[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 282 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 282

 Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the ban on the use of 
                  United States passports in Lebanon.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 12, 1994

  Mr. Rahall (for himself, Mr. Dingell, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Kaptur, Mrs. 
Byrne, Mr. Michel, Ms. Danner, Mr. Hoke, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Fingerhut, Mr. 
    Cox, Ms. McKinney, and Mr. Knollenberg) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the ban on the use of 
                  United States passports in Lebanon.

Whereas, on January 26, 1987, the United States Department of State issued a 
        prohibition on the use of United States passports in Lebanon, creating 
        in effect a ban on travel to Lebanon by United States citizens;
Whereas the ban on travel to Lebanon was instituted during a time of civil war, 
        anarchy, and general lawlessness in Lebanon, at a time when the safety 
        and well-being of United States citizens were at particular risk as 
        evidenced by the bombing of the United States Marine barracks and the 
        American Embassy in Beirut, in which 258 Americans were killed, as well 
        as by the taking of American hostages by terrorists;
Whereas the civil war in Lebanon ended in 1990 and the last American hostage 
        held in Lebanon was freed on December 2, 1991;
Whereas the security situation in Lebanon has improved demonstrably since the 
        end of the civil war;
Whereas the United States returned its Ambassador to Lebanon on November 28, 
        1990, and the United States maintains an economic and military 
        assistance program in Lebanon;
Whereas it is estimated that more than 40,000 United States citizens have 
        traveled safely to Lebanon in 1993 either in defiance of the ban or, 
        under current United States regulations which permit the use of 
        passports by dual Lebanese-American nationals in urgent humanitarian 
        cases;
Whereas the Government of Lebanon has made considerable progress in reasserting 
        sovereignty and control over significant portions of Lebanese territory 
        and in initiating a 10-year, $18 billion reconstruction effort;
Whereas in 1993 the Lebanese Government awarded more than 100 contracts worth 
        $2.4 billion to business firms for development, reconstruction, and 
        consulting projects;
Whereas the ban on the use of United States passports in Lebanon creates a major 
        impediment to United States firms that wish to bid for contracts in 
        Lebanon;
Whereas it is in the United States national interest for United States firms to 
        participate in the reconstruction of Lebanon, as American participation 
        will bring economic benefit to the United States and help create a 
        stable and sound infrastructure in Lebanon;
Whereas the United States Secretary of State must give paramount consideration 
        to the safety and security of United States citizens in regulating the 
        travel of Americans abroad; and
Whereas in regulating the travel of United States citizens abroad, the Secretary 
        of State has a variety of options, including instituting a travel 
        advisory for countries where United States citizens are deemed at risk 
        or have been attacked, as has been done for such countries as Bosnia, 
        Rwanda, Somalia, Haiti, Columbia, Peru, the Philippines, and Turkey: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) in determining whether to restrict the use of United 
        States passports in any country, the Secretary of State should 
        apply consistent criteria; and
            (2) in deciding whether to extend the ban on the use of 
        United States passports in Lebanon, the Secretary of State 
        should--
                    (a) give paramount consideration to the need to 
                ensure the safety of United States citizens;
                    (b) give full consideration to the improved 
                security situation in Lebanon, the effect of the ban on 
                the opportunities for American businesses, and the 
                impact of the ban on American interests in Lebanon and 
                the Middle East; and
                    (c) give full consideration to whether United 
                States interests would be more effectively served by 
                removing the ban on the use of United States passports 
                in Lebanon, and instituting instead a travel advisory 
                for Lebanon.
                                 <all>