[Pages H4209-H4213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES AND SYMPATHY TO THE PEOPLE OF SICHUAN PROVINCE,
CHINA

Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1195) expressing condolences and sympathy to the
people of the People's Republic of China for the grave loss of life and
vast destruction caused by the earthquake of May 12, 2008 in Sichuan
Province, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 1195

Whereas on Monday, May 12, 2008, at 2:28 p.m. local time, a
massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck
a mountainous region of Sichuan Province in southwest China;
Whereas the epicenter of the earthquake was Wenchuan
County, 60 miles northwest of the provincial capital of
Chengdu;
Whereas the earthquake destroyed 80 percent of structures
in some of the towns and small cities near the epicenter;
Whereas the death toll is currently estimated to exceed
22,000 and is expected to rise as the scope of the damage
becomes clearer;
Whereas tens of thousands of people across southwest China
remain buried beneath rubble, and hundreds of thousands of
people are injured or homeless;
Whereas an estimated 900 eighth and ninth grade students
and their teachers remain trapped, with as many as hundreds
dead, after a school collapsed in Dujiangyan, a county
located southeast of the epicenter;
Whereas another school with up to 1,000 students and
teachers inside collapsed in the city of Mianyang;
Whereas two chemical plants have collapsed in Shifang,
northeast of the epicenter, spilling 80 tons of toxic
ammonia;
Whereas more than 150 people have been killed in the
provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi, and in Chongqing
municipality;
Whereas the People's Republic of China has mobilized 50,000
police and civilian rescue workers, who have been working
tirelessly in disaster areas to aid in rescue and recovery
efforts;
Whereas the tremors of the powerful earthquake were felt as
far south as Vietnam and Thailand and set off another,
smaller earthquake near the outskirts of Beijing, 900 miles
away;
Whereas the earthquake is China's largest natural disaster
since a previous earthquake struck the city of Tangshan in
eastern China in 1976; and
Whereas the People's Republic of China has said that it is
spending $120 million on rescue efforts and that it would
accept international aid to cope with the disaster: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) extends its condolences and sympathy to the people of
the People's Republic of China for the grave loss of life and
vast destruction caused by the massive earthquake centered in
Sichuan Province;
(2) vows its full support for the people of the People's
Republic of China as well as the members of the Chinese
American community in the United States who have relatives in
the affected areas of China; and
(3) expresses confidence that the people of the People's
Republic of China will come together to help those in need
and succeed in overcoming the hardships incurred because of
this tragedy.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Wu) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.

General Leave

Mr. WU. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
and yield myself such time as I may consume.
For the past week, the world has been shocked and saddened by the
aftermath of the horrendous earthquake that struck the Chinese Sichuan
Province last Monday, May 12. Chinese news reports now confirm that the
7.9 Richter scale magnitude earthquake has claimed the lives of over
40,000 people.

{time} 1545

The number of fatalities climbs higher each day as the full scale of
the devastation unfolds. Chinese authorities estimate that, despite
strenuous rescue efforts, in the end as many as 50,000 people could
have perished from the earthquake and its aftermath.
Particularly heartbreaking are the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
children who were killed as their schools collapsed on them. These
young lives were cut far, far too short, and it is so tragic that had
the earthquake occurred just 2 or 3 hours later, or had the schools
that the children were in

[[Page H4210]]

