Emergency Initiative for Haiti Earthquake Relief (Law'ed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor: Badger

[tmthforu94]

I strongly support this, and I hope the Senate can get this passed as soon as possible.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I have concerns about this bill. There are no safeguards as to where the money will go and the UN is notoriously bad and keeping track of it.

[Hash]

I have concerns about this bill. There are no safeguards as to where the money will go and the UN is notoriously bad and keeping track of it.

Yes, it's horrible but we shouldn't let humanitarian-let's-all-help-and-dance-around-the-fire stuff get hold of us. Haiti is one of the most corrupt countries and I wouldn't trust a penny in the hands of the Haitian government. And I have little trust in charities. There must be safeguards against the money ending up in the hands of Haiti's government or a charity in New York.

[afleitch]

The bill is tightly worded; Atlasia is 'appropriating' the money and working with UN in it's delivery. I have no objections to the bill.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I echo the words of my colleagues. There doesn't seem to be any loopholes in this legislation, and Haiti is in need of all the aid it can get.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I echo the words of my colleagues. There doesn't seem to be any loopholes in this legislation, and Haiti is in need of all the aid it can get.

No loopholes?

What about the concerns, Hashemite and I raised.

[Fritz]

I share Hashemite and Yankee's concerns.  While this is an urgent matter requiring our immediate attention, we need something in the bill stating how the funds will be dispersed.

[Hans-im-Glück]

I support this. I think nobody can really say something against it. This must passed soon as possible.

[Badger]

I believe some of the concerns about specifics on how to spend relief funds may be overstated, but also have a grain of truth as well. I adopted the $100 million figure to mirror RL, as well as what appears to be a reasonable initial response. I likewise considered specifically allocating the aid funds to the Atlasian Agency for International Development, but couldn't find enough specific info yesterday regarding to which agencies the RL emergency funds would be disbursed, and feared that the $100 million would be disbursed to a large number of US agencies in addition to USAID that are also involved in the relief operation. Accordingly, I left the specific agency allocation in my proposal a bit nebulous in trust the Lief Administration would allocate the funds appropriately and efficiently.

Doing some further research in the news today it appears that the vast majority, if not all, of the aid funds in RL will be administered by USAID, which is coordinating the Administration's relief efforts. Upon further consideration I suspect USAID has reasonable discretion under the executive branch to allocate relief funds to other government agencies, the UN, or NGOs if necessary to help implement relief efforts, as would the Atlasian Agency for International Development.

SO, I therefore offer the following amendment:

Emergency Initiative for Haiti Earthquake Relief

By it resolved and enacted:

1) The government of Atlasia appropriates $100 million to the Atlasian Agency for International Development for humanitarian relief, aid, and reconstruction for the victims of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti.

2) The Atlasian government pledges full cooperation with and support of efforts of the United Nations and NGO relief agencies in efforts to extend relief and security to the people of Haiti.

Hopefully this should sufficiently address concerns by keeping appropriation and disbursement of relief funds under Atlasian aid workers control and discretion. Obviously the professionals who work in disaster relief field would be loathe to give their desperately needed aid dollars to any government or private entity it can't trust to do the job.

Long term issues regarding bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption in Haiti will not be resolved by this bill, but nor should that delay it's prompt passage. Simply put, the time to audit a bank's books is not while it's being held up at gunpoint. Keeping the fundamental control and discretion of aid spending under the Atlasia government through AAID administration is sufficient and all that can be expected in any disaster, whether in Haiti or elsewhere.

With this change I hope we can now pass this desperately needed humanitarian measure immediately.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I echo the words of my colleagues. There doesn't seem to be any loopholes in this legislation, and Haiti is in need of all the aid it can get.

No loopholes?

What about the concerns, Hashemite and I raised.

You know, one of the things about being a new Senator is, I need to take time to think more deeply about the bills that are put forth. I assumed that the money would be distributed through the United Nations, but I also recall, for example, in Iraq, how that money can be used for the wrong purposes when in the hands of rogue governments, and I don't think I can name many more governments more corrupt than the Haitian government.

[Fritz]

Since Badger was the sponsor, I don't believe a vote is required on the amendment, unless there is an objection.  If there are no objections, I call upon the PPT to bring this matter to a vote with all due haste.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Since Badger was the sponsor, I don't believe a vote is required on the amendment, unless there is an objection.  If there are no objections, I call upon the PPT to bring this matter to a vote with all due haste.

The OSPR requires that a bill be on the floor 72 hours minimum before a vote can commence.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Also because debate occured so recently, a cloture vote is required.

[Badger]

I echo the words of my colleagues. There doesn't seem to be any loopholes in this legislation, and Haiti is in need of all the aid it can get.

No loopholes?

What about the concerns, Hashemite and I raised.

You know, one of the things about being a new Senator is, I need to take time to think more deeply about the bills that are put forth. I assumed that the money would be distributed through the United Nations, but I also recall, for example, in Iraq, how that money can be used for the wrong purposes when in the hands of rogue governments, and I don't think I can name many more governments more corrupt than the Haitian government.

Exactly why I put forth the amendment.

[Hash]

Motion for cloture.

[MaxQue]

I don't remember if someone has to second, but I second.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This motion is out of order on the grounds that 72 hours have not elapsed since the resolution was brought to the floor.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The earliest possible time to introduce a cloture motion is 6:30:46 PM Jan 17, 2010.

[Fritz]

Looks like we need another amendment to the OSPR. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Looks like we need another amendment to the OSPR. 

Looks like I am the first PPT in ages to actually read and refer to the OSPR constantly. 

[Fritz]

What does OSPR stand for, anyway?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What does OSPR stand for, anyway?

Official Senate Procedures and Rules most likely. Though that is a guess.

[Badger]

The earliest possible time to introduce a cloture motion is 6:30:46 PM Jan 17, 2010.

Is there any reason not to move directly to a vote at that time without the dlay of holding a separate cloture vote? Assuming no one else has stated new objections to the bill.

[Bacon King]

As President of the Senate, with The President Pro Tem's concurrence I'd like to move this immediately to a vote per Article VIII Section I, Clause B of the OSPR.


NCYankee, be aware of the emergency protocols Sorry I hadn't noticed this before, guys, I've had a lots of RL stuff that I've been dealing with (but all will be back to normal soon!)