Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2444, the Eastern European Security Act. I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul for working on this excellent measure that mirrors Chairman Eliot Engel's bill, the NATO Defense Financing Act, in pursuit of a stronger transatlantic partnership. Mr. Speaker, the United States and its European allies have, together, built the most successful alliance in the history of the world. The NATO alliance is strengthened by our shared values, mutual trust, ability to work together, and, if necessary, to fight together. It is crucial that NATO is ready and able to defend against external threats and engage in combat. For that to happen, all of our allies must be able to work together seamlessly. But right now, some of our Eastern European allies still rely on Russian or old Soviet era equipment. Modernizing these military forces is a national security imperative. The Eastern European Security Act puts in place direct loans to our security partners so they can update their military equipment to better address their shifting and complex security needs. As adversaries like Russia continue to test our alliance's defenses and cohesion, these loans would be a meaningful step towards ensuring that we are ready and able to face evolving threats on the horizon. These loans will complement, not replace, our ongoing U.S.…”