Recognizing the self-determination of Gibraltar to determine its status as a British Overseas Territory.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 174 Recognizing the self-determination of Gibraltar to determine its status as a British Overseas Territory. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 5, 2019 Mr. HOLDING (for himself, Mr. BUDD, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. COOPER, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. FRANKEL, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. KILMER, Mr. DIAZ- BALART, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. KIND, Mr. NUNES, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. COLE, Mr. THORN- BERRY, and Mr. CHABOT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Recognizing the self-determination of Gibraltar to determine its status as a British Overseas Territory. Whereas the Department of State recognizes Gibraltar as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom based on the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; Whereas the citizens of Gibraltar have freely and democrat- ically expressed their view to remain a British Overseas Territory in 1967 and 2002, when 99.6 and 98.48 per- cent of the Gibraltarians, respectively, voted in a popular referenda their wish to remain a British Overseas Terri- tory; VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:38 Mar 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR174.IH HR174 khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 174 IH Whereas the United States has relied on Gibraltar’s military facilities numerous times, including America’s first over- seas military intervention in 1801 against the Barbary States, World War II, and the North Atlantic Treaty Or- ganization intervention in 2011 in Libya; Whereas, during World War II, General Dwight Eisenhower used Gibraltar as his headquarters to plan the liberation of North Africa stating, ‘‘Without it the vital air cover would not have been quickly established on the North Af- rican fields.’’; Whereas the security situation in North Africa and the Mid- dle East continues to underscore the need for the United States to maintain secure access to Gibraltar’s military facilities; Whereas Gibraltar has the right, under the United Nations Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Po- litical Rights, to determine its own future; and Whereas the United Kingdom is a loyal ally that has stood by the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep- 1 resentatives that— 2 (1) the United States honors the contribution 3 that Gibraltar has made to advancing United States 4 security interests in the Mediterranean region since 5 1801 and extends its deepest appreciation and 6 thanks to the Government of Gibraltar and its citi- 7 zens; and 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:31 Mar 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR174.IH HR174 khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 174 IH (2) the views and rights of Gibraltarians should 1 always be imperative in any discussion of Gibraltar’s 2 status as a British Overseas Territory. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:31 Mar 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR174.IH HR174 khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS