[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4696-H4697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SINGAPOREAN INDEPENDENCE AND 
    REAFFIRMING SINGAPORE'S CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of House 
Resolution 374, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 374

       Whereas the Republic of Singapore became independent on 
     August 9, 1965;
       Whereas Singapore and the United States share founding 
     principles, including belief in meritocracy and equality of 
     opportunity;
       Whereas Singapore has been an early and continued supporter 
     of the United States engagement in Asia to safeguard the 
     peace, stability, and prosperity of the region;
       Whereas Singapore underwent rapid growth following 
     independence, with approximate per capita Gross Domestic 
     Product growing from approximately $500 in 1965 to 
     approximately $56,000 in 2014;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded the 
     United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement in 2004, the 
     first bilateral trade agreement between the United States and 
     an Asian country;
       Whereas Singapore has become a major United States trading 
     partner, with $65 billion in bilateral goods and services 
     trade in 2013, as well as more than $154.4 billion in United 
     States Foreign Direct Investment in Singapore and $20 billion 
     of Singaporean Foreign Direct Investment in the United 
     States;
       Whereas Singapore was a founding member of the Association 
     of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and remains a key 
     partner with the United States in the East Asia Summit;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore established the 
     United States-Singapore Third Country Training Program in 
     2012 to provide technical and capacity-building assistance to 
     recipient countries;
       Whereas Singapore provided the United States access to its 
     military facilities with the 1990 Memorandum of 
     Understanding, to which an addendum was added in 1998, 
     supporting the continued security presence of the United 
     States in Southeast Asia;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded a 
     Strategic Framework Agreement in 2005 which recognized 
     Singapore as a ``Major Security Cooperation Partner'' of the 
     United States;
       Whereas Singapore facilitates the rotational deployment of 
     Littoral Combat Ships from the United States at Changi Naval 
     Base;
       Whereas the United States currently hosts four Republic of 
     Singapore Air Force training detachments, comprising the 
     Republic of Singapore Air Force's F-15SG and F-16 fighter 
     jets, as well as Apache and Chinook helicopters, at bases in 
     Arizona, Idaho, and Texas;
       Whereas the Singapore Armed Forces supported multinational 
     reconstruction efforts in Iraq from 2003 to 2008, aided 
     reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Afghanistan from 
     2007 to 2013, deployed alongside the United States as part of 
     Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) since 2009, including 
     taking command of CTF 151, to combat piracy in the Gulf of 
     Aden and joined the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL in 
     November 2014; and
       Whereas Singapore will celebrate its 50th anniversary of 
     independence in 2015 and commemorate 50 years of bilateral 
     relations with the United States in 2016: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) sends its warm congratulations to the people of 
     Singapore as they celebrate 50 years of independence and 
     nation-building; and
       (2) reaffirms the close partnership between the United 
     States and Singapore ahead of the 50th anniversary of the 
     establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

                     amendment offered by mr. royce

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the text of the 
resolution at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:

       That the House of Representatives--

       (1) affirms the importance of the United States-Singapore 
     strategic partnership in securing regional peace and 
     stability, including through rotational basing and logistical 
     support arrangements which enhance the United States presence 
     in Southeast Asia;
       (2) applauds the Republic of Singapore's leadership in 
     counterterrorism, including the deployment of military assets 
     as part of the anti-ISIL coalition and innovative 
     counterterrorism efforts within the Asia-Pacific region;
       (3) anticipates the deepening of the security relationship 
     following the signing of an enhanced Defense Cooperation 
     Agreement in Washington on December 7, 2015, and welcomes 
     further cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, 
     humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and defense 
     technology;
       (4) recognizes the vitality of the United States-Singapore 
     bilateral trade and investment relationship;
       (5) supports continued close cooperation between the United 
     States and Singapore, through both bilateral initiatives such 
     as the United States-Singapore Third Country Training 
     Program, and multilateral initiatives such as United States-
     ASEAN Connect announced at the recent United States-ASEAN 
     Summit in Sunnylands, to build capacity for commercial 
     engagement, energy development, innovation, trade 
     facilitation, and to achieve development goals in the Asia-
     Pacific region; and
       (6) urges the Administration, to continue its support of 
     multilateral institutions and fora such as the Asia-Pacific 
     Economic Cooperation, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, 
     and the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus, working in 
     close cooperation with partners, such as the Republic of 
     Singapore, who share a commitment to an inclusive, rules-
     based regional architecture.

