,,iii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #cba  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ae1
 #bjbe,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,daines7 submitted the following   
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,commemorating #cj years  
of diplomatic relations between the     
,united ,states and ,vietnam on ,july   
#aa1 #bjbe4  ,whereas1 since the end the
 ,vietnam ,war1 hundreds of thousands of
 ,vietnamese have resettled in the      
,united ,states and built vibrant       
communities across the ,united ,states1 
which contribute to the rich diversity  
of our ,nation2 ,whereas the joint      
efforts across the administrations of   
,president ,ronald ,reagan and          
,president ,george ,h4,w4 ,bush to      
address questions surrounding ,united   
,states service members missing in      
action 7,,mia7 set the foundation for   
the normalization of bilateral relations
 between the ,united ,states and        

,vietnam2 ,whereas1 between #aiia to    
#aiic1 the ,select ,committee on        
,,pow_/,,mia ,affairs of the ,senate    
conducted public hearings and issued an 
extensive report on the prisoner of war 
7,,pow7 and ,,mia issue1 helping to lay 
the domestic political foundation for   
the breakthroughs in subsequent ,united 
,states-,vietnam relations2 ,whereas the
 efforts to identify and return the     
remains of service members missing in   
action on both the ,united ,states and  
,vietnamese sides1 alongside unexploded 
ordnance removal1 dioxin remediation1   
disability programs supporting survivors
 impacted by these war remnants1 and    
efforts to continue public education on 
these topics1 collectively built the    
foundation for ongoing war legacy       
programs in ,southeast ,asia1 which are 
a vital component of the bilateral      
relationship between ,vietnam and the   
,united ,states2 ,whereas section #eba  
of the ,foreign ,relations              
,authorization ,act1 ,fiscal ,years     

#aiid and #aiie 7,public ,law #ajc-bcf7 
expressed the ,senate's support for the 
normalization of relations with ,vietnam
 and sent an important political signal 
to the ,executive branch on moving ahead
 with diplomatic normalization2         
,whereas1 on ,february #d1 #aiid1 ,u4,s4
 ,president ,bill ,clinton lifted of the
 trade embargo in place since the end of
 the ,vietnam ,war1 in turn paving the  
way to the announcement of a            
normalization of relations between the  
,united ,states and ,vietnam on ,july   
#aa1 #aiie2 ,whereas significant        
progress has been made in the bilateral 
relationship since the normalization of 
diplomatic relations between the ,united
 ,states and ,vietnam1 leading to       
significant cooperation between the     
government and peoples of the ,united   
,states and ,vietnam in an array of     
areas1 extending to political1 economic1
 and cultural ties2 ,whereas1 in        
,january of #bjja1 ,congress passed the 
bipartisan ,vietnam ,education          

,foundation ,act of #bjjj 7title ,,ii of
 division ,b of ,public ,law #ajf-eed7  
to promote reconciliation between the   
,united ,states and ,vietnam through an 
international exchange program between  
the #b countries1 which allowed         
,vietnamese nationals to pursue advanced
 studies in the ,united ,states and     
,united ,states citizens to teach in the
 fields of science1 mathematics1        
medicine1 and technology in ,vietnam2   
,whereas1 in ,september and ,october of 
#bjja1 respectively1 the ,house of      
,representatives and the ,senate        
approved measures to implement a        
bilateral trade agreement negotiated    
during the ,presidency of ,bill         
,clinton1 which was subsequently signed 
into law by ,president ,george ,w4 ,bush
 on ,october #c1 #bjja2 ,whereas1 in    
,december #bjjf1 ,congress granted      
permanent normal trade relations status 
to ,vietnam under title ,,iv of division
 ,d of the ,tax ,relief and ,health     
,care ,act of #bjjf 7,public ,law       

#aji-dcb72 ,whereas1 on ,july #be1      
#bjac1 ,president ,barack ,obama and    
,vietnam ,president ,trng ,tan ,sang    
agreed to establish a comprehensive     
partnership between ,vietnam and the    
,united ,states based on the principles 
of respect for the ,united ,nations     
,charter1 international law1 respect for
 political institutions1 independence   
and sovereignty1 and each other's       
territorial integrity2 ,whereas1 on ,may
 #bc1 #bjaf1 ,president ,barack ,obama  
announced the removal of remaining      
,united ,states restrictions on the sale
 of lethal weapons and related services 
to ,vietnam1 a move that followed       
,president ,george ,w4 ,bush's #bjjg    
decision to permit case-by-case sales of
 nonlethal defense items and defense    
services and ,president ,obama's #bjad  
decision to partially ease ,united      
,states restrictions on the transfer of 
lethal weapons and articles to ,vietnam2
 ,whereas ,president ,donald ,trump     
became the first ,united ,states        

