[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 86 (Thursday, May 7, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2328-S2329]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 567--COMMENDING CAREER PROFESSIONALS AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR THEIR EXTENSIVE EFFORTS TO REPATRIATE UNITED
STATES CITIZENS AND LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS DURING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Coons, Mrs.
Shaheen, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Markey, Mr. Booker, Mr. Rubio,
Mr. Romney, and Mr. Cruz) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 567
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented
disruption in global commerce and travel;
Whereas foreign governments around the world have limited
and restricted commercial travel arriving and departing from
their countries to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by closing
airports, seaports, and borders;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel
restrictions abroad left tens of thousands of United States
citizens and legal permanent residents overseas without a
direct way to return to the United States;
Whereas it was an extraordinary challenge for the
Department of State to help so many Americans seeking
repatriation from around the world at the same time;
Whereas on March 19, 2020, in response to the COVID-19
pandemic and the mounting repatriation demand from United
States citizens and legal permanent residents living abroad,
the Department of State created a Repatriation Task Force to
facilitate the repatriation of these Americans and to notify
Congress and any Americans needing repatriation assistance of
these efforts;
Whereas career professionals at the Department of State,
with exemplary contributions from the members of the
Department's Repatriation Task Force and embassy and
consulate staff around the world, in partnership with
commercial airlines and the United States Transportation
Command, brought home more than 78,000 Americans on 833
flights originating from 128 countries and territories during
an 18-week period;
Whereas Department of State officers, their family members,
and locally engaged staff faced personal risk, long hours,
and rapidly changing local circumstances to assist Americans
needing transportation to the United States;
Whereas Department of State officers and contract employees
across the United States have worked to ensure that vital
visa and passport services remain operational, including for
tasks critical to the support of our national security,
health care systems, and food supply chains; and
Whereas at least 450 Department of State personnel were
diagnosed with COVID-19, including 5 who died from the
illness: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the tremendous work done by Department of
State career professionals--
(A) to address the extraordinary challenges related to the
COVID-19 pandemic; and
(B) to bring home more than 78,000 American citizens during
a time of crisis;
(2) thanks Department of State career professionals who
volunteered to work at all hours to meet the Department's
highest priority, which was helping fellow citizens in a time
of dire need and stress;
(3) commends the Repatriation Task Force for their efforts
to facilitate the repatriation of United States citizens and
lawful permanent residents;
(4) thanks the employees at United States embassies and
consulates throughout the world, particularly career consular
officers, for their work to identify flights and execute the
departure procedure of thousands of individuals, despite
difficult operating conditions on the ground;
[[Page S2329]]
(5) thanks the United States Transportation Command for its
assistance in securing flights for United States citizens and
legal permanent residents;
(6) recognizes the efforts made by partners overseas to
help United States embassies and consulates secure the
flights and ground transportation need to allow these
Americans to return home;
(7) expresses its condolences to the families, friends, and
colleagues of those Department of State personnel who died as
a result of COVID-19; and
(8) urges the employees of the Department of State to
continue the important work of bringing home United States
citizens and legal permanent residents who remain stranded in
foreign countries.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce a resolution
with Senator Risch, as well as other colleagues, to thank countless
State Department career officials for their extensive efforts to bring
home over 78,000 United States citizens and legal permanent residents
during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic caused an unprecedented
disruption in global travel, leaving tens of thousands of United States
citizens and legal permanent residents stranded overseas with no direct
way to return to the United States. While we will have ample
opportunity in the future to examine and better understand the
decisions made by senior leadership at the Department of State at the
onset of the COVID-19 crisis that could have allowed the United States
to more effectively respond to this pandemic, including to identify and
mitigate repatriation challenges, I will note that once the Department
recognized the enormity of the repatriation crisis, it's career
professionals sprung into action and, characteristically, rose to meet
the challenge and serve their nation with distinction.
Staying true to the Department's most fundamental mission, to protect
U.S. citizens abroad, State Department officers, family members, and
local employees faced great personal risk and long hours to assist U.S.
citizens during a time of dire need and stress. For that, my colleagues
and I are tremendously grateful. We commend the extraordinary work done
by the Repatriation Task Force, embassy and consulate staff around the
world, and the United States Transportation Command. Their efforts
resulted in the repatriation of over 78,000 Americans on 833 flights
originating from 128 countries and territories in just an 18-week
period. I would also like to extend my deepest thanks to Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary Ian Brownlee and Deputy Assistant Secretary
Hugo Yon for their exemplary leadership of and contribution to the
Repatriation Task Force, as well as to Wendy Kennedy for her work with
the Bureau of Legislative Affairs. Furthermore, I would like to thank
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie Chung, Deputy Assistant
Secretary Kevin O'Reilly, Consul General Dana Deree (Honduras), Consul
General William Bent (El Salvador), Consul General John Barrett
(Recife), Deputy Chief of Mission Denison Offutt (Lima), Director for
Central America Affairs Marta Youth, and Country Consular Coordinator
Alexander Delorey (Quito) for their leadership in facilitating the
repatriation of thousands of Americans citizens from countries in the
Western hemisphere. I recognize that in calling out these individuals
who were especially helpful to me and to my office that I run the risk
of not naming the tens, if not hundreds of others who worked just as
hard and contributed just as much; they have my thanks as well.
I, along with my colleagues, are profoundly grateful to the
Department of State personnel who have worked tirelessly these past few
months, who have served the United States above and beyond the call of
duty, and who have helped their fellow citizen in a time of dire need.
I urge the Department to continue its good work and to remain ready to
bring home American citizens and legal permanent residents as the
COVID-19 pandemic persists.
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