On the recordJune 22, 2011
I have come to the floor today to speak on S. Res. 212, congratulating the people and Government of Slovenia on the 20th anniversary of their nation's independence. I am pleased that the Senate passed this resolution yesterday by unanimous consent and I am grateful to my colleagues Senators Shaheen, Klobuchar, Barrasso, Brown of Ohio and Portman for joining with me in submitting this resolution. As many of my colleagues know, the Republic of Slovenia holds a very special place in my heart. Ninety years ago, my mother came to America from the village of Suha in what is now Slovenia. The modern Republic of Slovenia is only 20 years old. But more than 1,000 years ago, in what is now the Slovenian state of Carinthia, there was a duke who later served as one of Thomas Jefferson's inspirations for American democracy. What inspired President Jefferson? It was the tradition that the dukes of Carinthia could take office only after being questioned by a simple peasant to test their worthiness. If the peasant was satisfied with the answers, then he gently slapped the duke as a symbol of accountability to the people. Imagine that: people slapping around politicians in a democracy! I have been tremendously impressed by the great strides Slovenia has made since breaking away from Yugoslavia two decades ago. In this short period of time, Slovenia has become one of the world's most successful democracies, which I witnessed firsthand during a visit 5 years ago.…
