IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 130 

Expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell 

as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2009 

Mr. DELAHUNT (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. COHEN, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. GEORGE

MILLER of California, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Ms. KILROY, Mr. 

BLUMENAUER, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Mrs. 

HALVORSON, Mr. PERRIELLO, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. RAHALL, 

Mr. ISSA, Mr. OLVER, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. RANGEL, and Mr. FORTENBERRY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the appointment of former Senator 

George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, 

and for other purposes. 

Whereas, on January 9, 2009, the House of Representatives 

passed, by an overwhelming margin, a resolution that reaffirmed ‘‘its strong support for United States Government efforts to promote a just resolution of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict through a serious and sustained 

peace process that leads to the creation of a viable and 


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•HRES 130 IH 

independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside a 

secure State of Israel.’’; 

Whereas, on January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama 

and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as the 

United States Government’s Special Envoy for Middle 

East Peace; 

Whereas President Obama, upon announcing Senator Mitchell’s appointment, stated that ‘‘It will be the policy of my 

administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting 

peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as 

Israel and its Arab neighbors’’ that ‘‘. . . recognizes 

(Israel’s) rightful place in the community of nations.’’; 

Whereas President Obama, upon announcing this appointment, stated that Senator Mitchell ‘‘. . . will be fully empowered at the negotiating table, and he will sustain our 

focus on the goal of peace.’’; 

Whereas President Obama stated that he ‘‘. . . was deeply 

concerned by the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza. Our hearts go out to Palestinian 

civilians who are in need of immediate food, clean water, 

and basic medical care, and who’ve faced suffocating poverty for far too long.’’; 

Whereas Secretary of State Clinton stated that Special Envoy 

Mitchell ‘‘will lead our efforts to reinvigorate the process 

for achieving peace between Israel and its neighbors. He 

will help us to develop an integrated strategy that defends the security of Israel, works to bring an end to the 

Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states, 

living side by side in peace and security, and to achieve 


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•HRES 130 IH 

further agreements to promote peace and security between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Senator Mitchell will 

also work to support the objectives that the President 

and I believe are critical and pressing in Gaza, to develop 

a program for humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction, working with the Palestinian Authority and Israel 

on behalf of those objectives.’’; 

Whereas Senator Mitchell stated, upon his appointment, that 

‘‘peace and stability in the Middle East are in our national interest.’’; 

Whereas Senator Mitchell also stated that ‘‘Conflicts are created, conducted and sustained by human beings; they can 

be ended by human beings’’ and that ‘‘This effort must 

be determined, persevering and patient. It must be 

backed up by political capital, economic resources, and 

focused attention at the highest levels of our government. 

And it must be firmly rooted in a shared vision of a 

peaceful future by the people who live in the region. At 

the direction of the President and the Secretary of State, 

and in pursuit of the President’s policies, I pledge my full 

effort in the search for peace and stability in the Middle 

East.’’; 

Whereas Senator Mitchell brings significant credibility to this 

effort as an experienced diplomat and negotiator, having 

been credited with brokering Northern Ireland’s Good 

Friday peace accord that led to a resolution of the 

‘‘Troubles’’ in Northern Ireland and the termination of 

an 800-year old sectarian and national conflict; and 

Whereas Senator Mitchell possesses appropriate expertise on 

the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, having authored a well-received report on the causes of the second intifada in April 

2001: Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 130 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) congratulates Senator George Mitchell on 

3 his appointment as Special Envoy for Middle East 

4 Peace; 

5 (2) commits to supporting President Obama, 

6 Secretary Clinton, and Special Envoy Mitchell in 

7 their vigorous pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to 

8 the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts 

9 based on the establishment of 2 states, the State of 

10 Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and 

11 security, and with recognized borders; 

12 (3) reaffirms that peace between Israel and the 

13 Palestinians and Israel and the Arab world are es14 sential national security interests of the United 

15 States; and 

16 (4) expresses its appreciation to those engaged 

17 in support of Middle East peacemaking and the re18 cent cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and 

19 southern Israel, and calls on the international com20 munity to aggressively pursue efforts that facilitate 

21 a just and lasting resolution of these conflicts. 

Æ 


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