,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #dg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of 
,,representatives  ,january #be1 #bjac  
,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new     
,york 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,meng1 and ,ms4
 ,bera of ,california7 submitted the    
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,oversight and    
,government ,reform  ,,resolution       
,expressing the sense of the ,house of  
,representatives that the ,citizens'    
,stamp ,advisory ,committee1 as an      
entity of the ,united ,states ,postal   
,service1 should issue a commemorative  
stamp in honor of the holiday of        
,diwali4  ,whereas ,diwali1 also        
referred to as the festival of lights1  
is an ,indian holiday that also marks   
the beginning of the ,hindu ,new ,year2 
,whereas ,diwali celebrates the triumph 
of good over evil1 the awareness of     
one's inner light1 the dispelling of    
ignorance1 and bringing peace and joy   
through the awakening gained from this  
higher knowledge2 ,whereas the holiday  

of ,diwali is observed in ,america1 and 
across the globe1 by ,hindus1 ,sikhs1   
,christians1 ,jains1 and ,buddhists2    
,whereas as one of the world's oldest   
religious holidays1 ,diwali serves not  
only as a time for celebration1 but also
 as a time for communities and families 
to come together in spiritual           
enlightenment2 ,whereas the practice of 
,diwali has survived political1 economic
 and social changes throughout history1 
while always carrying the universal     
symbolism of the victory of light1      
goodness1 knowledge1 and truth2 ,whereas
 the ,united ,states ,postal ,service1  
through the decisions of the ,citizens' 
,stamp ,advisory ,committee1 has issued 
stamps for other popular holidays in the
 ,united ,states1 including ,christmas1 
,kwanzaa1 ,hanukkah1 and ,eid2 ,whereas 
the ,united ,states ,postal ,service is 
yet to issue a stamp in honor of the    
holiday of ,diwali2 and ,whereas issuing
 a postage stamp honoring the holiday of
 ,diwali is fitting and proper3 ,now1   

therefore1 be it  ,that it is the sense 
of the ,house of ,representatives that--
  7#a7 the ,united ,states ,postal      
,service should issue a postage stamp   
honoring the holiday of ,diwali2 and    
7#b7 the ,citizens' ,stamp ,advisory    
,committee should recommend to the      
,postmaster ,general that such a stamp  
be issued4