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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

At this time, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California, Barbara Lee, of the Ninth District of California.

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.

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.

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.

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. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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.''

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.

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.

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.

I have no more speakers. Can I inquire of Mr. Wu if he has any more speakers?

I'm ready to yield back the balance of my time, if the gentleman from Oregon is.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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.