Statement from Senator Coons on Syria

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Friday regarding developments in Syria and announcements by the Obama Administration:

“For more than two years, President Assad has carried out increasingly outrageous and deadly attacks on civilians in his own country, using helicopters, jet fighters, cluster bombs and Scud missiles in hundreds of documented attacks against schools, hospitals, bread lines and residential neighborhoods.  More than 100,000 Syrians have died and millions have become refugees in what is a complex and increasingly violent civil war. In two years of vigilant diplomatic efforts, the U.S. has called for Assad’s departure, recognized opposition leaders as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people, and provided humanitarian and military support to vetted elements of the opposition. I have supported these actions as reasonable efforts by the Administration to bring an end to a tragic and inhumane war. 

“Earlier today, I joined more than a dozen senators who serve on the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees in an open and constructive 90-minute-long discussion with senior representatives from the White House, State Department, Defense Department and the intelligence community. I welcome the Administration’s active consultation with Congress and our nation’s allies as President Obama weighs a range of options for responding to the deadly chemical weapons attack in Damascus nine days ago that killed more than 1,400 civilians, including more than 400 children. The Administration has shared classified and unclassified reports today laying out detailed evidence that the Assad regime is solely responsible for the attack, which I am reviewing in detail and discussing with my colleagues in Congress.

“I have heard from many Delawareans who, after more than a decade of war, are understandably concerned about the risk of being pulled further into this conflict. The significant potential consequences of direct military intervention for our country, for our allies, and for the entire region require us to weigh our options carefully and for the Administration to consult with Congress on potential actions. We must also consider the security impact on our regional allies, Israel, Jordan and Turkey, in the event that the conflict widens and the flood of Syrian refugees into their countries grows.

“Congress has repeatedly condemned and acted to outlaw the use of chemical weapons, and I believe it is in the national security interest of the United States to take decisive action to respond to this attack and attempt to deter the future use of chemical weapons, whether in Syria or elsewhere in the world. Our actions – or inaction – will be watched closely by President Assad, as well as by his sponsors in Russia and Iran, and our failure to act would send a message of impunity for heinous human rights violations. 

“I agree with President Obama that the United States should not consider an open-ended military commitment in Syria. The cautious manner in which the Administration has gathered and reviewed the evidence against the Assad regime reflects a clear commitment to preventing a repeat of the costly intelligence failures of the past. I, too, will carefully consider the potential consequences of our actions, and will weigh the input of Delawareans and the evidence presented by the Administration and the United Nations.”

Senator Coons calls for suspension and review of U.S. aid to Egypt

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned widespread violence in Egypt and called for a suspension of U.S. assistance to the Egyptian military on Tuesday.

“The deplorable violence that has scarred Egypt over the last month is truly disturbing. In the interest of supporting all Egyptians and the future stability of the Egyptian state, it is essential that the military, the Muslim Brotherhood, and all parties to this conflict bring an end to this tragic cycle of violence.

“Egypt has been a strong and important ally to the United States for decades, working closely and productively with our military in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and serving as a vital economic partner in an important part of the world. While we continue to value our Egyptian partners and hope for a long and sustained relationship, I applaud the administration’s decision to seriously review our assistance to Egypt. The United States should suspend its aid to Egypt until the situation stabilizes and the military, with its stewardship of the current government, demonstrates its commitment to restoring civilian rule and respecting human rights.

“It is my sincere hope that Egypt will soon return to the path of reform and democracy that its people so passionately demanded. When it does, the United States will be ready to support the Egyptian people in their ongoing pursuit of a representative government, stability, and lasting peace.”

###

Senator Coons celebrates 200th August Quarterly Festival

WILMINGTON, Del.  – U.S. Senator Chris Coons joined Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood and participants at the August Quarterly Worship Service on Sunday to present a Senate resolution and letter from President Obama commemorating the 200^th anniversary of Wilmington’s August Quarterly Festival. The August Quarterly Festival, held August 18^th through August 25^th this year, is the nation’s oldest African-American festival celebrating religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the right of assembly.

