[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 26--COMMENDING POPE FRANCIS FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN 
 HELPING TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF ALAN GROSS AND FOR WORKING WITH THE 
 GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CUBA TO ACHIEVE A MORE POSITIVE 
                              RELATIONSHIP

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Flake, Mr. Cardin, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Enzi, Ms. Collins, Mr. Brown, Mr. Udall, and Mr. Kaine) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                               S. Res. 26

       Whereas Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, 
     Argentina, was elected Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church 
     on March 13, 2013;
       Whereas his election marked the first time a Pope from the 
     Americas and a Jesuit has been selected, as well as the first 
     time a pope took the papal name of Francis, after St. Francis 
     of Assisi;
       Whereas Pope Francis has been recognized for his humility, 
     dedication to the poor, and commitment to dialogue and 
     reconciliation;
       Whereas United States citizen and former United States 
     Agency for International Development subcontractor Alan 
     Phillip Gross traveled to Cuba five times in 2009, working to 
     establish wireless networks and improve Internet and Intranet 
     access and connectivity for the Cuban people;
       Whereas Mr. Gross was arrested in Havana, Cuba, on December 
     3, 2009, charged with ``actions against the independence or 
     the territorial integrity of the state'' in February 2011, 
     and sentenced to 15 years in prison;
       Whereas, on November 21, 2013, 66 United States Senators 
     wrote to President Barack Obama urging him ``to act 
     expeditiously to take whatever steps are in the national 
     interest to obtain [Alan Gross's] release,'' and pledging 
     ``to support [the] Administration in pursuit of this worthy 
     goal'';
       Whereas during Mr. Gross's five years in prison, his health 
     seriously deteriorated and his mother Evelyn Gross passed 
     away;
       Whereas Mr. Gross's family remained tirelessly committed to 
     ensuring his well-being and return to the United States;
       Whereas, over the course of several years, the United 
     States Government used a variety of channels to encourage the 
     Government of Cuba to release Mr. Gross;
       Whereas, in March 2012, during his visit to Cuba, then-Pope 
     Benedict raised Mr. Gross's detention with President Raul 
     Castro;
       Whereas, in 2013, the Governments of the United States and 
     Cuba began 18 months of closed door talks on Mr. Gross's 
     detention and on improving the relations between the two 
     countries;
       Whereas, in October 2014, Pope Francis played a key role in 
     the negotiations between the United States and Cuba, making 
     personal appeals to both President Obama and President Raul 
     Castro, pushing for reconciliation between the two countries, 
     and hosting a diplomatic meeting at the Vatican between the 
     United States and Cuba;
       Whereas, on December 17, 2014, the Government of Cuba 
     released Alan Gross on humanitarian grounds and allowed him 
     to return to the United States;
       Whereas, on December 17, 2014, President Obama also 
     announced the reestablishment of diplomatic ties with Cuba;
       Whereas, in this announcement, President Obama thanked Pope 
     Francis for his involvement and the example he provides to 
     the international community; and
       Whereas, on December 18, 2014, Pope Francis said, ``The 
     work of an ambassador lies in small steps, small things, but 
     they always end up making peace, bringing closer the hearts 
     of people, sowing brotherhood among people.'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) extends its gratitude to Pope Francis for his 
     extraordinary efforts in helping to secure the release of 
     Alan Gross;
       (2) commends His Holiness for his role in encouraging an 
     improved relationship between the United States and Cuba; and
       (3) warmly welcomes the return to the United States of Alan 
     Gross.

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