[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 26 (Tuesday, March 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2295-S2296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 75, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 75) designating March 25, 2005, as 
     ``Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of 
     Greek and American Democracy.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 75) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 75

       Whereas the ancient Greeks 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 drew 
     heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient 
     Greece in forming our representative democracy;
       Whereas Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, 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 Greece played a major role in the World War II 
     struggle to protect freedom and democracy through such 
     bravery as was shown in the historic Battle of Crete that 
     presented the Axis land war with its first major setback, 
     setting off a chain of events that significantly affected the 
     outcome of World War II;
       Whereas the price for Greece in holding our common values 
     in their region was high, as hundreds of thousands of 
     civilians were killed in Greece during the World War II 
     period;
       Whereas, throughout the 20th century, Greece was 1 of only 
     3 nations in the world, beyond the former British Empire, 
     that was allied with the United States in every major 
     international conflict;
       Whereas President George W. Bush, in recognizing Greek 
     Independence Day, said, ``Greece and America have been firm 
     allies in the great struggles for liberty. Americans will 
     always remember Greek heroism and Greek sacrifice for the 
     sake of freedom . . . [and] as the 21st Century dawns, Greece 
     and America once again stand united; this time in the fight 
     against terrorism. The United States deeply appreciates the 
     role Greece is playing in the war against terror. . . . 
     America and Greece are strong allies, and we're strategic 
     partners.'';
       Whereas Greece is a stabilizing force by virtue of its 
     political and economic power in the volatile Balkan region 
     and is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe;
       Whereas Greece, through excellent work and cooperation with 
     United States and international law enforcement agencies, 
     arrested and convicted key members of the November 17 
     terrorist organization;
       Whereas President Bush stated that Greece's successful 
     ``law enforcement operations against a terrorist organization 
     [November 17] responsible for three decades of terrorist 
     attacks underscore the important contributions Greece is 
     making to the global war on terrorism'';
       Whereas Greece was extraordinarily responsive to United 
     States requests during

[[Page S2296]]

     the war with Iraq, as Greece immediately granted unlimited 
     access to its airspace and the base in Souda Bay, and many 
     United States ships delivering troops, cargo, and supplies to 
     Iraq were refueled in Greece;
       Whereas the Olympic Games came home in August 2004 to 
     Athens, Greece, the land of their ancient birthplace 2,500 
     years ago and the city of their modern revival in 1896;
       Whereas Greece received world-wide praise for its 
     extraordinary handling of over 14,000 athletes from 202 
     countries and over 2,000,000 spectators and journalists and 
     did so efficiently, securely, and with its famous Greek 
     hospitality;
       Whereas the unprecedented Olympic security effort in Greece 
     for the first post-9/11 Olympics included a record-setting 
     expenditure of over $1,390,000,000 and assignment of over 
     70,000 security personnel, as well as the utilization of an 
     8-country Olympic Security Advisory Group which included the 
     United States;
       Whereas Greece, geographically located in a region where 
     Christianity meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent 
     relations with Muslim nations and Israel;
       Whereas Greece has had extraordinary success in recent 
     years in furthering cross-cultural understanding and reducing 
     tensions between Greece and Turkey;
       Whereas Greece and the United States are at the forefront 
     of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and 
     human rights;
       Whereas those and other ideals have forged a close bond 
     between our 2 nations and their peoples;
       Whereas March 25, 2005, marks the 184th anniversary of the 
     beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from 
     the Ottoman Empire; and
       Whereas it is proper and desirable to celebrate with the 
     Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from 
     which our 2 great nations were born: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 25, 2005, as ``Greek Independence Day: 
     A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American 
     Democracy''; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
     the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

                          ____________________