[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S495-S496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Munich Security Conference

  Madam President, the Senator from Texas was in Munich at the security 
conference. It was such an inspiring get-together. Leaders from all 
over Europe and from many parts of the world all came together and were 
virtually unanimous in their opinion that this aggression by Vladimir 
Putin needed to be stopped and we needed to do everything in our power, 
either through NATO or other alliances and friendships, to show our 
solidarity.
  I thank the Senator from Texas for his statements.
  What a sharp contrast in leadership last week. First, Presidents 
Biden and

[[Page S496]]

Zelenskyy, together in Kyiv, standing resolutely in the face of Russian 
aggression.
  President Biden went to neighboring Poland, where he told an 
enthusiastic crowd of thousands:

       One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv. . 
     . . I can report: Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It 
     stands tall, and most important, it stands free.

  That was a statement by President Biden visiting Poland. He vowed the 
United States and its allies will never waiver in their support of 
Ukraine and that NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire. I 
couldn't agree more with President Biden.
  The same sentiments were on display at this Munich security summit 
that I referenced. Nearly 30 of my Senate colleagues joined us in this 
international conference. It was a bipartisan show of unity and 
resolve, with both Senator Schumer--the Democrat leader of the Senate--
and Senator McConnell--the Republican leader of the Senate--urging 
sustained determined support for Ukraine against Russian tyranny.
  Compare these messages of transatlantic and bipartisan unity to the 
rambling set of manufactured grievances delivered at nearly the same 
time by the Russian war criminal, Vladimir Putin. The contrast could 
not have been starker.
  Many Russian officials in attendance at Putin's speech sat stone-
faced. Some even dozed off. They may have wondered what kind of 
nightmare had befallen the Russian people in the pursuit of one man's 
murderous folly.
  Following the Munich Security Conference, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, of 
New Hampshire, and I had the opportunity to visit the former Soviet-
dominated countries of Georgia and Romania. Both nations remember 
Russian tyranny all too well and have spent their decades of 
independence working to be part of the transatlantic community of 
democracies.
  Georgia suffered most recently at the hands of Russian imperialism 
when Putin militarily seized 20 percent of the land mass of Georgia, 
territory still occupied illegally by the Russians today.
  Georgia has so much talent and so much potential. The overwhelming 
majority of the people in that country see their future in Europe and 
the West. The Georgia military has worked closely with the United 
States, and we have strong cooperative relations on a wide range of 
issues.
  It is my hope that Georgia will continue its path toward the European 
Union and eventual NATO membership. That is for the Georgians to 
decide, but I believe they would be valuable allies of the NATO 
alliance.
  It has some serious issues to resolve, incidentally. Georgia is still 
facing some political questions, which the world is watching closely, 
and a few potentially self-inflicted setbacks to avoid, such as the 
proposed law on disclosure by nongovernmental organizations--a step, I 
am afraid, that is backward for a nation aspiring to freedom. But with 
the right political will and vision, these issues can be overcome in a 
way that ensures a better and more secure future for the Georgian 
people.
  In the same Black Sea region, Senator Shaheen and I visited Romania--
my first time--the Eastern European nation already firmly in the EU and 
NATO. What a NATO ally it is. We stopped at MK Air Base in eastern 
Romania, where thousands of U.S. soldiers from the legendary 101st 
Airborne are stationed. They are the U.S. military forces closest to 
the fight in Ukraine.
  Nearby, we could see rows of grain ships departing Ukraine and 
occupied Crimea only a short distance away. That vital commerce in such 
a strategic area is a reminder of the importance of advancing Senators 
Shaheen and Romney's bipartisan legislation to establish a U.S.-Black 
Sea regional strategy, legislation which I have cosponsored.
  Senator Shaheen and I had a chance to speak to the brave Americans 
serving in Romania in defense of NATO. I am proud to say--and I hope my 
colleague hears this too, and I am sure she will--from the home State 
of Illinois, we had soldiers from Danville, Forest Park, Chicago Ridge, 
and even Red Bud, IL--downstate--and many more. But we got to meet and 
have lunch with those soldiers.
  We also had the chance to speak with Romanian Prime Minister Ciuca, 
who was clear-eyed both on the threat of Russian aggression and 
Romania's proud role in the larger battle. He also understood the 
threat Russia poses to the neighboring democracy of Moldova, where 
Russia already occupies some of their territory. Because of this, 
President Biden also met with Moldovan President Sandu while in Poland 
and reaffirmed strong U.S. support for her country's sovereignty and 
territorial integrity, which I also want to reiterate here on the 
Senate floor.
  Many of my colleagues here today know that my mother left as a little 
girl from Russian-occupied Lithuania many years ago. She barely would 
recognize today's vibrant and free member of the EU and NATO from the 
country she left behind. Later this year, Lithuania will host a 
historic NATO summit, by which time I hope we have added Finland and 
Sweden to the alliance.
  That thriving, peaceful, democratic future is what the Ukrainian 
people are still fighting for and what we must continue to support to 
make sure that Ukraine is secure in the future.


                          mobility legislation

  Madam President, I would like to start today by sharing a story about 
the value of U.S. foreign assistance.
  As my colleagues in the Senate know, U.S. foreign assistance makes up 
less than 1 percent of the Federal budget. And yet, it can yield 
millions in returns--both financially and in lives saved--by making our 
world safer, healthier, and more stable. It also reflects our values as 
Americans. Just look at the immediate offer of assistance to Turkey 
following its recent catastrophic earthquake. That was the right thing 
to do.
  Sometimes, even the simplest of tools can make all the difference: 
mosquito nets, paste made from peanuts, and even bicycles. One NGO 
based in Chicago, IL, World Bicycle Relief, has distributed more than 
600,000 bicycles around the world as of last year. These bicycles have 
helped girls in Malawi get to and from school safely, aid workers in 
Colombia distribute food and clean water during the COVID-19 pandemic, 
and farmers in Zambia make milk deliveries.
  Stories like these are common around the world, showing the value of 
a simple, relatively inexpensive, ``green,'' and easy-to-repair means 
of mobility that helps meet important development objectives. I have 
seen myself how a bicycle ambulance in rural Tanzania can change lives, 
and not long ago my staff saw World Bicycle Relief's efforts in Kenya, 
where nearly 50,000 sustainable rugged bicycles have been provided. 
These bikes are uniquely designed for their local environments. 
Community members are trained to maintain them with minimal and locally 
sourced parts, keeping them sustainable and creating jobs.
  Since 2019, I have worked through the Appropriations Committee to 
push USAID to invest in bicycles and study how to make the programs 
locally sustainable. USAID has used these lessons and opportunities 
with increasing success, thanks to the work of so many dedicated groups 
around the world, including World Bicycle Relief.
  This month, I introduced legislation with Representative Blumenauer 
in the House that will codify these important efforts and formalize the 
creation of a mobility program within USAID's Office of Gender Equality 
and Women's Empowerment. I look forward to seeing this bill enacted one 
day, to help lock in the incredible progress that can be made with even 
small investments and the simplest of tools, such as a bicycle.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Hirono). The Senator from Illinois.