[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 95 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 95
Recognizing the 198th anniversary of the independence of Greece and
celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 5, 2019
Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Gardner, Mr.
Murphy, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Braun, Mr. Van
Hollen, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Reed,
Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Brown, Mr. Coons, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hassan, Mrs.
Gillibrand, Mr. Casey, Mr. Peters, Mr. Carper, Mr. Bennet, and Mr.
Booker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 198th anniversary of the independence of Greece and
celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.
Whereas the people of ancient Greece developed the concept of democracy, in
which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people;
Whereas the founding fathers of the United States, many of whom read Greek
political philosophy in the original Greek language, drew heavily on the
political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming the
representative democracy of the United States;
Whereas Petros Mavromichalis, the former Commander in Chief of Greece and a
founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United
States in 1821, ``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.'';
Whereas the Greek national anthem, the ``Hymn to Liberty'', includes the words,
``most heartily was gladdened George Washington's brave land'';
Whereas the people of the United States generously offered humanitarian
assistance to the people of Greece during their struggle for
independence;
Whereas Greece heroically resisted Axis forces at a crucial moment in World War
II, forcing Adolf Hitler to change his timeline and delaying the attack
on Russia;
Whereas Winston Churchill said that ``if there had not been the virtue and
courage of the Greeks, we do not know which the outcome of World War II
would have been'' and ``no longer will we say that Greeks fight like
heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks'';
Whereas hundreds of thousands of the people of Greece were killed during World
War II;
Whereas Greece consistently allied with the United States in major international
conflicts throughout its history as a modern state;
Whereas Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the United States in bringing
political stability and economic development to the Balkan region,
having invested billions of dollars in the countries of the region and
having contributed more than $750,000,000 in development aid for the
region;
Whereas the Government and people of Greece actively participate in peacekeeping
and peace-building operations conducted by international organizations,
including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe;
Whereas Secretary of State Michael Pompeo hosted Acting Greek Foreign Minister
George Katrougalos in a United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue on
December 13, 2018, that underscored Greece's importance to the United
States as a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans
and as an important NATO ally;
Whereas the eastern Mediterranean trilateral partnership of Greece, Israel, and
Cyprus is increasingly important to United States interests, and each
country's strong relationship with the United States, as well as the
prospect of an Eastern Mediterranean pipeline enabling safe transmission
of gas to Western Europe, is critical to security and energy stability;
Whereas the United States was the honored country at Greece's premier
Thessaloniki International Fair on September 8-16, 2018;
Whereas Greece received worldwide praise for its extraordinary handling during
the 2004 Olympic Games of more than 14,000 athletes and more than
2,000,000 spectators and journalists, a feat the Government and people
of Greece handled efficiently, securely, and with hospitality;
Whereas Greece, located in a region where Christianity meets Islam and Judaism,
maintains excellent relations with Muslim countries and Israel;
Whereas Greece remains an integral part of the European Union;
Whereas the Government of Greece has taken important steps in recent years to
further cross-cultural understanding, rapprochement, and cooperation in
various fields with Turkey, and has also improved its relations with
other countries in the region, including Israel, thus enhancing the
stability of the wider region;
Whereas the Governments and people of Greece and the United States are at the
forefront of efforts to advance freedom, democracy, peace, stability,
and human rights;
Whereas those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close bond between the
people of Greece and the United States; and
Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate March 25,
2019, Greek Independence Day, with the people of Greece and to reaffirm
the democratic principles from which those two great countries were
founded: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the
people of Greece as they celebrate the 198th anniversary of the
independence of Greece;
(2) expresses support for the principles of democratic
governance to which the people of Greece are committed; and
(3) notes the important role that Greece has played in the
wider European region and in the community of nations since
gaining its independence 198 years ago.
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