datamatters24/research-document-archive huggingface dataset:
138
H.L.C.
AMENDMENT TO H. RES. 125
OFFERED BY MS. ROS-LEHTINEN OF FLORIDA
In the second clause of the preamble, strike ‘‘and
the law of war’’ and insert ‘‘(also referred to as the Law
of War or the Law of Armed Conflict)’’.
In the tenth clause of the preamble, strike ‘‘Addi-
tional Protocol I, Article 50(1)’’ and insert ‘‘for states
parties to Additional Protocol I, such as Lebanon, Article
50(1)’’.
In the eleventh clause of the preamble, strike ‘‘Addi-
tional Protocol I, Article 51(7)’’ and insert ‘‘for states
parties to Additional Protocol I, such as Lebanon, Article
51(7)’’.
Strike paragraph (2) of the resolved text (page 3,
strike lines 6 through 8) and insert the following:
(2) calls on responsible nations to condemn the
use of civilians as human shields as a violation of
international humanitarian law; and
Strike paragraph (3) of the resolved text (page 4,
strike lines 1 through 6) and insert the following:
139
H.L.C.
(3) calls on responsible nations and experts in
the area of international humanitarian law to focus
particular attention on the use of human shields in
violation of international humanitarian law and
make further recommendations on the prevention of
such violation in the future.
140
H.L.C.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘Resolution express-
ing deep concern over the use of civilians as ‘human
shields’ in violation of international humanitarian law, in-
cluding Hezbollah’s tactic of embedding its forces among
civilians to use them as human shields during the sum-
mer of 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and the State of
Israel.’’.
141
IV
110TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 158
Observing the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade
and encouraging the people of the United States, particularly the youth
of the United States, to remember the life and legacy of William Wilber-
force, a member of the British House of Commons who devoted his
life to the suppression and abolition of the institution of slavery, and
to work for the protection of human rights throughout the world.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 13, 2007
Mr. PITTS (for himself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. SMITH of New Jer-
sey, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. CLY-
BURN, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. POE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. GARY G.
MILLER of California, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mr. LAMBORN,
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. PENCE, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr.
FORBES, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr.
WELDON of Florida, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, and Mr.
SESSIONS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Observing the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Brit-
ish slave trade and encouraging the people of the United
States, particularly the youth of the United States, to
remember the life and legacy of William Wilberforce,
a member of the British House of Commons who devoted
his life to the suppression and abolition of the institution
of slavery, and to work for the protection of human
rights throughout the world.
142
•HRES 158 IH
Whereas in 1780, William Wilberforce was elected at the age
of 21 years to the British House of Commons;
Whereas Mr. Wilberforce and his friends were active in at
least 69 different projects focusing on issues such as
prison reform, education, child labor conditions, animal
cruelty, and the reformation of the culture;
Whereas Mr. Wilberforce was mentored and counseled by
former slave trader and author of the hymn ‘‘Amazing
Grace’’, John Newton, on the horrors of the slave trade;
Whereas at the time, 11 million human beings had been cap-
tured and taken from Africa to the Western hemisphere
and forced into slavery and bondage;
Whereas at the time, the British Empire controlled the larg-
est portion of the slave trade;
Whereas Mr. Wilberforce devoted his life to the suppression
and abolition of the institution of slavery;
Whereas a dedicated group of like-minded reformers, the
Clapham group, assisted, supported, and encouraged Mr.
Wilberforce in his fight against the slave trade;
Whereas Mr. Wilberforce fought for 20 years in the House
of Commons to pass legislation banning the slave trade;
Whereas on February 23, 1807, Britain passed a bill banning
the slave trade;
Whereas Mr. Wilberforce helped inspire and encourage those
who fought against slavery in the United States, includ-
ing political leaders like John Quincy Adams, spreading
a message of hope and freedom throughout America and
the promise of the future;
143
•HRES 158 IH
Whereas Mr. Wilberforce labored 46 years to abolish the in-
stitution of slavery in the British Empire, ceaselessly de-
fending those without a voice within society;
Whereas in 1833, Mr. Wilberforce was informed on his death
bed that the House of Commons had voted to abolish
slavery;
Whereas in 2006, the United States Department of State es-
timated that between 600,000 and 800,000 men, women,
and children were trafficked across international borders;
Whereas the International Labour Organization estimates
that there are more than 12 million people in forced
labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, and sexual ser-
vitude around the world; and
Whereas the people of the United States, particularly the
youth of the United States, are called upon to form clubs
and groups dedicated to working against the modern
slave trade, human trafficking, and the degradation of
human dignity: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) observes the 200th anniversary of the aboli-
tion of the British slave trade;
(2) commends to the people of the United
States the example of William Wilberforce and his
commitment to each and every person’s human dig-
nity, value, and freedom;
(3) encourages the people of the United States,
particularly the youth of the United States, to—
144
•HRES 158 IH
(A) observe the anniversary of the abolition
of the British slave trade;
(B) reflect on Mr. Wilberforce’s selfless
dedication to the fight against slavery and his
commitment to the neediest in society;
(C) commit themselves to recognize the
value of every person; and
(D) form high school clubs and groups
working against modern day slavery and the
trafficking of persons; and
(4) condemns to the highest degree all forms of
human trafficking and slavery which are an assault
on human dignity and of which Mr. Wilberforce
would steadfastly resist.
