[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 246 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 246

  Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the independence of Greece and 
         celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2021

 Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
   Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Pappas, Mr. 
    Sarbanes, Ms. Titus, and Mr. Cicilline) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the 200th 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, in an October 21, 1823, letter to Greek scholar Adamantios Koraes 
        discussing the ongoing Greek struggle for independence, Thomas Jefferson 
        wrote that ``[n]o people sympathise more feelingly than ours with the 
        sufferings of your countrymen, none offer more sincere and ardent 
        prayers to heaven for their success'';
Whereas, on January 19, 1824, in a speech in support of his resolution to send 
        an American envoy to Greece amid its struggle for independence, then-
        Congressman Daniel Webster recognized ``the struggle of an interesting 
        and gallant people . . . contending against fearful odds, for being, and 
        for the common privilege of human nature'';
Whereas individual American Philhellenes, including future abolitionist Dr. 
        Samuel Gridley Howe, future abolitionist Jonathan Peckham Miller, and 
        George Jarvis, traveled to Greece to fight alongside and provide aid to 
        the Greek people in their struggle for independence;
Whereas the people of the United States generously sent humanitarian assistance 
        to the people of Greece during their struggle for independence, often 
        through philhellene committees;
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 the United States and Greece reinforced their commitment to security 
        cooperation by signing an updated Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement 
        on October 5, 2019, that will expand defense ties between the two 
        countries and promote stability in the region;
Whereas the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, visited the United 
        States from January 5 to 8, 2020, and held meetings with members of 
        Congress, including members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate, which demonstrated the continued vitality and significance of 
        the United States-Greece relationship;
Whereas a high-level review of the United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue took 
        place in Greece on September 28, 2020, which underscored Greece's 
        importance to the United States as a geostrategic partner in the Eastern 
        Mediterranean and Balkans and as an important NATO ally;
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 Greece remains an integral part of the European Union;
Whereas the United States has demonstrated its support for the trilateral 
        partnership of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus by enacting into law the 
        Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 (title 
        II of division J of Public Law 116-94) and through joint engagement with 
        Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the ``3+1'' format;
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 the Greek-American community has greatly contributed to American society 
        and has helped forge the strong ties between the United States and 
        Greece;
Whereas the Government 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 
        peoples of Greece and the United States;
Whereas, in support of the Greece 2021 Committee established by the Government 
        of Greece, the United States Mission in Greece has launched a campaign 
        to celebrate the bicentennial of the independence of Greece and the 200 
        years of friendship between the United States and Greece; and
Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate March 25, 
        2021, 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 House of Representatives--
            (1) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the 
        people of Greece as they celebrate the 200th anniversary of the 
        independence of Greece;
            (2) expresses support for the principles of democratic 
        governance to which the people of Greece are committed;
            (3) commends the Greek-American community for its 
        contributions to the United States and its role as a bridge 
        between the two countries;
            (4) notes the important role that Greece has played in the 
        wider European region and in the community of nations since 
        gaining its independence 200 years ago; and
            (5) commends the critical role Greece plays in promoting 
        stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans.
                                 <all>