[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 16, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3014-S3016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YOUNG SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS
INITIATIVE TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE MEMBER
STATES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS AND TO ADVANCING
THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION
Mr. GARDNER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 465, S. Res. 392.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 392) recognizing the importance of
the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative to the
relationship between the United States and the member states
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and to
advancing the policy of the United States in the Indo-Pacific
region.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to strike
the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
Whereas the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative
(YSEALI) was created in 2013 to build
[[Page S3015]]
a cadre of emerging leaders in member states of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the goal
of fostering regional cooperation and partnership with the
United States;
Whereas YSEALI is composed of influential young leaders
between 18 and 35 years of age from ASEAN countries (Brunei,
Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and Timor-Leste who are
making a difference in their communities, countries, and the
region;
Whereas 65 percent of the population of the ASEAN region is
under 35 years of age, and these 400,000,000 youth will
determine the future of the region for decades to come;
Whereas YSEALI aims to further strengthen the enduring
partnership between the United States and ASEAN;
Whereas YSEALI bolsters the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
pillar that seeks to build a people-centered, people-oriented
ASEAN community, as reiterated at the 52nd ASEAN Foreign
Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok in July 2019;
Whereas YSEALI encourages its leaders to partner with each
other and the United States Government to address common
challenges, including economic growth, sustainable
development, education, and civic engagement;
Whereas YSEALI academic and professional exchange programs
in the United States allow visiting leaders to experience the
culture and values of the United States first-hand, while
establishing personal and professional ties to experts,
institutions, organizations, companies, and local governments
in the United States;
Whereas participants in YSEALI exchanges, upon returning to
their countries, help promote a positive understanding of the
United States;
Whereas YSEALI allows United States experts to visit ASEAN
countries to share their expertise and work with YSEALI
alumni on projects that advance common goals;
Whereas YSEALI programs in the Indo-Pacific region build
the capacity of civil society in the fields of human rights,
good governance, anti-corruption and transparency, social
entrepreneurship, and media literacy, which are key to the
Indo-Pacific efforts of the United States Government;
Whereas YSEALI programming increases the visibility of the
United States in the Indo-Pacific region;
Whereas, in seven years, YSEALI has grown into a thriving
community of more than 5,000 alumni and more than 140,000
virtual network participants;
Whereas YSEALI alumni are already distinguishing themselves
as influential government officials, entrepreneurs, human
rights activists, journalists, social entrepreneurs, and
educators;
Whereas outstanding YSEALI alumni include two former
Malaysian cabinet ministers and a Pulitzer Prize-winning
Burmese journalist imprisoned for investigating human rights
violations against the Rohingya;
Whereas YSEALI alumni are valuable partners to embassies
and agencies of the United States overseas;
Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-409; 132 Stat. 5387) (referred to in this preamble as
``ARIA'') emphasized the importance of ASEAN to the United
States and supported the elevation of the relationship
between the United States and ASEAN to a strategic
partnership; and
Whereas ARIA authorized $25,000,000 to be appropriated for
each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to support Indo-
Pacific young leaders initiatives, including YSEALI, the
ASEAN Youth Volunteers Program, and other people-to-people
exchange programs that focus on building the capacity of
democracy, human rights, and good governance activists in the
Indo-Pacific region: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates the partnership of the United States with
young leaders in Southeast Asia;
(2) recognizes the importance of the Young Southeast Asian
Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) to--
(A) advancing the soft power of the United States in
Southeast Asia; and
(B) promoting human rights, democracy, and good governance
in the Indo-Pacific region;
(3) emphasizes the key role of YSEALI in--
(A) strengthening the relationship of the United States
with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN); and
(B) elevating the profile and standing of the United States
as a major partner in the region;
(4) stresses the importance of YSEALI in building
leadership capacity among civil society, governments, and
private enterprises in ASEAN member states and across
Southeast Asia; and
(5) encourages the Department of State to promote the
YSEALI program to the maximum extent possible as a valuable
tool to advance mutually beneficial cooperation with partners
in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mr. GARDNER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to;
that the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the committee-
reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as
amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered
made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
agreed to.
