[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN TUNISIA

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Tunisia's inspiring Arab 
Spring revolution in 2011 made the country a symbol of courageous 
democratic patriots. Sadly, in 2021, Tunisia's dictator, Kais Saied, 
sabotaged the successful democracy.
  Tunisia has been corrupted into a dictatorship enforced by rule of 
gun. The Constitution and elected parliament are suspended. In rigged 
elections last October, dictator Saied fabricated over 90 percent of 
the votes, jailed opponents and parliament members, including the 
former Prime Minister and parliament speaker who were illegally 
sentenced today, and coordinated with war criminal Putin, the Chinese 
Communist Party, and the terrorist regime in Tehran.
  Aid to Tunisia should be suspended and sanctions imposed until 
democracy is restored. I urge support for the Tunisian Democracy 
Restoration Act.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops as the global war on terrorism 
continues. Open borders for dictators put all Americans at risk of more 
imminent 9/11 attacks, as warned by the FBI. Trump is reinstituting 
existing laws to protect American families with peace through strength 
and fighting fentanyl.
  Mr. Speaker, we welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to America. We 
appreciate his success for Middle East peace and prosperity, deterring 
a nuclear Iran.

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