[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 93 (Monday, June 21, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1149-E1150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REPRESENTATIVE DAVID DREIER'S MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS

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                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 21, 2010

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend 
to my colleagues' attention a recent public address by the gentleman 
from California, Mr. Dreier, on the occasion of Memorial Day. For the 
past five years, I have had the privilege of serving with Mr. Dreier on 
the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan commission established by 
the House of Representatives in 2005 that works to strengthen the 
capacity of legislatures in emerging and developing democracies around 
the world. Mr. Dreier was the commission's first chairman and now 
serves as its ranking Republican member. As the current chairman, I 
have had the privilege of working closely with him as we have sought to 
support our fellow legislators and their staffs in countries ranging 
from Haiti and Peru to Indonesia and East Timor.
  On this Memorial Day, Mr. Dreier reflected on the work of the House 
Democracy Partnership and the relationship between the sacrifices made 
by our nation's men and women in uniform and the cause of freedom 
around the world. I have included his eloquent remarks in their 
entirety below:

       I have been privileged to stand here on several previous 
     occasions, and have had the honor of getting to know many of 
     you. Every year we come together on Memorial Day to remember 
     the war dead and to honor their service. We are humbled by 
     their sacrifice. But I believe we honor them fully not just 
     in solemn remembrance, but in commemorating their legacy as 
     well.
       Their legacy, first and foremost, is our 221-year history 
     as a nation that was founded in, and has prospered by, a 
     commitment to liberty. We have faced many crises. But we have 
     endured because the men and women of our armed forces have 
     fought to defend the principles on which our country was 
     built.
       These principles are enduring because they are universal. 
     Across all cultural and geographic boundaries, people want to 
     live in liberty. Which is why the legacy of those we honor 
     today is evidenced not just here at home, but in the many 
     fledgling democracies around the world. Democratic governance 
     is taking hold in places that previously knew only 
     totalitarianism or military dictatorship, like Macedonia and 
     Indonesia. Places that were plagued with violence and chaos, 
     like Colombia and Liberia. Places that were controlled by a 
     foreign power, like East Timor and Kosovo.
       In some of these places, our military has played a direct 
     role, such as the former Yugoslavia. But their greatest 
     influence has been simply in defending the principles that 
     offer the only path to lasting peace. We have seen throughout 
     our history that wherever there is tyranny, there can be no 
     real security. Wherever repression and poverty allow 
     resentments and extremism to spread, violence will always 
     follow. And because repression's greatest enemy is liberty, 
     the violence that follows will always threaten our security 
     and our interests.
       In recognition of this fact, I had the privilege of 
     founding a commission in the House of Representatives called 
     the House Democracy Partnership. For the last five years, 
     this commission has worked with a number of new and 
     reemerging democracies, like those I named before, to provide 
     support and assistance in their quest to solidify their 
     democratic gains. As we engage with the popularly elected 
     representatives of these countries, the legacy of our armed 
     forces provides the context for this work. We act with the 
     knowledge that their sacrifice is what has enabled the United 
     States to serve as a model for the rest of the world, and the 
     recognition that failure to see democracy take hold threatens 
     our security.
       Of the 15 countries with which the House Democracy 
     Partnership is currently working, the stakes are highest in 
     Afghanistan and Pakistan, ground zero for the struggle 
     against violent extremism. Nearly 100,000 of

[[Page E1150]]

     our men and women in uniform are currently in harm's way in 
     the region, as we all know very well. They are doing what 
     they have always done: valiantly defending the people of the 
     United States. But we want them to be able to complete their 
     mission and come home as soon as possible.
       That means that the Afghan people must build a stable, 
     peaceful, democratic government that will neither threaten 
     the U.S. nor allow a breeding ground for terrorism to once 
     again take root. As difficult as that process is, the right 
     seeds have been planted. I have seen former adversaries in 
     war sit around a table in Kabul, discussing the path forward 
     for the Afghan people. I have worked with legislators in 
     Islamabad who are determined to root out all forms of 
     terrorism until it is completely eradicated from Pakistani 
     territory.
       These democratic efforts are made possible by the work that 
     our troops are doing. Our service members are working to 
     create the security and political space for these efforts to 
     be successful. This is a Herculean task that can seem 
     impossible at times. But if our nation's history demonstrates 
     anything, it is the power of liberty and democratic 
     principles. And our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and 
     guardsmen have been their guarantor for 221 years. Today we 
     honor all who have served, all who have made the ultimate 
     sacrifice, and all who are currently in harm's way. And we 
     honor them with the recognition that the fruit of their 
     sacrifice is evident not just here at home, but around the 
     globe.

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