[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 6, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



           Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman

  Mr. CASEY. Thank you, Mr. President.
  First, I want to briefly recognize this afternoon the brave public 
servants who have testified in the House in recent weeks in defense of 
national security, the rule of law, and our democratic institutions--
most recently, LTC Alexander Vindman.
  Despite Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's two decades of military service 
and a Purple Heart for his sacrifice to our country in Iraq, his 
character has faced brutal attacks from cable news and from some 
current and former Members of Congress. These comments about him are 
reprehensible attacks with no basis in fact.
  Verbal abuse of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman not only disrespects his 
integrity and his service but undermines our institutions and 
ultimately makes our Nation less safe--less safe. So questioning the 
character, loyalty, or patriotism of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is an 
attack on all veterans and is also an attack on our military.
  Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul put it this way in a 
Washington Post column just last week, and I will quote part of the 
column:

       Such smear tactics are revolting and un-American. Vindman 
     has served our country with honor and distinction, both on 
     and off the battlefield. . . . And he is a patriot--as you 
     would expect from someone with his outstanding resume. . . . 
     The idea that Vindman might have dual loyalties with another 
     nation is preposterous. Vindman was born in the totalitarian 
     Soviet Union, not ``the Ukraine.'' His family, which is 
     Jewish, fled religious persecution. He is not Soviet or 
     Ukrainian or Ukrainian American: He is simply an American. 
     Using birthplaces or hyphenated adjectives to disparage 
     fellow Americans is always wrong. It is especially so in the 
     case of Lt. Col. Vindman.

  That is the op-ed from a distinguished Ambassador.
  When I reflect upon Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's service to our 
country and his integrity, I am reminded of one of the lines--we could 
use many--from ``America the Beautiful'':

     Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
       That sees beyond the years

       That is what he was doing when he testified, just like that 
     was what he was doing when he was serving our Nation in Iraq 
     and when he was wounded in Iraq, and what he has done as a 
     member of our national security team as part of the work he 
     has done in this administration--seeing beyond the years. 
     Part of the dream of a patriot is thinking about the impact 
     of your actions on future generations.

  We need to make sure that we are very clear about where we stand on 
his character, on his commitment to the country, and on his courage in 
coming forward.