  Mr. ROYCE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, was agreed to.


             Amendment to the Preamble Offered By Mr. Royce

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment to the preamble at the 
desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas the Republic of Singapore became independent on 
     August 9, 1965, and the United States recognized Singapore's 
     statehood in the same year;
       Whereas Singapore and the United States established formal 
     diplomatic relations in 1966;
       Whereas under the leadership of its first Prime Minister 
     Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore became an early and continued 
     supporter of United States engagement in Asia to safeguard 
     the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore implemented the 
     United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, the first 
     bilateral trade agreement between the United States and an 
     Asian country, in 2004;
       Whereas Singapore and the United States are major trading 
     partners, with $64 billion in bilateral goods and services 
     trade in 2014 and a United States trade surplus in both goods 
     and services;
       Whereas Singapore provided the United States access to its 
     military facilities with a 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, 
     supporting the continued security presence of the United 
     States in Southeast Asia;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded a 
     Strategic Framework Agreement in 2005 which recognized 
     Singapore as a ``Major Security Cooperation Partner'' of the 
     United States;
       Whereas the United States and Singapore signed an enhanced 
     Defense Cooperation Agreement in 2015, expanding dialogue and 
     cooperation in areas such as humanitarian assistance and 
     disaster relief, cyber defense, biosecurity, and public 
     communications;
       Whereas Singapore facilitates the rotational deployment of 
     United States Navy Littoral Combat Ships at its Changi Naval 
     Base;
       Whereas the United States currently hosts four Republic of 
     Singapore Air Force training detachments, comprising the 
     Republic of

[[Page H4697]]

     Singapore Air Force's F-15SG and F-16 fighter jets, as well 
     as Apache and Chinook helicopters, at bases in Arizona, Idaho 
     and Texas;
       Whereas the United States-Singapore Third Country Training 
     Program, established in 2012 and renewed in 2015, provides 
     regional technical and capacity-building assistance in a wide 
     variety of areas to assist recipient countries in reaching 
     their development goals;
       Whereas Singapore was a founding member of the Association 
     of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and remains a key 
     partner of the United States in ASEAN-led mechanisms such as 
     the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN 
     Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus;
       Whereas Singapore will be home to a United States-ASEAN 
     Connect Center, an initiative announced at the United States-
     ASEAN summit in February 2016 to facilitate United States-
     ASEAN engagement and cooperation on energy, innovation, and 
     entrepreneurship;
       Whereas Singapore has played a critical role in enhancing 
     shared maritime domain awareness in Southeast Asia through 
     the establishment of the Republic of Singapore Navy's 
     Information Fusion Center, to facilitate information-sharing 
     and collaboration with partners including the United States 
     against maritime security threats, and through the deployment 
     of United States aircraft at Paya Lebar Air Base;
       Whereas Singapore has been a cybersecurity leader in the 
     ASEAN region, through the unified Cyber Security Agency, as 
     the convener of the annual ASEAN CERT Incident Drill, and as 
     host of the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation;
       Whereas Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country to 
     join the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL in November 2014 
     and has contributed an air refueling tanker, imagery analysis 
     teams, and planning and liaison officers; and
       Whereas Singapore has supported counterterrorism efforts, 
     through the sharing of domestic practices, as well as 
     participation in the White House Summit on Countering Violent 
     Extremism in February 2015, and hosting the East Asia Summit 
     Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social 
     Reintegration in April 2015: Now, therefore, be it

  Mr. ROYCE (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``A resolution 
reaffirming Singapore's strategic partnership with the United States, 
encompassing broad and robust economic, military-to-military, law 
enforcement, and counterterrorism cooperation.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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