Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I am proud to advocate the passage of H.R. 1112, the Protect Democracy in Burma Act; and H. Res. 134, a resolution condemning the military coup taking place in Burma. I commend Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul for their leadership. As chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, I am happy to work alongside Representative Connolly to champion this bill, and I commend Representative Levin for his good work, as well. What is going on in Burma demands action. The very foundation of Burmese democracy and, consequently, the country's international standing now hang in the balance as a result of the Burmese military's reckless action. The situation is deteriorating rapidly, with Burmese military and security forces violently attacking and rounding up peaceful protestors, civil servants, community leaders, journalists, and even emergency medical personnel. The death toll is now estimated at 200. The democratically elected Government of Burma, to be sure, had serious flaws, but it had made significant progress in improving the lives of Burmese citizens. The House Democracy Partnership had begun to work with the democratically elected parliament, as had the National Democratic Institute. The International Republican Institute had begun to work on local governance.…”