Subject: Fw: report
From: Amitabh Desai <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, Doug Band - PC <[email-masked]>, Bruce Lindsey <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, Justin Cooper - PC <[email-masked]>
Cc: Angel Urena <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:42:24 -0500

FYI from El Salvador folks:

________________________________
From: Carlos Rafael Urquilla Bonilla <[email-masked]>
To: Amitabh Desai
Sent: Wed Nov 23 14:09:55 2011
Subject: report

I'm writing you on behalf The First Lady of El Salvador, Mrs. Vanda Pignato, aiming hereby informe to you, and through you, to Mr President Clinton, about the meeting and steps regarding the outcomes of the meetings and his advises on how to ask the finnacial aid to El Salvador for reconstruction and rehabilitation after Tropical Depression 12E.

We have had the following meetings (it includes the representatives and senatores suggested by President Clinton, and others suggested by our Embassy in Washington):

1. Christopher Dodd. Ex Senator and current CEO of MPAA. He offered to explore a way to increase visibilisation on El Salvador and TD 12E through artists that could be interested on it

2. James McGovern. (Rep. Mass.) - D. He will send a letter to Mrs. Clinton (State Department) backing the official letter sent by the Govrnment of El Salvador where was submited a petition of financial aid (or even in-kind) of up to US$ 50 millionsv (hereinafter "the official letter")

3. Barry Jackson. Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the House, (Rep. OH.) - R. He suggested us to focus on State Department rather than Congress, considering that the political moment give us only a very small chance to obtain such aid in the 2012 US Budget. He offered to ask Speaker Boehner to call Mrs. Clinton and chat about the official letter. He helped us to appoint meetings between The First Lady of El Salvador and some other republican congressists.

4. Mary Landrieu. (Sen. LA.) - D as member of the Senates Committee on Appropriations. She offered to speak to Senator Leahy and ask him to increase the specific designation of founds in the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. She will argue on El Salvador to the Committee. She will call State Department to provide resources asked by the official letter. She said that will explore some possibilities in her State to have support to El Salvador. Additionally she will link New Orleans Mayor with El Salvador to find out some ways to increase cooperation on preventing and attending emergencies. She also expressed her intentions to visit El Salvador on January, following an invitation made by The First Lady of El Salvador.

5. Bob Menéndez. (Sen. NJ) - D, Chair of the SubCommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotic Affairs. Although he won't advocate in the Senate for more resources to El Salvador, he agreed to reach out State Department and ask about resources to El Salvdor.

6. Howard Berman. (Rep. CA) - D. He is ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He shows a lot of interest in Salvadorean Government. He said that will contact Secretary Clinton, and will write and circulate a letter on solidarity to El Salvador. He will follow up the bilateral negotiation with the Appropriation Committee and will work together with Senator Landrieu.

7. Bill Nelson. (Sen. FL) - D. He is not member of the Foreign Affairs or the Appropriation Committees, but he will explore some ways to cooperate to El Salvador by USAID.

8. David Rivera. (Rep. FL) - R. He's member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, mainly the SubCommittee on Western Hemisphere. He said mainly that our efforts should be focused in the State Department, and he offered to make a call in suppport of the official letter.

9. Mike Honda. (Rep. CA) – D. He’s member of the House Committee on Appropriations. He undertook himself to follow up the official letter, and also, to advocate on El Salvador in the House Committee on Appropriation.

10. Xavier Becerra (Rep. CA) – D. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus. He offered to speak directly to Secretary Clinton backing the official letter. He also offered to advocate on El Salvador and its necessities in the Hispanic Caucasus, and even in the Asian Caucasus.

11. Nita Lowey. (Rep. NY) – D. She is member of the House Committee on Appropriations. She offered to speak with Secretary Clinton, and also to make bicameral management on behalf El Salvador necessities for reconstruction. Expressly said about her intention on have a meeting with Republicans and chat them about how important is to give a hand to El Salvador, a friend and ally of US, and an authentic democratic country in Central America.

12. Barbara Lee. (Rep. CA) – D. She’s member of the House Committee on Appropriations, she agreed to follow up the issues with Senators Landrieu and Leahy. She also said that she will chat with Kay Grager to provide a helping hand to El Salvador.

13. Tom Udall. (Sen. NM) – D. He’s member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He undertook himself to help El Salvador and to send a letter to Secretary Clinton.

14. Andrew King. Assistant Chief of Staff of Lindsey Graham (Sen. NC) – R. He advised us to manage this issue directly to State Department, and request it to ask the Congress a specific designation on 2012 Federal Budget. He will pass on the information about TD 12E to Senator Graham. He also offered to get in touch with Senators Leahy and Landrieu to find out the best way to help El Salvador.

15. Marco Rubio. (Sen. FL) – R. Ranking member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. He offered to speak directly with Senator Leahy to make a proposal to help El Salvador. He also said that he will call Secretary Clinton. He shows his interest in make a visit to El Salvador.

16. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. (Rep. FL) – F. She’s Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Although she affirmed that Funes Government cannot fail because a failure will bring geopolitical instability on Central America, she did not offer any step to help the current Salvadorian Government.

17. Tim Rieser. Chief of Staff of Senator Patrick Leahy who’s a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He explained in a very detailed way, the state of the art in the negotiation of foreign affairs founds, and made some suggestions to the upcoming bicameral conference on appropriations

We also have a meeting with Tsvia Bader, from AGT. We made the link between them and the Presidential Technical Secretary, whose competence encompass rehabilitation and reconstruction process. They offered to explore some ways to implement a project for the prevention of natural disasters in El Salvador.

I want to thank all your kind help to us. Let me know if President Clinton has received the Bishop Romero replica of the mural and also the letter from President Funes to Habitat?

Sincerely.

Carlos Rafael Urquilla Bonilla