[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 16, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7536-S7539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 269--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON UNITED 
   STATES POLICY REGARDING POSSESSION OF ENRICHMENT AND REPROCESSING 
              CAPABILITIES BY THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

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

                              S. Res. 269

       Whereas diplomats from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the 
     European Union, the

[[Page S7537]]

     United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, 
     and Russia continue to discuss the Government of Iran's 
     illicit nuclear weapons program;
       Whereas President of Iran Hasan Rouhani has in the past 
     bragged about his success in buying time for Iran to make 
     nuclear advances;
       Whereas Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who 
     retains control over Iran's nuclear program, recently claimed 
     that Iran did not desire nuclear weapons but said that if 
     Iran ``intended to possess nuclear weapons, no power could 
     stop us'';
       Whereas the Government of Iran continues to expand Iran's 
     nuclear and missile programs in violation of multiple United 
     Nations Security Council resolutions;
       Whereas the Government of Iran has a decades-long track 
     record of cheating on and violating commitments regarding its 
     nuclear program and has used more than 10 years of diplomatic 
     negotiations to buy more time to expand its nuclear weapons 
     program;
       Whereas Iran remains the world's number one exporter of 
     terrorism and as recently as 2011 was plotting to assassinate 
     a foreign official on United States soil;
       Whereas, over the last three decades, the Government of 
     Iran and its terrorist proxies have been responsible for the 
     deaths of Americans;
       Whereas the Government of Iran and its terrorist proxies 
     continue to provide military and financial support to the 
     regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, aiding his regime's mass 
     killing of civilians;
       Whereas the Government of Iran continues to sow instability 
     in its region and to threaten its neighbors, including United 
     States allies such as Israel;
       Whereas the Government of Iran denies its people their 
     fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the press, freedom 
     of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience;
       Whereas international and United States sanctions imposed 
     on Iran have assisted in bringing Iran to the negotiating 
     table;
       Whereas other countries, such as North Korea, have used 
     diplomatic talks regarding their nuclear programs to allow 
     time for the development of nuclear weapons;
       Whereas, based on the Government of Iran's stockpile of low 
     enriched uranium and its plan to continue installing advanced 
     centrifuges, the Government of Iran could agree to suspend 
     all enrichment above 3.5 percent and still be in a position 
     to produce weapons-grade uranium without detection by the 
     middle of next year;
       Whereas, if the Government of Iran starts up its heavy 
     water reactor in Arak, it could establish an alternate 
     pathway to a nuclear weapon, producing enough plutonium each 
     year for one or two nuclear weapons;
       Whereas 19 other nations currently access peaceful nuclear 
     energy without any enrichment or reprocessing activities on 
     their soil; and
       Whereas the Government of Iran could likewise achieve 
     access to peaceful nuclear energy without enrichment or 
     reprocessing activities on its own soil: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) it shall be the policy of the United States that the 
     Government of Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear 
     weapon and that all instruments of United States power and 
     influence remain on the table to prevent this outcome;
       (2) the Government of Iran does not have an absolute or 
     inherent right to enrichment and reprocessing technologies 
     under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 
     done at Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968, and 
     entered into force March 5, 1970 (commonly known as the 
     ``Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty'');
       (3) relief of sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program 
     imposed upon Iran by the United States should only be 
     provided once Iran has completely abandoned its nuclear 
     weapons program, including any enrichment or reprocessing 
     capability, and has provided complete transparency to the 
     International Atomic Energy Agency regarding its work on 
     weaponization of a nuclear device; and
       (4) until the Government of Iran has taken the actions set 
     forth in paragraph (3), Congress should move to pass a new 
     round of additional sanctions without delay.
                                 ______
                                 

 SENATE RESOLUTION 270--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF WORLD POLIO 
  DAY AND COMMENDING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND OTHERS FOR THEIR 
                 EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND ERADICATE POLIO

  Mr. KIRK (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
Rubio, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Begich, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. 
Murphy) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 270

       Whereas October 24 of each year is recognized 
     internationally as World Polio Day;
       Whereas polio is a highly infectious disease that primarily 
     affects children and for which there is no known cure;
       Whereas polio can leave survivors permanently disabled from 
     muscle paralysis of the limbs and occasionally leads to a 
     particularly difficult death through paralysis of respiratory 
     muscles;
       Whereas polio was once one of the most dreaded diseases in 
     the United States, killing thousands of people annually in 
     the late 19th and early 20th centuries and leaving thousands 
     more with permanent disabilities, including the 32nd 
     President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt;
       Whereas severe polio outbreaks in the 1940s and 1950s 
     caused panic in the United States, as parents kept children 
     indoors, public health officials quarantined infected 
     individuals, and the Federal Government restricted commerce 
     and travel;
       Whereas 1952 was the peak of the polio epidemic in the 
     United States, with more than 57,000 people affected, 21,000 
     of whom were paralyzed and 3,000 of whom died;
       Whereas safe and effective polio vaccines, including the 
     inactivated polio vaccine (commonly known as ``IPV''), 
     developed in 1952 by Jonas Salk, and the oral polio vaccine 
     (commonly known as ``OPV''), developed in 1957 by Albert 
     Sabin, rendered polio preventable and contributed to the 
     rapid decline of the incidence of polio in the United States;
       Whereas, although the United States has been free from 
     polio since 1979, this preventable disease still needlessly 
     lays victim to children and adults in several countries where 
     challenges, such as active conflict and lack of 
     infrastructure, impede access to vaccines;
       Whereas the Federal Government is the leading public sector 
     donor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and provides 
     technical and operational leadership to this global effort 
     through the work of the Centers for Disease Control and the 
     United States Agency for International Development;
       Whereas the eradication of polio is the highest priority of 
     Rotary International, a global association founded in 1905 in 
     Chicago, Illinois, that is now headquartered in Evanston, 
     Illinois, and has more than 1,200,000 members in more than 
     170 countries;
       Whereas Rotary International and its members (commonly 
     known as ``Rotarians'') have contributed more than 
     $1,000,000,000 to, and volunteered countless hours in, the 
     global fight against polio;
       Whereas Rotary International, the World Health 
     Organization, the United States Government, the United 
     Nations Children's Fund (commonly known as ``UNICEF''), the 
     Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the United Nations 
     Foundation have joined together with national governments to 
     successfully reduce cases of polio by more than 99 percent 
     since 1988, from more than 350,000 reported cases in 1988 to 
     223 reported cases in 2012;
       Whereas polio was recently eliminated in India and is now 
     endemic only in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan;
       Whereas terrorist and militant groups continue to target 
     and murder health care workers who seek to save the lives of 
     children;
       Whereas the sanctity and neutrality of health care workers 
     must be respected, as these workers deliver the most basic of 
     life-saving interventions to children and communities;
       Whereas the recent polio outbreak in the Horn of Africa, 
     comprising Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, continues to result 
     in new cases of the disease, exacerbating the protracted 
     humanitarian crisis in the region and highlighting the urgent 
     need to finally eradicate polio before progress is lost;
       Whereas countries around the world are placing an 
     unprecedented emphasis on polio eradication, including by 
     implementing Emergency Action Plans to boost vaccination 
     coverage in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan;
       Whereas the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has 
     developed the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 
     2013-2018 (referred to in this preamble as the ``Endgame 
     Strategy'') to capitalize on the opportunity to eradicate all 
     polio disease;
       Whereas the Endgame Strategy also outlines a legacy 
     planning process to ensure that lessons learned in the effort 
     to eradicate polio, as well as the assets and infrastructure 
     built in support of that effort, are transitioned to benefit 
     other development goals and global health priorities, 
     including the continued delivery of health services to the 
     most vulnerable children in the world;
       Whereas the global effort to eradicate polio is the largest 
     internationally coordinated public health effort in history, 
     with a network of over 20,000,000 volunteers worldwide; and
       Whereas the eradication of polio is imminently achievable 
     and will be a victory shared by all of humanity: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of World Polio Day;
       (2) commends the international community and others for 
     their efforts in vaccinating children around the world 
     against polio and for the tremendous strides made toward 
     eradicating the disease;
       (3) encourages and supports the international community of 
     governments and nongovernmental organizations in remaining 
     committed to the eradication of polio;
       (4) condemns the deplorable actions of terrorist and 
     militant groups that murder innocent health care workers who 
     are striving to save the lives of children around the world;
       (5) urges the international community of governments to 
     strengthen the support and security protection of health care 
     workers who risk their lives to provide polio vaccinations; 
     and

[[Page S7538]]

       (6) encourages continued commitment and funding by the 
     United States Government and international donors to the 
     global effort to rid the world of polio.
                                 ______
                                 

 SENATE RESOLUTION 271--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT UNITED 
 STATES MILITARY ASSISTANCE FOR CAMBODIA SHOULD BE SUSPENDED UNTIL AN 
 INDEPENDENT AND CREDIBLE INVESTIGATION OCCURS INTO THE JULY 28, 2013, 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, AND ELECTION REFORMS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED BY 
                       THE GOVERNMENT OF CAMBODIA

