[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 127 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                          June 9, 2008.
Whereas July 7, 2008, marks the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Alaska 
        Statehood Act as approved by the United States Congress and signed by 
        President Dwight D. Eisenhower;
Whereas the Alaska Statehood Act authorized the entry of Alaska into the Union 
        on January 3, 1959;
Whereas the land once known as ``Seward's Folly'' is now regarded as critical to 
        the strategic defense of the United States and important to our national 
        and economic security;
Whereas the people of Alaska remain committed to the preservation and protection 
        of the Union, with among the highest rates of veterans and residents in 
        active military service of any State in the Nation;
Whereas Alaska is the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost State of the 
        Union, encompassing an area one-fifth the size of the United States;
Whereas the State of Alaska has an abundance of natural resources vital to the 
        Nation;
Whereas Alaska currently provides over 16 percent of the daily crude oil 
        production in the United States and has 44 percent of the undiscovered 
        oil resources and 36 percent of undiscovered conventional gas in the 
        United States;
Whereas Alaska's 34,000 miles of shoreline form a gateway to one of the world's 
        greatest fisheries, providing over 60 percent of the country's 
        commercial seafood harvest;
Whereas over 230 million acres of Alaska are set aside in national parks, 
        wildlife refuges, national forests, and other conservation units for the 
        benefit of the entire country;
Whereas over 58 million acres are designated wilderness in Alaska, representing 
        55 percent of the wilderness areas in the United States;
Whereas Alaska Natives, the State's first people, are an integral part of 
        Alaska's history, and preserving the culture and heritage of Alaska's 
        Native people is of primary importance;
Whereas the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971 signaled 
        a new era of economic opportunity for Alaska Natives;
Whereas Alaska's Native people have made major contributions to the vitality and 
        success of Alaska as a State;
Whereas the people of Alaska represent the pioneering spirit that built this 
        great Nation and contribute to our cultural and ethnic diversity; and
Whereas the golden anniversary, on January 3, 2009, provides an occasion to 
        honor Alaska's entry into the Union: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and celebrates the 
50th anniversary of the entry of Alaska into the Union as the 49th State.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.