This resolution congratulates the people of Greece as they celebrate the 200th anniversary of Greece's independence. The resolution also expresses support for the principles of democratic governance to which the people of Greece are committed.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 246 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 246
Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the independence of Greece and
celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 17, 2021
Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr.
Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Pappas, Mr.
Sarbanes, Ms. Titus, and Mr. Cicilline) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the independence of Greece and
celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.
Whereas the people of ancient Greece 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 the original Greek language, drew heavily on the
political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming the
representative democracy of the United States;
Whereas Petros Mavromichalis, the former Commander in Chief of Greece and a
founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United
States in 1821, ``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, in an October 21, 1823, letter to Greek scholar Adamantios Koraes
discussing the ongoing Greek struggle for independence, Thomas Jefferson
wrote that ``[n]o people sympathise more feelingly than ours with the
sufferings of your countrymen, none offer more sincere and ardent
prayers to heaven for their success'';
Whereas, on January 19, 1824, in a speech in support of his resolution to send
an American envoy to Greece amid its struggle for independence, then-
Congressman Daniel Webster recognized ``the struggle of an interesting
and gallant people . . . contending against fearful odds, for being, and
for the common privilege of human nature'';
Whereas individual American Philhellenes, including future abolitionist Dr.
Samuel Gridley Howe, future abolitionist Jonathan Peckham Miller, and
George Jarvis, traveled to Greece to fight alongside and provide aid to
the Greek people in their struggle for independence;
Whereas the people of the United States generously sent humanitarian assistance
to the people of Greece during their struggle for independence, often
through philhellene committees;
Whereas Greece heroically resisted Axis forces at a crucial moment in World War
II, forcing Adolf Hitler to change his timeline and delaying the attack
on Russia;
Whereas Winston Churchill said that ``if there had not been the virtue and
courage of the Greeks, we do not know which the outcome of World War II
would have been'' and ``no longer will we say that Greeks fight like
heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks'';
Whereas hundreds of thousands of the people of Greece were killed during World
War II;
Whereas Greece consistently allied with the United States in major international
conflicts throughout its history as a modern state;
Whereas the United States and Greece reinforced their commitment to security
cooperation by signing an updated Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement
on October 5, 2019, that will expand defense ties between the two
countries and promote stability in the region;
Whereas the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, visited the United
States from January 5 to 8, 2020, and held meetings with members of
Congress, including members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate, which demonstrated the continued vitality and significance of
the United States-Greece relationship;
Whereas a high-level review of the United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue took
place in Greece on September 28, 2020, which underscored Greece's
importance to the United States as a geostrategic partner in the Eastern
Mediterranean and Balkans and as an important NATO ally;
Whereas Greece is a strategic partner and ally of the United States in bringing
political stability and economic development to the Balkan region,
having invested billions of dollars in the countries of the region and
having contributed more than $750,000,000 in development aid for the
region;
Whereas the Government and people of Greece actively participate in peacekeeping
and peace-building operations conducted by international organizations,
including the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe;
Whereas Greece remains an integral part of the European Union;
Whereas the United States has demonstrated its support for the trilateral
partnership of Greece, Israel, and Cyprus by enacting into law the
Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 (title
II of division J of Public Law 116-94) and through joint engagement with
Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the ``3+1'' format;
Whereas Greece received worldwide praise for its extraordinary handling during
the 2004 Olympic Games of more than 14,000 athletes and more than
2,000,000 spectators and journalists, a feat the Government and people
of Greece handled efficiently, securely, and with hospitality;
Whereas the Greek-American community has greatly contributed to American society
and has helped forge the strong ties between the United States and
Greece;
Whereas the Government and people of Greece and the United States are at the
forefront of efforts to advance freedom, democracy, peace, stability,
and human rights;
Whereas those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close bond between the
peoples of Greece and the United States;
Whereas, in support of the Greece 2021 Committee established by the Government
of Greece, the United States Mission in Greece has launched a campaign
to celebrate the bicentennial of the independence of Greece and the 200
years of friendship between the United States and Greece; and
Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate March 25,
2021, Greek Independence Day, with the people of Greece and to reaffirm
the democratic principles from which those two great countries were
founded: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) extends warm congratulations and best wishes to the
people of Greece as they celebrate the 200th anniversary of the
independence of Greece;
(2) expresses support for the principles of democratic
governance to which the people of Greece are committed;
(3) commends the Greek-American community for its
contributions to the United States and its role as a bridge
between the two countries;
(4) notes the important role that Greece has played in the
wider European region and in the community of nations since
gaining its independence 200 years ago; and
(5) commends the critical role Greece plays in promoting
stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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