[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 889 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 889
Recognizing the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the
30th anniversary of the restoration of their independence.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 9, 2020
Mr. Shimkus (for himself, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Cohen,
Mr. Connolly, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Heck, Mr. Himes, Ms.
Kaptur, Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Langevin, Mr.
Cook, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Gallego, Miss Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico,
Mr. Keating, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Trone, Mr. Turner, Mr.
Vela, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mrs. Davis of California, and
Ms. Slotkin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the
30th anniversary of the restoration of their independence.
Whereas, 3 decades ago, the peoples of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania inspired
the world through their victory over the forces of Soviet
totalitarianism after decades of resistance;
Whereas the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania originally declared
their independence in 1918 and established diplomatic relations with the
United States as independent countries on July 28, 1922;
Whereas, 100 years ago this year, Soviet Russia signed treaties with Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania recognizing their sovereignty and renouncing all
territorial claims over each Baltic State in perpetuity;
Whereas, on August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which contained a secret protocol dividing
Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, with the Baltic States
ultimately being assigned to the Soviet Union, leading soon after to the
forcible incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union;
Whereas, following World War II, the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic States,
imposing for more than 5 decades its model of Soviet totalitarianism,
which the United States never recognized, instead maintaining 98 years
of continuous diplomatic relations with the Baltic States;
Whereas, in August 1989, approximately 2,000,000 people joined hands in Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania to form a 373-mile human chain across the 3 states
known as the Baltic Chain of Freedom;
Whereas, in February 1990, the people of Lithuania participated in the first
free election to select a new parliament, which promptly voted for
restoration of independence, making Lithuania the first occupied Soviet
republic to declare the restoration of independence on March 11, 1990, a
move subsequently followed by Latvia on May 4, 1990, and Estonia on
August 20, 1991;
Whereas, in January 1991, Soviet military forces tried to quash the growing
independence restoration movement, leading to approximately 14
Lithuanian deaths, as well as 6 Latvian deaths and many injuries;
Whereas, in February and March 1991, the Lithuanian, Estonian, and Latvian
people voted overwhelmingly in support of their respective independence
restoration referendums, which the United States recognized later that
year;
Whereas the Baltic States helped pave the path for democracy and freedom across
Eastern Europe, leading to the fall of the Soviet Union;
Whereas, after restoration of independence, the economies of Estonia, Latvia,
and Lithuania emerged as modern market economies leading in technology
and financial services sectors;
Whereas Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania continue to demonstrate their commitment
to advancing democratic values, peace, and security through their
membership and active participation in the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), and the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);
Whereas the Baltic States have been loyal NATO allies, contributing to regional
security and global security through operations in Afghanistan and
leadership in the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in
Estonia, the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in
Latvia, and the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Lithuania;
Whereas the Baltic States further their contributions to the security of the
Euro-Atlantic area by spending at least 2 percent of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) for defense, and contribute to global security through
determined participation in international allied operations and
missions;
Whereas, since their restoration of independence in 1990 and 1991, Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania have faced considerable Russian aggressive
behavior, intimidation, and cyber attacks, and as a result have worked
to shape total defense strategies to counter Russian intervention;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has pursued an aggressive
disinformation campaign in the Baltic States, including intimidation of
Western civilians and troops stationed in Europe and abroad via hacking,
pushing propaganda, and other cyber attacks, and has increased air
provocations in Eastern Europe;
Whereas the presence of the United States in the Baltic States remains a crucial
factor for ensuring security in the region and complements the efforts
of NATO to strengthen its deterrence and defense posture, including an
Enhanced Forward Presence posture in the eastern part of the Alliance
with multinational battlegroups;
Whereas, in 2019, the United States and the Baltic States signed the Security
Cooperation Roadmaps outlining joint security cooperation priorities for
2019 to 2024;
Whereas the Baltic States have been models for democratic governance with strong
institutions and respect for civil liberties and the rule of law,
cherished shared values between the Baltic States and the United States;
and
Whereas the democratic development and progress of Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania since those countries regained independence has established
the Baltic States as 3 shining beacons for freedom: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) congratulates the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania on the 30th anniversary of the restoration of their
independence;
(2) commits continued support for the Baltic allies of the
United States through economic and security cooperation,
further strengthening transatlantic ties and regional presence;
(3) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the enduring
transatlantic alliance;
(4) recognizes the courage and resilience of the Estonian,
Latvian, and Lithuanian people in their fight for freedom and
democracy in the face of Russian aggressive behavior; and
(5) expresses the wish that the next 30 years of friendship
between the Baltic States and the United States are just as
full of positive achievements and progress as the last 30 years
have been.
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