[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 49 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S3619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            188TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF GREECE

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Res. 
82.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 82) recognizing the 188th anniversary 
     of the independence of Greece and celebrating the Greek and 
     American democracy.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the 
table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements 
relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 82) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 82

       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, many of 
     whom read Greek political philosophy in the original Greek, 
     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 that ``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 Greek people during their 
     struggle for independence;
       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, which 
     provided 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 hundreds of thousands of Greek civilians were 
     killed in Greece during World War II in defense of the values 
     of the Allies;
       Whereas, throughout the 20th century, Greece was one of a 
     few countries that allied with the United States in every 
     major international conflict;
       Whereas Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the 
     United States in bringing political stability and economic 
     development to the volatile Balkan region, having invested 
     more than $20,000,000,000 in the countries of the region, 
     thereby helping to create more than 200,000 new jobs, and 
     having contributed more than $750,000,000 in development aid 
     for the region;
       Whereas Greece actively participates 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 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 Greece handled efficiently, securely, and 
     with hospitality;
       Whereas Greece, located in a region where Christianity 
     meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with 
     Muslim nations and Israel;
       Whereas the Government of Greece has taken important steps 
     in recent years in furthering cross-cultural understanding 
     and rapprochement with Turkey, as seen with the January 2008 
     visit to Turkey by the Prime Minister of Greece, Kostas 
     Karamanlis, the first official visit by a Greek Prime 
     Minister in 49 years;
       Whereas Greece and the United States are at the forefront 
     of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and 
     human rights;
       Whereas those and similar ideals have forged a close bond 
     between Greece and the United States; and
       Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to 
     celebrate March 25, 2009, Greek Independence Day, with the 
     Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from 
     which these two great nations were born: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the 
     people of Greece as they celebrate the 188th 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 188 years ago.

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