nation firefighters, emergency aid workers,

and doctors; and

Whereas the United States initially has provided $100,000 to

the Mexican Red Cross for the local purchase and distribution of emergency relief supplies to aid victims of

Hurricane Wilma, and a USAID/OFDA team is working

with USAID/Mexico, local disaster officials, and other organizations to assess impacts, aid requirements, and deliver further emergency assistance: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That—

3 (1) Congress—


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5

•HCON 280 IH

1 (A) mourns the horrific loss of life caused

2 by the floods and mudslides that occurred in

3 October 2005 in Central America and Mexico;

4 (B) expresses its deep condolences to the

5 families of the many victims;

6 (C) commits to provide the necessary re7 sources and to stand by the people of Costa

8 Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico in

9 the relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts;

10 (D) applauds the prompt humanitarian re11 sponse to this natural disaster by the United

12 States Agency for International Development,

13 the United States Armed Forces, and other de14 partments and agencies of the United States

15 Government, the United Nations and other

16 international organizations, and nongovern17 mental organizations;

18 (E) recognizes the growing support by

19 international donors for relief efforts;

20 (F) affirms its commitment to additional

21 United States support for relief and long-term

22 reconstruction efforts in areas affected by the

23 flooding;

24 (G) urges continued attention by donors

25 and relief agencies to the needs of vulnerable


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6

•HCON 280 IH

1 populations in the stricken countries, particu2 larly those left homeless by this disaster and

3 whose welfare and economic livelihoods have

4 been disrupted;

5 (H) urges assistance which targets imme6 diate and long-term infrastructure needs, with a

7 special emphasis on improvements that aim to

8 increase emergency preparedness and withstand

9 future natural disaster events; and

10 (I) encourages the Administration and

11 other international donors to provide immediate

12 and long-term assistance for the reconstruction

13 of affected infrastructure that is a requisite for

14 the economic and social development of the dev15 astated communities; and

16 (2) it is the sense of Congress that it should be

17 the policy of the United States—

18 (A) to promote economic growth and im19 proved living standards, reduce poverty, and

20 promote democracy and the rule of law in the

21 countries of Central America;

22 (B) in concert with multilateral humani23 tarian organizations, the Organization of Amer24 ican States and the Inter-American Develop25 ment Bank, to actively support the reconstrucVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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•HCON 280 IH

1 tion of affected communities in places to be de2 termined by respective governments in collabo3 ration with representatives of such commu4 nities;

5 (C) to expedite humanitarian relief and re6 construction efforts in order to mitigate the im7 mediate and long-term threats to public health,

8 economic development, and security in Central

9 America;

10 (D) to provide technical assistance to Cen11 tral American governments in order to

12 strengthen the capacity of first responders and

13 governmental institutions at the national, pro14 vincial, and local levels in the area of disaster

15 management coordination and preparedness, in16 cluding information and communications sys17 tems to help with the response to natural disas18 ters; and

19 (E) to encourage the governments of these

20 countries to improve disaster mitigation tech21 niques and compliance among all key sectors of

22 their societies.

Æ


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1

[COMMITTEE PRINT]

NOVEMBER 15, 2005

[Showing the Amendment Adopted by the Subcommittee on

Middle East and Central Asia]

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 284

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 2005 presidential and

parliamentary elections in Egypt.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 27, 2005

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. ACKERMAN) submitted the following

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the 2005

presidential and parliamentary elections in Egypt.

Whereas promoting freedom and democracy is a foreign policy and national security priority of the United States;

Whereas free, fair, and transparent elections constitute a

foundation of any meaningful democracy;

Whereas Egypt is the largest Arab nation representing over

half the Arab world’s population;


24599d.AAB
20

2

Whereas Congress has long supported Egypt as a partner for

peace and stands ready to support Egypt’s emergence as

a democracy and free market economy;

Whereas a successful democracy in Egypt would dispel the

notion that democracy cannot succeed in the Muslim

world;

Whereas in his 2005 State of the Union Address, President

George W. Bush stated that ‘‘the great and proud nation

of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the

Middle East’’;

Whereas in her June 20, 2005, remarks at the American

University in Cairo, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

stated: ‘‘[T]he Egyptian Government must fulfill the

promise it has made to its people—and to the entire

world—by giving its citizens the freedom to choose.

Egypt’s elections, including the Parliamentary elections,

must meet objective standards that define every free election.’’;

Whereas on February 26, 2005, Egyptian President Mubarak

proposed to amend the Egyptian Constitution to allow for

Egypt’s first ever multi-candidate presidential election;

Whereas in May 2005, President Bush stated that Egypt’s

presidential election should proceed with international

monitors and with rules that allow for a real campaign;

Whereas Egypt prohibited international monitoring in the

presidential election, calling such action an infringement

on its national sovereignty;

Whereas domestic monitoring of the election became a major

point of contention between the government, the judiciary, and civil society organizations;


24599d.AAC
21

3

Whereas in May 2005, the Judges Club, an unofficial union

for judges, took the provisional decision to boycott the

elections if their demand for a truly independent judiciary was not met;

Whereas the Judges Club initially insisted that the 9,000 to

10,000 judges were in no position to monitor the election

if plans proceeded for polling at 54,000 stations on one

day.

Whereas the government responded to their demands by

grouping polling stations to decrease their number to

about 10,000, more or less matching the number of available judges;

Whereas on September 2, 2005, a majority of the general assembly of the Judges Club decided that the judges would

supervise the election and report any irregularities;

Whereas several coalitions of Egyptian civil society organizations demanded access to polling stations on election day

and successfully secured court rulings granting them

such access;

Whereas the Presidential Election Council, citing its constitutional authority to oversee the elections process, reportedly ignored the court order for several days, before they

granted some nongovernmental organizations access to

polling stations a few hours before the polls opened;

Whereas the presidential campaign ran from August 17 to

September 4, 2005;

Whereas the presidential election held on September 7, 2005,

was largely peaceful, but reportedly marred by low turnout, general confusion over election procedures, alleged

manipulation by government authorities, and other inconsistencies;


24599d.AAD
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4

Whereas the denial of full access by the Government of Egypt

to domestic and international monitors could undermine

the legitimacy of Egypt’s presidential and parliamentary

elections;

Whereas parliamentary elections will be held in Egypt in

three stages: on November 9, 2005, in eight provinces,

including Cairo and its twin city of Giza, on November

20 in nine provinces, and on December 1 in nine other

provinces;

Whereas it is in the national interests of the United States

and Egypt that a truly representative, pluralist, and legitimate Egyptian parliament be elected; and

Whereas the Government of Egypt now has the opportunity

to take necessary measures to ensure that the coming

legislative elections are free, fair, and transparent: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) recognizes the importance of the presi4 dential election held on September 7, 2005, as a

5 first step toward greater openness and political re6 forms in Egypt;

7 (2) expresses concern over the lack of inter8 national election monitoring and alleged irregular9 ities during the Egyptian presidential election;

10 (3) recognizes that the development of a demo11 cratically-elected representative and empowered

12 Egyptian national parliament is a fundamental reVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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5

1 form needed to permit real progress towards the rule

2 of law and democracy;

3 (4) calls on the Government of Egypt, during

4 the 2005 parliamentary elections, to—

5 (A) ensure supervision by the judiciary of

6 the election process across the country and at

7 all levels;

8 (B) ensure the presence of accredited rep9 resentatives of all competing parties and inde10 pendent candidates at polling stations and dur11 ing the vote-counting; and

12 (C) allow local and international election

13 monitors full access and accreditation;

14 (5) calls on the Government of Egypt to sepa15 rate the apparatus of the National Democratic Party

16 from the operations of government, to divest all gov17 ernment holdings in Egyptian media, and to end the

18 government monopoly over printing and distribution

19 of newspapers; and

20 (6) calls on the Government of Egypt to repeal

21 the 1977 emergency law which took effect in 1981

22 and in the development of any future anti-terrorism

23 legislation to allow peaceful, constitutional political

24 activities, including public meetings and demonstraVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

24599d.AAF
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6

1 tions, and allow full parliamentary scrutiny of any

2 such legislation.


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25

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 294

Calling on the international community to condemn the Laogai, the system

of forced labor prison camps in the People’s Republic of China, as

a tool for suppression maintained by the Chinese Government.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 9, 2005

Mr. WOLF (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Ms.

PELOSI, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr.

BURTON of Indiana, and Mr. STARK) submitted the following concurrent

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Calling on the international community to condemn the

Laogai, the system of forced labor prison camps in the

People’s Republic of China, as a tool for suppression

maintained by the Chinese Government.

