I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1337 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 1, 2011 Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Bilirakis, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Berkley, and Mr. Berman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To support efforts by the Department of State to strengthen the bilateral relationship with Greece.

1.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The strong bilateral relationship between Greece and the United States was established at the very founding of both countries, and has continued to the present day. (2)The founding fathers of the United States, many of whom read Greek political philosophy in its original text, drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming this country’s representative democracy. (3)Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, a founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United States in 1821 that it is in your land that liberty has fixed her abode and . . . in imitating you, we shall imitate our ancestors and be thought worthy of them if we succeed in resembling you. (4)The people of the United States generously offered humanitarian assistance to the Greek people during their struggle for independence, which the Greek citizens finally was achieved on March 25, 1821. (5)Greece stood with the United States and Allied forces in World War II, suffering thousands of casualties as they bravely fought to protect freedom and democracy on numerous battlefields, as in the historic Battle of Crete, which was the first major setback for the Axis land war and set off a chain of events that significantly affected the outcome of World War II. (6)Throughout the 20th century, Greece continued to be a key support to the United States, and was one of a few countries that allied with the United States in every major international conflict. (7)During the war in Iraq, Greece immediately granted unlimited access to its airspace and the base in Souda Bay, and many ships of the United States that delivered troops, cargo, and supplies to Iraq were refueled in Greece. (8)Greece shares similar goals with the United States to promote peace and stability in the world, and in that vein has been an active participant in peacekeeping and peace-building operations conducted by international organizations, including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). (9)In an effort to further strengthen these bonds of friendship and commerce between our countries, Greece was formally included as a full member of the United States Visa Waiver Program on March 9, 2010. (10)Achieving greater stability in the Mediterranean region is a key foreign policy goal of the United States, which Greece supports in various ways, including through its historic initiatives for rapprochement with Turkey, through its support for sanctions on Iran, and, most recently, through the significant strengthening of bilateral relations with Israel. (11)Greece and the United States are at the forefront of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human rights, and those ideals have forged a close bond between Greece and the United States and their peoples.

2.

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the historic strong ties of friendship between the United States and Greece, which extend from the earliest foundations of the two countries until the present day, have been and continue to be invaluable to their growth, prosperity, and security.

3.

Statement of policy

It shall be the policy of the United States to pursue measures to strengthen the important cultural, diplomatic, and economic relations between the United States and Greece.