The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2020

22 JULY-AUGUST 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL SFRC Resolution Praises Repatriation Efforts U .S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, respectively, introduced a bipartisan resolution to commend State Depart- ment professionals for their dedication repatriating United States citizens and legal permanent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution, which was passed unan- imously by the SFRC onMay 21, moves on to consideration by the full Senate. The State Department’s Repatriation Task Force, along with U.S. embassy staff around the world and in collaboration with the United States Transportation Command, have helped bring home more than 100,000 Americans from 136 countries and territories. Cosponsoring the resolution were Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). The text of the resolution follows. Commending career professionals at the Department of State for their exten- sive 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 depart- ing 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 chal- lenge 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 perma- nent residents living abroad, the Depart- ment of State created a Repatriation Task Force to facilitate the repatriation of these Americans and to notify Congress and any Americans needing repatriation assis- tance 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 com- mercial 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 offi- cers, their family members, and locally engaged staff faced personal risk, long hours, and rapidly changing local cir- cumstances 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 opera- tional, 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 pro- fessionals—(A) to address the extraordi- nary 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 through- out 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 Trans- portation 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 need 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 Depart- ment of State to continue the important work of bringing home United States citi- zens and legal permanent residents who remain stranded in foreign countries. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Cameron Woodworth, Shawn Dorman and Susan Maitra.