[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1653]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING CARWYN JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 12, 2018

  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Carwyn Jones, who 
stood down as the First Minister of Wales on December 11. Throughout 
his nine years as First Minister, Carwyn consistently acted to 
strengthen the enduring bond between the Welsh and the American 
peoples.
  From its earliest days, the Welsh people have maintained an active 
and important presence in the United States. People of Welsh descent 
signed our Declaration of Independence and served as President. Welsh 
immigrants worked on the farms, in the mines, and in the mills that 
drove our country's economic ascendance.
  Today, an estimated 11 million people in the United States possess 
Welsh ancestry. Their proportion of the population is highest in 
Appalachia and the mid-Atlantic states, but they can be found across 
the country. The ties between Wales and the United States are also 
economic, as over 250 American-owned companies are based in Wales, and 
many Welsh businesses conduct operations in the United States.
  As First Minister, Carwyn Jones has been a champion of the long-
lasting friendship between Wales and the United States. He has been a 
strong supporter of the Congressional Friends of Wales Caucus, which 
raises the profile of Wales in Washington, D.C. As an advocate for 
greater economic ties between our nations, he has worked to increase 
prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. His belief in the continued 
importance of the historic ties between Wales, the wider United 
Kingdom, and the United States made him a valued friend and partner of 
our country.
  As the founder and chairman of the Congressional Friends of Wales 
Caucus, I value Carwyn's contributions to our success, which includes 
his repeated attendance at the annual St. David's Day receptions in 
Washington, D.C., and other U.S. locations. His efforts on behalf of 
Welsh-American friendship have yielded economic, political, and 
cultural benefits that will be enjoyed by both of our nations for years 
to come.

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