[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 135 (Wednesday, September 23, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H9824-H9826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    REAFFIRMING THE HISTORIC TIES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE 
                              NETHERLANDS

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 178) expressing the sense of the 
Congress that

[[Page H9825]]

we honor, commemorate and celebrate the historic ties of the United 
States and the Netherlands by recognizing the Quadricentennial 
celebration of the discovery of the Hudson River and the settlement and 
enduring values of New Netherland which permeate American society up 
until today, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 178

       Whereas the Netherlands and the United States are two 
     countries united by shared values and historic ties;
       Whereas 2009 marks the Quadricentennial year that Henry 
     Hudson captained the ship ``Halve Maen'' under the auspices 
     of the Dutch East India Company and discovered the Hudson 
     River;
       Whereas the discovery of that river and its fertile lands 
     gave rise to the establishment of the New Netherland 
     settlement and the ensuing positive relations between the 
     Netherlands and America;
       Whereas the Netherlands was the first country to salute the 
     U.S. flag in 1776 at St. Eustatius;
       Whereas the drafters of the Declaration of Independence 
     were influenced by the Dutch Constitution;
       Whereas the Netherlands has remained a friend and staunch 
     ally of the United States, from providing necessary loans 
     during the Revolutionary War to standing shoulder-to-shoulder 
     in Afghanistan in defense of democratic values, protection of 
     human rights and promotion of the rule of law;
       Whereas the New Netherland settlement left a legacy of 
     values such as open-mindedness, entrepreneurship, democracy, 
     tolerance and hard work, as well as freedom of religion and 
     speech;
       Whereas the bonds of free trade, open markets and commerce 
     have continuously linked the Dutch and the Americans to such 
     an extent that the Netherlands remains among the top four 
     foreign investors in the U.S.;
       Whereas the Netherlands provided immediate assistance in 
     the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and continues today by 
     sharing expertise in water management that will help rebuild 
     New Orleans and its levees; and
       Whereas the heritage of 400 years of friendship between the 
     Netherlands and the United States is a laudable example and 
     should be properly extolled: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that we 
     reaffirm the historic ties and friendship between the United 
     States and the Netherlands by recognizing the 
     Quadricentennial celebration of the discovery of the Hudson 
     River and honoring the enduring values of the settlers of New 
     Netherland that continue to permeate American society.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the concurrent resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, 
and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) for 
introducing this resolution marking the 400th anniversary of Henry 
Hudson's voyage up the river that now bears his name. Hudson and his 
crew of 20 Dutch and English sailors got as far as present day Albany 
before concluding that the river was unlikely to take him to India.
  Though his voyage may not have led to the discovery of the Northwest 
Passage, Henry Hudson and the Dutch East India Company planted the 
seeds for the establishment of the New Netherland settlement and four 
centuries of American-Dutch relations. The legacy of New Netherland is 
plainly evident in the values such as tolerance, entrepreneurship and 
freedom of speech and religion which we hold so dear. This was echoed 
by Benjamin Franklin when he wrote, ``In love of liberty and in the 
defense of it, Holland has been our example.''
  From our partnership in NATO to our immense trade and investment 
links, the bonds of friendship between our two countries today remain 
just as strong as when the Netherlands became the first European 
country to grant diplomatic recognition to the United States.
  So I urge my colleagues to join me on this important anniversary by 
supporting this resolution and recognizing the historic ties of the 
United States and the Netherlands.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1130

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra), a cosponsor of this measure 
and the ranking member of the Select Committee on Intelligence who 
obviously has deep roots, having been born in the Netherlands.
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. I thank my colleague for yielding. I also would like to 
express my appreciation to Representative Van Hollen for working 
together to develop this resolution and to now move it forward on the 
House floor.
  This honors the 400 years of friendship, a unique friendship, between 
the Dutch and the Americans, between the Netherlands and the United 
States of America. In 1609, the Dutch ship the Halve Maen, commanded by 
Henry Hudson, arrived in New York. That really started a phenomenal 
friendship, a friendship that has gone uninterrupted for over 400 
years. We share so many things. We share values, freedom, tolerance, 
pursuit of happiness. We share a strong military relationship, and 
we've developed an immense economic bond between the two countries.
  The Netherlands continues to be the fourth-largest investor in the 
United States. They also trade in the range of $73 billion per year 
with the United States of America. In 2008, the United States exported 
over $40 billion worth of products to the Netherlands. In manufacturing 
and finance, the Netherlands is the fourth largest investor to our 
country. But I think more importantly, this opportunity now in 2009 is 
to recognize this very, very unique relationship. Think about it; 400 
years of continuous friendship during which the world has gone through 
one crisis after another. But there has been one thing that has been 
constant, and that is the commitment of America and the Netherlands to 
work through the differences that we have had and to always find a 
common bond and to always focus on those things that recognize that we 
have much more in common than what separates us, and that we have used 
these 400 years to build, to develop and to strengthen this 
relationship.
  So it's very appropriate that this resolution come to the House floor 
today, that this body will recognize this unique relationship and that 
this body will recognize it and encourage it and say that, you know, 
maybe we can go forward for another 400 years. I thank my colleagues 
for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I encourage all of my 
colleagues on the House floor to vote in favor of this resolution.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Hinchey).
  Mr. HINCHEY. I want to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for 
the initiation of this quadricentennial celebration of the discovery of 
the Hudson River by a vessel which was directed by the Netherlands 
after hiring a British captain by the name of Henry Hudson. It is a 
remarkable event. The 400 years of our direct relationship with the 
Netherlands is something upon which we need to be most recognizing and 
deeply grateful.
  If you look back at the history, you see in the 1600s and even 
earlier how the Netherlands had become one of the most open and 
democratic places anywhere on this planet, how the population of that 
country had been so integrated and so involved with people from various 
places around Europe but also outside of the continent, including 
Africa. The discovery of the Hudson River was made by the Half Moon, 
led by Henry Hudson--the river now bearing his name--and the ensuing 
settlement of the southern part of Manhattan, how that settlement came 
about was so similar to the way in which the Netherlands was organized 
back then. That settlement, again, brought in people from all over 
Europe and elsewhere, including Africa as well. The integration of that 
settlement, the diversity of that settlement led, in many ways, to the 
diversity and deep understanding of the growing United States of 
America.
  We owe the Netherlands a great honor and recognition for all that 
they

[[Page H9826]]

