,,iii ,calendar ,no4 #dfe #aafth        
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4 ,,res4   
#cib  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the    
,,united ,,states  ,october #ca1        
#bjai,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,markey1 ,mr4 ,gardner1 ,ms4 ,hirono1   
,mr4 ,young1 and ,ms4 ,duckworth7       
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,relations  ,june #c1          
#bjbj,reported by ,mr4 ,risch1 with an  
amendment and an amendment to the       
preamble,strike out all after the       
resolving clause and insert the part    
printed in italic,strike the preamble   
and insert the part printed in italic   
,,resolution  ,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 region4  ,whereas the    

,young ,southeast ,asian ,leaders       
,initiative 7,,yseali7 was created in   
#bjac to build a cadre of emerging      
leaders in member states of the         
,association of ,southeast ,asian       
,nations 7,,asean7 with the goal of     
fostering regional cooperation and      
partnership with the ,united ,states2   
,whereas ,,yseali is composed of        
influential young leaders who are       
between #ah and #ce years of age from   
,,asean countries 7,brunei1 ,burma1     
,cambodia1 ,laos1 ,indonesia1 ,malaysia1
 the ,philippines1 ,singapore1          
,thailand1 and ,vietnam7 and            
,timor-,leste who are making a          
difference in their communities1        
countries1 and the region2 ,whereas #fe 
percent of the population of the ,,asean
 region is under #ce years of age1 and  
these #djj1jjj1jjj youth will determine 
the future of the region for decades to 
come2 ,whereas ,,yseali aims to further 
strengthen the enduring partnership     
between the ,united ,states and ,,asean2

 ,whereas ,,yseali encourages its       
leaders to partner with each other and  
the ,united ,states ,government to      
address common challenges1 including    
economic growth1 sustainable            
development1 education1 and civic       
engagement2 ,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-hand1 while establishing personal 
and professional ties to experts1       
institutions1 organizations1 companies1 
and local governments in the ,united    
,states2 ,whereas ,,yseali exchange     
visitors1 upon returning to their       
countries1 help promote a positive      
understanding of the ,united ,states2   
,whereas ,,yseali allows ,united ,states
 experts to visit ,,asean countries to  
share their expertise and work with     
,,yseali alumni on projects that advance
 common goals2 ,whereas ,,yseali        
programs in the ,indo-,pacific region   

build the capacity of civil society in  
the fields of human rights1 good        
governance1 anti-corruption and         
transparency1 social entrepreneurship1  
and media literacy1 which are key to the
 ,indo-,pacific efforts of the ,united  
,states ,government2 ,whereas ,,yseali  
programming increases the visibility of 
the ,united ,states in the              
,indo-,pacific region2 ,whereas1 in #e  
years1 ,,yseali has grown into a        
thriving community of more than #e1jjj  
alumni and more than #adj1jjj virtual   
network participants2 ,whereas ,,yseali 
alumni are already distinguishing       
themselves as influential government    
officials1 entrepreneurs1 human rights  
activists1 journalists1 social          
entrepreneurs1 and educators2 ,whereas  
outstanding ,,yseali alumni include #b  
,malaysian cabinet ministers and a      
,pulitzer ,prize-winning ,burmese       
journalist imprisoned for investigating 
human rights violations against the     
,rohingya2 ,whereas ,,yseali alumni are 

valuable partners to embassies and      
agencies of the ,united ,states         
overseas2 ,whereas the ,asia            
,reassurance ,initiative ,act of #bjah  
7,public ,law #aae-dji2 #acb ,stat4     
#echg7 7referred to in this preamble as 
,,aria7 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 partnership2
 and ,whereas ,,aria authorized         
#be1jjj1jjj to be appropriated for each 
of fiscal years #bjai through #bjbc to  
support ,indo-,pacific young leaders    
initiatives1 including ,,yseali1 the    
,,asean ,youth ,volunteers ,program1 and
 other people-to-people exchange        
programs that focus on building the     
capacity of democracy1 human rights1 and
 good governance activists in the       
,indo-,pacific region3 ,now1 therefore1 
be it ,whereas the ,young ,southeast    
,asian ,leaders ,initiative 7,,yseali7  
was created in #bjac to build a cadre of

 emerging leaders in member states of   
the ,association of ,southeast ,asian   
,nations 7,,asean7 with the goal of     
fostering regional cooperation and      
partnership with the ,united ,states2   
,whereas ,,yseali is composed of        
influential young leaders between #ah   
and #ce years of age from ,,asean       
countries 7,brunei1 ,burma1 ,cambodia1  
,laos1 ,indonesia1 ,malaysia1 the       
,philippines1 ,singapore1 ,thailand1 and
 ,vietnam7 and ,timor-,leste who are    
making a difference in their            
communities1 countries1 and the region2 
,whereas #fe percent of the population  
of the ,,asean region is under #ce years
 of age1 and these #djj1jjj1jjj youth   
will determine the future of the region 
for decades to come2 ,whereas ,,yseali  
aims to further strengthen the enduring 
partnership between the ,united ,states 
and ,,asean2 ,whereas ,,yseali bolsters 
the ,,asean ,socio-,cultural ,community 
pillar that seeks to build a            
people-centered1 people-oriented ,,asean

