[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H6477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY

  (Mr. RASKIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the President put the 
``hel'' and the ``sink'' back in ``Helsinki'' because our Republic is 
sinking under the weight of his radical actions in capitulating to 
Vladimir Putin in the eyes of the world.
  Now, some of my colleagues have called this appeasement. I want to 
correct that. Appeasement is a misguided policy where you give 
concessions in order to try to make peace and stability with a 
dangerous, aggressive foreign power.
  This was not appeasement. This was simple surrender. The President 
wasn't trying to make peace with a hostile power. He was trying to 
capitulate and have us go over to the other side of the hostile power.
  The President has sided with authoritarianism, with every kleptocrat, 
dictator, despot, and tyrant on the planet Earth today.
  We the people of the United States and we in Congress have a 
responsibility now to defend American constitutional democracy. We must 
invest in our elections and fortify our elections so we can begin to 
restore the principles we have lost under the terrible leadership of 
Donald Trump.

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