The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NOS. 115-1 AND 115-2” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S345 on Jan. 17, 2017.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NOS. 115-1 AND 115-2
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaties transmitted to the Senate on January 17, 2017, by the President of the United States: Extradition Treaty with the Republic of Serbia, Treaty Document No. 115-1; Extradition Treaty with the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, Treaty Document No. 115-2. I further ask that the treaties be considered as having been read the first time; that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's messages be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The messages of the President are as follows:
To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Extradition Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Serbia (the ``Treaty''), signed at Belgrade on August 15, 2016. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.
The Treaty would replace the Treaty between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Servia for the Mutual Extradition of Fugitives from Justice, signed October 25, 1901 (the ``1901 Treaty''), which applies to the Republic of Serbia as a successor state to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Treaty follows generally the form and content of other extradition treaties recently concluded by the United States. It would replace an outmoded list of extraditable offenses with a modern ``dual criminality'' approach, which would enable extradition for such offenses as money laundering, cyber-related crimes, and other newer offenses not appearing on the 1901 Treaty list. The Treaty also provides that extradition shall not be refused based on the nationality of the person sought and contains a modernized ``political offense'' clause. Finally, the Treaty incorporates a series of procedural improvements to streamline and expedite the extradition process.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Treaty, and give its advice and consent to ratification.
Barack Obama.
The White House, January 17, 2017.
To the Senate of the United States:
With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Extradition Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Kosovo (the ``Treaty''), signed at Pristina on March 29, 2016. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.
The Treaty would replace the Treaty between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Servia for the Mutual Extradition of Fugitives from Justice, signed October 25, 1901 (the ``1901 Treaty''), which applies to the Republic of Kosovo as a successor state to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Treaty follows generally the form and content of other extradition treaties recently concluded by the United States. It would replace an outmoded list of extraditable offenses with a modern ``dual criminality'' approach, which would enable extradition for such offenses as money laundering, cyber-related crimes, and other newer offenses not appearing on the 1901 Treaty list. The Treaty also provides that extradition shall not be refused based on the nationality of the person sought and contains a modernized ``political offense'' clause. Finally, the Treaty incorporates a series of procedural improvements to streamline and expedite the extradition process.
I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Treaty, and give its advice and consent to ratification.
Barack Obama. The White House, January 17, 2017.
____________________