[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 3, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10165-S10166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 167--RECOGNIZING AMBASSADOR DOUGLAS ``PETE'' PETERSON 
 FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES AS THE FIRST AMERICAN AMBASSADOR 
                    TO VIETNAM SINCE THE VIETNAM WAR

  Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Graham, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Nelson 
of Florida, Mr. Cleland, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

[[Page S10166]]

                              S. Res. 167

       Whereas while serving as a fighter pilot in the United 
     States Air Force, Pete Peterson was shot down over North 
     Vietnam in 1966 and captured by the Vietnamese military;
       Whereas Pete Peterson was held for 6\1/2\ years as a 
     prisoner of war in Vietnam;
       Whereas after his return to the United States in 1973, Pete 
     Peterson distinguished himself as a businessman and educator 
     in his home State of Florida;
       Whereas Pete Peterson was elected to Congress to represent 
     the 2nd Congressional District of Florida in 1990 and went on 
     to serve three terms;
       Whereas Pete Peterson first returned to Vietnam in 1991 as 
     a Member of Congress investigating Vietnamese progress on the 
     POW/MIA issue;
       Whereas President Reagan began the process of normalizing 
     United States relations with Vietnam;
       Whereas President Clinton lifted the trade embargo against 
     Vietnam in 1994;
       Whereas President Clinton normalized diplomatic relations 
     with Vietnam in 1995;
       Whereas in 1997 Pete Peterson was appointed the first 
     United States ambassador to Vietnam in 22 years;
       Whereas throughout Pete Peterson's tenure as United States 
     Ambassador to Vietnam, the President certified annually that 
     the Government of Vietnam was ``fully cooperating in good 
     faith'' with the United States to obtain the fullest possible 
     accounting of Americans missing from the Vietnam War;
       Whereas Ambassador Peterson played a critical role in the 
     process of building a new and normal relationship between the 
     United States and Vietnam;
       Whereas Ambassador Peterson worked tirelessly to encourage 
     the Government of Vietnam to continue its efforts to reform 
     and open Vietnam's economy;
       Whereas thanks to Ambassador Peterson's leadership, 
     Congress in 1998 approved a waiver of the Jackson-Vanik 
     restrictions for Vietnam, thus enabling the Overseas Private 
     Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank to operate 
     in Vietnam;
       Whereas completion of a United States-Vietnam trade 
     agreement was Ambassador Peterson's top trade priority;
       Whereas the United States and Vietnam began negotiations 
     for a bilateral trade agreement in 1996;
       Whereas Ambassador Peterson's diplomatic efforts throughout 
     the process of negotiation were invaluable to the completion 
     of the bilateral trade agreement;
       Whereas in the agreement the Government of Vietnam agreed 
     to a wide range of steps to open its markets to American 
     trade and investment;
       Whereas the agreement will pave the way for further reform 
     of Vietnam's economy and Vietnam's integration into the world 
     economy;
       Whereas Ambassador Peterson witnessed the signing of the 
     United States-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement on July 13, 
     2000;
       Whereas President Bush transmitted that trade agreement to 
     Congress on June 8, 2001;
       Whereas the United States House of Representatives approved 
     the agreement on September 6, 2001; and
       Whereas the United States Senate approved the agreement on 
     October 3, 2001: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That Douglas ``Pete'' Peterson is recognized by 
     the United States Senate for his outstanding and dedicated 
     service to the United States as United States Ambassador to 
     Vietnam from 1997-2001, and for his historic role in 
     normalizing United States-Vietnam relations.

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