Whereas the Laogai is a vast prison labor system in the People’s Republic of China and consists of a network of more

than 1,000 prisons, camps, and mental institutions in

which detainees must work at factories, farms, mines,

and other facilities;

Whereas the two major aims of the Laogai are to generate

economic resources for the state through free labor and


24599e.AAB
26

2

•HCON 294 IH

to ‘‘reform criminals’’ through hard labor and political

indoctrination;

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China

relies on the Laogai as a tool for political suppression of

pro-democracy activists, Internet dissidents, labor activists, and religious and spiritual believers, including Han

Chinese, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, and ‘‘house

church’’ Christians;

Whereas, while the Soviet Gulags no longer exist, the Chinese

Laogai is still fully operational, subjecting most of its

three million prisoners to forced labor by threatening torture;

Whereas fifty million people have suffered as prisoners in the

Laogai since its inception;

Whereas Laogai prisoners are deprived of religious freedom

and forced to give up their political views in order to become a ‘‘new socialist person’’ and uphold communism

and the Chinese Communist Party;

Whereas in recent years, more than 100,000 religious believers have been unjustly and illegally imprisoned in one

Laogai camp alone, where they have been beaten, tortured, and often killed;

Whereas Laogai prisoners are forced to work long hours in

appalling conditions, including mining asbestos and other

toxic chemicals with no protective clothing, tanning hides

while standing naked in vats filled with chemicals used

for softening of animal skins, and working in mining facilities where explosions and other accidents are a common occurrence;

Whereas it is documented that China’s national policy since

1984 has been to extract organs from executed prisoners


24599e.AAC
27

3

•HCON 294 IH

without prior consent of the prisoners or their family

members, setting China apart from every other country

in the world;

Whereas there are more than 1,000 instances in which organs are harvested from executed Chinese prisoners every

year;

Whereas both Chinese and foreign patients from around the

world receive organs transplanted from executed Chinese

prisoners;

Whereas Laogai prisoners are required to make confessions

of their wrongdoings, which include political and religious

views that the Chinese Communist Party wishes to suppress;

Whereas Chinese citizens are not guaranteed due process of

law nor even a right to trial;

Whereas many individuals are often convicted and sentenced

with no trial at all, or they are convicted with ‘‘evidence’’

extracted through torture;

Whereas in one part of the Laogai system known as the

Laojiao, or reeducation-through-labor, Chinese citizens

can be detained for up to three years without any judicial

review or formal appearance in the judicial system;

Whereas goods produced by forced labor in the Laogai system

continue to be exported to the United States and the

world;

Whereas the Chinese Government has continuously encouraged the export of goods produced through the Laogai

prison system and relies on forced labor as an integral

part of its economy;


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28

4

•HCON 294 IH

Whereas forced labor and torture practices carried out in the

Laogai violate international laws, standards, and treaties

to which China is party, including the United Nations

Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and

Whereas China, a member State of the International Labor

Organization, also violates many agreements regarding

labor conditions and the rights of workers: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) calls on the international community to con4 demn the Laogai, the system of forced labor prison

5 camps in the People’s Republic of China, as a tool

6 for suppression maintained by the Chinese Govern7 ment;

8 (2) calls on the Government of the United

9 States to fully implement United States laws that

10 prohibit the importation of forced labor products

11 made in the Laogai;

12 (3) calls on the Government of the United

13 States to take actions to review the implementation

14 of the Memorandum of Understanding on Prison

15 Labor in 1992 and the Statement of Cooperation in

16 1994 with respect to the Laogai;


24599e.AAE
29

5

•HCON 294 IH

1 (4) will undertake efforts to join with the Euro2 pean Parliament to urge the introduction of a reso3 lution at the United Nations Human Rights Com4 mission condemning the Laogai and the human

5 rights situation in China;

6 (5) calls on the Government of the People’s Re7 public of China to release information about the

8 Laogai, including the total number of Laogai camps

9 and prisoners throughout China, the exact locations

10 of the camps, and the business production activities

11 taking place at the camps;

12 (6) calls on the Government of the People’s Re13 public of China to release information about the

14 number of executions of prisoners at the camps that

15 are carried out every year, and the extent of the har16 vesting and transplantation of organs of executed

17 prisoners;

18 (7) urges the Government of the People’s Re19 public of China to allow unrestricted visits by inter20 national human rights inspectors, including United

21 Nations inspectors, to Laogai camps throughout

22 China; and

23 (8) urges the Congressional-Executive Commis24 sion on China to investigate the Laogai system in

25 China and to make recommendations for United


24599e.AAF
30

6

•HCON 294 IH

1 States policy that will help protect human rights for

2 Chinese citizens.

Æ


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31

1

[COMMITTEE PRINT]

NOVEMBER 15, 2005

[Showing the Amendment Adopted by the Subcommittee on

Middle East and Central Asia]

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 438

Urging member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions

that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United Nations

General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving

conflict in the Middle East.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

Mr. ROTHMAN (for himself and Mr. KIRK) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Urging member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to

promote within the United Nations General Assembly

more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving

conflict in the Middle East.

Whereas the 60th session of the General Assembly of the

United Nations is currently underway in New York City;


24599f.AAB
32

2

Whereas the State of Israel is a critical strategic ally of the

United States in the Middle East and the only true democracy in the region;

Whereas 60 years ago the United Nations was founded, in

part, to prevent another Holocaust from ever happening

again;

Whereas three years after its founding, the United Nations

passed General Assembly Resolution 181, which provided

for the partition of Mandatory Palestine and the establishment on its territory of an independent Jewish state,

which became the State of Israel;

Whereas in recent years, the General Assembly of the United

Nations has engaged in a pattern of approving resolutions that unfairly criticize and condemn Israel;

Whereas during the 59th session of the General Assembly of

the United Nations, the General Assembly adopted 21

resolutions criticizing Israel;

Whereas despite the myriad of challenges facing the world

community, the General Assembly of the United Nations

has devoted a vastly disproportionate amount of time and

resources to castigating Israel;

Whereas for the past 30 years, the United Nations has funded three entities that support anti-Israel propaganda, including the Division for Palestinian Rights, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the

Palestinian People, and the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Human Rights Practices Affecting the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories;

Whereas the double standard against the State of Israel that

is perpetrated at the United Nations is pervasive: of ten


24599f.AAC
33

3

emergency special sessions called by the General Assembly of the United Nations, six have been about Israel,

and since 1997, at the annual meetings of the United

Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, only

Israel has had its own agenda item (Item 8) dealing with

its alleged human rights violations, whereas all other

countries are dealt with in a separate agenda item (Item

9); and

Whereas as a founding member of the United Nations, the

United States has a special responsibility to promote fair

and equitable treatment of all member states of the

United Nations: Now, therefore be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges

2 member states of the United Nations to—

3 (1) stop supporting resolutions that unfairly

4 castigate Israel; and

5 (2) promote within the United Nations system

6 a more balanced and constructive approach to re7 solving conflict in the Middle East.

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘Resolution urging

member states of the United Nations to stop supporting

resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote

within the United Nations a more balanced and constructive approach to resolving conflict in the Middle East.’’.


24599f.AAD
34

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 456

Expressing support for the memorandum of understanding signed by the

Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement

on August 15, 2005, to end the conflict in Aceh, a province in Sumatra,

Indonesia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 21, 2005

Mr. CROWLEY (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr.

WEXLER, and Mr. BLUMENAUER) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the memorandum of understanding

signed by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia

and the Free Aceh Movement on August 15, 2005, to

end the conflict in Aceh, a province in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Whereas for three decades there has been a continuous armed

conflict in Aceh, a province in Sumatra, Indonesia;

Whereas violence between the Indonesian military and the

Free Aceh Movement has resulted in an estimated 15,000

deaths in the region;

Whereas the tsunami that occurred on December 26, 2004,

killed at least 165,000 people in Aceh and devastated the

landscape;


24599g.AAB
35

2

•HRES 456 IH

Whereas after the tsunami both the Government of Indonesia

and the Free Aceh Movement recognized that a peaceful

settlement of the conflict would have to be reached to enable the rebuilding of Aceh;

Whereas after months of negotiating through the Crisis Management Initiative chaired by former President Martti

Ahtisaari of Finland, the parties agreed to a draft memorandum of understanding to end the conflict in July

2005;

Whereas Hamid Awaludin, Minister of Law and Human

Rights of Indonesia, and Malik Mahmud, of the Free

Aceh Movement, signed the final memorandum of understanding on August 15, 2005, in Helsinki;

Whereas the memorandum of understanding provides a timetable for disarmament of the Free Aceh Movement and

troop withdrawals by the Indonesian military;

Whereas the memorandum of understanding provides the

people of Aceh with new political powers and the right to

retain 70 percent of the revenues from certain natural resource extractions from the province;

Whereas a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a

Human Rights Court will be established for Aceh;

Whereas the Free Aceh Movement has agreed to forego its

demand for independence; and

Whereas Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

has provided amnesty and released hundreds of Free

Aceh Movement members being held in prison since the

signing of the peace agreement: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—


24599g.AAC
36

3

•HRES 456 IH

1 (1) expresses support for the memorandum of

2 understanding signed by the Government of the Re3 public of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement on

4 August 15, 2005, to end the conflict in Aceh, a

5 province in Sumatra, Indonesia, and congratulates

6 both parties for their willingness to compromise;

7 (2) expresses the hope that both parties live up

8 to their commitments under the memorandum of un9 derstanding and that peace and security can finally

10 be achieved in Aceh after three decades; and

11 (3) encourages the Secretary of State and the

12 Administrator of the United States Agency for

13 International Development to commit resources in

14 guaranteeing the peace and building a strong civil

15 society in Aceh.

Æ


24599g.AAD
37

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 458

Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of Maryknoll Sisters

Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Cleveland Lay Mission Team Member Jean Donovan, who were executed

by members of the armed forces of El Salvador on December 2, 1980.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 22, 2005

Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself, Mr. LEACH, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. KING of New

York, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr.

