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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 74 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 74

 Honoring the Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, for his service 
   to the people of Ireland and to the world and welcoming the Prime 
                     Minister to the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 8, 2008

  Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Dodd, and Ms. Collins) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
 Honoring the Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, for his service 
   to the people of Ireland and to the world and welcoming the Prime 
                     Minister to the United States.

Whereas the Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives are saddened 
        that the Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, has announced that he 
        will resign on May 6, 2008;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern has served the people of Ireland with distinction 
        for many years and has been an extraordinary friend to the United States 
        throughout his years in office;
Whereas, during his extensive period of public service, Prime Minister Ahern has 
        made significant contributions to an unprecedented era of peace, 
        prosperity, and progress in Ireland;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern entered politics in 1977 and has been elected 10 
        times in the past 31 years by the people of Dublin Central;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern was elected leader of Fianna Fail in 1994 and 
        became Prime Minister in 1997;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern is the second-longest-serving Taoiseach, or Prime 
        Minister, in the history of Ireland, and the second-longest-serving 
        leader of Fianna Fail;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern is the first Taoiseach since 1944 to be elected on 
        3 successive occasions;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern has been fully committed to strengthening the 
        economy of Ireland and, under his leadership, Ireland became more 
        prosperous than at any time in the history of the country and became 
        world-renowned as the ``Celtic Tiger'';
Whereas the people of Ireland have benefitted from a significantly improved 
        quality of life during Prime Minister Ahern's service as Taoiseach;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern promised years ago that one of his highest 
        priorities was to end the decades-long cycle of hatred and violence in 
        Northern Ireland;
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern kept that promise and worked assiduously to achieve 
        the peace that Northern Ireland enjoys today;
Whereas the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, described 
        Prime Minister Ahern as a ``remarkable leader'' and stated that Prime 
        Minister Ahern ``will always be remembered for his crucial role in 
        bringing about peace in Northern Ireland, [and] for transforming 
        relations between Britain and the Irish Republic''; and
Whereas Prime Minister Ahern will address a joint session of Congress on April 
        30, 2008: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That--
            (1) it is the sense of Congress that--
                    (A) the Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, 
                has been a strong and effective leader for the people 
                of Ireland and a good friend to the United States;
                    (B) the skillful leadership of Prime Minister Ahern 
                was indispensable in finally achieving a successful 
                resolution of the longstanding conflict in Northern 
                Ireland; and
                    (C) the legacy of Prime Minister Ahern is clear and 
                his contribution to peace is enormous;
            (2) Congress thanks Prime Minister Ahern on behalf of the 
        people of the United States, wishes him well, and hopes his 
        unique talents will be of service in resolving conflicts 
        elsewhere in the years ahead in our divided world; and
            (3) the Members of the Senate and the House of 
        Representatives look forward to paying fitting and fond tribute 
        to Prime Minister Ahern when he addresses a joint session of 
        Congress on April 30, 2008.
                                 <all>
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