“Throughout America’s history, African-American churches across our nation have enriched communities and contributed to the rich fabric of our culture,” Senator Coons said.  “Since Wilmington’s first Big Quarterly in 1814 – one which brought thousands of African-Americans together to celebrate their faith – this festival has served as an enduring example of the connective tissue of faith, and how it strengthens our communities, our culture, and our freedom. As we reflect on this momentous anniversary, we are reminded of African-Americans’ long struggle for civil rights and equality, and the important role churches have played as a platform to organize, empower, and effect change. The August Quarterly Festival stands as a testament to the immense power of African-American faith and fellowship, and I am pleased to join my Senate colleagues in honoring its proud tradition with this resolution.”

In 1813, Reverend Peter Spencer founded the Union Church of Africans in Wilmington, Delaware, the first independently incorporated African-American Church in the United States. The August Quarterly Festival, also known as Big Quarterly, is an annual celebration commemorating the church’s founding, and the religious independence of African-Americans on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Senator Coons and Senator Carper were the lead sponsors of the August Quarterly resolution, passed by the entire Senate on August 1, 2013.

Text of the resolution follows:

Celebrating the 200th August Quarterly Festival taking place from August 18, 2013, through August 25, 2013, in Wilmington, Delaware.

Whereas, 200 years before the date of agreement to this resolution, in 1813, Peter Spencer founded the African Union Church, one of the first African-American institutions legally incorporated within the United States;

Whereas, one year later, in 1814, Spencer and the African Union Church convened the first August Quarterly meeting and festival in Wilmington, Delaware, bringing thousands of African-Americans together to celebrate their faith;

Whereas the August Quarterly (or “Big Quarterly”) Festival became a meeting place for African-Americans celebrating freedom, sharing in solidarity, and looking for relatives lost or sold in the institution of slavery, and a means through which Harriett Tubman and other conductors and station masters of the Underground Railroad met with those looking to escape the bonds of slavery;

Whereas the August Quarterly Festival is well recognized as the longest continuously celebrated African-American festival in the United States; and

Whereas, from August 18, 2013, through August 25, 2013, thousands of people will come together in Wilmington, Delaware to celebrate the 200th August Quarterly Festival: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) celebrates the 200th August Quarterly Festival taking place from August 18, 2013, through August 25, 2013;

(2) recognizes the historical significance of the August Quarterly Festival and the role the festival has played since 1814 in celebrating faith, community, culture, and freedom;

(3) honors the life of leadership, faith, and service of Peter Spencer, founder of the African Union Church and of the August Quarterly Festival; and

(4) recognizes the service volunteers and religious leaders who ensure that the legacy of Peter Spencer lives on through the continuation of the August Quarterly Festival.

Text of the President’s letter:

I send greetings to all those attending the August Quarterly Festival.

The freedoms we hold dear as a nation—among them worship, assembly, and speech—form the bedrock of America’s promise. For generations, courageous individuals driven by faith have fought to expand our civil liberties, pushing America from what it was toward what it ought to be.

A celebration of African-American history and faith, the August Quarterly Festival has worked to carry forward this important mission for nearly two centuries. With a fierce tradition of defending the freedom of religion and breaking down barriers to full equality, this event has helped forge a more perfect Union, and it has served as an important reminder of the difference we can make when we strive to do God’s work here on earth.

As you gather on this special occasion, I wish you all the best for an enjoyable event.

Barack Obama

###

Senator Coons urges holistic approach to addressing domestic violence

DOVER, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, spoke Tuesday at the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s THRIVE Delaware Conference about recent progress to expand support for victims of domestic violence and the challenges that remain to prevent abuse and eliminate associated health disparities.

“Intimate partner violence is more than just a criminal justice or moral issue, it’s a health issue,” Senator Coons said. “Women are five times more likely to be abused by a partner and experience higher levels of disease and disability throughout their lifetimes as a result. We’ve made great inroads against abuse in large part because of the Violence Against Women Act, and this year’s reauthorization will ensure local agencies have the resources they need to support victims, prosecute abusers, and prevent violence. We must continue working together to educate the public, empower victims, punish offenders, and break the cycle of abuse in our communities.”

THRIVE Delaware is a multi-sector collaborative partnership that promotes healthy relationships, individuals, and violence-free environments. The initiative brings together health care providers, policymakers, survivors, advocates, and prevention practitioners across an array of disciplines to address domestic violence as a public health issue.

The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV) launched the THRIVE initiative with the support of two federal grants: a $375,000 Project Connect grant from the U.S. Office of Women’s Health and Futures Without Violence and a $1.7 million Delta Focus grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention. Funding from the grants, awarded in January and March 2013, helped the DCADV organize its first THRIVE Delaware conference to explore the health care response to domestic violence, as well as prevention strategies to narrow gender health disparities. Senator Coons wrote a letter to the CDC in October expressing his strong support for the THRIVE initiative and urging approval of the DCADV’s grant application.

The DCADV, founded in 1994, is a statewide, nonprofit organization of domestic violence agencies, allied organizations, and supportive individuals. Over the past 18 years, the DCADV has led efforts to increase public awareness and enhance the services, legal remedies, and resources available to assist victims of domestic violence in Delaware.

###

Senator Coons cosponsors two bills to protect Americans’ privacy

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has cosponsored two bills to protect Americans’ privacy by reining-in the government’s use of the wide-reaching Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

“Delawareans deserve a full and informed debate about our nation’s intelligence-gathering procedures and their intrusion on our privacy rights,” Senator Coons said. “These procedures certainly have a role to play in keeping our nation safe, but Congress has failed to be an effective check of whether they respect our most cherished privacy protections. In December, I voted against the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act explicitly because of its lack of safeguards for Americans’ privacy. Instead of making modest and reasonable changes to the law to increase public accountability, Congress abdicated its responsibility and reauthorized the law without changes. These two bills represent a second chance to put in place a better system for oversight and the prevention of abuse of the government’s surveillance authorities.” 

The FISA Accountability and Privacy Protection Act of 2013 would require the government to be more transparent in how it publicly reports on its surveillance activities, demanding an unclassified report on their impact on Americans’ privacy. Introduced by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the bill would implement measures adopted by the Committee last fall during its consideration of the reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act. Rather than taking up the Committee-passed bill, the full Senate instead reauthorized the FISA Amendments Act without these important modifications.

Specifically, the bill would: 

• Shorten the sunset for the FISA Amendments Act from December 2017 to June 2015, aligning with expiring USA PATRIOT Act provisions, and enabling Congress to address these FISA provisions all at once, instead of in a piecemeal fashion.
• Expand public reporting on the use of National Security Letters and authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, including an unclassified report on the impact of these authorities on the privacy of United States citizens.

The FISA Court Reform Act of 2013 would ensure that FISA courts asked by the government to expand surveillance authority under the national security laws have the benefit of both sides of the argument. Over the last three decades, the FISA courts’ case law (i.e. decisions, precedents) has evolved through a non-adversarial, “ex-parte” process in which the government’s interpretation of the facts and law, including its statutory powers, is the only view heard on national security issues brought before the FISA courts. Although in ordinary criminal proceedings surveillance authorizations or search warrants are issued after a similar ex parte process, the open and public nature of traditional civil proceedings allow for judicial review and the development of the law. The process of the FISA courts is not guided by such principles. In fact, the FISA courts can drastically expand government surveillance without any party other than the government having an opportunity to know or weigh in. The bill would change this. Specifically, the bill would: 

• Create an Office of the Special Advocate (OSA) tasked with advocating in the FISA courts’ closed proceedings for legal interpretations that minimize the scope of intrusion into our privacy. The OSA will have the authority to appeal decisions of the FISA courts, and would be staffed by attorneys who are properly cleared to view the classified information considered by the FISA courts and bound by the same confidentiality requirements as the courts’ staff and government officials.
• Allow interested parties to participate as amici, in cases involving significant or novel issues of law, most of which will be considered before the Foreign Surveillance Court of Review. Proceedings of the FISA courts would remain secret to protect national security, but the FISA courts would have the advantage of the insights and advocacy of outside experts and organizations.
• Require the Attorney General to disclose past and future significant legal interpretations of the FISA courts and empower the OSA to petition the FISA courts for expanded or modified disclosures that are consistent with valid national security concerns.

“Although we know that the FISA courts are interpreting the law on matters of domestic surveillance, there is presently no legal obligation to tell Congress and all Americans how they are interpreting the law,” Senator Coons said. “This dearth of information makes it difficult to perform responsible oversight and to keep these measures in check. The opacity with which FISA courts operate does not respect the high degree of trust and responsibility that Americans have placed in them.”

Both bills have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

Ahead of his vote against the reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act in December, Senator Coons spoke on the Senate floor in support of the legislative predecessors to both of these bills. His speech can be viewed and read here: http://1.usa.gov/ZEli97

Statement from Senator Coons on completion of Mali elections

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, congratulated the Malian people on the conclusion of a free, fair, and peaceful election close to a year and a half after a military coup.

“Free and fair elections are part of the very foundation of modern democracy. It’s been only months since al Qaeda controlled two-thirds of their country, but the Malian people have taken an important step toward restoring their democracy and enabling national reconciliation. While the peaceful completion of this election offers a moment for celebration, it is clear that Mali still faces a long road ahead to comprehensively address its security, democratic, humanitarian, governance, and economic challenges. I’m glad that the United States can soon be a full partner in the confrontation of those challenges, as well as Malian efforts to secure an enduring peace, build lasting institutions, and provide economic opportunity to all. I congratulate the Malian people and President-elect Kéïta on his victory and hope that the transition process will soon be furthered with free and fair legislative elections.”

On July 28, Mali held its first round of elections, in which Kéïta won nearly 40 percent of the vote. In the August 11^th second round of voting Kéïta won a decisive victory, prompting Soumaila Cisse to concede.

The elections are the first since the March 2012 coup, in which the Malian military unseated former President Amadou Toumani Touré, triggering a security and governance vacuum across the country and exacerbating the existing conflict in Northern Mali. Shortly after the coup, international extremist groups overwhelmed Malian Tuareg rebels in the North and took over the cities of Timbuuktu, Gao, and Kidal. French military intervention, the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (now a U.N.-supported mission), and regional mediation beat back the extremist advance and provided space for the recently concluded presidential elections. 

Senator Coons praises EPA announcement on Renewable Fuel Standard requirements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) finalized Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance requirements for refineries and importers for 2013 and the agency’s announcement regarding the 2014 requirements:

“Diversifying the sources of our liquid fuel production helps our country reduce its dependence on foreign oil while spurring American innovation. Since its implementation, the RFS has served as a critical driver for the development of second-generation biofuels, like cellulosic ethanol and bio-butanol, that utilize a variety of feedstocks and support a new, expansive job sector. Over the last year, however, uncertainty caused by drought, delayed volume targets, and the approaching E10 blend wall has strained the ability of refineries to comply with RFS requirements and placed additional pressure on limited corn supplies utilized by poultry producers.

“The new targets for 2013 announced today, as well as EPA’s announcement that it will address the blend wall in determining 2014 volume requirements, will bring the demands of the RFS in line with market conditions, fuel demand, and refineries’ production capabilities, while giving refineries the additional time they need to meet this year’s benchmarks. I am pleased that the EPA has taken refiners’ concerns into account to develop realistic standards that support continued investment in renewable fuel development while ensuring our refineries and poultry producers can continue to compete.”

###

Senator Coons applauds end of Defense Department furloughs

WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement Tuesday after Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the sequester-induced furloughs of civilian employees of the Defense Department would come to an end after six days, instead of the planned 11:

“The men and women who work for our nation’s military, whether they wear a uniform or not, are essential to our national security and deserve better than to be furloughed because of arbitrary spending cuts. The reduction in the number of sequester-induced furlough days is welcome news for the more than 1,400 civilians employed by the military in Delaware, for whom today’s announcement amounts to a week’s pay that will no longer be taken from them because of Congress’ inaction.

