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. BERK-
LEY, 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 re-
ferred 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 democ-
racy, 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 philos-
ophy of ancient Greece in forming our representative de-
mocracy; 
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•HJ 39 IH 
Whereas the Greek national anthem (Hymn to Liberty) in-
cludes 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 set-
back, setting off a chain of events that significantly af-
fected 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 devel-
opment 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 con-
tributed over $750,000,000 in development aid for the re-
gion; 
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•HJ 39 IH 
Whereas Greece was extraordinarily responsive to requests by 
the United States during the war in Iraq, as Greece im-
mediately 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 or-
ganizations, including the United Nations, the North At-
lantic 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 extraor-
dinary 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 under-
standing and has been consistently working for rap-
prochement 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 Min-
ister in 49 years; 
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Whereas Greece serves as a key transit country for the deliv-
ery of gas to Europe via the Turkey-Greece-Italy Inter-
connector; 
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 be-
tween 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 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
That Congress— 
(1) extends warm congratulations and best 
wishes to the people of Greece as they celebrate the 
188th anniversary of the independence of Greece; 
(2) expresses support for the principles of 
democratic governance to which the people of Greece 
are committed; and 
(3) notes the important role that Greece has 
played in the wider European region and in the com-
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munity of nations since gaining its independence 
188 years ago. 
Æ 
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