[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3278-S3279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMENDING THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA FOR
THEIR HEROIC EFFORTS TO SUPPORT UKRAINIAN REFUGEES
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 413, S.
Res. 638.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 638) commending the Government and
people of the Republic of Moldova for their heroic efforts to
support Ukrainian refugees fleeing President Putin's illegal
war against Ukraine.
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, as follows:
[[Page S3279]]
S. Res. 638
Whereas, on February 18, 2022, the United States and
Moldova marked 30 years of diplomatic relations;
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, armed forces of the Russian
Federation began an illegal, unjustified, and unprovoked
attack on Ukraine with missile strikes against densely
populated urban areas, including Kyiv, the capital of
Ukraine, and the regional hubs of Odesa and Mykolayiv, which
lie close to Moldova;
Whereas Moldova is a country of approximately 2,600,000
people that relies heavily on remittances sent to Moldova by
the Moldovan diaspora;
Whereas, in 2011, the Government of Moldova passed a law
entitled ``Law on Integration of Foreigners in the Republic
of Moldova'', which provided refugees and beneficiaries of
humanitarian protection access to social security, primary
and secondary education, medical insurance, cultural
integration support, language classes, and employment
counseling;
Whereas, prior to the most recent invasion of Ukraine by
President Vladimir Putin, the Government of Moldova assessed
that the infrastructure in Moldova could accommodate not more
than 15,000 refugees;
Whereas, only one day after the commencement of the
unconscionable attack on Ukraine by President Putin, the
people of Moldova welcomed more than 16,000 refugees;
Whereas, since 2014, more than 450,000 refugees fleeing the
invasion of Ukraine by President Putin had entered Moldova
and more than 100,000 of such refugees chose to remain in
Moldova;
Whereas, by March 7, 2022, 89 percent of Ukrainian refugees
arriving in Moldova were women and children;
Whereas, by March 9, 2022, an estimated 6 out of every 100
people in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, were refugees;
Whereas, by April 26, 2022, refugees comprised more than 16
percent of the population of Moldova;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Representative for Central Europe Roland Schilling said,
``The attitude of Moldovan authorities is really
impressive'', and noted that ``local communities came to help
refugees, feeding them, supporting them'' at the border;
Whereas the Government of Moldova has created ``green
corridors'' to facilitate the crossing of refugees from
Ukraine to Romania and other countries in the European Union;
Whereas, over the past year, the Government of Moldova and
civil society have embarked on meaningful reform of the
justice system and promoted good governance and economic
stability in Moldova;
Whereas, on March 3, 2022, Moldova formally submitted its
application to join the European Union, signaling a
commitment to democratic values and the rule of law;
Whereas, on March 16, 2022, the European Union announced
that Moldova and Ukraine had completed the emergency
synchronization process with the Continental European Grid,
operated by the European Network of Transmission System
Operators;
Whereas, as of April 21, 2022, the United States has
provided more than $25,000,000 to support humanitarian
operations in Moldova;
Whereas, on April 22, 2022, a senior military official of
the Russian Federation indicated that the Russian Federation
intended to conquer southern Ukraine and join that territory
with Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova; and
Whereas, in late April and early May 2022, reports of
unexplained explosions in Transnistria elevated concerns that
the Russia Federation could expand its war into Moldova: Now,
therefore, be it
[Resolved,]
That the Senate--
(1) commends the people of Moldova for their hospitality
and extraordinary efforts hosting more than 100,000 refugees
fleeing Ukraine;
(2) condemns provocation and aggressive action by the
Russian Federation in the Transnistria region of Moldova;
(3) reaffirms the sovereignty of Moldova and supports the
choice of the Government of Moldova to further integrate with
structures of the European Union;
(4) calls on the United States Government to continue to
provide meaningful and targeted financial and technical
support to Moldova;
(5) calls on international partners to join the United
States in providing swift and immediate humanitarian aid to
Ukrainians in Moldova;
(6) calls on the United States Government to continue
working with the European Network of Transmission System
Operators, the Government of Moldova, and the Government of
Ukraine to complete full synchronization of the electricity
grids of Moldova and Ukraine with the Continental European
Grid; and
(7) expresses support for the ongoing efforts by the
Government of Moldova to reform the justice sector, promote
good governance, and bolster the energy security of Moldova.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute
amendment to the resolution be agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
agreed to.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I know of no further debate on the resolution, as
amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
If not, the question is on agreeing to the resolution, as amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 638), as amended, was agreed to.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask that the preamble be agreed to and that the
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with
no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble was agreed to.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S3279, July 13, 2022, second and third columns, the
following appears: The resolution, as amended, with its preamble
reads as follows: S. 3470 (NOTE: S. 3470 bill text follows)
The online Record has been corrected to read: The resolution, as
amended, with its preamble was agreed to. (NOTE: DELETE S. 3470
text)
========================= END NOTE =========================
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