met applicable building codes, these young lives would have been
spared.
We are all deeply moved by the images of parents overwhelmed by grief
at the side of the limp, lifeless body of their child. As we speak,
hundreds of parents are sifting through the wreckage with desperate
hope that their child may still be alive under all that schoolhouse
rubble.
Rescue workers continue to work tirelessly, day and night. Stories of
heroism and miraculous survival are interwoven with tales of loss and
devastation.
Doctors and nurses tend to injured victims around the clock, as
hospitals handle many times their normal number of trauma injuries.
This earthquake is the most devastating natural disaster to strike
China since 1976, and sadly, as major aftershocks continue to hit the
area, the turmoil continues.
Just yesterday, Chinese media reported that more than 200 rescue
workers were buried and killed by mudslides while they were repairing
roads in Sichuan Province.
While the 1.3 billion people across China unite in grief for 3 days
of mourning, it is fitting that this body expresses our deepest
sympathies for the people of China. With this resolution, we offer our
condolences to the people of China as they cope with this awful
tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
House Resolution 1195 also vows the full support of the House of
Representatives to the people of China and expresses our confidence
that they will succeed in coming together to help those in need and
overcome this terrible disaster.
Finally, the House also extends its condolences and support to
members of the Chinese American community here in the United States who
have relatives and friends in the affected areas of China.
I urge strong support of this resolution, and I encourage my
colleagues to join me in doing the same.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Today, we rise to offer our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to
the people of China for the horrific loss they suffered as a result of
the gigantic earthquake that struck Sichuan Province in southwestern
China on May 12 of this year. The 7.9 earthquake struck without warning
during the busiest time of the day when schools and office buildings
were full of people. And as Congressman Wu states, the toll of the dead
has not yet been completed, except we know it remains in the tens of
thousands, including those that remain missing. At least 10 to 12
million people remain displaced, and we all saw with horror on
television the school that had collapsed on over 900 children on that
one particular site.
I want to thank Mr. Wu for sponsoring this resolution so that the
House of Representatives can stand with the people of China in their
hour of need. I also want to commend the American people for showing
their generosity in pledging humanitarian support for the victims. In
America, the sense of loss is perhaps felt strongest in the Chinese
American communities where loved ones pray and hope for positive news
from across the Pacific.
Madam Speaker, I chaired the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Exchange
for 7 years, and I'm now the vice-chair. I had the opportunity to
travel extensively in China, including the Chengdu area in 2005, as
part of our official business. To see the utter destruction on
television comes as a complete shock. I echo the words of the President
in saying that we admire the spirit and the character of the Chinese
people as they desperately strive to put their lives back together.
I also want to commend the Chinese Government for not being
embarrassed or too proud to seek out and receive help from American
resources. I only wish that the Government of Burma were as open under
these particular and similar circumstances.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WU. At this time, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the
gentlelady from California, Barbara Lee, of the Ninth District of
California.
Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, first let me thank and applaud Congressman Wu
for his leadership in offering this very important resolution today.
It is with great sadness that all of us have watched the news reports
of thousands of people who have been displaced or who have died as a
result of the earthquake in China last week. I have talked with
constituents in my district who have family and friends affected by
this tragedy.
I was particularly pained by the children who were trapped in the
collapsed schools and buildings. It is my hope and my prayer, like
those of this entire body, that more survivors will be found and that
more families will be reunited.
I want to extend my condolences to the Chinese people and especially
to those families who have lost their loved ones.
The people of my district, the Ninth Congressional District of
California, are rallying together in solidarity to provide humanitarian
relief in response to the quake.
Donations to humanitarian relief agencies are already flowing in, and
our local Chinatown Chamber of Commerce is working with the local Red
Cross to place donation canisters at local restaurants and businesses
to help raise additional funds. I know that 14 of the canisters have
already been placed.
The people of my district and myself will do everything we can to
help with the relief and recovery efforts during this tragic time. This
is a natural disaster of enormous proportions that requires an
unprecedented response. As a country, we must extend our hand of
friendship and our heart of compassion.
My heart and my prayers go out to the people of China, but I know
that with the world unified in assisting with these efforts that the
people will receive some form of relief very quickly.
I thank Congressman Wu for your leadership and for your compassion
and for giving us the opportunity to talk about this very important,
tragic natural disaster that has turned really into a human disaster.
Mr. MANZULLO. I recognize Mr. Smith of New Jersey, ranking member of
the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, for as much time as he
may consume.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend for yielding, Madam
Speaker, and I especially want to thank Mr. Wu, the gentleman from
Oregon, for offering this very important resolution, and I'm very proud
to be one of the cosponsors.
Madam Speaker, when a friend is struck by a tragedy, perhaps the
death of a family member, we all know what to do. We call them up, we
visit with them, we reach out to them. And that's what they need at
that moment, to know that they are not alone, that they are accompanied
by friends.
I think that is with nations as well. When tragedy strikes a nation,
other nations have to reach out and remind them that they are part of a
great human family and that other nations grieve with them. So it is
right that our country should make this gesture after the tragedy that
struck the great Chinese people.
Madam Speaker, lest anyone doubt the importance of this gesture, let
me remind them of the outpouring of support that came from every corner
of the globe after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. That
meant so much to us.
Madam Speaker, many of us in this House number Chinese human rights
activists among our friends, and among the list of people we admire
most are people like Harry Wu, Joseph Kung, Wei Jingsheng, Bob Fu, and
so many others come to mind. Over the past 10 days, I have been
reminded of them as I have seen their mixture of practical earnestness
and great generosity in the Chinese people's response to this tragedy,
the outpouring of help from everywhere throughout China. The Chinese
people continually amaze me for their willingness to stand by the
unfortunate and the oppressed, and that sentiment is very strong among
the people.
So, Madam Speaker, let us ask God to comfort all of those who have
lost family members and friends in this terrible earthquake. I hope we
can remember particularly the parents. Several days ago, I read an
article in the Los Angeles Times, which I will enter into the Record,
which reminds us, as