Æ
145
H.L.C.
AMENDMENT TO H. RES. 158
OFFERED BY MR. LANTOS OF CALIFORNIA
Page 4, line 7, strike ‘‘; and’’ and insert ‘‘and to ac-
tively work against slavery in all its forms;’’.
Page 4, after line 7, insert the following:
(D) work to educate themselves and others
to recognize that individuals who are subject to
slavery and human trafficking are victims of
those who traffick such individuals; and
Page 4, line 8, strike ‘‘(D)’’ and insert ‘‘(E)’’.
146
IV
110TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 196
Supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 27, 2007
Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself and Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day.
Whereas the global celebration of World Water Day is an ini-
tiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Con-
ference on Environment and Development in Rio de Ja-
neiro;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly, via resolu-
tion, designated March 22 of each year as World Water
Day;
Whereas although water is the most widely occurring sub-
stance on earth, only 2.53 percent of all water is fresh-
water and the remainder is salt water;
Whereas freshwater resources are further impaired by various
forms of industrial, chemical, human, and agricultural
pollution;
147
•HRES 196 IH
Whereas climate change will increasingly pose a challenge for
ensuring the availability of sufficient water supplies at
the appropriate times;
Whereas approximately one in six people in the world lack ac-
cess to safe drinking water and approximately two in
every five people lack access to basic sanitation services;
Whereas water-related diseases are among the most common
causes of illness and death, afflicting primarily the poor
and very poor in developing countries;
Whereas up to five million people die each year from prevent-
able water and sanitation related diseases, including one
out of every five children in the poorest countries;
Whereas every $1 invested in safe drinking water and sanita-
tion yields an economic return of between $3 and $34,
depending on the region;
Whereas increasing access to safe drinking water and sanita-
tion advances efforts towards other United States devel-
opment objectives including fighting poverty and hunger,
promoting primary education and gender equality, reduc-
ing child mortality, promoting environmental stability,
improving the lives of slum dwellers, and strengthening
national security;
Whereas the participants in the 2002 World Summit on Sus-
tainable Development in Johannesburg, including the
United States, agreed to the Plan of Implementation
which included an agreement to work to reduce by one-
half from the baseline year 1990 ‘‘the proportion of peo-
ple who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking
water,’’ and ‘‘the proportion of people without access to
basic sanitation’’ by 2015; and
148
•HRES 196 IH
Whereas Congress passed and the President signed into law
the ‘‘Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of
2005’’ (Public Law 109–121) which was intended to
‘‘elevate the role of water and sanitation policy in the de-
velopment of U.S. foreign policy and improve the effec-
tiveness of U.S. official programs’’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) supports the goals and ideals of World
Water Day;
(2) recognizes the importance of increasing ac-
cess to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well
as the conservation and sustainable management of
water resources, to human health and quality of life
across the globe;
(3) urges an increased effort and the invest-
ment of greater resources by the Department of
State, the United States Agency for International
Development, and all relevant Federal departments
and agencies towards providing sustainable and eq-
uitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation
for the poor and very poor; and
(4) encourages the people of the United States
to observe World Water Day with appropriate rec-
ognition, ceremonies, activities, and programs to
demonstrate the importance of water to humanity.
Æ
149
IV
110TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 240
Urging all member countries of the International Commission of the Inter-
national Tracing Service (ITS) who have yet to ratify the May 2006
Amendments to the 1955 Bonn Accords Treaty, to expedite the ratifica-
tion process to allow for open access to the Holocaust archives located
at Bad Arolsen, Germany.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 13, 2007
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr.
KIRK, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr.
LINDER, Mr. WEINER, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. MCNULTY, Ms.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MEEK of Flor-
ida, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ
of California, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mrs.
MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. ACKERMAN,
Mr. ENGEL, Mr. NADLER, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. HONDA, Mr.
LANTOS, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. SHIMKUS, and Mr.
SESSIONS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Urging all member countries of the International Commission
of the International Tracing Service (ITS) who have
yet to ratify the May 2006 Amendments to the 1955
Bonn Accords Treaty, to expedite the ratification process
to allow for open access to the Holocaust archives located
at Bad Arolsen, Germany.