  Mr. GRAHAM submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 271

       Whereas independent domestic and international 
     organizations have raised serious concerns regarding the 
     integrity of the parliamentary elections held in Cambodia on 
     July 28, 2013;
       Whereas, according to Human Rights Watch, ``the Cambodian 
     government-controlled National Election Committee (NEC) has 
     failed to address credible allegations of voter fraud and 
     other irregularities or systematic unfairness in the election 
     process'';
       Whereas opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) 
     leader Sam Rainsy noted in an October 7, 2013, Cambodia Daily 
     op-ed article that the inaugural meeting of the newly formed 
     government was boycotted by 55 CNRP-elected parliamentarians 
     as a result of the refusal of the ruling Cambodian People's 
     Party to address ``shocking election irregularities'' that 
     allegedly denied CNRP additional parliamentary seats;
       Whereas United Nations' Special Rapporteur for Human Rights 
     in Cambodia Surya P. Subedi noted that ``it is critical for 
     the new National Assembly to be represented by the two key 
     parties, for the National Assembly to be truly representative 
     of the whole of the Cambodian people and for it to be 
     concluded that the right to vote was effectively exercised on 
     28 July'';
       Whereas in a September 23, 2013, statement, the United 
     States Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, called for ``a 
     transparent review of irregularities in the July 28 national 
     elections which would help efforts to assess and address 
     flaws in the electoral process and give the Cambodian people 
     greater confidence in the electoral system'';
       Whereas the CNRP boycott calls into question the legitimacy 
     of the Cambodian National Assembly and government; and
       Whereas the policy of the Administration of a strategic 
     rebalance toward the Asia Pacific Region should include 
     support for democracy, human rights, and justice in Cambodia: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     United States should suspend military assistance for Cambodia 
     until--
       (1) an independent and credible investigation occurs into 
     the July 28, 2013, parliamentary elections in Cambodia, and 
     any recommendations arising out of such investigation are 
     fully implemented; and
       (2) the Government of Cambodia, in consultation with civil 
     society and political parties in Cambodia, is implementing 
     election reforms to prevent incidents of fraud and abuse in 
     subsequent national and local elections in Cambodia.
                                 ______
                                 

SENATE RESOLUTION 272--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 20, 2013, 
                 AS ``NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK''

  Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Cochran, Mr. 
Blunt, Mr. Enzi, and Ms. Landrieu) submitted the following resolution; 
which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 272

       Whereas the well-being of the United States requires that 
     the young people of the United States become an involved, 
     caring citizenry of good character;
       Whereas the character education of children has become more 
     urgent, as violence by and against youth increasingly 
     threatens the physical and psychological well-being of the 
     people of the United States;
       Whereas, more than ever, children need strong and 
     constructive guidance from their families and their 
     communities, including schools, youth organizations, 
     religious institutions, and civic groups;
       Whereas the character of a nation is only as strong as the 
     character of its individual citizens;
       Whereas the public good is advanced when young people are 
     taught the importance of good character and the positive 
     effects that good character can have in personal 
     relationships, in school, and in the workplace;
       Whereas scholars and educators agree that people do not 
     automatically develop good character and that, therefore, 
     conscientious efforts must be made by institutions and 
     individuals that influence youth to help young people develop 
     the essential traits and characteristics that comprise good 
     character;
       Whereas, although character development is, first and 
     foremost, an obligation of families, the efforts of faith 
     communities, schools, and youth, civic, and human service 
     organizations also play an important role in fostering and 
     promoting good character;
       Whereas Congress encourages students, teachers, parents, 
     youth, and community leaders to recognize the importance of 
     character education in preparing young people to play a role 
     in determining the future of the United States;
       Whereas effective character education is based on core 
     ethical values, which form the foundation of a democratic 
     society;
       Whereas examples of character are trustworthiness, respect, 
     responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship, and honesty;
       Whereas elements of character transcend cultural, 
     religious, and socioeconomic differences;
       Whereas the character and conduct of our youth reflect the 
     character and conduct of society, and, therefore, every adult 
     has the responsibility to teach and model ethical values and 
     every social institution has the responsibility to promote 
     the development of good character;
       Whereas Congress encourages individuals and organizations, 
     especially those that have an interest in the education and 
     training of the young people of the United States, to adopt 
     the elements of character as intrinsic to the well-being of 
     individuals, communities, and society;
       Whereas many schools in the United States recognize the 
     need, and have taken steps, to integrate the values of their 
     communities into their teaching activities; and
       Whereas the establishment of ``National Character Counts 
     Week'', during which individuals, families, schools, youth 
     organizations, religious institutions, civic groups, and 
     other organizations focus on character education, is of great 
     benefit to the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week beginning October 20, 2013, as 
     ``National Character Counts Week''; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States and 
     interested groups--
       (A) to embrace the elements of character identified by 
     local schools and communities, such as trustworthiness, 
     respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship; 
     and
       (B) to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies, 
     programs, and activities.
                                 ______
                                 

 SENATE RESOLUTION 273--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 26, 2013, AS ``DAY OF THE 
                               DEPLOYED''

  Mr. HOEVEN (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Blunt, Mr. 
Tester, and Ms. Heitkamp) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 273

