Honoring the deep and enduring friendship between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States on the occasion of Danish Constitution Day celebrations.

Honoring the deep and enduring friendship between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States on the occasion of Danish Constitution Day celebrations.

Whereas Denmark and the United States have enjoyed peaceful, mutually beneficial relations since establishing diplomatic relations in 1801;

Whereas more than 1,000,000 people in the United States claim Danish ancestry;

Whereas Denmark has bravely stood with the United States in nearly every conflict of the last 3 decades, sending troops and forces to fight alongside United States Armed Forces in the 1991 Gulf War, the Balkans conflicts, and in Afghanistan, while dedicating military forces to stabilization and peacekeeping missions in Africa, the Middle East, and around the world;

Whereas Denmark and the United States are bound by a treaty of mutual defense and enjoy intense cooperation on intelligence-sharing, weapons sales, military exercises, and joint basing;

Whereas Denmark is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—the backbone of peace and prosperity in North America and Europe for more than 75 years;

Whereas Denmark spends more on national defense than the target objective required by NATO for defense spending as a percentage of gross domestic product;

Whereas Denmark is the seventh largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, contributing to the creation of approximately 200,000 jobs; and

Whereas Denmark was 1 of 8 founding partner-nations of the multinational F–35 Lightning II program: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) acknowledges Danish Constitution Day in a spirit of friendship and respect toward the people of Denmark;

(2) recognizes the deep commitment of the Danish people and government to the friendship and cooperation between Denmark and the United States;

(3) expresses gratitude for the sacrifices borne in battle by Danish heroes in securing the shared interests of Denmark and the United States; and

(4) looks toward many more decades of shared prosperity, peace, cooperation, and friendship.