[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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