III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 567 

Commending career professionals at the Department of State for their extensive efforts to repatriate United States citizens and legal permanent 

residents during the COVID–19 pandemic. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 7, 2020 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RISCH, Mr. KAINE, Mr. COONS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. 

RUBIO, Mr. ROMNEY, and Mr. CRUZ) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commending career professionals at the Department of State 

for their extensive efforts to repatriate United States 

citizens and legal permanent residents during the 

COVID–19 pandemic. 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in global commerce and travel; 

Whereas foreign governments around the world have limited 

and restricted commercial travel arriving and departing 

from their countries to mitigate the spread of COVID– 

19 by closing airports, seaports, and borders; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic and the resulting travel 

restrictions abroad left tens of thousands of United 


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•SRES 567 IS 

States citizens and legal permanent residents overseas 

without a direct way to return to the United States; 

Whereas it was an extraordinary challenge for the Department of State to help so many Americans seeking repatriation from around the world at the same time; 

Whereas, on March 19, 2020, in response to the COVID–19 

pandemic and the mounting repatriation demand from 

United States citizens and legal permanent residents living abroad, the Department of State created a Repatriation Task Force to facilitate the repatriation of these 

Americans and to notify Congress and any Americans 

needing repatriation assistance of these efforts; 

Whereas career professionals at the Department of State, 

with exemplary contributions from the members of the 

Department’s Repatriation Task Force and embassy and 

consulate staff around the world, in partnership with 

commercial airlines and the United States Transportation 

Command, brought home more than 78,000 Americans 

on 833 flights originating from 128 countries and territories during an 18-week period; 

Whereas Department of State officers, their family members, 

and locally engaged staff faced personal risk, long hours, 

and rapidly changing local circumstances to assist Americans needing transportation to the United States; 

Whereas Department of State officers and contract employees 

across the United States have worked to ensure that vital 

visa and passport services remain operational, including 

for tasks critical to the support of our national security, 

health care systems, and food supply chains; and 


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•SRES 567 IS 

Whereas at least 450 Department of State personnel were diagnosed with COVID–19, including 5 who died from the 

illness: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the tremendous work done by 

3 Department of State career professionals— 

4 (A) to address the extraordinary challenges 

5 related to the COVID–19 pandemic; and 

6 (B) to bring home more than 78,000 

7 American citizens during a time of crisis; 

8 (2) thanks Department of State career profes9 sionals who volunteered to work at all hours to meet 

10 the Department’s highest priority, which was helping 

11 fellow citizens in a time of dire need and stress; 

12 (3) commends the Repatriation Task Force for 

13 their efforts to facilitate the repatriation of United 

14 States citizens and lawful permanent residents; 

15 (4) thanks the employees at United States em16 bassies and consulates throughout the world, par17 ticularly career consular officers, for their work to 

18 identify flights and execute the departure procedure 

19 of thousands of individuals, despite difficult oper20 ating conditions on the ground; 

21 (5) thanks the United States Transportation 

22 Command for its assistance in securing flights for 


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•SRES 567 IS 

1 United States citizens and legal permanent resi2 dents; 

3 (6) recognizes the efforts made by partners 

4 overseas to help United States embassies and con5 sulates secure the flights and ground transportation 

6 needed to allow these Americans to return home; 

7 (7) expresses its condolences to the families, 

8 friends, and colleagues of those Department of State 

9 personnel who died as a result of COVID–19; and 

10 (8) urges the employees of the Department of 

11 State to continue the important work of bringing 

12 home United States citizens and legal permanent 

13 residents who remain stranded in foreign countries. 

Æ 


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