Urging the President to oppose expansion of the Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq, condemning Saddam Hussein for the actions the Government of Iraq has taken against the Iraqi people and for its defiance of the United Nations, and for other purposes.

Urges the President to: (1) oppose any expansion of the Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq under current conditions; and (2) take steps, through the United Nations (UN), to improve enforcement of the embargo on the sale of oil from Iraq.

Condemns the continued threat to international peace and stability posed by the regime of Saddam Hussein and its refusal to abide by the conditions of UN Security Council Resolutions 686 and 687. Supports the U.S. armed forces who are carrying out their missions in the Persian Gulf.

Reaffirms that U.S. policy should support efforts to remove Hussein from power and promote emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime. Encourages the Department of State to find alternative mechanisms to provide humanitarian relief to the Iraqi people.

[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 39 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 39

Urging the President to oppose expansion of the Oil-for-Food Program in 
Iraq, condemning Saddam Hussein for the actions the Government of Iraq 
 has taken against the Iraqi people and for its defiance of the United 
                    Nations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 2, 1999

 Mr. Watkins (for himself and Mr. Thornberry) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Urging the President to oppose expansion of the Oil-for-Food Program in 
Iraq, condemning Saddam Hussein for the actions the Government of Iraq 
 has taken against the Iraqi people and for its defiance of the United 
                    Nations, and for other purposes.

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 requires that 
        international economic sanctions, including an embargo on the sale of 
        oil from Iraq, remain in place until Iraq discloses and destroys its 
        weapons of mass destruction programs and capabilities and undertakes 
        unconditionally never to resume such activities;
Whereas Resolution 687 further established the United Nations Special Commission 
        on Iraq (UNSCOM) to uncover all aspects of Iraq's weapons of mass 
        destruction program;
Whereas UNSCOM has repeatedly reported to the United Nations Security Council 
        that Iraq is not in compliance with the conditions of Resolution 687;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 986 partially lifted the 
        international economic sanctions by allowing Iraq to sell $1,000,000,000 
        worth of oil every 90 days and has since been expanded to allow Iraq to 
        sell $5,256,000,000 worth of oil every 6 months (commonly referred to as 
        the Oil-for-Food Program);
Whereas significant evidence exists that the Iraqi people are not reaping the 
        supposed benefits of the Oil-for-Food Program because the regime of 
        Saddam Hussein is either unable or unwilling to distribute humanitarian 
        supplies, and that stockpiles of humanitarian supplies are sitting in 
        warehouses in Iraq;
Whereas United States Administration officials have stated that the United 
        States might support an increase in the amount of oil Iraq could sell 
        under the Oil-for-Food Program if Iraq cooperated with UNSCOM;
Whereas Iraq has not cooperated with UNSCOM, but instead has engaged in hostile 
        activities targeted at the members of the United States Armed Forces;
Whereas significant evidence exists that Iraq is illegally exporting as many as 
        100,000 barrels of oil a day;
Whereas overproduction and reduced demand have already created a surplus in the 
        world oil market and have driven oil prices to their lowest levels since 
        the Great Depression;
Whereas these decreased oil prices have placed in serious jeopardy many of our 
        domestic oil and gas wells and have already cost an estimated 24,000 
        jobs in the domestic oil industry;
Whereas increasing our nation's dependence on foreign oil threatens national 
        security and economic prosperity; and
Whereas allowing Iraq, which has violated international agreement after 
        international agreement, to sell additional oil on the world market will 
        only drive down these already depressed international oil prices and 
        force many of our domestic marginal stripper well producers to plug 
        their oil wells: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) urges the President to oppose any expansion of the Oil-
        for-Food Program under current conditions;
            (2) urges the President to take steps, through the United 
        Nations, to improve enforcement of the embargo on the sale of 
        oil from Iraq, including efforts to strengthen the Multilateral 
        Interdiction Force and inspections near the port of Basra;
            (3) condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued 
        threat to international peace and stability posed by the regime 
        of Saddam Hussein, and its refusal to abide by the conditions 
        of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 686 and 687;
            (4) supports the men and women of the Armed Forces who are 
        carrying out their missions in the Persian Gulf theater of 
        operations;
            (5) reaffirms that United States policy should support 
        efforts to remove the regime of Saddam Hussein from power in 
        Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to 
        replace that regime; and
            (6) encourages the Department of State to find alternative 
        mechanisms to provide humanitarian relief to the Iraqi people.
                                 <all>