IA 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 39 

Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece and 

celebrating Greek and American democracy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2009 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. ROSKAM, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. 

BROWN of South Carolina, Ms. KOSMAS, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. LEWIS of 

Georgia, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. WATSON, 

Mr. HOLT, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. 

FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. KENNEDY, 

and Ms. FOXX) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of 

Greece and celebrating Greek and American democracy. 

Whereas the ancient Greeks developed the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested 

in the people; 

Whereas the Founding Fathers of the United States, many 

of whom read Greek political philosophy in its original 

text, drew heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming our representative democracy; 


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Whereas the Greek national anthem (Hymn to Liberty) includes the words, ‘‘Most heartily was gladdened George 

Washington’s brave land’’; 

Whereas Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, a 

founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens 

of the United States in 1821 that ‘‘it is in your land that 

liberty has fixed her abode and . . . in imitating you, we 

shall imitate our ancestors and be thought worthy of 

them if we succeed in resembling you’’; 

Whereas the people of the United States generously offered 

humanitarian assistance to the Greek people during their 

struggle for independence; 

Whereas Greece played a major role in the World War II 

struggle to protect freedom and democracy through such 

bravery as was shown in the historic Battle of Crete, 

which provided the Axis land war with its first major setback, setting off a chain of events that significantly affected the outcome of World War II; 

Whereas the price for Greece in holding onto our common 

values in their region was high, as hundreds of thousands 

of civilians were killed in Greece during World War II; 

Whereas, throughout the 20th century, Greece was one of a 

few countries that allied with the United States in every 

major international conflict; 

Whereas Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the United 

States in bringing political stability and economic development to the volatile Balkan region, having invested 

over $20,000,000,000 in the countries of the region, 

thereby creating over 200,000 new jobs, and having contributed over $750,000,000 in development aid for the region; 


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Whereas Greece was extraordinarily responsive to requests by 

the United States during the war in Iraq, as Greece immediately granted unlimited access to its airspace and 

the base in Souda Bay, and many ships of the United 

States that delivered troops, cargo, and supplies to Iraq 

were refueled in Greece; 

Whereas Greece is an active participant in peacekeeping and 

peace-building operations conducted by international organizations, including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union 

(EU), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation 

in Europe (OSCE); 

Whereas in August 2004, the Olympic Games came home to 

Athens, Greece, the land of their ancient birthplace 2,500 

years ago and the city of their modern revival in 1896; 

Whereas Greece received worldwide praise for its extraordinary handling during the 2004 Olympics of over 14,000 

athletes and over 2,000,000 spectators and journalists, 

which it did efficiently, securely, and with its famous 

Greek hospitality; 

Whereas Greece, located in a region where Christianity meets 

Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with 

Muslim nations and Israel; 

Whereas the Government of Greece has had extraordinary 

success in recent years in furthering cross-cultural understanding and has been consistently working for rapprochement with Turkey, as seen with the January 2008 

visit to Turkey by Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas 

Karamanlis, the first official visit by a Greek Prime Minister in 49 years; 


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Whereas Greece serves as a key transit country for the delivery of gas to Europe via the Turkey-Greece-Italy Interconnector; 

Whereas Greece and the United States are at the forefront 

of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and 

human rights; 

Whereas those and similar ideals have forged a close bond between Greece and the United States and their peoples; 

Whereas March 25, 2009, Greek Independence Day, marks 

the 188th anniversary of the beginning of the revolution 

that freed the Greek people from the Ottoman Empire 

and celebrates the aspirations for democracy that the 

peoples of Greece and the United States share; and 

Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to 

celebrate this anniversary with the Greek people and to 

reaffirm the democratic principles from which these two 

great nations were born: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 That Congress— 

4 (1) extends warm congratulations and best 

5 wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 

6 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece; 

7 (2) expresses support for the principles of 

8 democratic governance to which the people of Greece 

9 are committed; and 

10 (3) notes the important role that Greece has 

11 played in the wider European region and in the comVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:42 Mar 10, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ39.IH HJ39

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1 munity of nations since gaining its independence 

2 188 years ago. 

Æ 


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