“The end of these furloughs is no substitute for responsibly replacing the reckless sequester with a balanced approach to reducing our nation’s dangerous deficits. Until we end the sequester, there is no guarantee that these Delawareans will not face additional furloughs and other unfortunate consequences next year.”

Senators Coons, Sessions urge review of cuts to Federal Defender Services

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts, wrote to the head of the organization that oversees administration of the federal court system on Monday to urge a review of cuts to the Federal Defender Services, which delivers on the constitutional right to counsel granted all Americans by the Sixth Amendment.

“Unlike other areas of the federal government, the judiciary does not have discretion to ‘do less’ in a sequester environment,” the senators wrote. “Federal Courts cannot turn away cases over which there is proper federal jurisdiction. The government must provide indigent criminal defendants with counsel in order to try them. However, the budget of the judiciary consists overwhelmingly of personnel costs. With no ability to reduce caseloads or achieve significant non-personnel savings, sequester for the judiciary requires furloughs or layoffs, increased strain on the human resources that remain, and delay.”

In Delaware, the senators noted, employees of the Federal Defender’s Office have been furloughed 15 days — equal to the loss of three weeks’ pay. In the Southern District of Alabama, the Federal Defender’s Office suspended payments to employees’ retirement accounts for six months to reduce the number of necessary furlough days.

“It has been suggested that the judiciary may be able to save money by reducing the percentage of cases going to the public defender by assigning those cases to Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys,” the senators wrote. “While we are grateful for the work of CJA panel attorneys to complement the work of the federal public defenders, we are deeply concerned about the capacity of the CJA panels to handle increased caseloads.  In addition, shifting the workload to CJA panel attorneys is not cost effective, as CJA panel attorneys are consistently more costly than federal defenders.”

Chairman Coons and Ranking Member Sessions convened a hearing on July 23rd to consider how the sequester has impacted the federal courts.

The letter was sent to the executive director of the Judicial Conference of the United States, which oversees the Administrative Office of the Courts. A PDF of the signed letter is available online, and the full text of the letter is below:

August 5, 2013

Honorable William B. Traxler, Jr.
Chair, Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States
300 East Washington Street, Ste. 222
Greenville, SC 29601

Re: Funding of the Office of Defender Services 

Dear Chief Judge Traxler, 

We write jointly as the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts, respectively, in regards to a July 23 Subcommittee hearing in which our Subcommittee examined the impact that funding cuts are having on our federal judiciary, and particularly the Federal Defender Services account. 

Unlike other areas of the federal government, the judiciary does not have discretion to “do less” in a sequester environment.  Federal Courts cannot turn away cases over which there is proper federal jurisdiction.  The government must provide indigent criminal defendants with counsel in order to try them.  However, the budget of the judiciary consists overwhelmingly of personnel costs.  With no ability to reduce caseloads or achieve significant non-personnel savings, sequester for the judiciary requires furloughs or layoffs, increased strain on the human resources that remain, and delay.

At the July 23 hearing, Michael S. Nachmanoff, Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia, reported that defender offices across the country are working to find ways to institute cuts in funding.  For example, in Delaware, employees are required to accept a 15-day furlough for the remainder of FY13.  In the Southern District of Alabama, the Federal Defender’s Office has suspended payments to employee retirement accounts from April until the end of the fiscal year in order to reduce the amount of furlough days. 

While we commend the judiciary for making smart, prudent reductions in spending in many areas, it appears that these cuts have disproportionately impacted those who are doing the work in the field.  The Federal Public Defender is central to the government’s obligations under the Sixth Amendment, handling approximately 75% of all indigent defenses.  Judges, prosecutors, and defenders are in agreement that the high overall quality of representation provided by the federal defenders offices helps ensure speedy, just resolution of criminal cases.  Quality representation not only promotes the rule of law and safeguards constitutional rights, it also saves money by reducing pre-trial and post-trial incarceration costs.

It has been suggested that the judiciary may be able to save money by reducing the percentage of cases going to the public defender by assigning those cases to Criminal Justice Act panel attorneys.  While we are grateful for the work of CJA panel attorneys to complement the work of the federal public defenders, we are deeply concerned about the capacity of the CJA panels to handle increased caseloads.  In addition, shifting the workload to CJA panel attorneys is not cost effective, as CJA panel attorneys are consistently more costly than federal defenders. 

We appreciate your taking the time to consider our views in this matter.  Please continue to keep us apprised of your concerns and progress in managing the judiciary’s budget.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Christopher A. Coons                       Jeff Sessions
Chairman                                      Ranking Member

###

Senator Coons marks anniversary of shooting at Wisconsin Sikh temple

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Senate on Thursday night passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and four of his Senate colleagues to mark the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Additionally, heeding requests from Senator Coons and several other members of Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Friday that the Department of Justice would begin tracking hate crimes against Sikhs. 

“A year ago, six innocent Americans lost their lives to senseless violence while attending Sunday morning services at their gurdwara,” Senator Coons said. “The tragic attack on this house of worship highlighted the challenges faced by the Sikh-American community and underscored the need for the FBI to track such attacks as ‘hate crimes,’ which I’m pleased it is now doing. This important decision will allow the identification of trends and help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies properly allocate its resources to stop such crimes.”

According to the Sikh Coalition, more than 500,000 Sikhs live in the United States.  The Justice Department, through the FBI, tracks crimes committed against Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, atheists, as well as those with “other religion” or “multiple religions,” but until recently, did not track crimes against Sikhs.

“Freedom of religion is at the very core of our nation’s values,” Senator Coons continued, “and the attack on the Oak Creek gurdwara was a reminder that Congress must continue to work to ensure the safety and religious freedom of all Americans. The Sikh tenets of peace, equality, and resilience through hardship have been on proud display through this difficult time, and I am pleased that the Senate unanimously adopted this resolution in recognition of that tenacity.”

Three days after the attack on the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Senator Coons attended a candlelight vigil at the Sikh Center of Delaware in New Castle. Click here for photos from the vigil.

The text of the resolution follows:

REMEMBERING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGIC SHOOTING ON AUGUST 5, 2012, AT THE SIKH TEMPLE OF WISCONSIN IN OAK CREEK, WISCONSIN

   Whereas, on Sunday, August 5, 2012, a shooting took place at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisconsin;

   Whereas 6 innocent people of the United States, including one woman and 5 men, lost their lives on that day in a senseless and violent act of hate at a house of worship;

   Whereas 3 people sustained serious injuries, including Lieutenant Brian Murphy, the first responding officer;

    Whereas many members of the Sikh community and the community as a whole selflessly sought to aid and protect others by putting their own safety at risk;

   Whereas the heroic action of law enforcement officers such as Officer Sam Lenda prevented additional loss of life; and

   Whereas the Sikh community has responded to the shooting in a peaceful manner consistent with the Sikh religious tenets of peace and equality: Now, therefore, be it 

    Resolved, That the Senate–

    (1) remembers the anniversary of the tragic shooting on August 5, 2012, at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisconsin;

    (2) condemns in the strongest possible terms that horrific shooting;

    (3) condemns hatred and acts of violence towards racial and religious groups and calls for renewed efforts to end that violence;

    (4) honors the memory of Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Ranjit Singh, Sita Singh, Paramjit Kaur, and Prakash Singh, who died in the shooting;

    (5) offers heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who died in the shooting;

    (6) commends the heroism of first responders, and members of the community who courageously and selflessly placed their lives in danger to prevent the death of more innocent people; and 

    (7) stands with those who plan to gather in Oak Creek on August 2 through August 5, 2013, to memorialize the lives lost in the shooting and to continue healing as a community.