The following Resolution was adopted by the Democratic National Committee at its meeting on February 28, 2014, in Washington, D.C.

Submitted by: Katie Solon, Chair, Democrats Abroad
Ken Sherman, Vice-Chair, Democrats Abroad
Bob Bragar, Democrats Abroad
John Eastwood, Democrats Abroad
Stanley Grossman, Democrats Abroad
Caitlin Kraft-Buchman, Democrats Abroad
Sandra Loridans, Democrats Abroad
Gary Suwannarat, Democrats Abroad
Raymond Buckley, DNC Vice Chair/New Hampshire
Henry R. Muñoz, III, DNC National Finance Chair/ Texas
Jill Alpert, Michigan
Dennis Archer, At-Large/Michigan
Patrice Arent, Utah
Shawn Bagley, California
Jan Bauer, At-Large/Iowa
Cecil Benjamin, Chair, Virgin Islands
Rachel Binah, California
Dean Boerste, Indiana
Scott Brennan, Chair, Iowa
Doug Brooks, Missouri
Jeanne Buell, Vice Chair, Idaho
Rickey L. Cole, Chair, Mississippi
Ed Cote, Washington
Jean Lemire Dahlman, Montana
Nancy DiNardo, Chair, Connecticut
Debbie Dingell, Michigan
Kate Donaghue, Massachusetts
Becca Doten, California
Joanne Dowdell, At-Large/New Hampshire
Jess Durfee, California
Mary Early, California
Alice Germond, Virginia
Peter Gertonson, Idaho
Barry Goodman, Goodman, Michigan
Anthony E. Graves, Colorado
Tarsha Hardy, Vice Chair, Texas
Tony Hill, Florida
Gilberto Hinojosa, Chair, Texas
Patricia Hobbs, National Federation of Democratic Women/California
Aleita Huguenin, California
Ben Jeffers, Louisiana
Ronald Kaminski, Nebraska
Larry Kenck, Chair, Idaho
Linda Langston, National Democratic County Officials/Iowa
Barbara Lee, California
Cordelia Lewis-Burks, Vice Chair, Indiana
Martha Love, Wisconsin
Teresa Garcia Krusor, Kansas
Rhine McLin, Vice Chair, Ohio
Iris Martinez, Illinois
Sharon Mast, Washington
Shari Mellin, Indiana
Maureen Monahan, Vice Chair, Nebraska
Dorothy Mrowka, Connecticut
Bob Mulholland, California
Blanca Uzeta O’Leary, At-Large/Colorado
John Olsen, Connecticut
Karen Packer, Vice Chair, Oregon
Johnnie Patton, Mississippi
Christine Pelosi, California
Vince Powers, Chair, Nebraska
Chris Redfern, Chair, Ohio
Mame Reilly, Virginia
Mannie Rodriguez, Colorado
Virgie Rollins, National Federation of Democratic Women/Michigan
Carol Ronen, Illinois
Valerie Brady Rongey, Vice Chair, Washington
Sally Rosser, Georgia
Melissa Schroeder, Vice Chair, Wisconsin
Nancy Schumacher, Minnesota
Lori Sellner, Minnesota
Garry S. Shay, California
Hilda Solis, At-Large/California
Chris Stampolis, California
Keith Umemeto, California
Randy Voller, Chair, North Carolina
Brian Wahby, At-Large/Missouri
Patricia Zieg,Nebraska
John Zody, Chair, Indiana

Resolution Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Democrats Abroad and Highlighting the Legislative Impacts on Overseas Americans

WHEREAS, American Democrats living and working abroad have participated in and contributed to the political life of the United States since the Democratic Party’s founding; and

WHEREAS, fifty years ago Democrats Abroad first organized simultaneously in Paris and London when President Lyndon Johnson defeated Senator Barry Goldwater; and

WHEREAS, Democrats Abroad in 1964, were the first to mobilize U.S. voters living overseas, efforts which continue to this day; and

WHEREAS, for half a century Democrats Abroad has advanced the principles of the Democratic Party by communicating with U.S. voters in other countries and encouraging them to vote for Democratic candidates back home; and

WHEREAS, Democrats Abroad has 53 official Country Committees throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania and an international Executive Committee that keep Americans abroad informed of their rights and help them participate in the U.S. political process; and

WHEREAS, the extensive global Voter Registration activities of Democrats Abroad – most via www.VoteFromAbroad.org, its online voter registration tool – are essential because Americans abroad vote in every state in the U.S. and overseas absentee ballots are often key to determine the outcomes of elections; and

WHEREAS, Democrats Abroad is recognized as a “State” Party by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and is represented on the DNC by eight voting members, as well as at the quadrennial Democratic National Convention; and

WHEREAS, more than six million Americans live overseas and the trend continues as globalizationgathers even more momentum; and

WHEREAS, American social, cultural, political and in particular democratic values are disseminated through Americans living and working abroad, making overseas Americans arguably our nation’s informal ambassadors; and

WHEREAS, overseas Americans are impacted uniquely by U.S. legislation in many essential areas, including taxation, financial reporting, immigration, health care and Social Security; and

WHEREAS, the issues and problems facing overseas Americans cross all categories of gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status; and

WHEREAS, the issues and problems facing overseas Americans are felt equally by those who identify as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents; and

WHEREAS, the DNC is committed to ensuring the right to vote of Americans at home and abroad;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic National Committee celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Democrats Abroad and urges all legislators to recognize the unique perspective and essential function overseas Americans bring to the party and the country; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Democrats will work together to ensure that overseas absentee ballots are reasonably easy to cast and always counted and will consider impacts of past and future legislation on Americans living overseas.