[[Page H4211]]

the headline says, ``One-Child Policy Adds to the Grief of China
Quake.'' This is in the L.A. Times.
In Chinese culture, parents shower an extraordinary love on their
children, investing their time and hope in them. The Chinese Government
has cruelly and forcibly prevented most mothers and fathers from having
more than one child, making brothers and sisters literally illegal. Now
these parents have lost that one child. So we need to keep them in our
prayers as well.

China's 1-Child Policy Causes Extra Pain

(By Christopher Bodeen)

After their daughter was born, Bi Kaiwei and his wife,
Meilin, decided to adhere to China's one-child policy and its
slogan, ``Have fewer kids, live better lives.''
For them and other couples who lost an only child in this
week's massive earthquake, the tragedy has been doubly cruel.
Robbed of their sole progeny and a hope for the future, they
find it even harder to restart their shattered lives, haunted
by added guilt, regret and gnawing loss.
``She died before becoming even a young adult,'' said Bi,
an intense, wiry chemical plant worker, standing beside the
grave of 13-year-old Yuexing--one of dozens sprinkled amid
fields of ripened spring wheat and newly planted rice. ``She
never really knew what life was like.''
Yuexing, a bright sixth-grader, was in school when Monday's
quake struck, bringing the Fuxin No. 2 Primary School
crashing down, killing her and 200 other students. Teachers
had locked all but one of the school's doors during break
time, parents said, leaving only a single door to escape
through.
Many among the more than 22,000 people killed across
central China were students in school. Nearly 6,900
classrooms collapsed, government officials said Friday, in an
admission that highlighted a chronically underfunded
education system especially in small towns and compounded the
anger of many Chinese over the quake.
In Wufu, a farming village two hours north of the Sichuan
provincial capital of Chengdu, most of the dead students were
a couple's only child--born under a policy launched in the
late 1970s to limit many families to one offspring. The
policy was meant to rein in China's exploding population and
ensure better education and health care.
The ``one-child policy'' has been contentious inside China
as well as out. The government says it has prevented an
additional 400 million births. But critics say it has also
led to forced abortions, sterilizations and a dangerously
imbalanced sex ratio as local authorities pursue sometimes
severe birth quotas set by Beijing and families abort girls
out of a traditional preference for male heirs. The policy is
law but there are exceptions.
Farther down the lane from where Yuexing is buried, 10 more
graves were laid out, some accompanied by favorite items--
textbooks for English and music, a pencil box, a Chinese
chess set. At one, grandmother threw herself to the dirt and
wailed as her husband lit a handful of ``spirit paper''
believed to comfort the dead in the afterlife.
Another bereaved parent, Sang Jun, stood where his
daughter, Rui, is buried, a simple mound of dirt beside his
quake-shattered farmhouse. The house is surrounded by burned
bushes--a traditional disinfectant. ``The house is gone and
the child is dead,'' said Sang, who wore a T-shirt and
plastic sandals. His parents, both in their 70s, looked on
with tears in their eyes.
Resistance by ordinary Chinese has forced Beijing to relax
the policies, allowing many rural families to have a second
child if the first was a girl. But in Wufu, the family
planning committee seems to have prevailed on most families
to stop at one child. Slogans daubed on boundary walls and
houses all along the rutted country road leading to Wufu call
on families to ``stabilize family planning and create a
brighter future.''
Standing in the rubble of the school holding his daughter's
ID and a posed shot taken at a local salon, Bi--pronounced
``Bee''--said starting a new family, either by having another
child or adoption, is simply imponderable.
``I'm 37 years old and my child was 13. If we were to do it
again, I'd be 50 when this stage comes along,'' Bi said.
Parents who lose children in disasters often feel intense
guilt for what they see as a failure to protect them, said
psychology professor Shi Zhanbiao. Parents, he said, may also
recall their past relationships with their children with
regret, thinking they were too stern, did not show them
sufficient love or did not interact with them enough.
``They'll think that if they just hadn't sent their
children to school that day, they would have been saved,''
said Shi, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Science in
Beijing.
The loss is intensified for those with no other offspring
to lavish with care and affection, Shi said. And in China,
other, more practical concerns may also come into play
because children are generally expected to care for their
aging parents.
``They'll be worried about the future, because for the
later part of their lives, they'll have no one to depend
on,'' Shi said.
Bi said Yuexing was polite and smart. She had won a coveted
place at the county's best high school on the recommendation
of a teacher. She was a top student who got better after the
family moved closer to school to reduce her commuting time,
said Bi, who completed high school but failed the national
university entrance exam.
In her pictures, Yuexing, whose name combined the Chinese
characters for moon and star, is smiling and demure. The
studio shot shows her wearing a bright yellow sweater and
looking playfully over her shoulder.
Parents in Wufu said they plan to bring a formal complaint
over what they say was corruption and malfeasance in
construction of the school. They say officials moved the
students from a group of one-story classrooms--all of which
survived the quake--into a modern-looking, but unsafe
building.
``We have nothing else, no other wish but to win justice
for our children,'' said Sang's wife, Zhao Jing. ``We put all
our hopes on these kids, and this is the return we get.''
____

[From the Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2008]

One-Child Policy Adds to the Grief of China Quake

(By Ching-Ching Ni)

