February 26, 2024 - Introduced by Senators Quinn and Testin, cosponsored by Representatives Vos, Murphy and Doyle. Referred to Committee on Senate Organization.
SJR130,,22Relating to: celebrating the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the United States. SJR130,,33Whereas, on October 7, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge accepted the credentials of Timothy Smiddy as Minister Plenipotentiary of the Irish Free State; and SJR130,,44Whereas, as Smiddy noted in his address to President Coolidge, the United States became the first nation to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Irish Free State after its long struggle for existence; and SJR130,,55Whereas, Smiddy also noted that “there will always exist between the United States and the Irish Free State feelings of deep friendship and high esteem”; and SJR130,,66Whereas, this prediction has proven true, as the two nations now celebrate a century of mutual support and admiration; and SJR130,,77Whereas, Americans’ ancestral ties to Ireland form the bedrock of this relationship, with nearly one in 10 Americans—and more than 20 U.S. presidents—claiming Irish forebears; and SJR130,,88Whereas, Irish immigrants’ contributions throughout American history, from raising skyscrapers to completing the transcontinental railroad, have also enriched this relationship; and SJR130,,99Whereas, Americans joyously celebrate their ancestral, historical, and cultural connections with Ireland each year on Saint Patrick’s Day; and SJR130,,1010Whereas, the two nations have both prospered economically, with American companies employing over 200,000 people in Ireland and Irish companies employing about 100,000 people in the United States; and SJR130,,1111Whereas, state legislators seek to further strengthen the United States’ relationship with Ireland through the work of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus; and SJR130,,1212Whereas, the American Irish State Legislators Caucus welcomes anyone who supports Ireland, no matter their ancestry or political affiliation; now, therefore, be it SJR130,,1313Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the Wisconsin Legislature recognizes October 2024 as the 100th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Ireland and the United States and looks forward to another century of friendly relations between the two nations.