DELAHUNT, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. WATSON, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota,

Mr. TIERNEY, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. KAPTUR,

Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. OLVER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. LYNCH, Mr.

KUCINICH, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mrs. KELLY, and Mr. OBEY) submitted

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of

Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline

Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Cleveland Lay Mission Team

Member Jean Donovan, who were executed by members

of the armed forces of El Salvador on December 2,

1980.

Whereas on December 2, 1980, four United States churchwomen, Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford,

Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Cleveland Lay MisVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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2

•HRES 458 IH

sion Team Member Jean Donovan, were violated and executed by members of the National Guard of El Salvador;

Whereas in 1980 Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita

Ford were working in the parish of the Church of San

Juan Bautista in Chalatenango, El Salvador, providing

food, transportation, and other assistance to refugees and

Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and Cleveland Lay Mission Team Member Jean Donovan were working in the

parish of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in La

Libertad, El Salvador, providing assistance and support

to refugees and other victims of violence;

Whereas these four United States churchwomen dedicated

their lives to working with the poor of El Salvador, especially women and children left homeless, displaced and

destitute by the Salvadoran civil war;

Whereas these four United States churchwomen joined the

more than 70,000 civilians who were murdered during

the course of the Salvadoran civil war;

Whereas on May 23 and May 24, 1984, five members of the

National Guard of El Salvador—Subsergeant Luis Antonio Colindres Aleman, Daniel Canales Ramirez, Carlos

Joaquin Contreras Palacios, Francisco Orlando Contreras

Recinos, and Jose Roberto Moreno Canjura—were found

guilty by the Salvadoran courts of the executions of the

churchwomen and were sentenced to thirty years in prison, marking the first case in the history of El Salvador

where a member of the Salvadoran Armed Forces was

convicted of murder by a Salvadoran judge;

Whereas the United Nations Commission on the Truth for El

Salvador was established under the terms of the historic

January 1992 Peace Accords that ended El Salvador’s


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39

3

•HRES 458 IH

twelve years of civil war and was charged to investigate

and report to the Salvadoran people on human rights

crimes committed by all sides during the course of the

civil war;

Whereas in March 1993 the United Nations Commission on

the Truth for El Salvador found that the execution of the

four United States churchwomen was planned and that

Subsergeant Luis Antonio Colindres Aleman carried out

orders from a superior to execute them, and that then

Colonel Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova, then DirectorGeneral of the National Guard and his cousin Lieutenant

Colonel Oscar Edgardo Casanova Vejar, then Commander of the Zacatecoluca military detachment where

the murders were committed, and other military personnel knew that members of the National Guard had

committed the murders pursuant to orders of a superior

and that the subsequent cover-up of the facts adversely

affected the judicial investigation into the murders of the

four United States churchwomen;

Whereas the United Nations Commission on the Truth for El

Salvador determined that General Jose Guillermo Garcia,

then Minister of Defense, made no serious effort to conduct a thorough investigation of responsibility for the

murders of the churchwomen;

Whereas the families of the four United States churchwomen

continue their efforts to determine the full truth surrounding the murders of their loved ones, appreciate the

cooperation of United States Government agencies in disclosing and providing documents relevant to the churchwomen’s murders, and pursue requests to release to the

family members the few remaining undisclosed documents

and reports pertaining to this case;


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4

•HRES 458 IH

Whereas the families of the four United States churchwomen

appreciate the ability of those harmed by violence to

bring suit against Salvadoran military officers in United

States courts under the Torture Victim Protection Act of

1991 (28 U.S.C. 1350 note);

Whereas the lives of these four United States churchwomen

have, for the past 25 years, served as inspiration and

continue to inspire Salvadorans, Americans, and people

throughout the world to answer the call to service and to

pursue lives dedicated to addressing the needs and aspirations of the poor, the vulnerable, and the disadvantaged, especially among women and children;

Whereas the lives of the four United States churchwomen

have also inspired numerous books, plays, films, music,

religious, and cultural events;

Whereas schools, libraries, research centers, spiritual centers,

health clinics, women’s and children’s programs in the

United States and in El Salvador have been named after

or dedicated to Sisters Maura Clarke, Ita Ford and

Dorothy Kazel and lay missionary Jean Donovan;

Whereas the Maryknoll Sisters, headquartered in Ossining,

New York, the Ursuline Sisters, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, numerous Religious Task Forces in the

United States, and the Salvadoran and international religious communities based in El Salvador annually commemorate the lives and martyrdom of the four United

States churchwomen;

Whereas the historic January 1992 Peace Accords ended

twelve years of civil war and have allowed the Government and the people of El Salvador to achieve significant


