IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 311 

Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and 

ideals of Red Cross Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 31, 2009 

Ms. WATSON (for herself, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. LORETTA

SANCHEZ of California, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. CAO, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. 

STUPAK, and Mr. BISHOP of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for 

the goals and ideals of Red Cross Month. 

Whereas the American National Red Cross, one of the most 

well-known humanitarian organizations in the world, was 

founded by Clara Barton in Washington, DC, on May 21, 

1881; 

Whereas the American National Red Cross received a congressional charter in 1905 setting forth the purposes of 

the organization, which include giving relief to and serving as a medium of communication between members of 

the Armed Forces of the United States and their families, and providing national and international disaster relief and mitigation; 


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•HRES 311 IH 

Whereas the American National Red Cross depends on the 

support of the people of the United States to accomplish 

the mission of the organization; 

Whereas the American National Red Cross has been at the 

forefront of helping individuals and families prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters for more than 127 

years, including more than 70,000 disasters annually, 

ranging from apartment and single-family home fires, the 

most common type of disaster, to hurricanes, floods, 

earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, hazardous materials 

spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and human-caused disasters; 

Whereas, when a disaster strikes or is imminent, communities 

throughout the United States depend on the American 

National Red Cross to help meet the basic and urgent 

needs of affected individuals, including shelter, food, 

healthcare, and mental health services; 

Whereas the ‘‘Be Red Cross Ready’’ safety program encourages the people of the United States to take the 3 actions 

that will help them ‘‘Be Red Cross Ready’’ for a disaster: 

‘‘Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed’’; 

Whereas the ‘‘Be Red Cross Ready’’ safety program represents a major effort by the American National Red 

Cross to encourage the people of the United States to be 

more prepared for a disaster or other emergency; 

Whereas, since 1943, every President of the United States 

has proclaimed March to be ‘‘Red Cross Month’’; and 

Whereas the American National Red Cross uses Red Cross 

Month as an opportunity to promote the services and 

programs the organization provides to the people of the 

United States: Now, therefore, be it 


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•HRES 311 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Red Cross 

3 Month; 

4 (2) recognizes the contributions of American 

5 National Red Cross volunteers in times of natural 

6 and human-caused disasters, and in times of armed 

7 conflict; and 

8 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

9 to ‘‘Get a Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed’’. 

Æ 


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