[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             LIBERIA CELEBRATES ITS 164TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Liberian 
people on 164 years of independence.
  Liberia, which translates to ``land of the free,'' shares a unique 
history with the United States. Founded by African Americans and 
emancipated slaves in the early 1820s, this small nation of close to 
3.8 million people is striving to build a lasting democracy--an 
incredible feat in such a war-torn region.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 25,000 Liberian Americans call Minnesota home, 
and I am proud to call them my neighbors, friends and colleagues. 
Liberian Americans in our communities are entrepreneurs, small business 
people, teachers, lawyers, and nurses. They contribute to the very 
fabric of our Nation and to who we are as a people.
  So let us today recognize the Liberian people and the long road they 
have traveled as a nation, and let us always remember the bond between 
the United States and the Republic of Liberia.

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