Expressing gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for their State Visit to the United States and reaffirming the friendship that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 412) expressing gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for their State Visit to the United States and reaffirming the friendship that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Two hundred and thirty years ago, Americans threw off the yoke of the British monarch with much fanfare, as everyone knows. But, since then, the American people have celebrated the royals, and they have watched and observed the demeanor of the royal family of Great Britain throughout the years. As a matter of fact, we gave a coveted film award to a woman portraying the Queen just not long ago.

But, anyway, a few short weeks ago, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, were greeted by enormous crowds visiting the United States. This was the Queen's fourth State visit following previous visits in 1991, 1976 and first in 1957.

Her most recent trip was highlighted by her commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. When 108 London entrepreneurs set sail on orders from King James I to settle Virginia, that would set the stage for one of the most, if not the most, successful and lasting alliance in modern history.

The Queen praised such historic links and bonds of friendship between our two countries when she was here and referred to the fact that our relationship has been built on a shared commitment to democratic traditions and liberty.

During her visit, she also noted, as well, our shared future. Just as the settlers of 1607 set out to discover a new world, researchers on both sides of the Atlantic are now seeking to explore new frontiers in medicine and space. This collaboration between British and American scientists is invaluable.

The Queen has served tirelessly as an ambassador for the British people, and she has led her country through times of prosperity as well as times of turmoil. It is for these reasons and others that I am delighted to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for authoring the resolution before us; and I rise in support of his resolution, 412, which expresses gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for their recent state visit to the United States and reaffirms the friendship that exists between the United States and the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth's visit reminded us of the shared values that underpin the unique friendship and partnership of the United States and the United Kingdom.

The extent to which the United States and the United Kingdom today share common goals in their foreign and defense policies as well is also quite remarkable. There is no other bilateral relationship that the United States has with another country that is routinely referred to as ``the special relationship.''

In the time that Queen Elizabeth has reigned, more than half a century, America and Britain have continually strengthened their partnership and collaborated on threats to world peace and security, both large and small. That important collaboration continues today, as President Bush noted in his remarks in the dinner he held at the White House in the Queen's honor, when he stated the following: ``together we are supporting young democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan . . . confronting global challenges such as poverty and disease and terrorism, and together we're working to build a world in which more people can enjoy prosperity and security and peace.''

Mr. Speaker, I should note as well the significance of how closely the economies of the United States and the United Kingdom are linked. The United Kingdom is the fourth largest market for exports, such exports totaling more than $36 billion in the year 2004 alone. Just as significant, the United States and the United Kingdom are each other's biggest foreign investors.

This resolution gives us an opportunity to reflect upon the strength and the value of a trans-Atlantic relationship that has proven critical to safeguarding the community of democracies in Europe and, indeed, throughout the world.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution, expressing appreciation to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip for their recent visit and the bonds that tie our two nations together.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the resolution, Mr. Boozman of Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this bill that expresses our appreciation to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for visiting the United States over the last month.

Over the course of her lifetime and during her 55 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth has played a vital role in the United Kingdom's successes through her strong leadership in diplomacy. She has been a great source of stability for her nation.

During times of peace and times of unrest, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have displayed amazing courage and have inspired the world community. The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is a special one. The Americans and British have been working together for generations, furthering the deep-rooted commitment each country has for peace and security.

I would like to thank Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for reaffirming the trans-Atlantic friendship between our two countries with their visit last month to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.