Recognizing the 44th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 309 Recognizing the 44th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 10, 2019 Mr. LOWENTHAL (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CORREA, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. ROUDA, and Ms. LOFGREN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter- mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Recognizing the 44th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Whereas since 1975, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have resettled in the United States and built vibrant communities across the United States which contribute to the rich diversity of the Nation; Whereas, on April 30, 1975, the Republic of Vietnam was overthrown by communist forces in an event known as ‘‘Black April’’ or the ‘‘Fall of Saigon’’, which is observed in Vietnamese American communities across the United States each year; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR309.IH HR309 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 309 IH Whereas members of the South Vietnamese military fought side-by-side with the United States Armed Forces in de- fense of the ideals of democracy and freedom; Whereas Vietnamese Americans have continuously advocated for freedom and democracy in Vietnam, and spoken out against human rights abuses by the Vietnamese Govern- ment; and Whereas Vietnam continues to hold one of the worst records on human rights in the region, violating religious free- dom, obstructing press freedom, restricting its own citi- zens’ freedom of speech and assembly, and detaining prisoners of conscience: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes the significance of the 44th anni- 2 versary of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975; 3 (2) honors the contributions of Vietnamese 4 Americans to the United States over the last 44 5 years and their tireless commitment to upholding 6 freedom, human rights, and democracy in Vietnam; 7 (3) honors the service of members of the United 8 States Armed Forces and of the South Vietnamese 9 forces who fought in Vietnam, including those who 10 gave their lives; 11 (4) honors the memory of the Vietnamese who 12 lost their lives while attempting to flee Vietnam; and 13 (5) encourages all citizens of the United States 14 to join in remembering the Fall of Saigon, honoring 15 the contributions of the Vietnamese American com- 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR309.IH HR309 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 309 IH munity, and calling for freedom, human rights, and 1 democracy in Vietnam. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:42 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR309.IH HR309 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS