[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 95 (Monday, June 15, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2032. Mr. McCAIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1264. SENSE OF SENATE ON THE EASING OF RESTRICTIONS ON 
                   THE SALE OF LETHAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO THE 
                   GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM.

       It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) Vietnam is an important emerging partner with which the 
     United States increasingly shares strategic and economic 
     interests, including improving bilateral and multilateral 
     capacity for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 
     upholding the principles of freedom of the seas and peaceful 
     resolution of international disputes, strengthening an open 
     regional trading order, and maintaining a favorable balance 
     of power in the Asia-Pacific region;
       (2) the Government of Vietnam has recently taken modest but 
     encouraging steps to improve its human rights record, 
     including signing the United Nations Convention Against 
     Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 
     Punishment, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 
     December 10, 1984, increasing registrations for places of 
     worship, taking greater action to combat human trafficking, 
     reviewing the Criminal Code, and continuing to conduct high-
     level engagement with the United States and international 
     human rights non-governmental organizations;
       (3) in light of growing challenges in the Asia-Pacific 
     region and some steps by the Government of Vietnam to improve 
     its human rights record, in 2014 the Department of State, in 
     close consultation with the United States Senate, took steps 
     to ease the United States prohibition on the sale of lethal 
     military equipment to Vietnam for maritime and costal 
     defense;
       (4) easing the prohibition on the sale of lethal military 
     equipment to Vietnam at this time, solely regarding platforms 
     that facilitate the ability of the armed forces of Vietnam to 
     operate more effectively on, above, and within its 
     territorial waters and for coastal defense, would further 
     United States national security interests, but steps beyond 
     this to ease further the prohibition would require the 
     Government of Vietnam to take significant additional and 
     sustained steps to protect human rights, including releases 
     of prisoners of conscience and legal reforms;
       (5) the United States Government should continue to support 
     civil society in Vietnam, including advocates for religious 
     freedom, press freedom, and labor rights who seek to use 
     peaceful means to build a strong and prosperous Vietnam that 
     respects human rights and the rule of law; and
       (6) the United States Government should continue to engage 
     the Government of Vietnam in a high-level dialogue and 
     specify what steps on human rights would be necessary for the 
     Government of Vietnam to take in order to continue 
     strengthening the bilateral relationship.
                                 ______