III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 107 

Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 10th anniversary of 

the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 11, 2021 

Mr. HAGERTY (for himself and Mr. COONS) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 10th 

anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan. 

Whereas, at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, an earthquake initially reported as measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, the 

strongest recorded in more than 100 years in Japan, occurred near the Tohoku region of Northeast Japan, 81 

miles off the coast from Sendai City; 

Whereas intense shaking could be felt from Tokyo to 

Kamaishi, an arc of roughly 360 miles; 

Whereas the earthquake generated a massive tsunami that 

caused widespread damage to a swath of the northeast 

Japanese coastline and traveled across the Pacific Ocean, 

causing damage to coastal communities as far away as 

the States of Hawaii, Oregon, and California; 


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•SRES 107 IS 

Whereas authorities in Japan confirm at least 15,899 deaths 

from the earthquake and resulting tsunami; 

Whereas, within minutes of the earthquake, the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration alerted emergency workers in the States of Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska that a potentially catastrophic tsunami was heading toward those States and 

mobilized the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific; 

Whereas the earthquake forced the emergency shutdown of 4 

nuclear power facilities in Japan, representing a significant loss of electric generation capacity for Japan and 

necessitating rolling blackouts in portions of Tokyo; 

Whereas the earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely 

damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, 

precipitating a loss of power for cooling systems at that 

facility and necessitating emergency measures to prevent 

serious radiation leakages; 

Whereas international response to the disaster was swift, 

with search and rescue teams arriving from the United 

States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, 

France, and China, among other countries; 

Whereas the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and its 

support vessels were deployed to the earthquake region to 

participate in search and rescue and relief operations; 

Whereas elements of the III Marine Expeditionary Force 

(MEF), a United States Agency for International Development Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), 

and other United States military and civilian personnel 

were deployed to Japan to render aid and help coordinate 

United States relief efforts; 


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•SRES 107 IS 

Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is based upon 

shared values, democratic ideals, free markets, and a mutual respect for human rights, individual liberties, and 

the rule of law, and is central to the security and prosperity of the entire Indo-Pacific region; 

Whereas the Self-Defense Forces of Japan have contributed 

broadly to global security missions, including relief operations following the tsunami in Indonesia in 2005, reconstruction in Iraq from 2004 to 2006, and relief assistance following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010; 

Whereas Japan is among the most generous donor nations, 

providing billions of dollars of foreign assistance, including disaster relief, annually to developing countries; 

Whereas, since 2011, Japan has committed tremendous resources and effort to decommission the Fukushima 

Daiichi nuclear power station by taking measures on contaminated water and extracting fuel; 

Whereas, since 2011, Japan has committed tremendous resources and effort to restore the environment in 

Fukushima Prefecture, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ensure that citizens 

can live with peace of mind with safe water and food; and 

Whereas, 10 years after the earthquake and resulting tsunami, Japan is seeking to host a successful Olympics in 

Tokyo where the best athletes from across the world can 

showcase their talents amidst the ongoing global COVID– 

19 pandemic: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 107 IS 

1 (1) mourns the loss of life resulting from the 

2 earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, 

3 2011; 

4 (2) expresses its deepest condolences to the 

5 families of the victims of the tragedy; 

6 (3) expresses its sympathies to the survivors 

7 who are still suffering in the aftermath of the nat8 ural disaster; 

9 (4) commends the Government of Japan for its 

10 courageous and professional response to the natural 

11 disaster; and 

12 (5) supports the efforts already underway by 

13 the United States Government, relief agencies, and 

14 private citizens to assist the Government and people 

15 of Japan with the revitalization efforts in 

16 Fukushima Prefecture. 

Æ 


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