Whereas Tonga’s Queen Salote Tupou III negotiated for the end of British protectorate status for her nation and transition to Commonwealth membership, which bore fruit in 1970; Whereas Tonga is a valued security partner of the United States, and the Tongan Defense Services deployed four contingents to Iraq between 2004 and 2008; Whereas in the coming year, the United States is committed to deepening this relationship through security cooperation, including hosting Tongan defense forces for International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs; Whereas the United States Government supports many cooperative activities with the Government of Tonga in sustainable fisheries management and development assistance, including those authorized by the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–409 ); Whereas section 1252 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 ( Public Law 116–92 ) expands the number of countries that receive assistance under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, including Tonga; Whereas a peaceful, prosperous, and open Indo-Pacific rooted in a rule-based order that promotes security, opportunity, and dignity to all peoples benefits the people of both the United States and the Kingdom of Tonga; Whereas the Kingdom of Tonga, a constitutional monarchy, took steps towards democratic governance beginning in 2010; Whereas over 50,000 United States citizens trace their roots to the Kingdom of Tonga, many of whom reside in Utah, California, or Hawaii; Whereas Tonga has hosted the Peace Corps since 1967; and Whereas the Nevada National Guard entered into a State Partnership Program with Tonga in 2014: Now, therefore, be it