24599h.AAE
41

5

•HRES 458 IH

progress in creating and strengthening democratic political, economic, and social institutions; and

Whereas December 2, 2005, marks the 25th anniversary of

the deaths of these four spiritual, courageous, and generous United States churchwomen: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) remembers and commemorates the lives and

3 work of Sisters Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, and Doro4 thy Kazel and lay missionary Jean Donovan;

5 (2) extends sympathy and support for the fami6 lies, friends, and religious communities of the four

7 United States churchwomen;

8 (3) continues to find inspiration in the lives and

9 work of these four United States churchwomen;

10 (4) calls upon the people of the United States

11 and religious congregations to participate in local,

12 national, and international events commemorating

13 the 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of the four

14 United States churchwomen;

15 (5) recognizes that while progress has been

16 made during the post-war period, the work begun by

17 the four United States churchwomen remains unfin18 ished and social and economic hardships persist

19 among many sectors of Salvadoran society; and

20 (6) calls upon the President, the Secretary of

21 State, the Administrator of the United States AgenVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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•HRES 458 IH

1 cy for International Development, and the heads of

2 other United States Government departments and

3 agencies to continue to support and collaborate with

4 the Government of El Salvador and with private sec5 tor, nongovernmental, and religious organizations in

6 their efforts to reduce poverty and hunger and to

7 promote educational opportunity, health care, and

8 social equity for the people of El Salvador.

Æ


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1

[COMMITTEE PRINT]

NOVEMBER 16, 2005

[Showing the Amendment Adopted by the Subcommittee on

Europe and Emerging Threats]

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 479

Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution that began

on October 23, 1956 and reaffirming the friendship between the people

and governments of the United States and Hungary.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 6, 2005

Mr. LANTOS (for himself and Mr. HYDE) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution that began on October 23, 1956 and reaffirming

the friendship between the people and governments of

the United States and Hungary.

Whereas on October 23, 1956, university students marching

through the streets of Budapest were joined by workers

and others until their numbers reached some 100,000

Hungarian citizens protesting against the communist

government of Hungary and its domination by the Soviet


24599i.AAB
44

2

Union, whereupon the Hungarian Security Police opened

fire on the crowd and killed hundreds;

Whereas the Hungarian government under Prime Minister

Imre Nagy released political prisoners, including major

church leaders, took steps to establish a multi-party democracy, called for the withdrawal of all Soviet troops

from Hungary, announced Hungary’s withdrawal from

the Warsaw Pact, and requested United Nations assistance in establishing Hungarian neutrality;

Whereas the Soviet Union launched a massive military counteroffensive against the revolt on November 4, 1956,

sending tens of thousands of additional troops from the

Soviet Union and launched air strikes, artillery bombardments and coordinated tank-infantry actions involving

some 6,000 tanks which, remarkably, the outnumbered

and under-equipped Hungarian Army and Hungarian

workers resisted for several days;

Whereas Prime Minister Imre Nagy was seized by Soviet security forces despite assurances of safe passage for him

to leave the Yugoslav Embassy in Budapest where he

sought asylum, and he was taken to Romania and was

subsequently tried and executed;

Whereas an estimated one thousand two hundred Hungarians

were tried and executed by the post-1956 Hungarian government;

Whereas an estimated 200,000 Hungarians fled their country

in the aftermath of the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian uprising, and over 47,000 of these people eventually were able to settle in the United States, where they

have contributed to the cultural diversity and the economic strength of this country;


24599i.AAC
45

3

Whereas the uprising of the Hungarian people in 1956 dramatically confirmed the widespread contempt in which

the Hungarians held the Soviet Union and the underlying

weakness of the communist system imposed by Soviet authorities in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the

strength of popular support for democratic principles and

the right of the Hungarian people to determine their own

national destiny;

Whereas on October 23, 1989, the Republic of Hungary proclaimed its independence, and in 1990 the Hungarian

Parliament officially designated October 23 as a Hungarian national holiday, indicating that the legacy of the

1956 Revolution continues to inspire Hungarians to this

day;

Whereas the people of Hungary are beginning a year-long

celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956;

Whereas on March 12, 1999, the Government of Hungary,

reflecting the will of the Hungarian people, formally acceded to the North Atlantic Treaty and became a member of NATO and on May 1, 2004, Hungary became a

full member of the European Union; and

Whereas Hungary and the United States continue to expand

their friendship and cooperation in all realms: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) commends the people of Hungary as they

3 mark the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian

4 Revolution which set the stage for the ultimate col5 lapse of communism in 1989 throughout Central


24599i.AAD
46

4

1 and Eastern Europe, including Hungary, and two

2 years later in the Soviet Union itself;

