Political Quotes

“I would like to thank Congresswoman McCollum and also the ranking member, Mr. Engel, for their leadership on this issue. Both of them have been very important parts of seeing this through the House. It went through the other body recently as well, so it is working its way to the President's desk, and we are very encouraged by that. Madam Speaker, many of us are deeply concerned by the appalling acts of injustice that are committed against women and girls around the world on a daily basis. The headlines are, oftentimes, hard to believe--acid attacks in Iran, death at the hands of a savage mob in Afghanistan, the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria--yet the disenfranchisement of women and girls around the world is not just an humanitarian issue; it is a development issue, and it is a security issue as well. How can a nation thrive when half of its citizens are oftentimes denied their most basic human rights? The Girls Count Act--this act, the one that we are talking about this evening--recognizes the suffering and aims to empower those who have been cast into the shadows of their societies. Birth registration is one of the first steps in the fight to preserve an individual's basic rights under the law in that particular country. It is also a critical means to ensuring the full participation of women and girls in their communities.…”