SENATE RESOLUTION 611--RECOGNIZING THAT FOR 50 YEARS, THE KINGDOM OF TONGA HAS WORKED WITH THE UNITED STATES TOWARD STABILITY, PROSPERITY, AND PEACE IN THE PACIFIC AND BEYOND, AND EXPRESSING THE...; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 105
(Senate - June 08, 2020)
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[Page S2765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 611--RECOGNIZING THAT FOR 50 YEARS, THE KINGDOM OF
TONGA HAS WORKED WITH THE UNITED STATES TOWARD STABILITY, PROSPERITY,
AND PEACE IN THE PACIFIC AND BEYOND, AND EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE
SENATE THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN A STRONG,
RELIABLE, AND ACTIVE PARTNER IN THE PACIFIC
Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 611
Whereas Tonga's Queen Salote Tupou III negotiated for the
end of British protectorate status for her nation and
transition to Commonwealth membership, which bore fruit in
1970;
Whereas Tonga is a valued security partner of the United
States, and the Tongan Defense Services deployed four
contingents to Iraq between 2004 and 2008;
Whereas, in the coming year, the United States is committed
to deepening this relationship through security cooperation,
including hosting Tongan defense forces for International
Military Education and Training (IMET) programs;
Whereas the United States Government supports many
cooperative activities with the Government of Tonga in
sustainable fisheries management and development assistance,
including those authorized by the Asia Reassurance Initiative
Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-409);
Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) expands the
number of countries that receive assistance under the Indo-
Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, including Tonga;
Whereas a peaceful, prosperous, and open Indo-Pacific
rooted in a rule-based order that promotes security,
opportunity, and dignity to all peoples benefits the people
of both the United States and the Kingdom of Tonga;
Whereas the Kingdom of Tonga, a constitutional monarchy,
took steps towards democratic governance beginning in 2010;
Whereas over 50,000 United States citizens trace their
roots to the Kingdom of Tonga, and many of these reside in
the States of Utah, California, and Hawaii;
Whereas Tonga has hosted the Peace Corps since 1967; and
Whereas the Nevada National Guard entered into a State
Partnership Program with Tonga in 2014: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the Kingdom of Tonga on a successful
transition to a constitutional monarchy and 3 elections
deemed to be free and fair by international observers;
(2) supports and affirms the full implementation of
provisions of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-409) with regard to deepening its cooperation
with Tonga in areas of mutual interest, including fisheries
and marine resource conservation, environmental challenges
and resilience, global health, development and trade, people-
to-people ties, and continuing United States assistance, as
appropriate, to support the rule of law, good governance, and
economic development; and
(3) recognizes Tonga's participation in multinational
security forces and multilateral institutions including the
United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank,
Asian Development Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency,
the World Trade Organization, the Pacific Community, the
Secretariat of the Regional Environmental Programme, and the
Pacific Islands Forum.
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