Whereas, on September 3, 1918, the United States
Government recognized the Czecho-Slovak National Council as the official
Government of Czechoslovakia;
Whereas, on October 28, 1918, the peoples of the present
day Czech Republic and the present day Slovak Republic proclaimed their
independence in the common state of the Republic of Czechoslovakia;
Whereas between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany annexed part
of Bohemia, set up a fascist protectorate
in the rest of Bohemia
and in Moravia, and installed a puppet fascist government in Slovakia;
Whereas, on November 17, 1939, in response to widespread
student demonstrations, Czech institutions of higher learning were closed by
the Nazis, many students were taken to concentration camps, and 9
representatives of the student movement were executed;
Whereas the Moscow-directed Communists took over the
Government of Czechoslovakia in February 1948;
Whereas troops from Warsaw Pact countries invaded
Czechoslovakia in August 1968, ousted the reformist leadership of Alexander
Dubcek, and restored a hard-line communist regime;
Whereas, on November 17, 1989, the brutal break up of a
student demonstration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the execution of
Czech student leaders and the closure of universities by the Nazis triggered
the explosion of mass discontent that launched the Velvet Revolution, which was
characterized by reliance on nonviolence and open public discourse;
Whereas the peoples of Czechoslovakia overthrew 40 years
of totalitarian communist rule in order to rebuild a democratic society;
Whereas, since November 17, 1989, the people of the Slovak
Republic and the Czech Republic have established vibrant, pluralistic,
democratic political systems based upon freedom of speech, a free press, free
and fair open elections, the rule of law, and other democratic principles and
practices;
Whereas the people of the United States, the Slovak
Republic, and the Czech Republic have maintained a special relationship based
on shared democratic values, common interests, and the strong bonds of
friendship, mutual respect, and close cooperation; and
Whereas the people of the United States have an affinity
with the peoples of the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic and regard them
as trusted and important partners and allies: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
(1)recognizes the 20th anniversary of the
historic events in Central and Eastern Europe that brought about the collapse
of the communist regimes and the fall of the Iron Curtain;
(2)commemorates, with
the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, the 20th anniversary of the Velvet
Revolution in Czechoslovakia, which underscores the significance and value of
reclaimed freedom and the dignity of individual citizens;
(3)commends the peoples of the Slovak Republic
and the Czech Republic for their remarkable achievements over the past 20 years
in building free, democratic, and prosperous societies;
(4)appreciates the contribution of the Slovak
Republic and the Czech Republic as members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and the European Union to the promotion and defense of common
values of freedom, democracy, and liberty around the world;
(5)reaffirms the bonds of friendship and close
cooperation that have existed between the United States and the Slovak Republic
and the Czech Republic; and
(6)extends the
warmest congratulations and best wishes to the people of the Slovak Republic
and the people of the Czech Republic for a peaceful, prosperous, and successful
future.
Passed the House of
Representatives November 19, 2009.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk