Congratulates Senator George Mitchell on his appointment as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.
Commits to supporting President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Special Envoy Mitchell in their pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts based on the establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and with recognized borders.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H. Res. 130 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 130
Expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George
Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 4, 2009
Mr. Delahunt (for himself, Mr. Filner, Mr. Boustany, Mr. Capuano, Ms.
Schakowsky, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Capps, Mr. George Miller of
California, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms.
McCollum, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Ms. Kilroy, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr.
Hinchey, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mrs. Halvorson, Mr. Perriello, Mr.
Yarmuth, Mr. Sestak, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Issa, Mr. Olver, Mr. Price of
North Carolina, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Polis of Colorado, Ms.
Pingree of Maine, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Rangel, and Mr. Fortenberry)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George
Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and for other
purposes.
Whereas, on January 9, 2009, the House of Representatives passed, by an
overwhelming margin, a resolution that reaffirmed ``its strong support
for United States Government efforts to promote a just resolution of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a serious and sustained peace
process that leads to the creation of a viable and independent
Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure State of Israel.'';
Whereas, on January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton announced the appointment of former Senator George
Mitchell as the United States Government's Special Envoy for Middle East
Peace;
Whereas President Obama, upon announcing Senator Mitchell's appointment, stated
that ``It will be the policy of my administration to actively and
aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians,
as well as Israel and its Arab neighbors'' that ``. . . recognizes
(Israel's) rightful place in the community of nations.'';
Whereas President Obama, upon announcing this appointment, stated that Senator
Mitchell ``. . . will be fully empowered at the negotiating table, and
he will sustain our focus on the goal of peace.'';
Whereas President Obama stated that he ``. . . was deeply concerned by the loss
of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial
suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza. Our hearts go out to
Palestinian civilians who are in need of immediate food, clean water,
and basic medical care, and who've faced suffocating poverty for far too
long.'';
Whereas Secretary of State Clinton stated that Special Envoy Mitchell ``will
lead our efforts to reinvigorate the process for achieving peace between
Israel and its neighbors. He will help us to develop an integrated
strategy that defends the security of Israel, works to bring an end to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states, living
side by side in peace and security, and to achieve further agreements to
promote peace and security between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Senator Mitchell will also work to support the objectives that the
President and I believe are critical and pressing in Gaza, to develop a
program for humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction, working with
the Palestinian Authority and Israel on behalf of those objectives.'';
Whereas Senator Mitchell stated, upon his appointment, that ``peace and
stability in the Middle East are in our national interest.'';
Whereas Senator Mitchell also stated that ``Conflicts are created, conducted and
sustained by human beings; they can be ended by human beings'' and that
``This effort must be determined, persevering and patient. It must be
backed up by political capital, economic resources, and focused
attention at the highest levels of our government. And it must be firmly
rooted in a shared vision of a peaceful future by the people who live in
the region. At the direction of the President and the Secretary of
State, and in pursuit of the President's policies, I pledge my full
effort in the search for peace and stability in the Middle East.'';
Whereas Senator Mitchell brings significant credibility to this effort as an
experienced diplomat and negotiator, having been credited with brokering
Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord that led to a resolution of
the ``Troubles'' in Northern Ireland and the termination of an 800-year
old sectarian and national conflict; and
Whereas Senator Mitchell possesses appropriate expertise on the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, having authored a well-received report on the
causes of the second intifada in April 2001: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) congratulates Senator George Mitchell on his
appointment as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace;
(2) commits to supporting President Obama, Secretary
Clinton, and Special Envoy Mitchell in their vigorous pursuit
of a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and
Israeli-Arab conflicts based on the establishment of 2 states,
the State of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace
and security, and with recognized borders;
(3) reaffirms that peace between Israel and the
Palestinians and Israel and the Arab world are essential
national security interests of the United States; and
(4) expresses its appreciation to those engaged in support
of Middle East peacemaking and the recent cessation of
hostilities in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, and calls on
the international community to aggressively pursue efforts that
facilitate a just and lasting resolution of these conflicts.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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