Political Quotes

“I rise today in recognition of International Human Rights Day. Sixty-four years ago this past Monday, on December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration enunciates a doctrine that serves as a foundation for human rights initiatives internationally and as an enduring guide for human rights advocates around the globe. On this annual celebration of International Human Rights Day, human rights defenders, champions of democracy, promoters of civil rights, and advocates of free speech across the globe can also be encouraged by Congress's recent passage of landmark human rights legislation. Last week, the Senate passed the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, which the House passed in September in conjunction with approving permanent normal trade relations for Russia. The Magnitsky Act was inspired by the tragic case of Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old Russian lawyer who uncovered massive corruption in Russia and then was arrested for his whistleblowing. Magnitsky died in 2009 after suffering torturous conditions in pretrial detention. Those implicated in the corruption Magnitsky exposed and those responsible for his torture and death have not been brought to justice, and some have even been decorated and promoted.…”