Xingfu, China.--On Sunday, Liu Li received a simple
Mother's Day present from her only child: a basket of red,
pink and white carnations wrapped in purple rice paper. That
afternoon, her 15-year-old boy returned to boarding school
knowing he had made his mother the happiest woman in their
village.
Liu and her husband never thought about defying China's
one-child policy. They already had everything they could hope
for in a son. Meng Hao was not only a good student and star
athlete, he was even the tallest kid around.
On Wednesday, the Mother's Day flowers were still fresh in
the family's living room, next to rows of certificates of
merit from Hao's school years. But Liu's beloved boy was
dead.
``When I heard he was gone, my whole body went numb,'' she
said. ``I felt the sky falling.''
As the death toll rises from the worst earthquake to hit
China in 30 years, Sichuan province has become a valley of
sadness. Schools were among the most badly damaged buildings,
and some of the most grief-stricken residents are parents who
lost an only child.
Liu, 38, slumped Wednesday in a chair in a makeshift tent
among the wheat fields here. Not only are parents mourning
the loss of a cherished child; the next generation is
expected to look after their parents in old age in a society
where the safety net is disappearing. And many in Chinese
society regard people in their late 30s and early 40s as too
old to have another child.
In Sichuan, one of China's most populous provinces, the
government's one-child policy is strictly enforced among poor
farmers.
``I'd say 90% of the people around here have only one
child,'' said Wang Xia, hugging her 5-year-old daughter close
after finding the girl with big, round eyes and two long
braids alive at her kindergarten. ``It takes a lot of money
to raise children--we farmers have a hard time even
supporting ourselves; how can we afford to pay fines to have
more?''
The name of this town, Xingfu, means Happiness. But it has
become a hell for parents who at first thought they had
escaped the tragedy. When disaster struck Monday, Hao's
parents raced to the nearby school and helped dig through the
rubble.
First there was good news.
After being trapped under broken concrete for eight hours,
Hao was rescued.
``He kept saying, `I am OK, I want to go home,' '' said his
father, Meng Daoling, 44.
``When he was buried under all that debris, he told me he
kept thinking of his parents. He held on for eight hours so
he could see us again,'' said his mother, tears streaming
down her face.
To their shock, a few hours after that brief reunion, their
son died about an hour away at a hospital in Chengdu, where
he had been rushed for treatment.
Like so many people here, Hao's parents had done everything
they could to give him a good education. His father drives a
tractor.
In addition to toiling in the family field, his mother
works long hours at a factory making bottle caps.
Boarding school costs a bit more than regular school, but
for many rural children, schools are too far for daily
travel, so they live there.
``Everybody knew him,'' a villager said of Hao. ``He was
nearly 6 feet tall. He wanted to go to college and be a
pilot.''
One of Hao's schoolmates who escaped the falling building
said he survived because his teacher told the students to run
from the first-floor classroom when the magnitude 7.9 quake
rocked the country.
``There were 66 students in our class. All but seven or
eight made it out alive,'' said Ba Cong, 14.
He thinks he probably survived because he was in the second
row. ``I sat in the front because I am nearsighted. The
people who didn't make it sat in the back.''
Hao was in a third-floor classroom. Most of the students
there were trapped.
``He told me his teacher told them, `Don't run, duck,' ''
his mother said.
Parents say the school was built in the early 1990s--old by
Chinese standards--and that students were to move into a new
building next year.
Bitter villagers suspect shoddy construction is partly to
blame for the catastrophe.
``Even our humble rural homes built by hand didn't collapse
completely,'' said villager Gong Fuzhong. ``How can a big
school

[[Page H4212]]

building collapse? Something is definitely wrong here.''
Across an open field filled with makeshift shelters,
another mother, Zheng Hongqun, 40, was so paralyzed by grief
that she hadn't been able to get out of bed.
The body of her 15-year-old son, Wen Zheng, was pulled from
the rubble about 24 hours after the earthquake.
``His father is a migrant worker far away in northeastern
China so his son can have money to go to school,'' said
neighbor Wang Xia. ``We only told him he is still being
rescued. We don't dare tell him the truth.''
Outside their temporary shelter, a plastic tarp wrapped
over sticks, Zheng's grandparents were surrounded by
neighbors trying to distract them from the tragedy. It wasn't
working.
``The child is gone. We can never see him again,'' Wen's
silver-haired grandmother sobbed. ``It should have been us.''
____

