Ed Royce: “Havel's zeal for liberating oppressed people did not diminish in later years, when he continued to advocate for…”

“Havel's zeal for liberating oppressed people did not diminish in later years, when he continued to advocate for democratic reforms in places such as Belarus, Burma, Cuba, and Iran. In reference to his role as a democratic activist, Havel simply wrote: We never decided to become dissidents. We simply went ahead and did certain things that we felt we ought to do, that seemed decent for us to do, nothing more nor less. The legacy of this freedom fighter serves as an inspiration for peaceful, democratic activists today. It is fitting, therefore, for us to pass this resolution and provide for a bust of Vaclav Havel to be displayed in the Capitol Building, the workplace of our great democracy. There alongside similar images of the great champions of freedom--Winston Churchill, Louis Kossuth, Raoul Wallenberg--his statue will remind future generations of the impact one man can have in the advancement and in the protection of liberty. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the original cosponsors of this resolution, as well: Majority Leader Cantor, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Whip McCarthy, Minority Whip Hoyer, Appropriations Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey, and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, with whom I worked particularly closely in trying to advance the values of Vaclav Havel.”