[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S636-S637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 372--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES-
EGYPT RELATIONSHIP, AND URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT TO PROTECT CIVIL 
   LIBERTIES AND CEASE INTIMIDATION AND PROSECUTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY 
        WORKERS AND DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Durbin) 
submitted the following resolution; which was placed on the calendar:

                              S. Res. 372

       Whereas the Governments and people of the United States and 
     Egypt enjoy a long history of a strong strategic partnership;
       Whereas the United States Government seeks to maintain 
     robust bilateral relations with the Government and people of 
     Egypt so that they may continue to work together toward our 
     shared goals of peace, security, and economic prosperity in 
     Egypt and the region;
       Whereas, on February 11, 2011, peaceful mass protests 
     succeeded in bringing an end to the authoritarian rule of 
     Hosni Mubarak;
       Whereas the United States Government and the international 
     community stood by the people of Egypt as they began to 
     undertake their transition to a democracy;
       Whereas there have been numerous clashes between security 
     personnel and protesters, including Egyptians who were 
     calling for a swifter transition to civilian-led rule;
       Whereas, on November 28 and 29, 2011, the first of three 
     rounds of parliamentary elections began in Egypt, which have 
     been deemed largely free and fair by civil society observers 
     and monitors;
       Whereas United States-based organizations such as the 
     National Democratic Institute, the International Republican 
     Institute, Freedom House, and the International Center for 
     Journalists were in Egypt to support and promote democratic 
     activity, including elections, adherence to the rule of law, 
     and the existence of a free press;
       Whereas certain of those organizations had been operating 
     openly in Egypt for many years, had long sought formal 
     registration and had never received rejections of their 
     applications, had exhibited an unprecedented level of 
     transparency, and had only recently become the targets of 
     malicious reporting by state-run media in Egypt;
       Whereas, on December 29, 2011, the Government of Egypt 
     raided the offices of the National Democratic Institute, the 
     International Republican Institute, Freedom House, the 
     International Center for Journalists, and several other 
     Egyptian and international civil society organizations in 
     Egypt, confiscating their property and equipment;
       Whereas the Government of Egypt announced that it would 
     launch investigations into hundreds of civil society 
     organizations, has targeted and interrogated staff of these 
     organizations, and has imposed restrictions on the movement 
     of United States citizens who are staff members of these 
     organizations, including placing them on a ``no-fly'' list to 
     prohibit departure from the country;
       Whereas, on February 5, 2012, the Government of Egypt 
     announced that it would refer for arrest more than 40 staff 
     members of various nongovernmental organizations, among them 
     16 United States citizens, including staff of the United 
     States-based National Democratic Institute, the International 
     Republican Institute, Freedom House, the International Center 
     for Journalists, and Germany-based Konrad Adenauer Stiftung;
       Whereas in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 
     (Public Law 112-74), Congress conditioned economic and 
     military assistance to Egypt on the Secretary of State's 
     certification that Egypt is meeting its obligations under the 
     1979 Peace Treaty with Israel and that it is supporting the 
     transition to a civilian government, including by holding 
     free and fair elections and protecting freedoms of 
     expression, association, and religion and due process of law;
       Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that 
     the United States Government has ``deep concerns about what 
     is happening to our NGOs, and Americans and others who work 
     for them. . . We do not believe there is any basis for these 
     investigations, these raids on the sites that the NGOs 
     operate out of, the seizure of their equipment, and certainly 
     no basis for prohibiting the exit from the country by 
     individuals who have been working with our NGOs.'';
       Whereas restricting the space for civil society engagement 
     dishonors the promise of the Egyptian revolution and could 
     potentially damage the country's transition to democracy; and
       Whereas, according to Secretary of State Clinton, ``We have 
     worked very hard the last year to put into place financial 
     assistance and other support for the economic and political 
     reforms that are occurring in Egypt, and we will have to 
     closely review these matters as it comes time for us to 
     certify whether or not any of these funds from our government 
     can be made available under these circumstances.'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) acknowledges the central and historic importance of the 
     United States-Egyptian strategic partnership in advancing the 
     common interests of both countries, including peace and 
     security in the broader Middle East and North Africa;
       (2) reiterates its support for the people of Egypt during a 
     difficult political transition towards a more representative 
     and responsive democratic government;
       (3) praises the work that United States democracy promotion 
     organizations such as the National Democratic Institute, the 
     International Republican Institute, Freedom House, and the 
     International Center for Journalists, do internationally to 
     strengthen civic institutions, democratic practice, political 
     parties, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and 
     protections for independent media;
       (4) reaffirms the commitment of the Government and people 
     of the United States to universal rights of freedom of 
     expression, religion, assembly, and association, including 
     Internet freedom;
       (5) notes the critical role civil society plays in 
     democratic societies and applauds the work of democracy 
     promotion, human rights, and developmental organizations in 
     Egypt;
       (6) expresses deep concern at the intimidation and media 
     manipulation against democracy activists and Egyptian and 
     international civil society organizations in Egypt;
       (7) urges the Government of Egypt to protect civil 
     liberties for all citizens, embrace transparency and 
     accountability, and promote the creation of a vibrant civil 
     society;
       (8) calls upon the Government of Egypt to immediately cease 
     its intimidation and prosecution of civil society workers and 
     democracy activists of all nationalities in Egypt, including 
     Egyptians, and to allow non-Egyptian civil society workers to 
     voluntarily leave the country; and

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       (9) calls on the Government of Egypt to halt harassment, 
     including that conducted via state media, of democracy and 
     human rights activists in Egypt.

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