[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 27, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E788-E789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATO REINFORCED FOR DEMOCRACY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 27, 2022

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, last week, Congressman 
Bill Keating offered an historic resolution expressing support for 
Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(NATO).
  I was particularly grateful to support the resolution having just 
returned from a Congressional Delegation of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Helsinki, Finland, and 
Stockholm, Sweden.
  Led by Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Senator Roger Wicker of 
Mississippi and Co-Chairman Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, 
the U.S. delegation was grateful to meet with President Sauli Niinisto 
of Finland, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice President and Special 
Representative Pia Kauma of Finland, Foreign Minister Ann Linde of 
Sweden, OSCE Parliamentarv Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt, and 
Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlen,
  NATO is more important than ever with war criminal Putin's mass 
murder in Ukraine, sacrificing young Russians for his personal gain of 
oil, money, and power. Tragically, many of us never imagined the 
insanity of a 21st Century land war in Europe.
  Both Finland and Sweden enhance the peacekeeping ability of NATO with 
their professional militaries and extraordinary defense

[[Page E789]]

manufacturing capabilities to promote Peace Through Strength.
  The addition of Finland would increase the border of NATO with the 
Russian Federation by 830-miles, which could inspire Russian patriots 
to reestablish democracy as a valued partner in Western Civilization.
  I will be clear that democracy (rule of law) will prevail to 
authoritarianism (rule of gun).

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