III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 4

Expressing the sympathy and pledging the support of the United States 

Senate and the people of the United States for the victims of the 

powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck Bangladesh, 

Burma, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Seychelles, 

Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and other areas of South Asia, 

Southeast Asia, and Africa, on December 26, 2004. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 4, 2005

Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. REID, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. 

ALEXANDER, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. BAYH, Mr. 

BENNETT, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. BOND, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWNBACK, 

Mr. BUNNING, Mr. BURNS, Mr. BURR, Mr. BYRD, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

CARPER, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. COBURN, 

Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. COLEMAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. CORNYN, 

Mr. CORZINE, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. 

DEWINE, Mr. DODD, Mrs. DOLE, Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. 

DURBIN, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. ENZI, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. 

GRAHAM, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. GREGG, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. 

HATCH, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. 

JEFFORDS, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KERRY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. 

KYL, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. 

LIEBERMAN, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. LOTT, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCCAIN, 

Mr. MCCONNELL, Ms. MIKULSKI, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. 

NELSON of Florida, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. PRYOR, 

Mr. REED, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. 

SANTORUM, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHELBY, 

Mr. SMITH, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. SPECTER, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. STEVENS, 

Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. TALENT, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. THUNE, Mr. VITTER, Mr. 

VOINOVICH, Mr. WARNER, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 
2

•SRES 4 ATS 

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sympathy and pledging the support of the 

United States Senate and the people of the United States 

for the victims of the powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck Bangladesh, Burma, India, 

Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Seychelles, 

Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and other areas 

of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, on December 

26, 2004.

Whereas on December 26, 2004, a tremendous earthquake, 

registered at 9.0 on the Richter scale and centered 100 

miles off the coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered a deadly tsunami that swept throughout the Indian 

Ocean and beyond, devastating cities, towns, and communities, and killing or injuring persons in Southeast Asia 

and South Asia, through the island nations of the region, 

to Eastern Africa; 

Whereas, as a result of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, 

more than 140,000 people have lost their lives to date, 

tens of thousands of people are injured or missing, and 

the final death toll could climb into the hundreds of thousands; 

Whereas the victims also include thousands of nationals who 

were visiting the region when the tsunami hit, including 

significant numbers from Europe and North and South 

America; 

Whereas millions of people throughout Southeast Asia and 

South Asia have been left without food, shelter, or clean 

water, and now face deadly diseases such as cholera, dengue fever, dysentery, malaria, and typhoid; 
3

•SRES 4 ATS 

Whereas thousands of children have been killed or injured, by 

this disaster; 

Whereas, as a result of this tragedy, thousands of children 

have been separated from their families or orphaned and 

are in need of re-unification or adoption; 

Whereas whole coastal communities and cities throughout the 

region were obliterated; 

Whereas recovery, reconstruction, and clean-up of the devastated areas likely will take years, billions of dollars, and 

the concerted leadership of the United States working together with the international community; 

Whereas the people of the United States immediately responded and expressed their sympathy and concern by 

sending financial aid and other assistance currently totaling more than $100,000,000, through nongovernmental 

organizations and other means, to the victims of this disaster, and by offering to volunteer in the disaster rescue, 

recovery, and rebuilding; 

Whereas soon after the earthquake and tsunami hit the region, the United States Government expressed its condolences and invoked six disaster declarations for the nations hardest hit by this natural disaster, thus triggering 

the release of emergency funding to these countries; 

Whereas less than 24 hours after these tragedies became 

known, the United States announced an initial pledge of 

$15,000,000 for emergency humanitarian assistance, 

which was increased to $35,000,000 in the following days 

as the scope of the tragedy unfolded; 

Whereas President George W. Bush also dispatched more 

than 20 United States military cargo and patrol aircraft, 

redirected a Marine expeditionary unit and a carrier task 
4

•SRES 4 ATS 

force, and deployed several hundred United States military personnel to the region to assist with the disaster response, recovery, and delivery of relief supplies; 

Whereas, in response to an early appeal by the International 

Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent for 

$7,500,000, the United States provided $4,000,000 for 

the distribution of emergency shelter materials and other 

relief commodities, and provided more than 3,000 metric 

tons of rice to the United Nations World Food Program 

for use in the affected region; 

Whereas President George W. Bush has established a regional core group with Australia, Canada, India, Japan, 

and the Netherlands, with the United Nations, to help 

coordinate relief efforts, and sent a senior delegation of 

experts, led by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to meet with regional leaders 

and international organizations to assess what additional 

aid can be provided by the United States; 

Whereas on December 31, 2004, President Bush increased 

the United States pledge to $350,000,000 in aid and 

stated that the United States’ contributions to disaster 

relief and recovery ‘‘will continue to be revised as the full 

effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer’’; 

Whereas pledges of assistance from all international organizations, multilateral development banks, and governments, 

including the United States, now exceed $2,000,000,000; 

and 

Whereas, on January 3, 2005, the President appointed 

former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton 

to lead a nationwide charitable fund-raising effort to elicit greater relief and assistance to the victims of the pow-
5

•SRES 4 ATS 

erful earthquake and devastating tsunami: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses its heartfelt sympathy for the vic3 tims of the powerful earthquake and devastating 

4 tsunami that struck cities, towns, and communities 

5 throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, Eastern Af6 rica, and the region on December 26, 2004; 

7 (2) conveys its most sincere condolences to the 

8 families, communities, and governments of the more 

9 than 140,000 people that lost their lives in this ter10 rible natural disaster; 

11 (3) expresses its gratitude and respect for the 

12 courageous and committed work of all aid and relief 

13 personnel, including United States military per14 sonnel, who are saving lives and providing relief as15 sistance in the devastated areas of the region; 

16 (4) supports President George W. Bush’s 

17 pledge of $350,000,000 in direct financial assist18 ance, and tens of millions of dollars in additional in19 direct assistance through the dispatch of United 

20 States military aircraft, naval vessels, and personnel, 

21 and through the United States Government’s sub22 stantial voluntary and annual contributions to inter23 national organizations and bodies; 
6

•SRES 4 ATS 

1 (5) commends the ongoing international relief 

2 effort that includes the work of individual countries, 

3 numerous international organizations, and various 

4 relief and other nongovernmental entities; 

5 (6) reaffirms that the United States Govern6 ment is committed to providing relief and assistance 

7 in the most effective and efficient means possible, 

8 and will continue to assess, anticipate, and provide 

9 further assistance as needed in the weeks and 

10 months ahead; 

11 (7) recognizes that the support of the United 

12 States Government will be greatly supplemented by 

13 private donations and assistance from thousands of 

14 United States citizens, charitable organizations, reli15 gious groups, and corporations that routinely pro16 vide generous and significant amounts of aid, sup17 port, and volunteers; and 

18 (8) fully supports the long-term commitment 

19 and engagement of the United States to provide fi20 nancial aid and other forms of direct and indirect 

21 assistance to the countries and peoples of the region 

22 impacted by the powerful earthquake and the dev23 astating tsunami.

Æ