Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, my amendment would provide $2 million for civics education grants under the Department of Defense National Defense Education Program as authorized by the House fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that was reported out of the Armed Services Committee last week. Madam Chair, it is not an exaggeration to say American democracy is under attack, and we need to shore up our defenses. Foreign governments, particularly Russia, are actively engaged in efforts to undermine our democracy and sow seeds of discord among the electorate, and they have been frighteningly successful. In the special counsel's report on Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, Director Mueller described Russia's election- meddling operations as ``sweeping and systemic.'' Russia systematically waged a misinformation campaign to weaken our confidence and participation in the democratic process, including by discouraging voting, undermining confidence in our institutions of government, promoting false political narratives, and widening social divisions. Madam Chair, we need to increase our resilience to these attacks on our democracy, and I believe civics education must be a major part of this strategy. Civics programs provide students with an understanding of American law, how government works, and the skills to participate in democracy.…”