March 29, 2024

S. Res. 394

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification and the beginning of warm and abiding relations between the people of the United States and Italy.

Whereas it has been 150 years since March 17, 1861, when the parliament of a united Italy proclaimed Victor Emmanuel II their king;

Whereas the story of the Italian Risorgimento, in particular Giuseppe Garibaldi’s heroic adventures, have inspired generations of Americans;

Whereas, between 1880 to 1920, an estimated 4,000,000 Italian immigrants arrived in the United States to settle and help build our Nation;

Whereas today there are almost 18,000,000 Americans of Italian ancestry whose contributions to our society are diverse and profound;

Whereas Italy has been a loyal NATO ally and a major strategic partner for over 60 years;

Whereas Italian-Americans have made enormous contributions to the United States; and

Whereas Italy remains a steadfast partner in the defense of a shared vision of fundamental human rights and the preservation of democratic ideals: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate–
(1) recognizes the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the modern state of Italy;
(2) celebrates the ties of kinship and shared democratic values that unite the two countries across the Atlantic;
(3) honors the service and sacrifice of Italy’s soldiers, sailors, and airmen alongside United States forces most recently in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya; and
(4) reaffirms the friendship between the Government and people of the United States and the Government and people of Italy.