[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 397 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 397
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Mike Mansfield
Fellowship Act creating the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 31, 2019
Mr. Tester (for himself and Mr. Daines) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Mike Mansfield
Fellowship Act creating the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program.
Whereas the distinguished tenure of Mike Mansfield as Majority Leader of the
Senate spanned 16 years, making him the longest serving Majority Leader
in the history of the Senate;
Whereas Mike Mansfield served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 1977
to 1988, the longest tenure of any United States ambassador anywhere in
the world;
Whereas, while serving as Ambassador, Mike Mansfield was fond of reminding the
people of the United States and Japan that the ``U.S.-Japan relationship
is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, bar none'';
Whereas, in 1994, through the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Act (Public Law 103-236;
108 Stat. 428), Congress authorized the Mike Mansfield Fellowship
Program to build a corps of Federal Government employees (in this
preamble referred to as ``Mansfield Fellows'') knowledgeable about the
language, culture, economy, and politics of Japan, so as to enhance
mutual cooperation and understanding between the United States and
Japan;
Whereas the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of
State provides financial support to make possible the deployment of
Mansfield Fellows and their families to Japan, and the Government of
Japan provides generous in-kind support, including a 2-month home-stay
and language training;
Whereas the first cohort of Mansfield Fellows, recruited from across the Federal
Government, began their service in Japan on September 1, 1996;
Whereas the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program has created a robust network of
officials from the Governments of the United States and Japan with deep
understanding of the economic, political, and strategic dimensions of
the United States-Japan relationship who work together to advance the
mutual interests of the United States and Japan;
Whereas Mansfield Fellows have served in 52 ministries and agencies of the
Government of Japan, dozens of Diet offices, and more than a dozen
private sector companies and nongovernmental organizations in Japan;
Whereas alumni of the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program are currently employed
throughout the Federal Government, including the House of
Representatives and the Senate, the Departments of State, Commerce,
Defense, Energy, Transportation, and the Treasury, the Office of the
United States Trade Representative, the Federal Aviation Administration,
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as serving in the Army,
Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps;
Whereas, every day, Mansfield Fellows are drawing on their experience to enhance
United States-Japan bilateral relations and to strengthen United States-
Japan cooperation around the world to tackle common global challenges;
Whereas, on April 29, 2015, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, declared
before a Joint Session of the United States Congress that the United
States and Japan have forged ``an alliance of hope'' resting on a
foundation of shared democratic values and common interests; and
Whereas the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program has been a cornerstone of United
States-Japan cooperation and has made important contributions to
strengthening security, economic, and cultural ties between the 2
allies: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates the 25th anniversary of the passage of the
Mike Mansfield Fellowship Act (Public Law 103-236; 108 Stat.
428) creating the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program;
(2) remembers the contributions of Senator Mike Mansfield
and his wife Maureen to the United States Senate and to the
United States-Japan alliance;
(3) thanks more than 150 alumni of the Mike Mansfield
Fellowship Program for bringing the expertise garnered during
their time in Japan back to the United States Government to
advance the interests of the United States;
(4) conveys its appreciation to the people of Japan for the
warm welcome they have given to each class of Mansfield
Fellows;
(5) commends the Government of Japan for opening its doors
to Mansfield Fellows and for providing steadfast and generous
support to the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program; and
(6) encourages the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs of the Department of State and the Government of Japan
to sustain their support for the Mike Mansfield Fellowship
Program, which in turn strengthens the ``alliance of hope'' and
the important work of the program to further peace, stability,
and prosperity in the world.
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