Condemning the Government of Zimbabwe's "Operation Murambatsvina" under which homes, businesses, religious structures, and other buildings and facilities were demolished in an effort characterized by the Government of Zimbabwe as an operation to "restore order" to the country.

Bill: 109-hres-409
Sponsor: Rep. Lantos, Tom [D-CA-12]
Introduced: 2005-07-28 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Agriculture and Food
Building construction
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Development credit institutions
Displaced persons
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Eviction
Food relief
Foreign loans
Free enterprise
Health
Homeless
Housing and Community Development
Human rights
Immigration
International agencies
International relief
Job creation
Labor and Employment
Law
Political rights
Rule of law
Shelters for the homeless
Treaties
United Nations
Water Resources Development
Water supply
Zimbabwe

Summary:
action_date: 2005-07-28
text: 
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the government of Zimbabwe: (1) has, through Operation Murambatsvina, created a humanitarian disaster that has compounded the country's humanitarian food and economic crises; (2) has a duty to protect its citizens' economic, social, and political rights; and (3) is subject to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights with respect to forced evictions.
 
Condemns Operation Murambatsvina as a major humanitarian catastrophe caused by the government of Zimbabwe's callousness toward its own people, disregard for the rule of law, and lack of planning to move families and businesses to more desirable locations.
 
 Calls on the United Nations, the African Commission for Peoples' and Human Rights, and the African Union to investigate the impact of the demolitions of housing structures and premises from which informal businesses operated and to provide the international community with a strategy to address the problems.
 
Calls on the government of Zimbabwe with respect to Operation Murambatsvina to: (1) allow access to international humanitarian organizations; (2) hold accountable those responsible; and (3) implement politics to promote the private sector and create jobs and build housing.
 
Calls on the President to use U.S. influence to support the International Monetary Fund (IMF) review of Zimbabwe's membership, and to give serious consideration to further IMF action should the government of Zimbabwe continue to pursue destructive economic policies, fail to make payments on its arrears, or block emergency humanitarian assistance.

action_date: 2005-12-16
text: 
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the government of Zimbabwe: (1) has, through Operation Murambatsvina, created a humanitarian disaster that has compounded the country's humanitarian food and economic crises; (2) has a duty to protect its citizens' economic, social, and political rights; and (3) is subject to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights with respect to forced evictions.
 
Condemns Operation Murambatsvina as a major humanitarian catastrophe caused by the government of Zimbabwe's callousness toward its own people, disregard for the rule of law, and lack of planning to move families and businesses to more desirable locations.
 
 Calls on the United Nations, the African Commission for Peoples' and Human Rights, and the African Union to investigate the impact of the demolition of housing structures and premises from which informal businesses operated and to provide the international community with a strategy to address the problems.
 
Calls on the government of Zimbabwe with respect to Operation Murambatsvina to: (1) allow access to international humanitarian organizations; (2) hold accountable those responsible; and (3) implement policies to promote the private sector and create jobs and build housing.
 
Calls on the Secretary of the Treasury to use U.S. influence to continue to advocate for further action at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should the Government of Zimbabwe continue to fail to meet its obligations to the IMF.
 
Condemns President Mugabe's harassment of U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe. Calls upon him to recognize that absent corrective actions on his part his legacy will be defined by his ruinous policies and draconian laws that have brought untold suffering to his people and the near collapse of Zimbabwe as a nation.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 421 - 1 (Roll no. 649). (text: CR 12/14/2005 H11630-11631)
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 421 - 1 (Roll no. 649).(text: CR 12/14/2005 H11630-11631)
action_date: 2005-12-16
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H11921)
action_date: 2005-12-14
text: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
action_date: 2005-12-14
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 409.
action_date: 2005-12-14
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H11630-11637)
action_date: 2005-12-14
text: Mr. Smith (NJ) moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
action_date: 2005-09-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.
action_date: 2005-09-15
text: Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2005-09-15
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2005-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-07-28
text: Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-07-28
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-07-28
text: Introduced in House