[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 91 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 91
Welcoming the Prime Minister of Greece to the United States for an
address to a joint meeting of Congress.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 17, 2022
Mr. Meeks (for himself and Mr. McCaul) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Welcoming the Prime Minister of Greece to the United States for an
address to a joint meeting of Congress.
Whereas the concept of democracy--that the people have the power to govern--was
developed in ancient Greece;
Whereas the United States and Greece have enjoyed more than 150 years of
diplomatic relations and share deep cultural connections and values;
Whereas the United States and Greece have been partners and allies in all major
international conflicts throughout modern history;
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 the Soviet Union;
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 the metropolitan area of Mariupol, Ukraine, where forces of the Russian
Federation have committed unconscionable war crimes against the local
population during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by President Vladimir
Putin, is home to approximately 120,000 ethnic Greeks;
Whereas, after forces of the Russian Federation bombed a hospital in Ukraine on
March 9, 2022, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, on
March 18, 2022, ``Greece is ready to rebuild the maternity hospital in
Mariupol, the center of Greek minority in Ukraine, a city dear to our
hearts and the symbol of barbarity of the war'';
Whereas Greece has sent at least 4 humanitarian aid shipments to Ukraine,
including non-perishable food, bottled water, antiseptics, medical
supplies, and power generators;
Whereas Greece has provided Ukraine with security assistance, including
Kalashnikov rifles and portable rocket launchers;
Whereas membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has further
enhanced cooperation between the United States and Greece;
Whereas Greece is an integral part of the European Union;
Whereas the commitment of the United States and Greece to security cooperation
led to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement Between the Government
of the United States of America and the Government of the Hellenic
Republic, done at Athens July 8, 1990, which was updated in 2021 to
enhance defense ties between the countries and promote stability in
southeastern Europe;
Whereas the Greek port of Alexandroupoli has been instrumental in allowing the
United States to help reinforce the eastern flank of NATO and deter
further aggression by the Russian Federation against allies and partners
of the United States;
Whereas the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit of Alexandroupoli, recently
inaugurated, will contribute significantly to energy diversification of
Greece and southeastern Europe, especially in light of the invasion of
Ukraine by the Russian Federation;
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 this support was bolstered in the United States-Greece Defense and
Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021 (subtitle B of title XIII of
Public Law 117-81), establishing a 3+1 Interparliamentary Group to
discuss the expansion of cooperation in other areas of common concern;
Whereas the United States is home to a robust Greek-American community of
approximately 3,000,000 people, who meaningfully contribute to the
cultural fabric of the United States; and
Whereas the Speaker of the House has invited Prime Minister Mitsotakis to
address a joint meeting of Congress on May 17, 2022: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) warmly welcomes Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos
Mitsotakis to the United States;
(2) eagerly anticipates the address of Prime Minister
Mitsotakis before a joint meeting of Congress;
(3) appreciates the historic and present role of Greece in
the defense of democracy, including through the provision of
support to Ukraine amid the ongoing brutal and unprovoked
invasion by the Russian Federation;
(4) commits to a continued partnership with Greece to
bolster energy cooperation through the 3+1 format and help
accelerate energy security in Europe;
(5) reaffirms the steadfast and bipartisan support for the
friendship between the people and Governments of the United
States and Greece; and
(6) appreciates the important role that Greek-Americans
play in supporting the strong bonds that exist between the
United States and Greece.
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