(Washington Post) — The Senate is expected to pass a resolution addressing the crisis in Egypt, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry (D-Mass.), told reporters Thursday evening.

According to Kerry, the resolution would call on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak “to begin the process of the transfer of power and create a caretaker effort” of which Mubarak himself could or could not be a part, depending on what the Egyptian people ultimately decide.

“We want them to make that kind of choice and not narrow the options here,” Kerry said. “But the key here is to respect people’s rights, to end the violence, to provide an opportunity for this transfer, and to begin to pull Egypt out of this chaotic confrontation and begin to embrace the aspirations of the people.”

Update:

(The Hill) — Two key senators offered and passed a resolution on Thursday that calls for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to hand over power to a caretaker government.

The resolution offered by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also call for elections and urges that Egypt’s military demonstrate “maximum professionalism and restraint” in working to restore order.

In a floor speech, McCain warned that the situation in Egypt could turn into a “genuine massacre.”

“We cannot afford that, and we must do everything in our power to see that it stops,” McCain said. “This is a seminal moment in the history of the Middle East and the world. We are seeing an uprising and a movement that spread across the entire Middle East.”

McCain called for Mubarak to give up power on Wednesday following a meeting at the White House with President Obama.

Protests in the streets of Cairo on Thursday were violent for a second day in a row as forces loyal to and against Mubarak’s government battled in the streets.

Kerry said all stakeholders in Egypt must respect human rights.

“We urge the parties involved to take every step possible to avoid violence and to respect the rights of the people in Egypt to assemble, to express their rights, to fight for and demonstrate for a transition in their lives and in their country,” said Kerry.

This is the first resolution to be offered by any senators on the crisis in Egypt.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) quickly joined as cosponsors.