[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1168 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1168

      Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Polish independence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 3, 2018

Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mrs. Walorski, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Smith of New 
  Jersey, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. 
  Quigley, Mrs. Comstock, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Sires, and Mr. Diaz-
 Balart) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Polish independence.

Whereas a shared commitment to democratic principles, freedom, rule of law, and 
        human rights form the foundation of the close United States-Polish 
        relationship, as well as the deep resolve to the North Atlantic military 
        alliance and the transatlantic relationship to ensure security in Europe 
        and globally;
Whereas the United States-Polish friendship precedes the birth of the United 
        States, where Polish generals Taddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski 
        bravely fought for independence and freedom for both the United States 
        and Poland;
Whereas the democratic values of the United States and Poland go back to the 
        1700s;
Whereas, on May 3, 1791, Poland adopted the first constitution in Europe based 
        on the ideas of liberty and constitutional monarchy, which paved the way 
        for future democratic reforms and equal rights for all;
Whereas in October 1795, Poland was invaded and succumbed to the third partition 
        between the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg 
        Monarchy, and as a result lost its sovereignty for the next 123 years;
Whereas Poles' perseverant fight to regain independence culminated in the 
        November Uprising of 1830 and the January Uprising of 1863, in which 
        hundreds of Poles sacrificed their lives to help rebuild Poland's 
        sovereignty;
Whereas Poland's national identity was preserved through fostered education and 
        economic empowerment of the masses, coined in the ``organic work'' 
        ideology, that recognized modernization of the Polish society as a 
        prerequisite for preservation of Polish nationhood;
Whereas President Woodrow Wilson's and Igancy Paderewski's advocacy for the 
        cause of Poland's independence were critical for the recognition of 
        Polish sovereignty after the end of the First World War;
Whereas, on November 11, 1918, the Regency Council of Poland named Jozef 
        Pilsudski the Commander in Chief of Poland and entrusted him to build a 
        government for the newly reconstituted Poland, marking the formation of 
        the Second Republic of Poland;
Whereas heroic Polish resistance fighters and soldiers fought in World War II 
        against tyranny on all fronts and at home only to find that liberation 
        from the Nazis became domination by the Soviet Union;
Whereas Poland's solidarity movement headed by Lech Walesa led to the ultimate 
        defeat of communism and the fall of the Soviet Empire, and paved the way 
        for the blessings of liberty for millions of Europeans;
Whereas Poland joined the community of democracies and availed itself of 
        democratic principles by acceding to the NATO alliance in 1999 and the 
        European Union in 2004; and
Whereas up to 10 million Polish-Americans continue to make remarkable and valued 
        contributions to the Nation, including serving in political leadership, 
        fighting for liberty in the armed forces, building America's future in 
        factories, and leading in creative and economic innovation: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commemorates the 100th anniversary of Polish 
        independence and values the opportunity to remember the 
        historic events and brave individuals that brought about 
        reconstitution of Poland's sovereignty;
            (2) honors the courage and sacrifice of the people of 
        Poland, who did not lose their determination to advance the 
        cause of Polish independence during 123 years of partitions; 
        and
            (3) reaffirms the close bonds between Poland and the United 
        States based on the love of freedom, thirst for liberty, and 
        shared commitment to rule of law, as well as a strong military 
        cooperation to create a more secure and democratic world.
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