Parents' Losses Compounded By China's One-Child Policy

Sichuan, China.--Li Yunxia wipes away tears as rescue crews
dig through the ruins of a kindergarten class that has buried
her only child--a 5-year-old boy.
Other parents wail as soldiers in blue masks trudge through
the mud, hauling bodies from the rubble on stretchers.
``Children were screaming, but I couldn't hear my son's
voice,'' she says, sobbing.
This grim ritual repeated itself Thursday across
southwestern China, as thousands of mothers and fathers await
news about their sons and daughters.
The death toll from Monday's massive earthquake could be as
high as 50,000, according to state-run media.
The grief is compounded in many cases by a Chinese policy
that limits most couples to one child, a measure meant to
control explosive population growth.
As a result of the one-child policy, the quake--already
responsible for at least 15,000 deaths--is producing another
tragic aftershock:
Not only must thousands of parents suddenly cope with the
loss of a child but many must cope with the loss of their
only child.
China's population minister recently praised the one-child
rule, which dates to 1979, saying it has prevented 400
million children from being born.
Some wealthy families ignore the order, have more children
and pay a $1,000 fine. In rural areas--like earthquake-
devastated Sichuan province--families can petition for an
additional child, but there's no guarantee the authorities
will approve the request--they usually don't.
That reality has cast parents like Li into an agonizing
limbo--waiting to discover whether their only child is alive
or dead.
Thousands of children were in class when the temblor hit
Monday afternoon. Many of their schools collapsed on top of
them.
In Dujiangyan City, more than 300 students were feared dead
when Juyuan Middle School collapsed with 900 students inside.
A similar number died at the city's Xiang'e Middle School.
Now parents cluster outside collapsed school buildings,
held back by soldiers in some cases as rescue crews search
for signs of life.
``Which grade are you in?'' a rescuer asks a trapped child
in Beichuan County.
``Grade 2,'' comes the answer.
``Hang on for a while,'' he says. ``We are figuring out
ways to rescue you.''
The child is pulled from the rubble a short time later.

Madam Speaker, again I want to thank Mr. Wu for sponsoring this
resolution. We need to express our solidarity with those who have lost
so much. This resolution does it very, very well.
Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his leadership and
always caring about the people of China.
I include the following news article from the Portland, Oregonian:

[From the Oregonian, May 20, 2008]

Boeing May Be the Ticket for Relief Supplies; China Quake--New Jets Are
Scheduled for Delivery, and Oregon Agencies Hope Their Aid Can Hitch a
Ride

(By Richard Read)

Oregon aid agencies aim to piggyback on Boeing's booming
sales to China, loading earthquake-relief supplies in new
jets being delivered to Chinese airlines.
Managers of Medical Team International are negotiating to
send $470,000 worth of supplies that Mercy Corps would help
distribute to earthquake victims in China. A Boeing
spokesperson says the aircraft manufacturer has entered
similar deals in the past, but rarely in urgent response to
humanitarian disasters.
Boeing and the relief workers are reviewing 15 aircraft
that have been ordered by Chinese airlines, said Barbara
Agnew, spokeswoman for Tigard-based Medical Teams
International. The jets are scheduled for delivery to six
Chinese cities, she said.
``None of these destinations are actually hubs that are
near the disaster site,'' Agnew said. ``So they're going back
to specific airlines and saying, `Would you be able to take
this cargo to a closer hub?' ''
The Boeing deal is one of several the humanitarian
organizations are feverishly negotiating as disaster
estimates grow in both China and cyclone-hit Myanmar. The aid
agencies are forming partnerships to overcome government
restrictions and other obstacles in the two countries.
Mercy Corps plans to load items ranging from school kits to
rubber gloves in Portland for delivery in Seattle to DHL
International. The global delivery company plans to fly the
supplies for free to Bangkok, Thailand, for distribution in
Myanmar and perhaps China, also providing warehouse space.
DHL is also working with Mercy Corps on a charter flight to
carry pharmaceuticals from the United States to China.
``Something like this would be impossible for us to do on our
own,'' said Susan Laarman, a Mercy Corps spokeswoman, saying
the charter otherwise could cost as much as $1 million.
In Myanmar, where the government has kept foreign relief
workers out of hard-hit areas, Portland-based Mercy Corps
expects to team with Merlin, a British organization already
working inside the reclusive country. As with the Indian
Ocean tsunami in 2004, Mercy Corps will most likely launch
cash-for-work programs, paying local people to repair roads,
clear debris and rebuild houses.
Already Mercy Corps has helped Merlin secure boats to carry
emergency medical kits to Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta, which
took the brunt of the May 2 cyclone. Four Mercy Corps aid
workers have managed to get into Myanmar--also known as
Burma--but not beyond the capital, Yangon or Rangoon.
Michael Bowers, Mercy Corps Northeast Asia regional program
director, departed Portland on Monday for Chengdu, China.
There, too, the agency plans to team with local
organizations.
``We think we'll focus particularly on youth and vulnerable
women who may have been affected by the earthquake,'' said
Bowers, adding that Chinese officials were easing access.
``The authorities in this disaster took a pause before they
went down the road of Burma.''
Medical Teams International has no relief workers in either
country yet, but a doctor on its staff plans to depart
Wednesday for Myanmar. The first choice of the organization,
formerly called Northwest Medical Teams, would be to send one
of its volunteer medical-worker teams to Myanmar.
``The numbers are just speaking so loudly in Myanmar,''
Agnew said.
Myanmar is hardly a big aircraft buyer, but China is a
giant Boeing customer, which could work in the aid agencies'
favor. Boeing forecasts that China will require 3,400 new
airplanes worth about $340 billion over the next two decades.
But arranging on short notice to pack antibiotics, bandages
and pain relievers into new airplanes is a complex project,
requiring sign-offs by numerous managers even within Boeing.
Chinese customs inspectors also must approve the unusual
shipments.
A Boeing spokeswoman confirmed Monday that negotiations
were progressing on the program. ``It's something that we're
considering,'' she said.

