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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 431 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 431

  Expressing profound concern, deepest sympathies, and solidarity on 
behalf of the people of the United States to the people and Government 
               of Chile following the massive earthquake.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2010

     Mr. Lugar (for himself and Mr. Kerry) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                             March 4, 2010

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Expressing profound concern, deepest sympathies, and solidarity on 
behalf of the people of the United States to the people and Government 
               of Chile following the massive earthquake.

Whereas the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile in the early 
        hours of Saturday, February 27, 2010, has claimed approximatley 800 
        lives, according to government officials of Chile, and the death toll is 
        expected to continue to rise as assessments of the devastation continue;
Whereas the earthquake hit most strongly in 6 central and south regions, from 
        the capital, Santiago, and the nearby port of Valparaiso in central 
        Chile, to the Bernardo O'Higgins, Maule, Bio Bio, and Araucania regions 
        of the south;
Whereas the regions most strongly hit are home to about 60 percent of the 
        17,000,000 inhabitants of Chile and account for approximately 70 percent 
        of the gross domestic product of Chile;
Whereas the earthquake generated some tsunami activity, in addition to the 
        earthquake, and several hundred people were killed in the coastal towns 
        of Constitucion and Talcahuano as a result;
Whereas many of the villages in the Juan Fernandez archipelago were destroyed by 
        tsunami activity;
Whereas the earthquake left an estimated 2,000,000 people homeless and damaged 
        more than 1,000,000 homes, \1/3\ of which may have to be demolished;
Whereas the earthquake, classified as a ``megathrust'' earthquake, unleashed an 
        estimated 50 gigatons of energy and broke about 340 miles of the fault 
        zone, according to the United States Geological Survey's National 
        Earthquake Information Center;
Whereas aftershocks have continued, seriously complicating efforts to survey the 
        damage and rescue survivors despite the noble efforts of local teams;
Whereas the Department of Defense has estimated that reconstruction costs could 
        exceed $30,000,000,000, equivalent to 20 percent of the 2009 gross 
        domestic product of Chile;
Whereas damage to ports and other infrastructure will hinder important exports 
        and economic recovery;
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Chile on March 2, 2010, and 
        promised an extensive aid package, and the United States Ambassador to 
        Chile requested emergency relief funding;
Whereas Chile enjoys excellent relations with the United States since its 
        transition back to democracy, and both countries have emphasized similar 
        priorities in the region, designed to strengthen democracy, improve 
        human rights, and advance free trade;
Whereas Chile and the United States also maintain strong commercial ties, which 
        have become more extensive since a bilateral free trade agreement 
        between the two countries entered into force in 2004;
Whereas since 2004, the Government of Chile has worked with the Government of 
        the United States and the international community as part of the 
        multinational peacekeeping force in Haiti, first as a part of the 
        Multinational Interim Force-Haiti (MIFH) and subsequently as a part of 
        the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), committing 
        more human material resources to MINUSTAH than it has to any previous 
        peacekeeping mission; and
Whereas the Government of Chile and the Government of the United States and 
        other regional partners have worked together in recent years to resolve 
        a number of political issues in the Western Hemisphere, including crises 
        in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Honduras, among others: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses its profound concern, deepest sympathies, and 
        solidarity on behalf of the people of the United States to the 
        people and Government of Chile following the massive 
        earthquake;
            (2) applauds the friendship between the Governments and 
        people of the United States and Chile and recommits to mutually 
        beneficial cooperation in bilateral, multilateral, and 
        Hemispheric contexts;
            (3) strongly encourages the United States Government, with 
        full consideration of the necessary institutional instruments, 
        to offer all appropriate assistance, if requested by the 
        Government of Chile, to aid in the immediate rescue and ongoing 
        recovery efforts undertaken by the Government of Chile; and
            (4) encourages the international community to join in 
        relief efforts as determined by the Government of Chile.
                                 <all>
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