H.Res. 222 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 222 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 17, 2013 Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Boustany, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Engel, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Grimm, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Moran, Mr. Schiff, and Mr. Weber of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Recognizing the long-term partnership and friendship between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working together towards peace and security in the Middle East. Whereas the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have maintained official diplomatic relations since 1949, and during this partnership spanning over 6 decades, the United States and Jordan have developed a close relationship in security, economic development, and counterterrorism cooperation; Whereas a United States–Jordanian Joint Military Commission facilitates bilateral consultations between the United States Department of Defense and Jordanian Armed Forces since 1974, and has led to increased cooperation in regional and global counterterrorism efforts; Whereas Jordan has provided key security and humanitarian support in both Afghanistan and Iraq; Whereas Jordan hosted a United States-developed training program for the Palestinian National Security Forces on human rights, proper use of force, and civil disturbances to further enhance peace and security in the West Bank; Whereas in 1996, the United States designated Jordan as a major non-NATO ally, recognizing Jordan as a close ally with a strategic working relationship; Whereas the Jordanian Armed Forces are a proven reliable contributor to the international community, particularly as a member of the United Nations, contributing 57,000 troops to 18 different United Nations peacekeeping missions, most notably in Haiti where Jordan endured multiple casualties during such missions; Whereas Jordan signed the historic Jordan–Israel Peace Treaty on October 26, 1994, normalizing relations between Jordan and Israel by resolving territorial disputes and establishing a partnership towards peaceful relations; Whereas King Abdullah II has been a key advocate of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, often reiterating the urgent need for peaceful reconciliation and offering to serve as a mediator and host for peace negotiations; Whereas Jordan is a leader for progress and tolerance in the Arab world and recently held parliamentary elections, as part of a political reform movement; Whereas the economic partnership between the United States and Jordan was further strengthened through the signing of the United States–Jordan Free Trade Agreement by President Bill Clinton and King Abdullah II on October 24, 2000, and fully implemented on January 1, 2010; Whereas in 2008, the United States and Jordan signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding in the amount of $360,000,000 in economic support funds and $300,000,000 per year in foreign military financing to further bolster the United States–Jordan strategic relationship; Whereas the United States is strongly committed to the continued development and progress of the Jordanian people, civil society, and political institutions, specifically in the areas of democracy assistance, water and energy preservation, education services, and economic development; Whereas the al-Assad regime continues to fuel a humanitarian crisis within the region through attacks against innocent civilians, resulting in the loss of approximately 70,000 Syrian lives and the displacement of approximately 5,500,000 civilians and over 1,300,000 women, children, and men who have fled Syria; Whereas the international community, led by the United Nations, has issued dire warnings regarding the severity of the growing humanitarian crisis, calling for the international community to use all available resources to end the crisis that is destroying families, homes, and cities; Whereas the Government of Jordan has maintained open borders with Syria, despite a heavy burden of hosting and providing for the security and basic needs of approximately 500,000 refugees, with that number growing by 2,000 to 4,000 persons per day; Whereas three-quarters of the refugees are women and children, and 1 in 5 refugees is under the age of 4; and Whereas the Government of Jordan has worked in partnership with the international community, particularly the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide for the needs of vulnerable refugee populations, including clean water, food, shelter, health care, and education: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) commends the people and Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their continued friendship with the United States and commitment to peace, security, and stability in the Middle East; (2) commends the Government of Jordan for its response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis by hosting and caring for refugees fleeing violence from the conflict with the al-Assad regime; and (3) expresses a firm commitment to support the Government of Jordan as it faces regional challenges and works toward a more peaceful and stable Middle East.