Political Quotes

“Last week sadly marked the third anniversary of the murder of the Russian human rights activist Boris Nemtsov. On February 27, 2015, Boris was assassinated while crossing a bridge near the Kremlin in Moscow, shot in the back in the most cowardly manner. Boris' murder was no doubt directed by Putin, because Boris had actively organized rallies against the regime and even had the courage to report in detail on corruption in the Putin regime. His death was a great loss for the people of Russia who are fighting for a free and Democratic society. I was lucky enough to have known Boris and met with him several times over the years. I had the great privilege to work with him on getting the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act passed into law in 2012. In fact, I met with Boris right after the House passed that bill. That day, Boris told me something that resonated with me, Mr. Speaker. He told me that Putin had made stopping the Magnitsky Act his utmost priority. Though that resonated with me, it did not surprise me, because I was born in communist Cuba, and I was forced to flee my homeland with my family to get away from the Castro regime. And I know that Castro would have had the same reaction as Putin, because thugs fear the people who are brave enough to challenge their authoritarian rule.…”