[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 38 (Monday, March 14, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1610-S1611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI IN JAPAN

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 101 which was 
introduced earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 101) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate relating to the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami 
     in Japan.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be 
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any 
statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 101) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 101

       Whereas at 2:46 pm 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 2,800 deaths 
     from the earthquake and resulting tsunami, a toll that is 
     expected to rise as many thousands remain missing as of the 
     date of approval of this resolution;
       Whereas approximately 400,000 people have been displaced 
     from their homes and are now living in shelters or with 
     relatives;
       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

[[Page S1611]]

     facility and necessitating emergency measures to prevent 
     serious radiation leakages;
       Whereas emergency management experts at the International 
     Atomic Energy Agency, the Department of Energy, and the 
     Nuclear Regulatory Commission are continuing to work with 
     authorities in Japan to address the challenges posed by the 
     damage to the Daiichi nuclear facility;
       Whereas international response to the disaster has been 
     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 have 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 have deployed to Japan 
     to render aid and help coordinate United States relief 
     efforts;
       Whereas January 19, 2011, marked the 51st anniversary of 
     the signing of the United States-Japan Treaty of Mutual 
     Cooperation and Security, which has played an indispensable 
     role in ensuring the security and prosperity of both the 
     United States and Japan, as well as in promoting regional 
     peace and stability;
       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;
       Whereas Japan is among the most generous donor nations, 
     providing billions of dollars of foreign assistance, 
     including disaster relief, annually to developing countries; 
     and
       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: 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 this tragedy;
       (3) expresses its sympathies to the survivors who are still 
     suffering in the aftermath of this natural disaster;
       (4) commends the government of Japan for its courageous and 
     professional response to this natural disaster;
       (5) supports the efforts already underway by the United 
     States Government, relief agencies, and private citizens to 
     assist the government and people of Japan in their time of 
     need; and
       (6) urges the United States and the international community 
     to provide additional humanitarian assistance to aid the 
     survivors and support reconstruction efforts.

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