[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 11 (Thursday, January 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORT FOR THE 2018 XXIII OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES BEING HOSTED IN SOUTH 
                                 KOREA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 2018 XXIII 
Olympic Winter Games being hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea, next 
month. I am proud of the many Korean Americans in the Ninth 
Congressional District who make the USA a better place to live.
  The Olympic Games serve as a forum for the international community to 
come together to build a peaceful world. In order to be a competitor in 
the Olympic Games, nations across the globe have to embody the values 
and ideals of friendship, solidarity, and fair play. It is no different 
in the diplomatic arena.
  Without these core values, the spirit of fair competition is eroded. 
The common bond that brings nations from all over the world to compete 
and build friendships serves as a forum to promote tolerance and 
understanding. Promoting these ideals is critical to these increasingly 
troubled times, and I believe the results can make our world a more 
peaceful place.
  The upcoming Winter Olympic Games presents a significant opportunity 
for the United States of America to lead the fight against 
international conflicts and to promote peace. This is our legacy.
  Our Nation can use this opportunity to work with the international 
community in a way that shows that we can come together in the spirit 
of healthy competition, regardless of our differences.
  With the long shadow being cast by the provocations of Pyongyang and 
rhetoric from our own administration, the Olympic Winter Games came at 
the right time. They are an opportunity for the United States to speak 
out in support of resolving the current conflicts on the Korean 
Peninsula.
  While there are many issues facing the international community, all 
can agree the growing threat of nuclear conflict presents the most 
immediate danger. In order to deescalate the growing threat, and in the 
spirit of the Olympic Games themselves, I hope that our athletes' 
presence in South Korea will serve as a symbolic representation that 
our differences can be worked out on a neutral field.
  Further, it is reassuring that North Korea will participate in the 
upcoming Winter Olympics. If the reports are true, it will be 
encouraging to watch the two countries' athletes march together at the 
opening ceremony under a unification flag. That surpasses the 
consequences of empty rhetorical threats. We can do better than that.

  It took the Winter Olympics to thaw the ice between the two nations, 
who have not met in 2 years. This is a welcome sign of easing tensions 
after months of alarm over North Korea's nuclear program.
  As a result, this year's Olympic Games are already off to a great 
start. The Games will continue to be a reminder that, regardless of 
where someone is from, we can still set our differences aside for a 
better world, just like the first athletes who came together to start 
the Olympic tradition.
  It is my expectation that the Republic of Korea will host a 
successful 2018 XXIII Olympic Winter Games and that the hard work and 
dedication of the Korean people to this endeavor will be remembered by 
the international community.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to watching the men and women 
representing the United States of America bring home the gold.

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