Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 5375, Strengthening the Quad Act, as amended. Mr. Speaker, in talking about the importance of this very bill, just a few minutes ago before coming to the floor, I had a meeting with the Ambassador of Japan, Ambassador Yamada, who talked about the significance and the importance of inter-parliamentary conversation. We talked about how today freedom and democracy around the world are under threat. According to the organization Freedom House, the world has experienced 17 consecutive years of decline in global freedom as a result of war, coup d'etats, attacks on democratic institutions, and the rise of authoritarianism. To stem this illiberal tide, America must lead with our values and harness diplomacy like never before. This is especially important in the Indo-Pacific region where America's presence, engagement, and alliance system have maintained peace and stability for decades. In fact, the Ambassador also talked about how much he appreciated America being in the region and staying there and working collectively together. Today, China's growing global influence and authoritarian model is serving to undermine freedom in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We need to work with fellow democracies in the region to showcase the heft of open markets and open societies. We need to demonstrate to the region that democracies can deliver real results. Consecutive U.S.…”