[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 29, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE

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                         HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 29, 2023

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of America's 
fifth President, James Monroe, and to celebrate the Bicentennial of the 
Monroe Doctrine.
  President James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758, to a middle-class 
family in what would eventually become Virginia's First District. 
Monroe was a fierce advocate for American independence from the very 
beginning. At only 18 years old, he enlisted in the Continental Army, 
where he fought and was wounded while serving under General George 
Washington.
  In the earliest years of our fledgling nation, Monroe would 
distinguish himself as master diplomat and lay the foundations of 
United States foreign policy. As Minister to France, he helped 
negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, doubling American sovereign 
territory. After being appointed Secretary of War, he masterfully 
defended the country during the War of 1812, and managed the 
acquisition of Florida, all while forging alliances and boosting the 
United States' standing on the world stage. His skill at statecraft was 
recognized by the public and he was elected President in 1816.
  President Monroe's crowning achievement as a leader was the creation 
of his namesake Monroe Doctrine. On December 2, 1823, the United States 
took the important step of recognizing and establishing trade and 
defense treaties with the newly independent republics of Latin America. 
By vowing to aid these countries against invasions by European colonial 
powers, Monroe began a proud American tradition of a bold foreign 
policy that promotes freedom and democratic values abroad.
  I am honored to represent Virginia's First District, the place Monroe 
once called home. I am inspired by Monroe's devotion to fundamental 
American values, and his committed belief that our rights and the 
freedoms we derive from them deserve to be shared not just by our 
countrymen, but by all people.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing President James 
Monroe and the Bicentennial of his most outstanding work of 
statesmanship, the Monroe Doctrine. His legacy is one of profound 
accomplishment and service to the American people, and I am deeply 
grateful to the example he sets to all who would follow in his 
footsteps.

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