[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 58 (Tuesday, May 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING POLISH CONSTITUTION DAY

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2011

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Polish 
Constitution Day and to commemorate the signing of Europe's first 
codified constitution on May 3, 1791.
  Three years after the adoption of our own constitution, Poland became 
the second nation in the world to codify a constitution. Under the 
leadership of King Stanislaw August, Poland approved a constitution 
that contained many of the groundbreaking democratic principles also 
embraced by America's founding fathers. Among those was the separation 
of legislative, executive, and judicial powers. The constitution also 
placed peasants under the protection of the government and established 
the concept of political equality.
  Since the adoption of the 1791 Constitution, Poland has withstood 
countless hardships to emerge as a strong U.S. friend and ally. Here in 
the United States, Polish-Americans have made critical contributions to 
the development of our nation. This weekend, the city of Chicago's 
vibrant Polish community, the largest outside of Warsaw, will hold its 
120th annual parade in honor of this historic document.
  I join with people in the United States, Poland, and around the world 
in commemorating the anniversary of this historic document, celebrating 
Polish history, and recognizing the important contributions that the 
Polish people have made to the development of democracy.

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