123STA T . 3 56 5 CON C UR R E NT RESO L UT I ONS — OCT. 6 , 2 0 0 9Wher e as20 0 9m ar k s t he Qu a d r ic e n tennia ly ear that H enry Huds o n ca p tained the ship ‘ ‘Hal v e M aen ’ ’ under the auspices o f the D utch E ast I ndia C ompany and discovered the Hudson R iver
Whereas the discovery of that river and its fertile lands g ave rise to the esta b lishment of the N e w Netherland settlement and the ensuing positive relations between the Netherlands and A merica; Whereas the Netherlands was the first country to salute the U.S . flag in 17 7 6 at St. Eustatius; Whereas the drafters of the Declaration of Independence were influ - enced by the Dutch Constitution; Whereas the Netherlands has remained a friend and staunch ally of the United States , from providing necessary loans during the Revolutionary War to standing shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghani- stan in defense of democratic values, protection of human rights and promotion of the rule of law; Whereas the New Netherland settlement left a legacy of values such as open-mindedness, entrepreneurship, democracy, tolerance and hard work, as well as freedom of religion and speech; Whereas the bonds of free trade, open markets and commerce have continuously linked the Dutch and the Americans to such ane x tent that the Netherlands remains among the top four foreign investors in the U.S.; Whereas the Netherlands provided immediate assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane K atrina and continues today by sharing expertise in water management that will help rebuild New O rleans and its levees; and Whereas the heritage of 4 00 years of friendship between the Nether- lands and the United States is a laudable example and should be properly extolled
Now, therefore, be it Resolv e dbyth e H o u seo f Re pr ese n t a t i ves ( the S enate c oncur - rin g),T hat it is the sense of Congress that we reaffirm the historic ties and friendship between the United States and the Netherlands by recogni z ing the Quadricentennial celebration of the discovery of the Hudson River and honoring the enduring values of the settlers of New Netherland that continue to permeate American society. Agreed to October 5 , 2009. HEL E NK ELLE RSTA T U E — NAT IO NAL STATUAR Y HALL Whereas Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama on J une 27, 1 8 80, and at the age of 19 months lost her sight and hearing as a result of meningitis; Whereas Helen was liberated from the ‘‘double dungeon of darkness and silence’’ by her teacher, Anne Sullivan, when she discovered language and communication at the water pump when she was 7 years old; Oct.6,20 0 9[S . Con . Res . 4 2 ]
