[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 107 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 107

Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 10th anniversary of 
          the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2021

    Mr. Hagerty (for himself and Mr. Coons) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 10th anniversary of 
          the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Whereas, at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, an earthquake initially reported as 
        measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, the strongest recorded in more than 
        100 years in Japan, occurred near the Tohoku region of Northeast Japan, 
        81 miles off the coast from Sendai City;
Whereas intense shaking could be felt from Tokyo to Kamaishi, an arc of roughly 
        360 miles;
Whereas the earthquake generated a massive tsunami that caused widespread damage 
        to a swath of the northeast Japanese coastline and traveled across the 
        Pacific Ocean, causing damage to coastal communities as far away as the 
        States of Hawaii, Oregon, and California;
Whereas authorities in Japan confirm at least 15,899 deaths from the earthquake 
        and resulting tsunami;
Whereas, within minutes of the earthquake, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration alerted emergency workers in the States of Hawaii, 
        California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska that a potentially 
        catastrophic tsunami was heading toward those States and mobilized the 
        Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific;
Whereas the earthquake forced the emergency shutdown of 4 nuclear power 
        facilities in Japan, representing a significant loss of electric 
        generation capacity for Japan and necessitating rolling blackouts in 
        portions of Tokyo;
Whereas the earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged the Fukushima 
        Daiichi nuclear power station, precipitating a loss of power for cooling 
        systems at that facility and necessitating emergency measures to prevent 
        serious radiation leakages;
Whereas international response to the disaster was swift, with search and rescue 
        teams arriving from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, 
        New Zealand, France, and China, among other countries;
Whereas the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and its support vessels were 
        deployed to the earthquake region to participate in search and rescue 
        and relief operations;
Whereas elements of the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), a United States 
        Agency for International Development Disaster Assistance Response Team 
        (DART), and other United States military and civilian personnel were 
        deployed to Japan to render aid and help coordinate United States relief 
        efforts;
Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is based upon shared values, democratic 
        ideals, free markets, and a mutual respect for human rights, individual 
        liberties, and the rule of law, and is central to the security and 
        prosperity of the entire Indo-Pacific region;
Whereas the Self-Defense Forces of Japan have contributed broadly to global 
        security missions, including relief operations following the tsunami in 
        Indonesia in 2005, reconstruction in Iraq from 2004 to 2006, and relief 
        assistance following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010;
Whereas Japan is among the most generous donor nations, providing billions of 
        dollars of foreign assistance, including disaster relief, annually to 
        developing countries;
Whereas, since 2011, Japan has committed tremendous resources and effort to 
        decommission the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station by taking 
        measures on contaminated water and extracting fuel;
Whereas, since 2011, Japan has committed tremendous resources and effort to 
        restore the environment in Fukushima Prefecture, in collaboration with 
        the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ensure that citizens can live 
        with peace of mind with safe water and food; and
Whereas, 10 years after the earthquake and resulting tsunami, Japan is seeking 
        to host a successful Olympics in Tokyo where the best athletes from 
        across the world can showcase their talents amidst the ongoing global 
        COVID-19 pandemic: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) mourns the loss of life resulting from the earthquake 
        and tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011;
            (2) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of 
        the victims of the tragedy;
            (3) expresses its sympathies to the survivors who are still 
        suffering in the aftermath of the natural disaster;
            (4) commends the Government of Japan for its courageous and 
        professional response to the natural disaster; and
            (5) supports the efforts already underway by the United 
        States Government, relief agencies, and private citizens to 
        assist the Government and people of Japan with the 
        revitalization efforts in Fukushima Prefecture.
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