[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
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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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