,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #c  ,,in ,,the        
,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states   
,february #ac1 #bjai,mr4 ,boozman 7for  
himself and ,mr4 ,cotton7 submitted the 
following concurrent resolution2 which  
was referred to the ,committee on       
,energy and ,natural ,resources         
,,concurrent ,,resolution  ,recognizing 
the rich history1 heritage1 and         
strategic importance of the ,republic of
 the ,marshall ,islands and the         
,marshallese population residing in the 
,united ,states4  ,whereas the ,republic
 of the ,marshall ,islands-- 7#a7 is a  
sovereign country in free association   
with the ,united ,states under the      
,compact of ,free ,association between  
the ,government of the ,united ,states  
and the ,government of the ,republic of 
the ,marshall ,islands 7referred to in  
this preamble as the ,compact71 approved
 in the ,compact of ,free ,association  
,act of #aihe 7,public ,law #ii-bci2 #ii
 ,stat4 #aggj7 and amended by the       

,compact of ,free ,association          
,amendments ,act of #bjjc 7,public ,law 
#ajh-ahh2 #aag ,stat4 #bgbj71 which     
authorizes economic assistance1 through 
,federal grants and programs1 to persons
 in the ,republic of the ,marshall      
,islands2 and  7#b7 has full authority  
and responsibility over security and    
defense matters relating to the         
,republic of the ,marshall ,islands2    
,whereas1 under the ,compact1 eligible  
citizens of the ,republic of the        
,marshall ,islands may reside1 work1 and
 study in the ,united ,states without a 
visa and may serve in the ,armed ,forces
 of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas an    
estimated #a_/c of the population of the
 ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands has
 relocated to the ,united ,states2 and  
,whereas ,marshallese individuals who   
live in the ,united ,states--  7#a7     
offer positive economic and cultural    
benefits to the communities in which    
those individuals live2  7#b7 pay       
,federal and ,state taxes but are not   

eligible for benefits under-- 7,a7 the  
,medicare program established under     
title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq472 or  
7,b7 the ,medicaid program established  
under title ,,xix of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et  
seq472 and  7#c7 were undercounted in   
the #bjaj census and1 as a result1 areas
 where those individuals live are       
underserved by the ,federal ,government3
 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that          
,congress-- 7#a7 commends--  7,a7 the   
rich history and heritage of the        
,republic of the ,marshall ,islands2 and
  7,b7 citizens of the ,republic of the 
,marshall ,islands who live in the      
,united ,states for the contributions of
 those individuals to--  7i7 the        
communities in which those individuals  
live2 and  7ii7 the national defense of 
the ,united ,states through their       
service in the ,armed ,forces of the    
,united ,states2  7#b7 recognizes the   
strategic importance of the ,republic of

 the ,marshall ,islands2 and  7#c7      
encourages a continued commitment to    
improve census data to better serve     
citizens of the ,republic of the        
,marshall ,islands who live in the      
,united ,states4