150
•HRES 240 IH
Whereas the International Tracing Service (ITS) archives lo-
cated in Bad Arolsen, Germany, which are administered
by the International Committee of the Red Cross, contain
an estimated 50,000,000 records on the fates of some
17,500,000 individual victims of Nazi war crimes;
Whereas the ITS archives at Bad Arolsen remain the largest
closed Holocaust-era archives in the world; while access
to individual records can be requested by Holocaust sur-
vivors and their descendants, many who have requested
information in the past have reported facing significant
delays and even unresponsiveness; furthermore, the
records remain inaccessible to researchers and research
institutions;
Whereas the 1955 Bonn Accords, the treaty governing the
administration of the ITS, established an International
Commission of 11 member countries (Belgium, France,
Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Nether-
lands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United
States) charged with overseeing the administration of the
ITS Holocaust archives;
Whereas following years of delay, in May 2006 in Luxem-
bourg, the International Commission of the ITS agreed
upon amendments to the Bonn Accords which would
allow researchers to use the archives and would allow
each Commission member country to receive digitized
copies of archive materials and make the records avail-
able to researchers under the respective national laws re-
lating to archives and privacy;
Whereas the May 2006 Amendments to the Bonn Accords re-
quire each of the 11 members of the International Com-
mission to ratify the amendments before open access to
the Holocaust archives is permitted;
151
•HRES 240 IH
Whereas although the final signature was affixed to the
amendments in October 2006, only 4 out of the 11 Com-
mission member countries (the United States, Israel, Po-
land, and the Netherlands) have ratified the amendments
to date;
Whereas the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has
for years been working tirelessly to provide public access
to the materials in the Bad Arolsen archives;
Whereas on March 8, 2007, representatives from the 11
member countries of the International Commission of the
ITS met in the Netherlands and reviewed the current
ratification status of each country and the ratification
process in its entirety;
Whereas it is a moral and humanitarian imperative to permit
public access to the millions of Holocaust records housed
at Bad Arolsen;
Whereas it is essential that Holocaust researchers obtain ac-
cess now, while survivors are living, so that the research-
ers can benefit in their scholarly work from the insights
of eyewitnesses;
Whereas in the Holocaust’s aftermath, there have been far
too many instances of survivors and heirs of Holocaust
victims being refused their moral and legal right to infor-
mation—for restitution purposes, slave labor compensa-
tion, and personal closure;
Whereas opening the historic records is a vital contribution
to the world’s collective memory and understanding of
the Holocaust and efforts to ensure that the anti-Semi-
tism that made such horrors possible is never again per-
mitted to take hold;
152
•HRES 240 IH
Whereas anti-Semitism has seen a resurgence in recent years;
as recently as December 2006, the President of Iran,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, held the second Holocaust denial
conference in Tehran in one year; and
Whereas in light of this conference, President Ahmadinejad’s
anti-Semitic rhetoric, and a resurgence of anti-Semitism
in part of the world, the opening of the archives at Bad
Arolsen could not be more urgent: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) commends in the strongest terms all coun-
tries that have to date ratified the amendments to
the Bonn Accords to allow for open access to the
Holocaust archives of the International Tracing
Service (ITS) located at Bad Arolsen, Germany;
(2) commends those countries that have com-
mitted to expedite the process of releasing the ar-
chives and expects those countries to abide by their
commitments;
(3) strongly urges all countries that have to yet
to ratify the amendments to abide by their treaty
obligations made in May 2006 and to expedite the
ratification of these amendments;
(4) strongly urges all Commission members to
consider the short time left to Holocaust survivors
and unanimously consent to open the ITS archives
should all countries not ratify the amendments by
May 2007;
153
•HRES 240 IH
(5) expresses the hope that bureaucratic and
diplomatic processes will not further delay this proc-
ess; and
(6) refuses to forget the murder of 6,000,000
Jews and more than 5,000,000 other victims during
the Holocaust by Nazi perpetrators and their col-
laborators.
Æ
154 (Original Signature of Member) , 110TH CONGRESS lst SESSION H, RES. 2] A Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of British marines and sailors held captive by Iran, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. Krrx (for himself and Mr. ANDREWS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on RESOLUTION Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Brit- ish marines and sailors held captive by Iran, and for other purposes. Whereas on March 28, 2007, the Iraman Revolutionary Guard Navy seized 15 British marimes and sailors; Whereas the British Navy personnel were engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi terri- torial waters when they were accosted by Iranian vessels; Whereas Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of the international community continues to threaten America’s national security and Middle East regional stability;
155
H.L.C.
Whereas the seizure of the British sailors came on the same
day the United Nations Security Council introduced a
new resolution to sanction the Government of Iran for its
continued defiance of the International Atomic Energy
Agency and its noncompliance with the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and
Whereas Great Britain remains one of the strongest allies of
the United States and a partner in the war on terrorism:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) condemns the Islamic Republic of Iran for
the seizure of 15 British marines and sailors and de-
mands their unconditional release; and
(2) calls on the United Nations Security Coun-
cil to condemn this seizure and explore new sanc-
tions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including
the restriction of the supply of gasoline, to prevent
further Iranian hostile action, deny Iran’s ability to
militarize the Persian Gulf, and enforce Iran’s non-
proliferation commitments.
156
Chairman LANTOS. Pursuant to notice, I call up the bill, H.R. 
1681, the American Red Cross Governance Modernization Act of 
2007, and move its favorable recommendation to the House. With-
out objection, the bill will be considered as read and open for 
amendment at any point. I yield myself a brief moment to explain 
the legislation. 
[H.R. 1681 follows:]
157 (Original Signature of Member) 11071 CONGRESS 6 / 1st SESSION H. R, To amend the Congressional Charter of The American National Red Cross to modernize its governance structure, to enhance the ability of the board of governors of The Anierican National Red Cross to support the critical mission of The American National Red Cross in the 21st century, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. LANTOS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on _ A BILL To amend the Congressional Charter of The American Na- 1 tional Red Cross to modernize its governance structure, to enhance the ability of the board of governors of The American National Red Cross to support the critical mission of The American National Red Cross in the 21st century, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
158
H.L.C.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The American Na-
tional Red Cross Governance Modernization Act of 2007’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) Substantive changes to the Congressional
Charter of The American National Red Cross have
not been made since 1947.
(2) In February 2006, the board of governors
of The American National Red Cross (the ‘‘Board of
Governors’’) commissioned an independent review
and analysis of the Board of Governors’ role, com-
position, size, relationship with management, govern-
ance relationship with chartered units of The Amer-
ican National Red Cross, and whistleblower and
audit functions.
(3) In an October 2006 report of the Board of
Governors, entitled ‘‘American Red Cross Govern-
ance for the 21st Century’’ (the ‘‘Governance Re-
port’’), the Board of Governors recommended
changes to the Congressional Charter, bylaws, and
other governing documents of The American Na-
tional Red Cross to modernize and enhance the ef-
fectiveness of the Board of Governors and govern-
ance structure of The American National Red Cross.
159
H.L.C.
(4) It is in the national interest to create a
more efficient governance structure of The American
National Red Cross and to enhance the Board of
Governors’ ability to support the critical mission of
The American National Red Cross in the 21st cen-
tury.
(5) It is in the national interest to clarify the
role of the Board of Governors as a governance and
strategic oversight board and for The American Na-
tional Red Cross to amend its bylaws, consistent
with the recommendations described in the Govern-
ance Report, to clarify the role of the Board of Gov-
ernors and to outline the areas of its responsibility,
including—
(A) reviewing and approving the mission
statement for The American National Red
Cross;
(B) approving and overseeing the corpora-
tion’s strategic plan and maintaining strategic
oversight of operational matters;
(C) selecting, evaluating, and determining
the level of compensation of the corporation’s
chief executive officer;
(D) evaluating the performance and estab-
lishing the compensation of the senior leader-
174
H.L.C.
cast, taking into consideration the size of the
membership of the chapters, the populations
served by the chapters, and such other factors
as may be determined by the board.
‘‘(B) PERIODIC
REVIEW.—The board of
governors shall review the allocation of votes at
least every 5 years.’’.
SEC. 9. ENDOWMENT FUND.
Section 300109 of title 36, United States Code is
amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘nine’’ from the first sentence
thereof; and
(2) by striking the second sentence and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘The corporation shall prescribe
policies and regulations on terms and tenure of of-
fice, accountability, and expenses of the board of
trustees.’’.
SEC. 10. ANNUAL REPORT AND AUDIT.
Subsection (a) of section 300110 of title 36, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(a) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—As soon as prac-
ticable after the end of the corporation’s fiscal year, which
may be changed from time to time by the board of gov-
ernors, the corporation shall submit a report to the Sec-
retary of Defense on the activities of the corporation dur-
175
H.L.C.
ing such fiscal year, including a complete, itemized report
of all receipts and expenditures.’’.
SEC. 11. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
AND OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3001 of title 36, United
States Code, is amended by redesignating section 300111
as section 300113 and by inserting after section 300110
the following new sections:
‘‘§ 300111. Authority of the Comptroller General of
the United States
‘‘The Comptroller General of the United States is au-
thorized to review the corporation’s involvement in any
Federal program or activity the Government carries out
under law.
‘‘§ 300112. Office of the Ombudsman
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The corporation shall estab-
lish an Office of the Ombudsman with such duties and
responsibilities as may be provided in the bylaws or a reso-
lution of the board of governors.
‘‘(b) REPORT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office of the Ombuds-
man shall submit annually to the appropriate Con-
gressional committees a report concerning any
trends and systemic matters that the Office of the