On the recordJune 23, 2017
It has been a generation or two since the horrors of communism were routinely on the news and mentioned in our schools: people killed running for freedom from East to West Berlin, the Soviet Union's gulag archipelago designed to crush dissent and the human spirit, and Mao's brutal rule in Red China that killed millions. This week, a new generation of Americans witnessed the barbarity of the evil of communism. I extend my condolences to the family and friends of Otto Warmbier, whose funeral was held yesterday. Kim Jung Un and his North Korean thugs may believe Otto's torture and death somehow empowers them. They are wrong. President Reagan foretold that communism will end up on the ash heap of history, and that is where Kim is headed. But Otto has a different legacy. One of Otto's friends told me his spirit could not be crushed and, unlike the communist thugs of North Korea, Otto's spirit will live on, especially in those who loved him. Mr. Speaker, North Korea must be held accountable for Otto's death and other transgressions. Last month, the House passed the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act. The Senate should pass this legislation and get it to the President quickly so we can begin to put maximum pressure on this outlaw regime. ____________________