       Whereas more than 2,500,000 individuals serve as members of 
     the United States Armed Forces;
       Whereas several hundred thousand members of the Armed 
     Forces rotate each year through deployments to over 150 
     countries in every region of the world;
       Whereas more than 2,300,000 members of the Armed Forces 
     have deployed to the area of operations of the United States 
     Central Command since the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
     attacks;
       Whereas the United States is kept strong and free by the 
     loyal military personnel from the active, National Guard, and 
     Reserve components, who protect the precious heritage of the 
     country through their positive declaration and actions;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces serving at home and 
     abroad have courageously answered the call to duty to defend 
     the ideals of the United States and to preserve peace and 
     freedom around the world;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces personify the virtues 
     of patriotism, service, duty, courage, and sacrifice;
       Whereas the families of members of the Armed Forces make 
     important and significant sacrifices for the United States;
       Whereas the Senate designated October 26 as ``Day of the 
     Deployed'' in 2011 and 2012; and
       Whereas all 50 States designated October 26 as ``Day of the 
     Deployed'' in 2012: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 26, 2013, as ``Day of the 
     Deployed'';
       (2) honors the deployed members of the United States Armed 
     Forces and their families;
       (3) calls on the people of the United States to reflect on 
     the service of those members of the Armed Forces, wherever 
     they serve, past, present, and future; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     Day of the Deployed with appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities.
                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 274--SUPPORTING LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL, A NATIONAL 
      CELEBRATION OF AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS HELD ON OCTOBER 17, 2013

  Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, 
Mr. Baucus, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Cochran, and Mrs. 
Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

[[Page S7539]]

                              S. Res. 274

       Whereas more than 28,000,000 children in the United States 
     have parents who work outside the home and approximately 
     15,100,000 children in the United States have no place to go 
     after school;
       Whereas high-quality programs that expand learning 
     opportunities for children, such as afterschool, before-
     school, summer, and expanded learning programs, provide safe, 
     challenging, engaging, and fun learning experiences that help 
     children and youth develop social, emotional, physical, 
     cultural, and academic skills;
       Whereas high-quality afterschool programs and high-quality 
     expanded learning programs provide students with hands-on, 
     engaging lessons that are aligned with the school day;
       Whereas high-quality afterschool programs complement 
     regular and expanded school days, and support working 
     families by ensuring that the children of those families are 
     safe and productive during the hours parents are working;
       Whereas high-quality afterschool programs engage families, 
     schools, and diverse community partners in advancing the 
     well-being of children and youth in the United States;
       Whereas high-quality afterschool programs that partner with 
     high-quality community-based organizations build stronger 
     communities by integrating the school with the larger 
     community;
       Whereas Lights On Afterschool, a national celebration of 
     afterschool, before-school, summer, and expanded learning 
     programs held on October 17, 2013, highlights the critical 
     importance of these high-quality programs in the lives of 
     children, their families, and their communities; and
       Whereas nearly 2 in 5 afterschool programs report that 
     their budgets are in worse condition today than at the height 
     of the recession in 2008, and more than 3 in 5 afterschool 
     programs report that their level of funding is lower than it 
     was 3 years ago, making it difficult for afterschool programs 
     across the United States to keep their doors open and their 
     lights on: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate supports Lights On Afterschool, a 
     national celebration of afterschool programs held on October 
     17, 2013.
                                 ______
                                 

     SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 24--PROVIDING FOR A CONDITIONAL 
ADJOURNMENT OR RECESS OF THE SENATE AND AN ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE OF 
                            REPRESENTATIVES

  Mr. REID of Nevada submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was considered and agreed to:

                            S. Con. Res. 24

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That when the Senate recesses or adjourns on any 
     day from Wednesday, October 16, 2013, through Friday, October 
     25, 2013, on a motion offered pursuant to this concurrent 
     resolution by its Majority Leader or his designee, it stand 
     recessed or adjourned until 12:00 noon on Monday, October 28, 
     2013, or such other time on that day as may be specified by 
     its Majority Leader or his designee in the motion to recess 
     or adjourn, or until the time of any reassembly pursuant to 
     section 2 of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs 
     first; and that when the House adjourns on any legislative 
     day from Wednesday, October 16, 2013, through Monday, October 
     21, 2013, on a motion offered pursuant to this concurrent 
     resolution by its Majority Leader or his designee, it stand 
     adjourned until 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2013, or 
     until the time of any reassembly pursuant to section 2 of 
     this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first.
       Sec. 2. The Majority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker 
     of the House, or their respective designees, acting jointly 
     after consultation with the Minority Leader of the Senate and 
     the Minority Leader of the House, shall notify the Members of 
     the Senate and House, respectively, to reassemble at such 
     place and time as they may designate if, in their opinion, 
     the public interest shall warrant it.

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