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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 374 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 374

   Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Singaporean independence and 
   reaffirming Singapore's close partnership with the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2015

 Mr. Heck of Washington (for himself, Mr. Byrne, Mr. Salmon, Mr. Vela, 
Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Russell, Mr. Keating, Mr. Quigley, and Mr. Larsen of 
 Washington) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Singaporean independence and 
   reaffirming Singapore's close partnership with the United States.

Whereas the Republic of Singapore became independent on August 9, 1965;
Whereas Singapore and the United States share founding principles, including 
        belief in meritocracy and equality of opportunity;
Whereas Singapore has been an early and continued supporter of the United States 
        engagement in Asia to safeguard the peace, stability, and prosperity of 
        the region;
Whereas Singapore underwent rapid growth following independence, with 
        approximate per capita Gross Domestic Product growing from approximately 
        $500 in 1965 to approximately $56,000 in 2014;
Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded the United States-Singapore 
        Free Trade Agreement in 2004, the first bilateral trade agreement 
        between the United States and an Asian country;
Whereas Singapore has become a major United States trading partner, with $65 
        billion in bilateral goods and services trade in 2013, as well as more 
        than $154.4 billion in United States Foreign Direct Investment in 
        Singapore and $20 billion of Singaporean Foreign Direct Investment in 
        the United States;
Whereas Singapore was a founding member of the Association of South East Asian 
        Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and remains a key partner with the United States 
        in the East Asia Summit;
Whereas the United States and Singapore established the United States-Singapore 
        Third Country Training Program in 2012 to provide technical and 
        capacity-building assistance to recipient countries;
Whereas Singapore provided the United States access to its military facilities 
        with the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding, to which an addendum was 
        added in 1998, supporting the continued security presence of the United 
        States in Southeast Asia;
Whereas the United States and Singapore concluded a Strategic Framework 
        Agreement in 2005 which recognized Singapore as a ``Major Security 
        Cooperation Partner'' of the United States;
Whereas Singapore facilitates the rotational deployment of Littoral Combat Ships 
        from the United States at Changi Naval Base;
Whereas the United States currently hosts four Republic of Singapore Air Force 
        training detachments, comprising the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 
        F-15SG and F-16 fighter jets, as well as Apache and Chinook helicopters, 
        at bases in Arizona, Idaho, and Texas;
Whereas the Singapore Armed Forces supported multinational reconstruction 
        efforts in Iraq from 2003 to 2008, aided reconstruction and 
        stabilization efforts in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2013, deployed 
        alongside the United States as part of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) 
        since 2009, including taking command of CTF 151, to combat piracy in the 
        Gulf of Aden and joined the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL in November 
        2014; and
Whereas Singapore will celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence in 2015 
        and commemorate 50 years of bilateral relations with the United States 
        in 2016: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) sends its warm congratulations to the people of 
        Singapore as they celebrate 50 years of independence and 
        nation-building; and
            (2) reaffirms the close partnership between the United 
        States and Singapore ahead of the 50th anniversary of the 
        establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
                                 <all>
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