IV
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1059
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 2, 2010
Mr. McMahon (for himself, Mr. Berman, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Engel, Mr. Meeks of New York, Ms. Watson, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Klein of Florida, Mr. Connolly of Virginia, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Owens, Mr. Sires, Mr. Pascrell, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Bishop of New York, Mr. Barrow, Mrs. Dahlkemper, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. Halvorson, Mr. Hare, Mr. Lee of New York, Mr. Boccieri, Mr. Walz, Mr. Adler of New Jersey, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Himes, Mr. Nadler of New York, Mr. Wu, Mr. Teague, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Kissell, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Israel, Ms. Kilroy, Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin, Ms. Kosmas, Mr. Braley of Iowa, Ms. Markey of Colorado, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Polis of Colorado, and Ms. DeGette) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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
RESOLUTION
Honoring the heroism of the seven United States Agency for International Development and Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance supported urban search and rescue teams deployed to Haiti from New York City, New York, Fairfax County, Virginia, Los Angeles County, California, Miami, Florida, Miami-Dade County, Florida, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, and commending their dedication and assistance in the aftermath of the January 12, 2010, Haitian earthquake.
Whereas a catastrophic earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the nation of Haiti at 4:53 p.m. (local time) on January 12, 2010;
Whereas the January 12, 2010, earthquake was the largest earthquake to hit the island-nation in over 200 years and has caused unconscionable loss of life, affected over 3,000,000 people, and caused widespread physical devastation to buildings and infrastructure;
Whereas United States urban search and rescue teams were immediately activated and deployed from Fairfax County, Virginia, Los Angeles County, California, and Miami-Dade, Florida, to assist the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART);
Whereas New York City’s first responders asked the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to activate a New York City urban search and rescue (USAR) shortly after the disaster struck;
Whereas the 511 United States rescue workers comprised roughly one-third of the entire international USAR effort in Haiti;
Whereas more than 130 people have been rescued from under the rubble in Haiti by the USAR units;
Whereas United States USAR units deployed to Haiti also trained many of the other foreign search and rescue units in Haiti;
Whereas, on January 21, 2010, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs David T. Johnson and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide the Haitian national police, among other police forces, with training and technical assistance; and
Whereas the search and rescue effort in Haiti officially transitioned to a long-term humanitarian relief effort on January 23, 2010: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
honors the bravery and dedication of the United States Agency for International Development and Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance supported urban search and rescue teams, the seven best trained of these teams in the world;
congratulates the 511 United States rescue workers for the many lives they helped to save in Haiti;
recognizes the contribution of these teams not only in the lives that they directly saved, but to the international teams that they trained and to the people of Haiti;
welcomes home the brave first responders of the United States urban search and rescue teams; and
views the work of such teams and volunteers as an important part of the Nation’s contribution to the recovery of Haiti.
