,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #faa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #h1 
#bjbj,mr4 ,gardner 7for himself and ,ms4
 ,hirono7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,recognizing that for #ej 
years1 the ,kingdom of ,tonga has worked
 with the ,united ,states toward        
stability1 prosperity1 and peace in the 
,pacific and beyond1 and expressing the 
sense of the ,senate that the ,united   
,states will continue to remain a       
strong1 reliable1 and active partner in 
the ,pacific4  ,whereas ,tonga's ,queen 
,salote ,tupou ,,iii negotiated for the 
end of ,british protectorate status for 
her nation and transition to            
,commonwealth membership1 which bore    
fruit in #aigj2 ,whereas ,tonga is a    
valued security partner of the ,united  
,states1 and the ,tongan ,defense       
,services deployed four contingents to  
,iraq between #bjjd and #bjjh2 ,whereas1

 in the coming year1 the ,united ,states
 is committed to deepening this         
relationship through security           
cooperation1 including hosting ,tongan  
defense forces for ,international       
,military ,education and ,training      
7,,imet7 programs2 ,whereas the ,united 
,states ,government supports many       
cooperative activities with the         
,government of ,tonga in sustainable    
fisheries management and development    
assistance1 including those authorized  
by the ,asia ,reassurance ,initiative   
,act of #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-dji72  
,whereas section #abeb of the ,national 
,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal
 ,year #bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-ib7     
expands the number of countries that    
receive assistance under the            
,indo-,pacific ,maritime ,security      
,initiative1 including ,tonga2 ,whereas 
a peaceful1 prosperous1 and open        
,indo-,pacific rooted in a rule-based   
order that promotes security1           
opportunity1 and dignity to all peoples 

benefits the people of both the ,united 
,states and the ,kingdom of ,tonga2     
,whereas the ,kingdom of ,tonga1 a      
constitutional monarchy1 took steps     
towards democratic governance beginning 
in #bjaj2 ,whereas over #ej1jjj ,united 
,states citizens trace their roots to   
the ,kingdom of ,tonga1 and many of     
these reside in the ,states of ,utah1   
,california1 and ,hawaii2 ,whereas      
,tonga has hosted the ,peace ,corps     
since #aifg2 and ,whereas the ,nevada   
,national ,guard entered into a ,state  
,partnership ,program with ,tonga in    
#bjad3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the 
,senate-- 7#a7 commends the ,kingdom of 
,tonga on a successful transition to a  
constitutional monarchy and #c elections
 deemed to be free and fair by          
international observers2  7#b7 supports 
and affirms the full implementation of  
provisions of the ,asia ,reassurance    
,initiative ,act of #bjah 7,public ,law 
#aae-dji7 with regard to deepening its  
cooperation with ,tonga in areas of     

mutual interest1 including fisheries and
 marine resource conservation1          
environmental challenges and resilience1
 global health1 development and trade1  
people-to-people ties1 and continuing   
,united ,states assistance1 as          
appropriate1 to support the rule of law1
 good governance1 and economic          
development2 and  7#c7 recognizes       
,tonga's participation in multinational 
security forces and multilateral        
institutions including the ,united      
,nations1 ,international ,monetary      
,fund1 ,world ,bank1 ,asian ,development
 ,bank1 ,international ,atomic ,energy  
,agency1 the ,world ,trade              
,organization1 the ,pacific ,community1 
the ,secretariat of the ,regional       
,environmental ,programme1 and the      
,pacific ,islands ,forum4