[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 43 (Thursday, March 15, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S1761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 191ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF GREECE
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 398, submitted earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 398) recognizing the 191st
anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating
Greek and American Democracy.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider laid
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any
statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 398) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
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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