,president to visit ,vietnam twice in   
one presidential term1 including a      
,november #bjag state visit during which
 ,president ,trump and ,vietnamese      
,president ,tran ,dai ,quang-- 7#a7     
concluded a new ,three ,year ,plan of   
,action for ,defense ,cooperation to    
increase bilateral naval activities2    
7#b7 agreed on the first visit of the   
,united ,states aircraft carrier to     
,vietnam in #bjah2  7#c7 celebrated the 
conclusion of a joint effort to clean   
dioxin-contaminated soil and sediment in
 ,da ,nang1 ,vietnam2  7#d7 welcomed the
 ,united ,states commitment to          
contribute to remediation efforts at    
,bien ,hoa ,airport2 and  7#e7 took     
significant steps forward with an       
increase in direct investment in        
,vietnam with an emphasis on energy     
cooperation2 ,whereas1 on ,september    
#aj1 #bjbc1 ,president ,joe ,biden and  
,general ,secretary ,nguyen ,ph ,trong  
issued a ,joint ,communiqu that-- 7#a7  
officially upgraded the bilateral       

relationship to the level of            
,comprehensive ,strategic ,partnership2 
7#b7 recognized considerable progress   
made in the bilateral relationship in a 
short #aj-year period2 and  7#c7        
underscored the fundamental principles  
guiding ,united ,states-,vietnam        
relations1 including respect for the    
,united ,nations ,charter1 international
 law1 and respect for each other's      
independence1 sovereignty1 and          
territorial integrity2 ,whereas the     
,united ,states and ,vietnam have formed
 a partnership in promoting peace1      
cooperation1 prosperity1 and security in
 the ,indo-,pacific region1 including   
by-- 7#a7 recognizing the strategic     
importance of free and open access to   
the ,south ,china ,sea2 and  7#b7       
continuing programs by initiated during 
the administrations of ,president       
,obama1 ,president ,trump1 and          
,president ,biden to help ,vietnam      
enhance its maritime capabilities2      
,whereas1 throughout these positive     

developments1 ,congress has consistently
 offered strong bipartisan support to   
the continuation and eventual completion
 of war legacy programs in ,vietnam as  
the basis on which the bilateral        
relationship was established #cj years  
ago2 ,whereas the ,united ,states and   
,vietnam will continue to deepen        
cooperation in a wide range of areas1   
including political and diplomatic      
relations1 economic trade and           
investment1 science and technology1     
education and health1 cultural and      
people-to-people ties1 defense and      
security1 regional and global issues1   
and the promotion and protection of     
human rights1 to ensure the interests of
 the people in the ,united ,states and  
in ,vietnam and to contribute to peace1 
stability1 cooperation1 and prosperity  
around the world3 ,now1 therefore1 be it
 ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes--  
7,a7 the significance of the #cjth      
anniversary of normalization of the     
bilateral relationship between the      

,united ,states and ,vietnam2 and  7,b7 
the strong and enduring relationship    
built by ,united ,states and ,vietnam   
based on mutual respect1 trust1 and a   
shared commitment to peace and          
prosperity2  7#b7 honors the            
contributions of ,vietnamese ,americans 
to the ,united ,states during the past  
#ej years1 including-- 7,a7 their       
tireless commitment to strengthening    
ties among different communities1       
sectors1 businesses1 youths1 and        
people's organizations between the      
,united ,states and ,vietnam2 and  7,b7 
facilitating reconciliation and economic
 prosperity between the #b countries2   
7#c7 honors-- 7,a7 the service of       
members of the ,united ,states ,armed   
,forces who fought in ,vietnam1         
including those who gave their lives in 
the conflict2 and  7,b7 ,united ,states 
veteran-led initiatives established and 
dedicated to engaging in reconciliation 
efforts with the ,vietnamese people2    
7#d7 expresses the commitment of the    

,united ,states to the sustained        
continuation of funding and operational 
support to war legacy programs in       
,vietnam foundational to the bilateral  
relationship1 including-- 7,a7 dioxin   
remediation at ,bien ,hoa ,airport2     
7,b7 unexploded ordnance removal2  7,c7 
support for persons with disabilities2  
7,d7 capacity building in provincial and
 national efforts on mine action2 and   
7,e7 accounting for ,vietnamese missing 
and fallen soldiers from the war2  7#e7 
acknowledges the significant progress in
 various areas of cooperation1 including
 political and diplomatic relations1    
trade and economic ties1 defense and    
security1 and people-to-people          
exchanges2  7#f7 reaffirms the          
commitment of the ,united ,states to    
sustaining and building on the          
partnership officially established in   
the ,u4,s4-,vietnam ,comprehensive      
,strategic ,partnership in ,september   
#bjbc1 underscored by the fundamental   
principles guiding the bilateral        

relationship1 including respect for the 
,united ,nations ,charter1 international
 law1 and respect for each other's      
independence1 sovereignty1 and          
territorial integrity2 and  7#g7        
expresses-- 7,a7 the determination of   
the ,united ,states to continue         
strengthening cooperation across        
sectors2 and  7,b7 the vital importance 
of the bilateral relationship between   
the ,united ,states and ,vietnam to     
addressing shared challenges and        
promoting continued regional peace and  
stability in the ,indo-,pacific region4