Expresses: (1) sympathy for the victims and families of the earthquake and tsunami that struck communities throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Africa on December 26, 2004; and (2) gratitude and respect for the work of all aid and relief personnel, including U.S. military personnel.
Supports President George W. Bush's pledge of $350,000,000 in direct financial assistance, and additional indirect assistance, through the dispatch of U.S. military assets and personnel and through substantial voluntary and annual contributions to international organizations and bodies.
Commends the ongoing international relief effort.
Recognizes that U.S. Government assistance will be greatly supplemented by private U.S. donations and volunteers.
Supports the long-term U.S. commitment to provide financial aid and other assistance to the impacted region.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 4 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 4
Expressing the sympathy and pledging the support of the United States
Senate and the people of the United States for the victims of the
powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck Bangladesh,
Burma, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Seychelles,
Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and other areas of South Asia,
Southeast Asia, and Africa, on December 26, 2004.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 4, 2005
Mr. Frist (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Biden, Mr. Akaka, Mr.
Alexander, Mr. Allard, Mr. Allen, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr.
Bennett, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brownback, Mr.
Bunning, Mr. Burns, Mr. Burr, Mr. Byrd, Ms. Cantwell, Mr.
Carper, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Coburn,
Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Cornyn,
Mr. Corzine, Mr. Craig, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Dayton, Mr. DeMint, Mr.
DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr.
Durbin, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr.
Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Harkin, Mr.
Hatch, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr.
Jeffords, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mr.
Kyl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr.
Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lott, Mr. Martinez, Mr. McCain,
Mr. McConnell, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr.
Nelson of Florida, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Obama, Mr.
Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Salazar, Mr.
Santorum, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby,
Mr. Smith, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Stevens,
Mr. Sununu, Mr. Talent, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr.
Voinovich, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed toYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sympathy and pledging the support of the United States
Senate and the people of the United States for the victims of the
powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck Bangladesh,
Burma, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Seychelles,
Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and other areas of South Asia,
Southeast Asia, and Africa, on December 26, 2004.
Whereas on December 26, 2004, a tremendous earthquake, registered at 9.0 on the
Richter scale and centered 100 miles off the coast of Northern Sumatra,
Indonesia, triggered a deadly tsunami that swept throughout the Indian
Ocean and beyond, devastating cities, towns, and communities, and
killing or injuring persons in Southeast Asia and South Asia, through
the island nations of the region, to Eastern Africa;
Whereas, as a result of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, more than 140,000
people have lost their lives to date, tens of thousands of people are
injured or missing, and the final death toll could climb into the
hundreds of thousands;
Whereas the victims also include thousands of nationals who were visiting the
region when the tsunami hit, including significant numbers from Europe
and North and South America;
Whereas millions of people throughout Southeast Asia and South Asia have been
left without food, shelter, or clean water, and now face deadly diseases
such as cholera, dengue fever, dysentery, malaria, and typhoid;
Whereas thousands of children have been killed or injured, by this disaster;
Whereas, as a result of this tragedy, thousands of children have been separated
from their families or orphaned and are in need of re-unification or
adoption;
Whereas whole coastal communities and cities throughout the region were
obliterated;
Whereas recovery, reconstruction, and clean-up of the devastated areas likely
will take years, billions of dollars, and the concerted leadership of
the United States working together with the international community;
Whereas the people of the United States immediately responded and expressed
their sympathy and concern by sending financial aid and other assistance
currently totaling more than $100,000,000, through nongovernmental
organizations and other means, to the victims of this disaster, and by
offering to volunteer in the disaster rescue, recovery, and rebuilding;
Whereas soon after the earthquake and tsunami hit the region, the United States
Government expressed its condolences and invoked six disaster
declarations for the nations hardest hit by this natural disaster, thus
triggering the release of emergency funding to these countries;
Whereas less than 24 hours after these tragedies became known, the United States
announced an initial pledge of $15,000,000 for emergency humanitarian
assistance, which was increased to $35,000,000 in the following days as
the scope of the tragedy unfolded;
Whereas President George W. Bush also dispatched more than 20 United States
military cargo and patrol aircraft, redirected a Marine expeditionary
unit and a carrier task force, and deployed several hundred United
States military personnel to the region to assist with the disaster
response, recovery, and delivery of relief supplies;
Whereas, in response to an early appeal by the International Federation of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent for $7,500,000, the United States provided
$4,000,000 for the distribution of emergency shelter materials and other
relief commodities, and provided more than 3,000 metric tons of rice to
the United Nations World Food Program for use in the affected region;
Whereas President George W. Bush has established a regional core group with
Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and the Netherlands, with the United
Nations, to help coordinate relief efforts, and sent a senior delegation
of experts, led by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor
Jeb Bush, to meet with regional leaders and international organizations
to assess what additional aid can be provided by the United States;
Whereas on December 31, 2004, President Bush increased the United States pledge
to $350,000,000 in aid and stated that the United States' contributions
to disaster relief and recovery ``will continue to be revised as the
full effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer'';
Whereas pledges of assistance from all international organizations, multilateral
development banks, and governments, including the United States, now
exceed $2,000,000,000; and
Whereas, on January 3, 2005, the President appointed former Presidents George H.
W. Bush and Bill Clinton to lead a nationwide charitable fund-raising
effort to elicit greater relief and assistance to the victims of the
powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses its heartfelt sympathy for the victims of the
powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami that struck cities,
towns, and communities throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia,
Eastern Africa, and the region on December 26, 2004;
(2) conveys its most sincere condolences to the families,
communities, and governments of the more than 140,000 people
that lost their lives in this terrible natural disaster;
(3) expresses its gratitude and respect for the courageous
and committed work of all aid and relief personnel, including
United States military personnel, who are saving lives and
providing relief assistance in the devastated areas of the
region;
(4) supports President George W. Bush's pledge of
$350,000,000 in direct financial assistance, and tens of
millions of dollars in additional indirect assistance through
the dispatch of United States military aircraft, naval vessels,
and personnel, and through the United States Government's
substantial voluntary and annual contributions to international
organizations and bodies;
(5) commends the ongoing international relief effort that
includes the work of individual countries, numerous
international organizations, and various relief and other
nongovernmental entities;
(6) reaffirms that the United States Government is
committed to providing relief and assistance in the most
effective and efficient means possible, and will continue to
assess, anticipate, and provide further assistance as needed in
the weeks and months ahead;
(7) recognizes that the support of the United States
Government will be greatly supplemented by private donations
and assistance from thousands of United States citizens,
charitable organizations, religious groups, and corporations
that routinely provide generous and significant amounts of aid,
support, and volunteers; and
(8) fully supports the long-term commitment and engagement
of the United States to provide financial aid and other forms
of direct and indirect assistance to the countries and peoples
of the region impacted by the powerful earthquake and the
devastating tsunami.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7-11; text as passed Senate: CR S7-8; text of measure as introduced: CR S29-30)
Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7-11; text as passed Senate: CR S7-8; text of measure as introduced: CR S29-30)
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line