Just today, Richard Read of The Oregonian printed that, ``Oregon aid
agencies aim to piggyback on Boeing's booming sales to China, loading
earthquake-relief supplies in new jets being delivered to Chinese
airlines.
``Managers of Medical Teams International are negotiating to send
$470,000 worth of supplies that Mercy Corps would help distribute to
earthquake victims in China.''
Medical Teams International and Mercy Corps are domestic
organizations, and they can be assisted directly by private parties.
``A Boeing spokesperson says the aircraft manufacturer has entered
similar deals in the past, but rarely in urgent response to
humanitarian disasters.
``Boeing and the relief workers are reviewing 15 aircraft that have
been ordered by Chinese airlines,'' and Medical Teams International
said that they're trying to get space. ``The jets are scheduled for
delivery to six different Chinese cities.''
None of these cities are actually hubs that are near the disaster
site so they're going back to specific airlines and asking the Chinese
airlines: Would you be able to take this cargo to a closer hub?
The Boeing transaction is one of several that these humanitarian
organizations have been feverishly negotiating as the disaster
estimates grow in China.
Michael Bowers, Mercy Corps Northeast Asia regional program director,
departed from Portland, Oregon, for Chengdu in China.
A Boeing spokesperson confirmed on Monday that negotiations were
progressing on the program, and that, ``It's something that we're
considering.''
We commend to the Boeing Corporation that it seriously, deeply and
quickly consider this, and we are grateful for their consideration.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H4213]]

Mr. MANZULLO. I have no more speakers. Can I inquire of Mr. Wu if he
has any more speakers?
Mr. WU. I understand that we have a couple of additional speakers who
are on the way to the floor, but they are not here at this time.
Mr. MANZULLO. I'm ready to yield back the balance of my time, if the
gentleman from Oregon is.
Mr. WU. If the gentleman is prepared to close, then I would be
prepared to close with the caveat, if additional speakers show up, that
I be permitted to recognize them.

