Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the bipartisan Global Electoral Exchange Act, H.R. 5274, which I introduced with my colleague, my Republican colleague, Mark Meadows, and also others, including my colleague from Texas, Ted Poe. I would like to first thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their support on this legislation and helping bring it to the floor. It is important to note the bipartisanship of this legislation because strengthening democracies abroad is a critical national interest and one that can be supported by both sides of the aisle. In recent years, democracies have been reeling across the world, even in our own neighborhood. This is a reversal of a longstanding trend toward democratization that continued through the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. In countries around the world, there are partners willing to work with us to strengthen their country's democracy. This is naturally in our bipartisan interests. Our strongest relationships are those with other democracies. Some examples include Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, Australia, and the member nations of the European Union. When two countries speak the language of democracy, when they each commit to the rule of law and the will of the people, the potential for a genuine partnership is formed. An election is a complex endeavor. It is an exercise a society undertakes together.…”