The resolution (S. Res. 392), as amended, was agreed to.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows
S. Res. 392
Whereas the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative
(YSEALI) was created in 2013 to build a cadre of emerging
leaders in member states of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the goal of fostering regional
cooperation and partnership with the United States;
Whereas YSEALI is composed of influential young leaders
between 18 and 35 years of age from ASEAN countries (Brunei,
Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and Timor-Leste who are
making a difference in their communities, countries, and the
region;
Whereas 65 percent of the population of the ASEAN region is
under 35 years of age, and these 400,000,000 youth will
determine the future of the region for decades to come;
Whereas YSEALI aims to further strengthen the enduring
partnership between the United States and ASEAN;
Whereas YSEALI bolsters the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
pillar that seeks to build a people-centered, people-oriented
ASEAN community, as reiterated at the 52nd ASEAN Foreign
Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok in July 2019;
Whereas YSEALI encourages its leaders to partner with each
other and the United States Government to address common
challenges, including economic growth, sustainable
development, education, and civic engagement;
Whereas YSEALI academic and professional exchange programs
in the United States allow visiting leaders to experience the
culture and values of the United States first-hand, while
establishing personal and professional ties to experts,
institutions, organizations, companies, and local governments
in the United States;
Whereas participants in YSEALI exchanges, upon returning to
their countries, help promote a positive understanding of the
United States;
Whereas YSEALI allows United States experts to visit ASEAN
countries to share their expertise and work with YSEALI
alumni on projects that advance common goals;
Whereas YSEALI programs in the Indo-Pacific region build
the capacity of civil society in the fields of human rights,
good governance, anti-corruption and transparency, social
entrepreneurship, and media literacy, which are key to the
Indo-Pacific efforts of the United States Government;
Whereas YSEALI programming increases the visibility of the
United States in the Indo-Pacific region;
Whereas, in seven years, YSEALI has grown into a thriving
community of more than 5,000 alumni and more than 140,000
virtual network participants;
Whereas YSEALI alumni are already distinguishing themselves
as influential government officials, entrepreneurs, human
rights activists, journalists, social entrepreneurs, and
educators;
Whereas outstanding YSEALI alumni include two former
Malaysian cabinet ministers and a Pulitzer Prize-winning
Burmese journalist imprisoned for investigating human rights
violations against the Rohingya;
Whereas YSEALI alumni are valuable partners to embassies
and agencies of the United States overseas;
Whereas the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public
Law 115-409; 132 Stat. 5387) (referred to in this preamble as
``ARIA'') emphasized the importance of ASEAN to the United
States and supported the elevation of the relationship
between the United States and ASEAN to a strategic
partnership; and
Whereas ARIA authorized $25,000,000 to be appropriated for
each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to support Indo-
Pacific young leaders initiatives, including YSEALI, the
ASEAN Youth Volunteers Program, and other people-to-people
exchange programs that focus on building the capacity of
democracy, human rights, and good governance activists in the
Indo-Pacific region: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates the partnership of the United States with
young leaders in Southeast Asia;
(2) recognizes the importance of the Young Southeast Asian
Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) to--
(A) advancing the soft power of the United States in
Southeast Asia; and
(B) promoting human rights, democracy, and good governance
in the Indo-Pacific region;
(3) emphasizes the key role of YSEALI in--
(A) strengthening the relationship of the United States
with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN); and
(B) elevating the profile and standing of the United States
as a major partner in the region;
(4) stresses the importance of YSEALI in building
leadership capacity among civil society, governments, and
private enterprises in ASEAN member states and across
Southeast Asia; and
(5) encourages the Department of State to promote the
YSEALI program to the maximum extent possible as a valuable
tool to advance mutually beneficial cooperation with partners
in the Indo-Pacific region.
[[Page S3016]]
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