have done. The celebration of our relationship has been going on for a 
long time in a very interesting way. During the 350th anniversary 
celebration, the Queen of the Netherlands came to the United States and 
spent a good deal of time here. Of course while she was here, she was 
highly recognized and deeply appreciated for spending time here and 
engaging in that 350th celebration back in 1959. Last April I had the 
opportunity to meet her again and to spend some time with her in 
Amsterdam and to deeply appreciate all the leadership that she has 
provided and all the others have provided that have had such a 
beneficial effect on the United States of America.
  This quadricentennial celebration now is going on, and it is being 
recognized and appreciated throughout all of New York State and many 
other places across our country. The Prince of the Netherlands is here, 
and he is engaging with us in this celebration. Again, in the context 
of this celebration, one of the most important things for us to 
remember and recognize and express a great deal of appreciation for is 
the influence that the Netherlands has had on the development of this 
country, the way in which it was settled, how lower Manhattan and New 
York State became the most diversely populated place on this continent 
and, in many ways, it still is. The initiation of that came about as a 
result of the exemplary way in which the Netherlands conducted its 
organization, its leadership, its integration, its openness. We owe 
them a great deal, and we express that deep gratitude to them in many 
ways, but particularly in the context of this quadricentennial 
celebration, recognizing this wonderful 400-year history of the Hudson 
River and the very positive contributions that that made to the 
settlement of the city of New York and the openness of our country.
  Again, I express my appreciation to the Queen of the Netherlands, to 
the Prince who was here and to the exemplary way in which Amsterdam and 
the Netherlands have opened up their examples and led us in a very, 
very positive way, and that relationship continues today. I express my 
deep appreciation to the sponsor of this legislation. I'm very happy to 
participate in this event.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  The United States and the Netherlands are strong allies. The roots of 
our close relationship stretch back for more than 100 years before our 
Nation's independence. In September of 1609, Henry Hudson explored a 
vast river and territory in what is now New York State while on an 
expedition for the Dutch East India Company. On his return from that 
expedition, Hudson wrote such glowing reports on the promise of the 
lands that he had discovered that Dutch citizens were inspired to cross 
the Atlantic and establish the New Netherland settlement. The values of 
those early Dutch settlers--values of entrepreneurship, democracy, 
tolerance and hard work--continue to influence our society today 400 
years later.
  The friendship between the young United States of America and the 
Netherlands was tested when America was on the brink of bankruptcy due 
to the financial cost incurred in its fight for independence and 
reached out to the Netherlands for financial support. Ultimately, the 
Dutch provided the United States with a loan that proved vital to 
ensuring the survival of our young Nation. Subsequently, in another 
strong sign of friendship, the Netherlands was the first European 
country to diplomatically recognize the new United States of America.
  Many of us have grown up with the story of brave young Hans Brinker 
who saved the people of the Netherlands by sticking his finger in the 
dam to prevent a devastating flood. Well, what many people don't know 
is that this story was actually made famous in 1865 by American author 
Mary Mapes Dodge to illustrate for American children the characteristic 
values of bravery, resourcefulness and self-sacrifice, associated with 
the people of the Netherlands. In this story, Hans Brinker stood alone. 
However, the history of the Dutch-American relationship demonstrates 
our commitment that should either be in need, the other will stand by 
them. This commitment has truly been in evidence whenever the Dutch and 
Americans have fought side by side through the second World War, the 
Korean War, the Gulf Wars, and numerous other global efforts. Today 
we're working together in Afghanistan and in Iraq to prevent extremists 
from unleashing devastating violence against the people of those 
countries and our own.
  I am pleased to support this resolution today, which marks the 400th 
anniversary of the discovery of the Hudson River and the beginning of 
the deep and lasting friendship between the Netherlands and the United 
States of America.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Berman and Ranking 
Member Ros-Lehtinen for their efforts in bringing this resolution to 
the floor today. Also I want to thank the committee staffs, in 
particular Rick Kessler and Amanda Sloat for their efforts.
  I am very proud to be a Co-chair of the Congressional Dutch Caucus 
with my colleague Pete Hoekstra of Michigan with whom I have worked on 
a bipartisan basis to further strengthen relations between the U.S. and 
the Netherlands. I am also very pleased to join with him in introducing 
this resolution.
  This year we celebrate the quadricentennial of American and Dutch 
relations. Four hundred years ago, the Dutch ship, the Half Moon, 
sailed up the Hudson River. In 1776, when Dutch cannons at Fort Orange 
on the Caribbean island of Saint Eustace saluted visiting American 
warships, The Netherlands became the first nation to recognize the 
newly born United States of America. Over the last 400 years, our 
people have built an enduring and productive cultural, commercial, and 
strategic partnership.
  The fruits of that partnership and the contributions made by Dutch 
Americans to the culture, prosperity, and security of this country are 
well known.
  The Dutch helped settle and found New Amsterdam, Brooklyn, and 
Harlem. Their descendents rose to be Presidents of the United States 
and to build the great fortunes that helped America attain its stature 
as the most prosperous and powerful Nation this world has ever known. 
And it is widely recognized that Thomas Jefferson used the Dutch 
Declaration of Independence of 1689 as a guide when writing the 
American Declaration of Independence.
  On issues of security, Dutch and American troops have stood 
``shoulder to shoulder'' in combat and have partnered in global 
peacekeeping and stabilization efforts in Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Iraq, and 
Afghanistan.
  The close cooperation and free and open communication resulting from 
our ties have strengthened our ability to confront with confidence the 
major challenges that the world faces today. Not only the stubborn, 
enduring challenges such as the unresolved crisis in Darfur or the 
efforts to establish a lasting peace in the Middle East, but also the 
warming of the planet and the ongoing threat of international 
terrorism. In the days and years ahead, the close historical bonds 
between the Dutch and Americans will be called upon to address these 
and other global challenges. Our continued cooperation will be key to 
our success.
  The strength of our alliance and the endurance of our friendship have 
made both our countries stronger and the world more secure. I stand 
proudly today to honor and celebrate that friendship on the occasion of 
its 400th anniversary.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, having no further requests for time, I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 178, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``Concurrent resolution 
expressing the sense of Congress that we reaffirm the historic ties 
between the United States and the Netherlands by recognizing the 
Quadricentennial celebration of the discovery of the Hudson River and 
honoring the enduring values of the settlers of New Netherland that 
continue to permeate American society.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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