[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 29410]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY ADDRESSES CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to congratulate President 
Nicolas Sarkozy on his election to the presidency of France, and also 
welcome him to Washington, DC, as he addresses a joint meeting of this 
Congress on Wednesday of this week. I look forward to hearing his 
remarks in this Chamber.
  This past May, Mr. Speaker, Nicolas Sarkozy became the 23rd President 
of France. His election has ushered in a new and welcomed era in 
positive relations between France and the United States.
  The history of friendship between these two countries, the United 
States and France, runs deep and it runs wide. Since the American 
Revolution, we have shared a deep commitment to freedom and 
independence; both of our countries have. Perhaps one of the best early 
demonstrations of France's commitment to our shared heritage of freedom 
is the example of General Marquis de Lafayette--General Lafayette, a 
young Frenchman who believed so passionately in the cause of freedom 
and liberty for all individuals that he left his homeland of France and 
came to join the American colonies in their fight for independence 
against Great Britain.
  It was General Lafayette who persuaded the French to help Americans 
in their fight for freedom and independence from Great Britain. He 
served courageously under the command of General George Washington. 
George Washington's and Lafayette's portraits both hang in this hall 
tonight.
  General Lafayette is the only non-American portrait in the entire 
Capitol building, and is the only other portrait besides General 
Washington in this House Chamber. There is a reason for that; both of 
them, General Washington and his friend Lafayette, were committed to 
liberty for all.
  The American people will always be grateful to the commitment of 
General Lafayette and the people of France throughout our pursuit for 
freedom and democracy through the American Revolution. And the American 
Revolution was successful because of their help.
  In the same way, Mr. Speaker, we are hopeful that the election of 
President Sarkozy will renew the ties of friendship that bind our two 
countries and our long heritage together.
  On the eve of the election, President Sarkozy said that ``American 
friends can rely on France's friendship. France will always be next to 
them when they need us.'' We are hopeful, Mr. Speaker, that in the 
midst of many international crises, most notably, the threat of nuclear 
Iran and the global war on terrorism, that France will remain an ally 
committed to world peace and democracy for all and continue to pursue 
freedom for all peoples throughout the world.
  I am pleased to be the sponsor of legislation H. Res. 379, which 
honors President Sarkozy and his appearance before Congress. I look 
forward to his continued friendship and an alliance between not only 
him and the United States, but the people of France and the United 
States.
  And that's just the way it is.

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