[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 103 (Thursday, July 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S5804]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 198--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION SHOULD TURN OVER EDWARD SNOWDEN TO
UNITED STATES AUTHORITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. Schumer) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 198
Whereas Edward Snowden leaked classified information to
various sources including the Guardian and the Washington
Post;
Whereas Mr. Snowden fled the United States to Hong Kong on
May 20, 2013, with multiple laptops containing highly
classified information;
Whereas, on June 5, 2013, the press reported classified
information relating to the national security of the United
States;
Whereas Mr. Snowden's actions have compromised the national
security of the United States;
Whereas, on June 9, 2013, Mr. Snowden publicly stated, ``I
have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have
done nothing wrong.'';
Whereas, on June 23, 2013, Mr. Snowden departed Hong Kong
en route to Moscow, Russia;
Whereas Mr. Snowden has been staying on Russian territory
in the Sheremetyevo Airport since his arrival;
Whereas the Sheremetyevo Airport is part of the sovereign
territory of the Russian Federation;
Whereas, on June 14, 2013, the United States Government
filed a criminal complaint against Edward Snowden for charges
under section 641 (relating to theft of Government property),
section 793(d) (relating to unauthorized communication of
national defense information), and section 798(a)(3)
(relating to the willful communication of classified
communications intelligence information to an unauthorized
person) of title 18, United States Code.
Whereas Mr. Snowden has stated his intentions to continue
to leak classified information and poses a continuing threat
to the security of the United States;
Whereas Mr. Snowden has applied for asylum in at least 21
countries, including a number of countries with some of the
worst human rights records, including the Russian Federation,
Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Ecuador;
Whereas, on July 16, 2013, Mr. Snowden applied for
temporary asylum in the Russian Federation in order to
facilitate his transit to Latin America;
Whereas the Department of State Human Rights Report for
2012 cites the Russian Federation's restrictions on civil
liberties and the denial of due process, allegations of
torture and excessive force by law enforcement officials;
life-threatening prison conditions; interference in the
judiciary and the right to a fair trial; abridgement of the
right to privacy; restrictions on minority religions;
widespread corruption; societal and official intimidation of
civil society and labor activists; limitations on the rights
of workers; trafficking in persons; and attacks on migrants
and select religious and ethnic minorities;
Whereas, on July 6, 2013, President of Venezuela Nicolas
Maduro offered asylum to Snowden, stating, ``In the name of
America's dignity. . . I have decided to offer humanitarian
asylum to Edward Snowden.'';
Whereas the Department of State Human Rights Report for
2012 cites the Government of Venezuela for corruption,
inefficiency, and politicization in the judicial system;
government actions to impede freedom of expression; harsh and
life-threatening prison conditions; government use of the
judiciary to intimidate and selectively prosecute political,
union, business, and civil society leaders who were critical
of government policies or actions; government harassment and
intimidation of privately-owned television stations, other
media outlets, and journalists throughout the year, using
threats, fines, property seizures, targeted regulations, and
criminal investigations and prosecutions; and failure to
provide for due process rights, physical safety, and humane
conditions for inmates, which contributed to widespread
violence, riots, injuries, and deaths in prisons;
Whereas, on June 25, 2013, President of Russia Vladmir
Putin stated that the Russian Federation would never
extradite Edward Snowden to the United States;
Whereas, on July 16, 2013, White House spokesman Jay Carney
stated that Mr. Snowden should be expelled from the Russian
Federation and returned to the United States to face trial,
stating, ``He is not a human rights activist, he is not a
dissident. He is accused of leaking classified
information.''; and
Whereas, on July 16, 2013, President Putin stated that Mr.
Snowden ``came to our territory without invitation, we did
not invite him'' and that ``[we] have certain relations with
the United States and we don't want [Snowden] to damage our
ties'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the Government of the Russian Federation's continued
willingness to provide shelter to Edward Snowden is
negatively impacting bilateral relations with the United
States;
(2) the Government of the Russian Federation should
immediately turn Edward Snowden over to the appropriate
United States authorities so he can stand trial in the United
States;
(3) the President should consider options, including
recommending a different location for the September 2013 G20
summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, should the Russian
Federation continue to allow shelter for Mr. Snowden; and
(4) the United States Government should consider all
economic and diplomatic options when pursuing Mr. Snowden.
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