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H.Res. 198: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that France, Germany, Russia, and other nations can contribute to Iraq's reconstruction by forgiving debts owed by Iraq to those nations and by making generous pledges for Iraq's reconstruction at the International Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq to be held in Madrid.

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H.Res. 198: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that France, Germany, Russia, and other nations can contribute to Iraq's reconstruction by forgiving debts owed by Iraq to those nations and by making generous pledges for Iraq's reconstruction at the International Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq to be held in Madrid.

108th Congress · introduced 2003-04-11 · International Affairs · Latest: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2003-04-11 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 545 (2003): On Agreeing to the Resolution, as Amended, HRES198 (2003-10-16), Passed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that France, Germany, Russia, and other nations can contribute to Iraq's reconstruction by forgiving debts owed by Iraq to those nations and by making generous pledges for Iraq's reconstruction at the International Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq to be held in Madrid.

Plain summary

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that France, Germany, Russia, and other nations should: (1) work with multilateral institutions and with creditor nations in the "Paris Club" to establish a debt forgiveness program for Iraq to aid its reconstruction; (2) make generous pledges for the reconstruction of Iraq at the International Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq to be held in Madrid; and (3) acknowledge the role that Iraq's current debt plays in hindering its reconstruction.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that France, Germany, Russia, and other nations can contribute to Iraq's reconstruction by forgiving debts owed by Iraq to those nations and by making generous pledges for Iraq's reconstruction at the International Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq to be held in Madrid.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4] · 42 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael R. Turner (R-OH), Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Mike Rogers (R-AL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4] reported raising $4.3 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (2)
Resolution
A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote
A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hres198 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108