Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, in closing, our Nation has always served as a beacon of hope for all who are oppressed and suffer under regimes such as the one in Vietnam, which has shown a blatant disregard for fundamental human rights and universal freedoms. We must continue to serve as such a beacon. We must not waver in our commitment to standing with the oppressed and not with their oppressors. This bill serves as an important guidepost in doing that. The Vietnam regime continues its oppression. On August 5, they arrested about 30 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting China's activities in the South China Sea. It included the arrest of an 81- year-old activist. Also, the threatened trial of three well-known human rights bloggers has been further postponed, thus extending their unjust legal limbo. This human rights legislation is long overdue. It contains a provision prohibiting an increase in nonhumanitarian assistance to the Government of Vietnam unless certain human rights benchmarks are met. Of course, it has a Presidential waiver, but it authorizes the President to provide assistance through appropriate nongovernmental organizations and the Human Rights Defenders Fund for the support of individuals and organizations that are promoting internationally recognized human rights in Vietnam. This is an American principle. This should be a universal principle of human rights and respect for minority rights. I hope that our colleagues will join us in passing Mr. Smith's bill.…”