3 (2) expresses condolences to the people of Hun4 gary for those who lost their lives fighting for the

5 cause of Hungarian freedom and independence in

6 1956, as well as for those individuals executed by

7 the Soviet and Hungarian communist authorities in

8 the five years following the Revolution, including

9 Prime Minister Imre Nagy;

10 (3) welcomes the changes that have taken place

11 in Hungary since 1989, believing that Hungary’s in12 tegration into NATO and the European Union, to13 gether with similar developments in the neighboring

14 countries, will ensure peace, stability, and under15 standing among the great peoples of the Carpathian

16 Basin; and

17 (4) reaffirms the friendship and cooperative re18 lations between the governments of Hungary and the

19 United States and between the Hungarian and

20 American people.


24599i.AAE
47

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 499

Condemning the murder of American journalist Paul Klebnikov on July 9,

2004, in Moscow and the murders of other members of the media

in the Russian Federation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 18, 2005

Mr. MCCOTTER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Condemning the murder of American journalist Paul

Klebnikov on July 9, 2004, in Moscow and the murders

of other members of the media in the Russian Federation.

Whereas on July 9, 2004, American journalist Paul

Klebnikov was murdered by gunmen as he exited the

Moscow offices of Forbes Magazine;

Whereas twelve journalists have been murdered in the Russian Federation since the Putin administration took office, and Mr. Klebnikov was the first and only United

States citizen among these journalists;

Whereas the Department of State’s 2004 Country Reports on

Human Rights Practices claims government pressure in

Russia continues to weaken freedom of expression and


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•HRES 499 IH

the independence and freedom of the media, particularly

among the major national television networks and regional media outlets;

Whereas this repression of free speech in Russia has engendered the belief that journalists can be intimidated and

killed with impunity;

Whereas the Government of Russia claims Mr. Klebnikov’s

murder was ordered by Khozh-Akhmed Nukhayev, a fugitive Chechen warlord; and

Whereas a group of United States investigative journalists

who doubt the Russian Government’s claim has launched

its own inquiry into the death of Mr. Klebnikov: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) condemns the murder of American jour3 nalist Paul Klebnikov on July 9, 2004, in Moscow

4 and the murders of other members of the media in

5 the Russian Federation;

6 (2) urges the Government of Russia to continue

7 its inquiries into the murder of Mr. Klebnikov;

8 (3) urges the Government of Russia to take ap9 propriate action to protect the independence and

10 freedom of the Russian media and all visiting mem11 bers of the media; and

12 (4) commends all journalists working and living

13 in Russia for their courageous dedication to trans14 parency and the truth.

Æ


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1

[COMMITTEE PRINT]

NOVEMBER 16, 2005

[Showing the Amendment Adopted by the Subcommittee on

Europe and Emerging Threats]

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 529

Recommending the integration of the Republic of Croatia into the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 2, 2005

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. RADANOVICH, and Mr. VISCLOSKY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

RESOLUTION

Recommending the integration of the Republic of Croatia

into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Whereas the United States recognized the Republic of Croatia on April 7, 1992, acknowledging the decision of the

people of Croatia to live in an independent, democratic,

and sovereign country;

Whereas since achieving their independence, the people of

Croatia have built a democratic society, based on the rule

of law, respect for human rights, and a free market economy;


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2

Whereas Croatia is a functioning democracy, with stable institutions guaranteeing the rule of law, human rights,

and market economy;

Whereas Croatia has previously cooperated with the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by allowing NATO

free access to its air space during NATO’s 1999 military

action against Serbia;

Whereas the United States has shown support for Croatia in

many ways since its independence, including by providing

Croatia with economic and military assistance that has

contributed significantly to the continued success;

Whereas Croatia is a reliable partner of the United States,

actively contributing to the stabilization of South Central

Europe;

Whereas NATO’s Membership Action Plan, which was

launched in April 1999, is a program of assistance that

provides both goals and a roadmap for countries aspiring

to NATO membership;

Whereas Croatia was invited into the Membership Action

Plan in May 2002 and has made substantial progress in

attaining the necessary level of reforms required for receiving an invitation to start accession talks with NATO;

Whereas the United States, Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia

are signatories to the United States-Adriatic Charter,

which promotes Euro-Atlantic integration and commits

the signatory nations to the values and principles of

NATO and to joining the Alliance at the earliest possible

time;

Whereas Croatia’s cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has improved significantly and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has


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3

affirmed the Government of Croatia’s commitment to cooperate fully and take all necessary steps to ensure that

the remaining indictee is located and transferred to the

ICTY;

Whereas on October 3, 2005, the European Union decided to

open accession negotiations with Croatia based on the assessment of its Council of Ministers that Croatia met the

political and economic criteria for candidacy in the European Union, including that Croatia was fully cooperating

with the ICTY;

