[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4528-S4530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 342--CONGRATULATING THE PEOPLE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC 
 AND THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR INDEPENDENCE 
 AND RECOGNIZING THEIR SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT TO UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIAN 
                               AGGRESSION

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Ricketts) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 342

       Whereas, on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson 
     called for the free ``autonomous development'' of the peoples 
     of Austria-Hungary in the ``Fourteen Points'' address to a 
     joint session of Congress, contributing to the support of an 
     independent Czech and Slovak nation state;
       Whereas the peoples of the present-day Czech Republic and 
     Slovak Republic proclaimed independence on October 28, 1918, 
     and October 30, 1918, respectively, forming the common state 
     of the Republic of Czechoslovakia;
       Whereas, on November 12, 1918, the United States and 
     Czechoslovakia established formal diplomatic relations;
       Whereas, in February 1948, the Communist Party of 
     Czechoslovakia seized power from the democratically elected 
     government of Czechoslovakia;
       Whereas, on August 20, 1968, 20 Soviet and Warsaw Pact 
     military divisions invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the Prague 
     Spring, a period of increased political and economic liberty 
     following the appointment of Alexander Dubcek as First 
     Secretary of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party;
       Whereas, in the nonviolent Velvet Revolution of November 
     1989, the peoples of both nations overthrew 40 years of 
     totalitarian communist rule and ended two decades of Soviet 
     occupation;
       Whereas, after the Velvet Revolution, the peoples of 
     Czechoslovakia established vibrant, pluralistic, democratic 
     political systems based on free-market economics, freedom of 
     speech, a free press, free and fair elections, the rule of 
     law, and respect for human rights--values embodied by Vaclav 
     Havel, the first president of Czechoslovakia after the fall 
     of communism in that country;
       Whereas, on February 21, 1990, Czechoslovak President 
     Vaclav Havel delivered his historic address before the joint 
     session of the United States Congress on Czechoslovakia's 
     path to democracy;

[[Page S4530]]

       Whereas, on January 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and the 
     Slovak Republic were formally created as independent nation 
     states after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia;
       Whereas the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, owing 
     to substantial support from the United States, joined the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on March 12, 1999, 
     and March 29, 2004, respectively, and have made significant 
     contributions to collective defense and the operations of 
     NATO as well as international coalitions led by the United 
     States around the world;
       Whereas the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic continue to 
     demonstrate their strong commitment to advancing democracy, 
     free trade, respect for human rights, international peace and 
     security, and the rules-based international order through 
     their membership in the European Union and other 
     international organizations;
       Whereas the peoples of the United States, the Czech 
     Republic, and the Slovak Republic have forged a special 
     relationship based on their shared historic ties, mutual 
     respect, close cooperation, and the shared values of 
     democracy, free trade, respect for human rights, 
     international peace and security, and the rules-based 
     international order;
       Whereas, in 2023, the Czech Republic and the Slovak 
     Republic are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the National 
     Guard State Partnership Program with the National Guards of 
     Texas, Nebraska, and Indiana, a program which has contributed 
     to military readiness and interoperability between the United 
     States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic;
       Whereas the United States, the Czech Republic, and the 
     Slovak Republic stand united in support of the people and 
     Government of Ukraine against Russia's unjustified and 
     unprovoked invasion of Ukraine; and
       Whereas the United States, the Czech Republic, and the 
     Slovak Republic are major contributors to political, 
     humanitarian, economic, and military assistance to Ukraine: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the peoples of the Czech Republic and the 
     Slovak Republic for overthrowing totalitarian communist rule 
     in 1989 and asserting their right to self-determination and 
     affirming their allegiance to the values of democracy, free-
     market economics, and respect for human rights through the 
     peaceful, nonviolent Velvet Revolution;
       (2) celebrates the lasting contributions of the Czech 
     Republic and the Slovak Republic to science, the arts, 
     culture, music, literature, politics, trade, and 
     international affairs;
       (3) applauds the achievements of the Czech Republic and the 
     Slovak Republic in building free, open, democratic, and 
     prosperous societies over the past 30 years;
       (4) congratulates the peoples of the Czech Republic and the 
     Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of their independence 
     and the 105th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the 
     United States, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic;
       (5) congratulates the Czech Republic and the Slovak 
     Republic for their leadership in the European Union;
       (6) expresses gratitude for the solidarity of the Czech 
     Republic and the Slovak Republic as they stand in solidarity 
     with the people of Ukraine in their fight against Russia's 
     brutal, unprovoked, and illegal invasion;
       (7) reaffirms the historical and transnational ties that 
     bind together the countries and peoples of the Czech 
     Republic, the Slovak Republic, and the United States as 
     freedom-loving peoples and members of the North Atlantic 
     Treaty Organization;
       (8) recognizes the importance of the United States, the 
     Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic partnership, as long-
     standing partners and as NATO allies, in addressing common 
     threats and challenges, including in the areas of climate 
     change, energy security, advanced technologies, cyber 
     security, and resilience to disinformation and hybrid 
     threats;
       (9) applauds the commitment of the Czech Republic and the 
     Slovak Republic to spend two percent of their gross domestic 
     products on defense by 2024, an important commitment they 
     have made as NATO allies; and
       (10) expresses the United States commitment to further 
     strengthen transatlantic ties and regional security through 
     NATO, supports a faster pace of modernization of the Czech 
     and Slovak armed forces in light of the clear threat to 
     transatlantic peace and security posed by Russia's aggression 
     in Ukraine, and reaffirms commitment to continue working to 
     address new and emerging threats to our security, including 
     the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and 
     other authoritarian actors.

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