Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Chairman Keating's resolution expressing support for the sovereign decision of Finland and Sweden to apply for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also known as NATO, and calling on all members of NATO to swiftly ratify the protocols of accession. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of this year, the world has changed. The world has watched as Vladimir Putin ordered his military to march through Ukraine, brutally attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, making it exceptionally clear that his senseless imperial aspirations go far beyond the Donbas and even Ukraine in its entirety. As a matter of fact, he has stated such. In response, our transatlantic allies and partners have had to completely rethink, as is clear, our security postures, tighten our ranks, and counter global challenges. In response to the Russian Federation's unthinkable aggression in Ukraine, Sweden and Finland, both long-term security partners of the United States and NATO as a whole, have made the sovereign decision to apply for NATO membership. This did not come about easily or automatically. Both Chairman Keating and I believe Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO presents a strong, unified message against Putin's aggression in Ukraine, and this would support peace and the values that we all adhere to in the NATO alliance.…”