A resolution congratulating the people of the Czech Republic and the people of the Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the 26th anniversary of the formation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and the 101st anniversary of the declaration of independence of Czechoslovakia.

III 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 343 Congratulating the people of the Czech Republic and the people of the Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the 26th anniversary of the formation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, and the 101st anniversary of the declaration of independence of Czechoslovakia. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. COONS, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. ERNST, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. RISCH, and Mr. MANCHIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations DECEMBER 17, 2019 Reported by Mr. RISCH, without amendment JANUARY 8, 2020 Considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Congratulating the people of the Czech Republic and the people of the Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the 26th anniversary of the formation of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Repub- lic, and the 101st anniversary of the declaration of inde- pendence of Czechoslovakia. Whereas, on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson, in the ‘‘Fourteen Points’’ address to a joint session of Con- VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:30 Jan 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR343.ATS SR343 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS 2 SRES 343 ATS gress, called for the free ‘‘autonomous development’’ of the peoples of Austria-Hungary; Whereas the Fourteen Points address became the basis for the founding of an independent Czech-Slovak nation- state; Whereas, on September 3, 1918, the United States recog- nized the Czecho-Slovak National Council in Paris as a de facto government at war with the German and Austro- Hungarian Empires; Whereas, on October 14, 1918, the Czecho-Slovak National Council formed a provisional government, which declared independence from Austria-Hungary on October 18, 1918; Whereas the peoples of the present day Czech Republic and the peoples of the present day Slovak Republic pro- claimed independence on October 28, 1918, and October 30, 1918, respectively, forming the common state of the Republic of Czechoslovakia; Whereas, on November 12, 1918, the United States and Czechoslovakia established formal diplomatic relations; Whereas the United States never recognized— (1) the annexation of the Czech Sudetenland by Nazi Germany in October 1938; (2) the subsequent establishment of a German pro- tectorate over Bohemia and Moravia; or (3) the creation of the German puppet Slovak State in March 1939; Whereas the Slovak and Czech resistance movements against the Nazi occupation, with the support of the Czecho- slovak government-in-exile, launched the Slovak National Uprising in August 1944 and the Prague uprising in May VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:30 Jan 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR343.ATS SR343 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS 3 SRES 343 ATS 1945, accelerating the collapse of the Third Reich and demonstrating the courage, patriotism, and freedom-lov- ing spirit of the Czech and Slovak peoples; Whereas, in February 1948, the Communist Party of Czecho- slovakia seized power from the democratically elected gov- ernment of Czechoslovakia; Whereas, on August 20, 1968, 20 Soviet and Warsaw Pact military divisions invaded Czechoslovakia in order to crush the ‘‘Prague Spring’’, a period of greater political and economic liberty that followed the appointment of Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary of the Czecho- slovakian Communist Party; Whereas, in the nonviolent Velvet Revolution of November 1989, the peoples of Czechoslovakia overthrew 40 years of totalitarian communist rule; Whereas, after the Velvet Revolution, the peoples of Czecho- slovakia established vibrant, pluralistic, democratic polit- ical systems based on freedom of speech, a free press, free and fair elections, the rule of law, and individual rights, values embodied by Va´clav Havel, the first presi- dent of Czechoslovakia after the fall of communism in that country; Whereas, on January 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic were formally created as independent na- tion-states after a peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia; Whereas the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on March 12, 1999, and March 29, 2004, respectively, and have made significant contributions to the operations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization around the world; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:30 Jan 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR343.ATS SR343 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS 4 SRES 343 ATS Whereas the peoples of the United States, the Czech Repub- lic, and the Slovak Republic have forged a special rela- tionship based on mutual respect, close cooperation, and the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, economic liberty, and individual rights and responsibility: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) commends the peoples of the Czech Repub- 2 lic and the Slovak Republic for their considerable 3 achievements in building free, democratic, and pros- 4 perous societies over the past 30 years since the fall 5 of communist dictatorship in Czechoslovakia; 6 (2) congratulates the peoples of the Czech Re- 7 public and the Slovak Republic on— 8 (A) the 26th anniversary of the formation 9 of each country; and 10 (B) the 101st anniversary of the independ- 11 ence of Czechoslovakia; 12 (3) expresses profound gratitude for the sac- 13 rifices made by the people of the Czech Republic and 14 the people of the Slovak Republic in support of the 15 operations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza- 16 tion in Afghanistan and elsewhere; 17 (4) reaffirms the strong historical and cultural 18 ties that bind the people of the Czech Republic, the 19 people of the Slovak Republic, and the people of the 20 United States together; and 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:30 Jan 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR343.ATS SR343 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS 5 SRES 343 ATS (5) expresses the continued commitment of the 1 United States to a free, peaceful, and prosperous 2 Europe. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:30 Jan 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR343.ATS SR343 khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with BILLS