Title: A 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.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution commends and thanks the Department of State career professionals, the Repatriation Task Force, and the employees at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide for their work to address the challenges related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and to facilitate the repatriation of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 567 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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 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
Whereas at least 450 Department of State personnel were diagnosed with COVID-19, 
        including 5 who died from the illness: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the tremendous work done by Department of 
        State career professionals--
                    (A) to address the extraordinary challenges related 
                to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
                    (B) to bring home more than 78,000 American 
                citizens during a time of crisis;
            (2) thanks Department of State career professionals who 
        volunteered to work at all hours to meet the Department's 
        highest priority, which was helping fellow citizens in a time 
        of dire need and stress;
            (3) commends the Repatriation Task Force for their efforts 
        to facilitate the repatriation of United States citizens and 
        lawful permanent residents;
            (4) thanks the employees at United States embassies and 
        consulates throughout the world, particularly career consular 
        officers, for their work to identify flights and execute the 
        departure procedure of thousands of individuals, despite 
        difficult operating conditions on the ground;
            (5) thanks the United States Transportation Command for its 
        assistance in securing flights for United States citizens and 
        legal permanent residents;
            (6) recognizes the efforts made by partners overseas to 
        help United States embassies and consulates secure the flights 
        and ground transportation needed to allow these Americans to 
        return home;
            (7) expresses its condolences to the families, friends, and 
        colleagues of those Department of State personnel who died as a 
        result of COVID-19; and
            (8) urges the employees of the Department of State to 
        continue the important work of bringing home United States 
        citizens and legal permanent residents who remain stranded in 
        foreign countries.
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