[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 321 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 321
Commemorating 30 years of diplomatic relations between the United
States and Vietnam on July 11, 2025.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 15, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Daines) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
December 18, 2025
Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to with an
amended preamble
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating 30 years of diplomatic relations between the United
States and Vietnam on July 11, 2025.
Whereas, since the end of the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese
have resettled in and built vibrant communities across the United
States, which contribute to the rich diversity of our Nation;
Whereas joint efforts across the administrations of President Ronald Reagan and
President George H. W. Bush to address questions surrounding United
States servicemembers missing in action (MIA) set the foundation for the
normalization of bilateral relations between the United States and
Vietnam;
Whereas, between 1991 and 1993, the Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs of the
Senate conducted public hearings and issued an extensive report on
prisoner of war (POW) and MIA issues, helping to lay the domestic
political foundation for subsequent breakthroughs in United States-
Vietnam relations;
Whereas efforts to identify and return the remains of service members missing in
action on both the United States and Vietnamese sides, alongside
unexploded ordnance removal, dioxin remediation, disability programs
supporting survivors impacted by these war remnants, and efforts to
continue public education on these topics have contributed to ongoing
war legacy programs, which are a vital component of the bilateral
relationship between Vietnam and the United States;
Whereas section 521 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years
1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236) expressed the Senate's support for
the normalization of relations with Vietnam and sent an important
political signal to the Executive branch on moving ahead with diplomatic
normalization;
Whereas, on February 4, 1994, President Bill Clinton lifted the trade embargo,
which had been in place since the end of the Vietnam War, paving the way
for the announcement of a normalization of relations between the United
States and Vietnam on July 11, 1995;
Whereas significant progress has been made in the bilateral relationship since
the normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and
Vietnam, leading to cooperation between the governments and peoples of
the United States and Vietnam in an array of areas, extending to
political, economic, and cultural ties;
Whereas, in January of 2001, Congress passed the bipartisan Vietnam Education
Foundation Act of 2000 (title II of division B of Public Law 106-554) to
promote reconciliation between the United States and Vietnam through an
international exchange program between the 2 countries, which allowed
Vietnamese nationals to pursue advanced studies in the United States and
United States citizens to teach in the fields of science, mathematics,
medicine, and technology in Vietnam;
Whereas, in September and October of 2001, respectively, the House of
Representatives and the Senate approved measures to implement a
bilateral trade agreement negotiated during the Presidency of Bill
Clinton, which was subsequently signed into law by President George W.
Bush on October 3, 2001;
Whereas, in December 2006, Congress granted permanent normal trade relations
status to Vietnam under title IV of division D of the Tax Relief and
Health Care Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-432);
Whereas, on July 25, 2013, President Barack Obama and Vietnamese President
Truong Tan Sang agreed to establish a comprehensive partnership between
Vietnam and the United States based on the principles of respect for the
United Nations Charter, international law, respect for political
institutions, independence and sovereignty, and each other's territorial
integrity;
Whereas, on May 23, 2016, President Barack Obama announced the removal of
remaining United States restrictions on the sale of lethal weapons and
related services to Vietnam, following President George W. Bush's 2007
decision to permit case-by-case sales of nonlethal defense items and
defense services and President Obama's 2014 decision to partially ease
United States restrictions on the transfer of lethal weapons and
articles to Vietnam;
Whereas President Donald Trump became the first United States President to visit
Vietnam twice in one presidential term, including a November 2017 state
visit during which President Trump and Vietnamese President Tran Dai
Quang--
(1) concluded a 3-year Plan of Action for Defense Cooperation to
increase bilateral naval activities;
(2) agreed on the first visit of a United States aircraft carrier (the
USS Carl Vinson) to Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War;
(3) reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, overflight, and
unfettered commerce in the South China Sea and a bilateral commitment to a
rules-based approach to resolving maritime disputes;
(4) celebrated the conclusion of a joint effort to clean dioxin-
contaminated soil and sediment in Da Nang, Vietnam;
(5) welcomed the United States' commitment to contribute to dioxin
remediation efforts at Bien Hoa Airport; and
(6) pledged to increase bilateral trade and investment relations,
including $12,000,000,000 in commercial agreements;
Whereas, on September 10, 2023, President Joe Biden and General Secretary Nguyen
Phu Trong issued a Joint Communique that--
(1) upgraded the bilateral relationship between the United States and
Vietnam to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership;
(2) celebrated the expansion of dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Air
Base, extending the bilateral partnership agreement into 2028, and
expanding unexploded ordnance tracking and clearance activities;
(3) recognized considerable progress made in the bilateral relationship
in a short, 10-year period; and
(4) underscored fundamental principles guiding United States-Vietnam
relations and respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity;
Whereas, on October 26, 2025, the United States and Vietnam agreed to a
Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair and Balanced Trade, which
will bolster United States national and economic security, expand
bilateral trade, and strengthen supply chain security;
Whereas the United States and Vietnam have formed a partnership in promoting
peace, cooperation, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific region,
including by--
(1) recognizing the strategic importance of free and open access to the
South China Sea; and
(2) continuing programs initiated during the administrations of
President Obama, President Trump, and President Biden to help Vietnam
enhance its maritime capabilities;
Whereas, throughout these positive developments, Congress has consistently
offered strong bipartisan support for the continuation and eventual
completion of war legacy programs in Vietnam as the basis on which the
bilateral relationship was established 30 years ago;
Whereas the United States and Vietnam will continue to deepen cooperation in a
wide range of areas, including political and diplomatic relations,
economic trade and investment, science and technology, education and
health, cultural and people-to-people ties, defense and security,
regional and global issues, and the promotion and protection of
internationally-recognized human rights, to ensure the interests of the
people in the United States and in Vietnam and to contribute to peace,
stability, cooperation, and prosperity around the world: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes--
(A) the significance of the 30th anniversary of
normalization of the bilateral relationship between the
United States and Vietnam; and
(B) the strong and enduring relationship built by
the United States and Vietnam based on mutual respect,
trust, and a shared commitment to peace and prosperity;
(2) honors the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the
United States during the past 50 years, including--
(A) their tireless commitment to strengthening ties
between the United States and Vietnam; and
(B) facilitating reconciliation and economic
prosperity between the 2 countries;
(3) honors--
(A) the service of members of the United States
Armed Forces who fought in Vietnam, including those who
gave their lives in the conflict; and
(B) United States veteran-led initiatives
established and dedicated to engaging in reconciliation
efforts with the Vietnamese people;
(4) expresses the commitment of the United States to the
sustained continuation of funding and operational support to
war legacy programs in Vietnam foundational to the bilateral
relationship, including--
(A) dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport;
(B) unexploded ordnance removal;
(C) support for persons with disabilities;
(D) capacity building in provincial and national
efforts on mine action; and
(E) accounting for Vietnamese missing and fallen
soldiers from the war;
(5) acknowledges the significant progress in various areas
of bilateral cooperation, including political and diplomatic
relations, trade and economic ties, defense and security, and
people-to-people exchanges, including the United States-
supported Fulbright University, Vietnam's first independent
nonprofit higher education institution;
(6) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to
sustaining and building on the partnership officially
established in the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership in September 2023, underscored by the fundamental
principles guiding the bilateral relationship, including
respect for the United Nations Charter, international law, and
respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity; and
(7) expresses--
(A) the determination of the United States to
continue strengthening cooperation with Vietnam across
sectors; and
(B) the vital importance of the bilateral
relationship between the United States and Vietnam to
addressing shared challenges and promoting continued
peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
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