Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we need to pass the Combating Global Corruption Act. Today, I join with my colleague Senator Young to reaffirm bipartisan support for this important legislation. Corruption threatens international stability and security and poses a serious threat to democracy and democratic values. Ten days ago, December 9, was International AntiCorruption Day. This day provides an annual reminder of the dire need to prioritize combatting corruption here in the United States and around the world. Corruption undermines democratic institutions, it compromises the rule of law, and it erodes human rights protections. It damages America's global competitiveness and hampers economic growth in global markets. It fosters the conditions for violent extremism and weakens institutions associated with governance and accountability. These are direct threats to our national and international security. Earlier this year, Transparency International published its Corruption Perceptions Index for 2018. It underscored that the failure to curb corruption is contributing to a worldwide crisis of democracy. Not surprisingly then, Freedom House similarly reported that 2018 was marked by global declines in political rights and civil liberties for the 13th consecutive year. Sixty-eight countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties during 2018, with only 50 nations registering gains.…”