[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 103 (Thursday, July 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S5804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 198--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION SHOULD TURN OVER EDWARD SNOWDEN TO 
           UNITED STATES AUTHORITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

                              S. Res. 198

       Whereas Edward Snowden leaked classified information to 
     various sources including the Guardian and the Washington 
     Post;
       Whereas Mr. Snowden fled the United States to Hong Kong on 
     May 20, 2013, with multiple laptops containing highly 
     classified information;
       Whereas, on June 5, 2013, the press reported classified 
     information relating to the national security of the United 
     States;
       Whereas Mr. Snowden's actions have compromised the national 
     security of the United States;
       Whereas, on June 9, 2013, Mr. Snowden publicly stated, ``I 
     have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have 
     done nothing wrong.'';
       Whereas, on June 23, 2013, Mr. Snowden departed Hong Kong 
     en route to Moscow, Russia;
       Whereas Mr. Snowden has been staying on Russian territory 
     in the Sheremetyevo Airport since his arrival;
       Whereas the Sheremetyevo Airport is part of the sovereign 
     territory of the Russian Federation;
       Whereas, on June 14, 2013, the United States Government 
     filed a criminal complaint against Edward Snowden for charges 
     under section 641 (relating to theft of Government property), 
     section 793(d) (relating to unauthorized communication of 
     national defense information), and section 798(a)(3) 
     (relating to the willful communication of classified 
     communications intelligence information to an unauthorized 
     person) of title 18, United States Code.
       Whereas Mr. Snowden has stated his intentions to continue 
     to leak classified information and poses a continuing threat 
     to the security of the United States;
       Whereas Mr. Snowden has applied for asylum in at least 21 
     countries, including a number of countries with some of the 
     worst human rights records, including the Russian Federation, 
     Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Ecuador;
       Whereas, on July 16, 2013, Mr. Snowden applied for 
     temporary asylum in the Russian Federation in order to 
     facilitate his transit to Latin America;
       Whereas the Department of State Human Rights Report for 
     2012 cites the Russian Federation's restrictions on civil 
     liberties and the denial of due process, allegations of 
     torture and excessive force by law enforcement officials; 
     life-threatening prison conditions; interference in the 
     judiciary and the right to a fair trial; abridgement of the 
     right to privacy; restrictions on minority religions; 
     widespread corruption; societal and official intimidation of 
     civil society and labor activists; limitations on the rights 
     of workers; trafficking in persons; and attacks on migrants 
     and select religious and ethnic minorities;
       Whereas, on July 6, 2013, President of Venezuela Nicolas 
     Maduro offered asylum to Snowden, stating, ``In the name of 
     America's dignity. . . I have decided to offer humanitarian 
     asylum to Edward Snowden.'';
       Whereas the Department of State Human Rights Report for 
     2012 cites the Government of Venezuela for corruption, 
     inefficiency, and politicization in the judicial system; 
     government actions to impede freedom of expression; harsh and 
     life-threatening prison conditions; government use of the 
     judiciary to intimidate and selectively prosecute political, 
     union, business, and civil society leaders who were critical 
     of government policies or actions; government harassment and 
     intimidation of privately-owned television stations, other 
     media outlets, and journalists throughout the year, using 
     threats, fines, property seizures, targeted regulations, and 
     criminal investigations and prosecutions; and failure to 
     provide for due process rights, physical safety, and humane 
     conditions for inmates, which contributed to widespread 
     violence, riots, injuries, and deaths in prisons;
       Whereas, on June 25, 2013, President of Russia Vladmir 
     Putin stated that the Russian Federation would never 
     extradite Edward Snowden to the United States;
       Whereas, on July 16, 2013, White House spokesman Jay Carney 
     stated that Mr. Snowden should be expelled from the Russian 
     Federation and returned to the United States to face trial, 
     stating, ``He is not a human rights activist, he is not a 
     dissident. He is accused of leaking classified 
     information.''; and
       Whereas, on July 16, 2013, President Putin stated that Mr. 
     Snowden ``came to our territory without invitation, we did 
     not invite him'' and that ``[we] have certain relations with 
     the United States and we don't want [Snowden] to damage our 
     ties'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the Government of the Russian Federation's continued 
     willingness to provide shelter to Edward Snowden is 
     negatively impacting bilateral relations with the United 
     States;
       (2) the Government of the Russian Federation should 
     immediately turn Edward Snowden over to the appropriate 
     United States authorities so he can stand trial in the United 
     States;
       (3) the President should consider options, including 
     recommending a different location for the September 2013 G20 
     summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, should the Russian 
     Federation continue to allow shelter for Mr. Snowden; and
       (4) the United States Government should consider all 
     economic and diplomatic options when pursuing Mr. Snowden.

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