119-hres249

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 249 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 249

 Recognizing the 204th anniversary of the War of Greek Independence.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 25, 2025

Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Mr. Pappas, Ms. Malliotakis, Ms. Titus, Mr. 
Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Amo, Mr. Magaziner, and Ms. Meng) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
 on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing the 204th anniversary of the War of Greek Independence.

Whereas the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was 
 vested in the people, was developed in ancient Greece;
Whereas the Founding Fathers of the United States were inspired by ancient Greek 
 political philosophy when forming the political system of the United 
 States;
Whereas the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence inspired the 
 uprising of the Greek people against the Ottoman Empire and were 
 reflected in the revolutionary Greek Constitutions;
Whereas the War of Greek Independence initiated the struggle for self-
 determination of all the occupied nations of the Ottoman Empire;
Whereas 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 the United States and Greece have been allies in all international 
 conflicts throughout modern history;
Whereas the Greek-American community has positively contributed to American 
 society and has helped forge the ties between the United States and 
 Greece;
Whereas the United States has greatly contributed to the reconstruction of 
 Greece after World War II;
Whereas North Atlantic Treaty Organization

    (NATO) membership has further 
 tightened the cooperation between the United States and Greece;
Whereas Greece has consistently shown strong commitment to meeting NATO defense 
 spending obligations and contributes more than 3 percent of its GDP in 
 defense, while strongly supporting a more robust European defense;
Whereas Greece is an integral part of the European Union;
Whereas Greece occupies a non-permanent member seat at the United Nations 
 Security Council for the 2025-2026 term;
Whereas Greece is a strategic partner of the United States in bringing political 
 stability and economic development to the Balkan region, having actively 
 contributed to the Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries of the 
 region and having been one of the major investors in southeastern 
 Europe, including in critical infrastructure;
Whereas the address of the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to a 
 joint session of Congress in May 2022 consolidated the strong ties 
 between the two countries, based on shared values, as well as the 
 importance of the Greek-American community for the United States;
Whereas Greece enjoys strong bipartisan support in the United States Congress;
Whereas Greece participates in and actively promotes several schemes of regional 
 partnership in the Eastern Mediterranean;
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, and 
 through joint engagement with Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in the ``3+1'' 
 format;
Whereas this support was reiterated in the United States-Greece Defense and 
 Interparliamentary Partnership Act, included in the National Defense 
 Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, establishing a 3+1 
 Interparliamentary Group to discuss the expansion of cooperation in 
 other areas of common concern;
Whereas the United States and Greece's commitment to security cooperation led to 
 the conclusion of a Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, which was 
 updated in 2021, in order to enhance defense ties between the two 
 countries and promote stability in the broader region;
Whereas the ongoing United States-Greece Strategic Dialogue reflects Greece's 
 importance to the United States as a geostrategic partner, namely in the 
 Eastern Mediterranean and Balkans and as a valuable NATO ally;
Whereas the port of Alexandroupolis in northeast Greece has evolved into a key 
 energy hub and strategic point, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with 
 the Balkans and Eastern Europe;
Whereas the Governments and people of Greece and the United States are at the 
 forefront of international efforts to advance freedom, democracy, rule 
 of law, human rights, peace, and stability;
Whereas those efforts and similar ideals have forged a close bond between the 
 peoples of Greece and the United States; and
Whereas it is proper and desirable for the United States to celebrate the 204th 
 anniversary of the March 25, 1821, 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 204th anniversary of the 
 War of Greek Independence;

    (2) expresses support for the principles of democracy, 
 human rights, and the rule of law to which the people of the 
 United States and Greece are committed;

    (3) notes the important role that Greece has played in the 
 wider European region and in the community of nations since 
 gaining its independence;

    (4) commends the Greek-American community for its 
 contributions to the United States and its role as a bridge 
 between the two countries;

    (5) commends the geostrategic importance of Greece at the 
 junction of three continents and in particular the critical 
 role Greece plays in promoting stability in the Eastern 
 Mediterranean and Western Balkans and in continuously upholding 
 international law and respect for national sovereignty and 
 territorial integrity; and

    (6) appreciates the deepening cooperation between the 
 United States and Greece, based on shared values and interests, 
 including the important bilateral energy and security 
 partnership and the important role that Greece plays in 
 bolstering European energy security.
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