 community1 as reiterated at the #ebnd  
,,asean ,foreign ,ministers' ,meeting in
 ,bangkok in ,july #bjai2 ,whereas      
,,yseali encourages its leaders to      
partner with each other and the ,united 
,states ,government to address common   
challenges1 including economic growth1  
sustainable development1 education1 and 
civic engagement2 ,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-hand1 while establishing  
personal and professional ties to       
experts1 institutions1 organizations1   
companies1 and local governments in the 
,united ,states2 ,whereas participants  
in ,,yseali exchanges1 upon returning to
 their countries1 help promote a        
positive understanding of the ,united   
,states2 ,whereas ,,yseali allows       
,united ,states experts to visit ,,asean
 countries to share their expertise and 
work with ,,yseali alumni on projects   

that advance common goals2 ,whereas     
,,yseali programs in the ,indo-,pacific 
region build the capacity of civil      
society in the fields of human rights1  
good governance1 anti-corruption and    
transparency1 social entrepreneurship1  
and media literacy1 which are key to the
 ,indo-,pacific efforts of the ,united  
,states ,government2 ,whereas ,,yseali  
programming increases the visibility of 
the ,united ,states in the              
,indo-,pacific region2 ,whereas1 in     
seven years1 ,,yseali has grown into a  
thriving community of more than #e1jjj  
alumni and more than #adj1jjj virtual   
network participants2 ,whereas ,,yseali 
alumni are already distinguishing       
themselves as influential government    
officials1 entrepreneurs1 human rights  
activists1 journalists1 social          
entrepreneurs1 and educators2 ,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     
,rohingya2 ,whereas ,,yseali alumni are 
valuable partners to embassies and      
agencies of the ,united ,states         
overseas2 ,whereas the ,asia            
,reassurance ,initiative ,act of #bjah  
7,public ,law #aae-dji2 #acb ,stat4     
#echg7 7referred to in this preamble as 
,,aria7 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 partnership2
 and ,whereas ,,aria authorized         
#be1jjj1jjj to be appropriated for each 
of fiscal years #bjai through #bjbc to  
support ,indo-,pacific young leaders    
initiatives1 including ,,yseali1 the    
,,asean ,youth ,volunteers ,program1 and
 other people-to-people exchange        
programs that focus on building the     
capacity of democracy1 human rights1 and
 good governance activists in the       
,indo-,pacific region3 ,now1 therefore1 
be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7          

celebrates the partnership of the       
,united ,states with young leaders in   
,southeast ,asia2  7#b7 recognizes the  
importance of the ,young ,southeast     
,asian ,leaders ,initiative 7,,yseali7  
in-- 7,a7 advancing the soft power of   
the ,united ,states in ,southeast ,asia2
 and  7,b7 promoting human rights1      
democracy1 and good governance in the   
,indo-,pacific region2  7#c7 emphasizes 
the key role of ,,yseali in-- 7,a7      
strengthening the relationship of the   
,united ,states with the member states  
of the ,association of ,southeast ,asian
 ,nations 7,,asean72 and  7,b7 elevating
 the profile and standing of the ,united
 ,states as a main partner in the       
region2  7#d7 stresses the importance of
 ,,yseali in building leadership        
capacity among civil society in ,,asean 
member states and across ,southeast     
,asia2 and  7#e7 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 region4  
,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 celebrates the 
partnership of the ,united ,states with 
young leaders in ,southeast ,asia2  7#b7
 recognizes the importance of the ,young
 ,southeast ,asian ,leaders ,initiative 
7,,yseali7 to-- 7,a7 advancing the soft 
power of the ,united ,states in         
,southeast ,asia2 and  7,b7 promoting   
human rights1 democracy1 and good       
governance in the ,indo-,pacific region2
  7#c7 emphasizes the key role of       
,,yseali in-- 7,a7 strengthening the    
relationship of the ,united ,states with
 the member states of the ,association  
of ,southeast ,asian ,nations 7,,asean72
 and  7,b7 elevating the profile and    
standing of the ,united ,states as a    
major partner in the region2  7#d7      
stresses the importance of ,,yseali in  
building leadership capacity among civil
 society1 governments1 and private      
enterprises in ,,asean member states and
 across ,southeast ,asia2 and  7#e7     

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 region4  ,june #c1       
#bjbj,reported with an amendment and an 
amendment to the preamble