{time} 1600

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WU. I want to recognize the hard work put in by staff on both
sides of the aisle, particularly Elsa Tung on my staff, and Cobb Mixter
on the Foreign Affairs staff. I want to thank their counterparts on the
Republican side.
I want to thank Members on both sides of the aisle for signing aboard
this resolution, bringing it to the floor quickly, permitting its
markup in committee very, very quickly last week, and having it here on
the floor within 8 days of this terrible humanitarian disaster. I ask
all Members to support this resolution.
Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution
1195 authored by my good friend from Oregon, Mr. Wu, and of which I am
a proud cosponsor. H. Res. 1195 expresses our condolences and sympathy
to our friends of the People's Republic of China for the tragic loss of
life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Sichuan Province.
On May 12, 2008, a massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook China's
mountainous southwest Sichuan province. This powerful quake and its
aftershocks have killed over 40,000 people, injured hundreds of
thousands more, and destroyed entire communities. The full impact of
this disaster will not be realized for some time as rescue and recovery
efforts are still ongoing.
I applaud the courage and determination of the emergency workers that
are placing themselves in treacherous situations while still searching
for survivors. The recent report of over 200 emergency workers overcome
by a mudslide is testament to their peril.
The increased openness to news coverage in the devastated areas is
also encouraging and has allowed the international community to share
in China's sorrow and witness their massive emergency efforts. In
support of these efforts, the United States offers any assistance that
it can provide.
I would also like to reiterate my condolences and sympathy to the
Burmese people tragically impacted by Cyclone Nargis, and sincerely
hope that the Burmese regime recognizes the desperate need for
immediate unfettered international assistance.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H. Res. 1195.
In times of great natural disasters, all humanity suffers. As the
people of China have come together for a moment of silence, the world
community must also unify in support of those that have suffered by
these natural disasters.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H. Res. 1195, expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of
the People's Republic of China for the grave loss of life and vast
destruction caused by the massive earthquake centered in Sichuan
Province. I would like to thank my colleague Representative David Wu of
Oregon for introducing this important legislation that reaffirms the
humanitarian commitment of the United States to the people of the
People's Republic of China who have become victims of a catastrophic
earthquake. Let me also thank the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Chairman Berman, for his leadership in bringing this
resolution to the floor today.
As my colleagues are aware, the province of Sichuan, in southwest
China, was struck by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake on May 12th. Centered
in Wenchuan County, the earthquake brought a plethora of devastating
aftershocks, casualties, and tragedy. It is reported that the death
toll has approached 40,000, and a further 250,000 people have been
injured. With tens of thousands of people still missing, it is likely
that these figures will only rise. Furthermore, the earthquake has left
an estimated 4.8 million people homeless making this one of the most
devastating earthquakes in China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake.
A New York Times article published this morning describes the many
residents of neighboring counties who have traveled long distances
without hesitation to volunteer their services to the humanitarian
needs of the victims. Record sums of money had also been donated to the
victims of the earthquake. I hope that this resolution and stories of
heroic action will also inspire others to take part in the global
community to take action in contributing humanitarian aid.
While the human toll is tragic, the sheer numbers of people who have
lost their homes is truly colossal. Though rescue efforts may be
nearing a close, relief efforts are only just beginning. Five million
people are reported to be homeless in the wake of the earthquake, with
government officials citing a ``desperate need for tents.'' Even as we
work to meet these emergency needs, Mr. Speaker, we must also focus our
efforts in studying and implementing ways on which we can prevent
future disasters from affecting as many people.
As Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I am particularly
concerned by the large number of children who were trapped within
collapsing school buildings when the earthquake hit. Particularly
tragic was the collapse of a three-story school building in the city of
Dujiangyan, burying an estimated 900 students. According to reports, it
is still not known how many children were killed by their own schools
as the buildings fell down on their heads, and the Chinese government
has reportedly called for an investigation into the collapse of school
buildings. I would especially like to extend my condolence to many
children caught up in this immense disaster.
Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to commend the thousands of
police and civilian rescue workers who have been working tirelessly in
disaster areas to aid in rescue and recovery efforts. They are truly a
testament to the good that exists in the world today.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to
extend sincere condolences and further the efforts of the United States
to ensure the complete restoration of the tragic loss of life and
devastation of the People's Republic of China.
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Capuano). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) that the House suspend
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1195, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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