Whereas Croatia has sent troops to Afghanistan as part of

the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force

(ISAF) in support of the war against terrorism and has

endorsed and is participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative with like-minded nations across the world

to prevent the flow of weapons of mass destruction, missile systems, and related material; and

Whereas Croatia shares the common interests and values of

the free and democratic world: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) the Republic of Croatia has made signifi4 cant progress since its independence in strength5 ening its democratic institutions and respect for

6 human rights and the rule of law;

7 (2) Croatia should be commended for its

8 progress in meeting the political, economic, military,

9 and other requirements of NATO’s Membership Ac10 tion Plan, its contribution to the global war on terVerDate Mar 21 2002 10:16 May 16, 2006 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\111605M\24599.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

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4

1 rorism, and for its constructive participation in the

2 United States-Adriatic Charter;

3 (3) the Government of Croatia should be com4 mended for the significant improvement in its co5 operation with the International Criminal Tribunal

6 for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and it should con7 tinue to take all necessary steps to ensure that the

8 remaining indictee is located and transferred to the

9 ICTY;

10 (4) Croatia would make a significant contribu11 tion to NATO; and

12 (5) with complete satisfaction of NATO guide13 lines and criteria for membership, including the mat14 ter described in paragraph (3), Croatia should be in15 vited to be a full member of the North Atlantic

16 Treaty Organization at the earliest possible date.


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IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 535

Honoring the life, legacy, and example of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak

Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his death.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 4, 2005

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. ACKERMAN,

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. WAXMAN, and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

RESOLUTION

Honoring the life, legacy, and example of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his

death.

Whereas Yitzhak Rabin was born March 1, 1922, in Jerusalem;

Whereas Yitzhak Rabin volunteered for the Palmach, the elite

unit of the Haganah (predecessor of the Israeli Defense

Forces), and served for 27 years, including during the

1948 War of Independence, the 1956 Suez War, and as

Chief of Staff in the June 1967 Six Day War;

Whereas in 1975, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the

interim agreement with Egypt (Sinai II) which laid the


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2

•HRES 535 IH

groundwork for the 1979 Camp David Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt;

Whereas Yitzhak Rabin served as Ambassador to the United

States from 1968–1973, Minister of Defense from 1984–

1990, and Prime Minister from 1974–1977 and from

1992 until his assassination in 1995;

Whereas on September 13, 1993, in Washington, D.C.,

Yitzhak Rabin signed the Declaration of Principles

framework agreement between Israel and the Palestinians;

Whereas upon the signing of the Declaration of Principles,

Yitzhak Rabin said to the Palestinian people: ‘‘We say to

you today in a loud and clear voice: Enough of blood and

tears. Enough! We harbor no hatred toward you. We

have no desire for revenge. We, like you, are people who

want to build a home, plant a tree, love, live side by side

with you—in dignity, empathy, as human beings, as free

men.’’;

Whereas Yitzhak Rabin received the 1994 Nobel Prize for

Peace for his vision and bravery as a peacemaker, saying

at the time: ‘‘There is only one radical means of sanctifying human lives. Not armored plating, or tanks, or

planes, or concrete fortifications. The one radical solution

is peace.’’;

Whereas on October 26, 1994, Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan signed a peace treaty between Israel and

Jordan;

Whereas on November 4, 1995, Yitzhak Rabin was brutally

assassinated after attending a peace rally in Tel Aviv

where his last words were: ‘‘I have always believed that

the majority of the people want peace, are prepared to


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3

•HRES 535 IH

take risks for peace . . . Peace is what the Jewish People

aspire to.’’; and

Whereas Yitzhak Rabin dedicated his life to the cause of

peace and security for the state of Israel by defending his

nation against all threats, including terrorism and undertaking courageous risks in the pursuit of peace: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) honors the historic role of Yitzhak Rabin

3 for his distinguished service to the Israeli people and

4 extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the

5 family of Yitzhak Rabin and the people of Israel on

6 the tenth anniversary of his death;

7 (2) recognizes and reiterates its continued sup8 port for the close ties and special relationship be9 tween the United States and Israel;

10 (3) expresses its admiration for Yitzhak Rabin’s

11 legacy and reaffirms its commitment to the process

12 of building a just and lasting peace between Israel

13 and its neighbors;

14 (4) condemns any and all acts of terrorism; and

15 (5) reaffirms unequivocally the sacred principle

16 that democratic leaders and governments must be

17 changed only by the democratically-expressed will of

18 the people.

Æ


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Chairman HYDE. The business meeting of the Committee stands 

adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 12:10 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

Æ