[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 43 (Thursday, March 15, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S1741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 398--RECOGNIZING THE 191ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
  INDEPENDENCE OF GREECE AND CELEBRATING GREEK AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. 
Lieberman, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Carper, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Brown 
of Ohio, Mr. Inouye, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Casey, Mr. Levin, 
Mr. Reed of Rhode Island, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Lugar, Ms. 
Collins, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Kirk, and Mr. 
Chambliss) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 398

       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 people of Greece during their 
     struggle for independence;
       Whereas Greece, in one of the most consequential ``David 
     vs. Goliath'' victories for freedom and democracy in modern 
     times, refused to surrender to the Axis forces and inflicted 
     a fatal wound at a crucial moment in World War II, forcing 
     Hitler to change his timeline and delaying the attack on 
     Russia where the Axis Forces met defeat;
       Whereas Winston Churchill said, ``If there had not been the 
     virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know which the 
     outcome of World War II would have been.'';
       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 
     billions in the countries of the region, thereby helping to 
     create many tens of thousands of new jobs, and having 
     contributed more than $750,000,000 in development aid for the 
     region;
       Whereas the Government and people of Greece actively 
     participate 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, and have more recently provided critical 
     support to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation 
     in Libya;
       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 the Government and people of 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 to further cross-cultural understanding and 
     rapprochement and cooperation in various fields with Turkey, 
     and has also upgraded its relations with other countries in 
     the region, including Israel, thus enhancing the stability of 
     the wider region;
       Whereas the Governments and people of Greece and the United 
     States are at the forefront of efforts for freedom, 
     democracy, peace, stability, and human rights;
       Whereas those and similar ideals have forged a close bond 
     between the people of Greece and the United States; and
       Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to 
     celebrate March 25, 2012, 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 191st 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 191 years ago.

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