[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 614 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 614

        Celebrating the 99th anniversary of Polish independence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2017

 Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mrs. 
 Walorski, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Rokita, 
  Ms. Esty of Connecticut, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Tonko, Mr. 
    Sires, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Price of North 
 Carolina, Mr. Cartwright, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, and Mr. 
   Bishop of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
        Celebrating the 99th anniversary of Polish independence.

Whereas the strong ties between Poland and the United States are cemented with 
        the shared devotion to the values of human rights, civil liberties, and 
        democracy, as well as the resolve to the North Atlantic military 
        alliance's role in maintaining Eastern Europe's and global security;
Whereas Poles have been present on American soil since before 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 shared 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 fell victim of 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' steadfast 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 for the reconstitution of 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 focused advocacy for 
        the cause of Poland's independence were critical for the recognition of 
        Polish sovereignty after the end of the First World War; and
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 creation of 
        the Second Republic of Poland: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) celebrates the 99th anniversary of Polish independence 
        and values the opportunity to remember the historic events and 
        courageous individuals that brought about reconstitution of 
        Poland's sovereignty;
            (2) honors the resolve 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 democracy, as well as a strong military 
        cooperation to create a more secure and democratic world.
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