IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 552 
Reaffirming the United States-Liberia partnership, and calling for free, fair, 
and peaceful elections in Liberia in October 2017. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 2, 2017 
Mr. PAYNE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Reaffirming the United States-Liberia partnership, and call-
ing for free, fair, and peaceful elections in Liberia in 
October 2017. 
Whereas the United States and Liberia share broad and deep 
bilateral ties over the course of a nearly 200-year rela-
tionship; 
Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations 
with Liberia in 1864; 
Whereas it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Libe-
rians died in the country’s two interconnected civil wars 
from 1989 to 2003 and many more fled as refugees; 
Whereas today the United States is home to an estimated 
80,000 people of Liberian ancestry in vibrant commu-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:55 Oct 03, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR552.IH
HR552
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
•HRES 552 IH 
nities across the country, many of whom sought refuge 
from the violence during the civil wars; 
Whereas the people and Government of the United States 
have a deep and abiding interest in Liberia’s democratic 
stability and post-conflict development; 
Whereas United States assistance to Liberia since the end of 
its second civil war in 2003 has supported post-conflict 
recovery and a subsequent sustained transition toward 
broad-based economic growth, improved access to high- 
quality education, health system strengthening, enhanced 
socioeconomic welfare for the people of Liberia, the 
professionalization of the country’s military and civilian 
security forces, efforts to foster the capacities, account-
ability, and transparency of government institutions, and 
the consolidation of participatory democracy; 
Whereas in 2005, and again in 2011, the citizens of Liberia 
elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as their President, making 
her the first woman to be elected President of an African 
nation; 
Whereas President Sirleaf was awarded the United States 
Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 5, 2007, for 
defending and advancing the democratic rights of her fel-
low citizens, in the face of house arrest, foreign exile, 
death threats, and imprisonment, and the Noble Peace 
Prize on October 7, 2011, for contributing to the non-
violent struggle for the security and rights of women; 
Whereas the Government of Liberia has contributed to efforts 
to foster peace, stability, democratization, as well as re-
gional economic growth, development, and integration in 
West Africa, as demonstrated by President Sirleaf’s role 
in mediating a peaceful transfer of power in the Gambia 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:55 Oct 03, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR552.IH
HR552
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
•HRES 552 IH 
in January 2017 and her broader leadership as 2016– 
2017 Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and 
Government of the Economic Community of West African 
States; 
Whereas Liberia will hold Presidential and legislative elec-
tions on October 10, 2017; 
Whereas successful 2017 elections are expected to lead to Li-
beria’s first democratic transfer of power since 1944; and 
Whereas public confidence in the electoral process is vital to 
advancing democracy in Liberia and for ensuring the suc-
cess of the elections: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) upholds its commitment to maintain and 
foster the enduring relationship between the people 
and the Governments of the United States and Libe-
ria; 
(2) commends President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 
for efforts to consolidate post-conflict peacebuilding 
and democratic gains, promote social and economic 
development, and foster ties with the international 
community, and for her work to advance inter-
national gender equality; 
(3) urges the Government and people of Liberia 
and all of the country’s political parties to— 
(A) hold free, fair, credible, and peaceful 
elections in October 2017 and in the future; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:55 Oct 03, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR552.IH
HR552
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS