Mark Pryor: “I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 495, S. Res. 502. The PRESIDING…”

“I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 495, S. Res. 502. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 502) concerning the suspension of exit permit issuance by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations, with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble. (Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic.) (Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic.) S. Res. 502 Whereas according to UNICEF, over 4,000,000 orphans are estimated to be living in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Whereas cyclical and violent conflict has plagued the Democratic Republic of Congo since the mid-1990s; Whereas the United States has made significant financial investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, providing an estimated $274,000,000 bilateral aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo in fiscal year 2013 and an additional $165,000,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance; Whereas the policy of the United States Government toward the Democratic Republic of Congo is ``focused on helping the country become a nation that . . .…”