Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize three extraordinary women: Nouf Abdulaziz, Loujain Al-Hathloul, and Eman Al-Nafjan. For nearly 2 years, these women have been imprisoned, placed in solitary confinement, and tortured by the Saudi Government, all because they used their voices to express the need for the government to recognize the fundamental rights and dignity of women. Under Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system, which requires women to obtain permission of their male guardians in healthcare, employment, and travel decisions, the very notion of women's rights or, for that matter, human rights, is effectively nonexistent. Despite the Saudi Government's recent claims of social reform, an unacceptably oppressive status quo continues to dominate virtually every aspect of life for women in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of H. Res. 129, a resolution which calls for the immediate release of these activists and calls on the administration to impose sanctions on Saudi officials responsible for human rights violations. Let us come together, Democrats and Republicans alike, in demanding the release of these courageous women. ____________________”