A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 10th anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

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, Mr. COONS, and Mr. SCHATZ) submitted the fol- lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Rela- tions JUNE 24, 2021 Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, without amendment JULY 14, 2021 Considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate relating to the 10th anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsu- nami in Japan. Whereas, at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, an earthquake ini- tially reported as measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, the strongest recorded in more than 100 years in Japan, oc- curred 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; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:38 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR107.ATS SR107 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 SRES 107 ATS 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; 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 emer- gency workers in the States of Hawaii, California, Or- egon, Washington, and Alaska that a potentially cata- strophic 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 signifi- cant 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 Devel- VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:38 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR107.ATS SR107 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 SRES 107 ATS opment 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; Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is based upon shared values, democratic ideals, free markets, and a mu- tual respect for human rights, individual liberties, and the rule of law, and is central to the security and pros- perity of the entire Indo-Pacific region; Whereas the Self-Defense Forces of Japan have contributed broadly to global security missions, including relief oper- ations following the tsunami in Indonesia in 2005, recon- struction in Iraq from 2004 to 2006, and relief assist- ance following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010; Whereas Japan is among the most generous donor nations, providing billions of dollars of foreign assistance, includ- ing disaster relief, annually to developing countries; Whereas, since 2011, Japan has committed tremendous re- sources and effort to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station by taking measures on con- taminated water and extracting fuel; Whereas, since 2011, Japan has committed tremendous re- sources and effort to restore the environment in Fukushima Prefecture, in collaboration with the Inter- national 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 tsu- nami, 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:38 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR107.ATS SR107 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 SRES 107 ATS Resolved, That the Senate— 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 nat- 8 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. 17 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:38 Jul 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR107.ATS SR107 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS