[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 13, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1996-H1998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LIBERTY VERSUS DICTATORSHIP
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. Kaptur
of Ohio was recognized for 30 minutes.)
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to place remarks on the Record this
evening focusing on liberty versus dictatorship.
We have several Members who wish to submit comments for the Record.
Congressman Mike Quigley is here this evening. Congressman Eugene
Vindman is in a committee markup right now, and Congressman Steve
Cohen will also have remarks for the Record.
I will begin briefly, and then I will yield to my fellow Congressman
from Illinois.
China's dictator Xi was recently at the historic military parade that
fellow dictator Vladimir Putin celebrated in Moscow. The purpose of the
celebration was to honor the anniversary of Europe's defeat of Nazi
Germany, signaling Putin's intent to actually use that occasion to turn
his binoculars on capturing more free territory to control Ukraine and
beyond.
Putin and Xi together in that situation was rather hard to look at.
Yet, their presence underscored the danger stemming from their close
and increasing cooperation, enlarging the spiderweb of tyranny led by
Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, all of them acting against
liberty around the world.
Xi said that Russia and China should be friends of steel. He said
that they would deepen relationships in all areas, including military
ties, and strengthen coordination in order to decisively counter
Washington's course of dual containment of Russia and China.
What is more, North Korean troops who have been fighting against
Ukraine's freedom and their freedom fighters for months were fully on
display in Red Square, where Putin embraced them.
America, pay attention.
While Iran was not present at the parade, it continues to be
omnipresent in the skies above Ukraine. Ukrainians can't avoid the
Shahed drones that Russia is using and buying from Iran to kill
innocent Ukrainian civilians who are fighting for their very liberty.
This military parade took place at a critical moment in Moscow's
aggression on Ukraine as American efforts proceed to negotiate an end
to it. To be clear: Vital NATO interests are at stake in central
Europe, where Ukraine serves as the scrimmage line for liberty across
Europe today.
Russia is the free world's only peer in terms of its nuclear
capabilities, and Russia's national security doctrine declares our
country and our people as its principal foe.
America, pay attention.
Putin has made clear that he wants effective political control in
Ukraine and other free nations that used to be part of the Soviet
Union. Putin also wants a veto over defense measures being taken in the
former Warsaw Pact states that want to remain free. Putin doesn't want
that. This means he wants to dictate the fate of many of our NATO
allies in Europe and beyond.
Instead of strategically pushing back on Putin's unchanged goals of
European and global domination, this administration has steadily given
Russian exactly what it wants, both in Ukraine and well beyond. If
Putin had a checklist of things he wanted America to do, I will in a
brief time tell you what it would look like, and it is exactly what the
Trump administration is doing.
Before I get into that, I am going to call on my dear colleague from
the great city of Chicago, Congressman Mike Quigley, to enter his
remarks.
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, for 1,176 days, people of Ukraine have lived under
constant threat of attack and attack. As the war has dragged on for
over 3 years, Ukrainians have refused to submit to Putin's violence. At
every turn, they have shown the world what it means to be fighting on
the front lines for democracy. At every turn, the Ukrainian people have
been willing to do what is necessary for protection and for peace.
When their sovereignty was threatened by Putin, they defended their
country courageously. When the opportunity for diplomatic negotiations
arose, they were willing to come to the table. In exchange for their
bravery and sacrifice, all they have asked for is respect for their
independence, their autonomy, and their democracy.
Peace between Ukraine and Russia must not come at Ukraine's expense.
We want peace. Ukrainians desperately want peace, but it cannot be a
Russian victory. In order to have a just and lasting peace, we must
return Ukraine to its 1991 borders. Ukraine must also have serious
security assurances from the U.S. and NATO so that Putin is deterred
from ever threatening the country again.
Russia must alone help fund this great construction after targeting
civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, hospitals, and
schools. We must also hold Putin accountable for his army's war crimes,
like those in Bucha, which I witnessed, and for the kidnapping of
thousands of Ukrainian children.
As the Trump administration continues to push for negotiations
between Ukraine and Russia, we must all keep in mind exactly who we are
dealing with. Putin has refused to negotiate in good faith, reportedly
violating the very same cease-fire he unilaterally declared last week.
So far, he has refused to even direct negotiations with President
Zelenskyy in Turkiye.
This is the same man who has welcomed China's, Iran's, and North
Korea's support for his war effort. He has shown contempt for all
international democratic norms, both in his own country and in dealing
with others.
This is why the only way to deal with Putin is by sending a clear
message--a message of strength and of unity. As the United States has
for the better part of a century, we must continue to stand up to
tyrants and defend freedom. We have learned that isolationism and
appeasing autocrats is a losing strategy. As President Trump and his
administration continue to push for negotiations between Ukraine and
Russia, I encourage them to remember history. Remember the reasons we
fought the Second World War and the reasons we founded NATO.
Now is not the time to abandon our values or our position as a leader
of the free world. Now is the time to pressure Putin to end this brutal
war for good. The future of the Ukrainian people, the future of Europe,
and the future of democracy are dependent on how we meet this moment.
This is a moral, tactical, and strategic imperative.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank our co-chair of the Ukrainian
Caucus, Congressman Mike Quigley of Chicago, for participating this
evening.
General Leave
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Baumgartner). Is there objection to the
request of the gentlewoman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I will go back to discussing some of the
actions the administration has taken that have undermined America's
position globally.
First of all, the Trump administration has sided with Russia over
Ukraine, most especially by pausing military assistance to Ukraine. Mr.
Speaker, 75 percent of those dollars are spent in this country on
weaponry to help Ukraine repel the enemy.
Ukraine has been courageously standing and fighting in the breach
between liberty and dictatorship. This has come at great cost to her
people, her prosperity, and her aspirations.
The poorest country in Europe, Ukraine is holding back Putin's
covetousness and aggression against the Continent of Europe. Ukraine
wants nothing more than to finally and permanently ascend to the
community of free nations in the European Union and join as a strong
ally in NATO. For that aspiration, Putin attacked Ukraine and
[[Page H1997]]
is eating her territory, and the Ukrainians are holding her off--can
you imagine--the third largest military in the world.
Despite Ukraine being aligned with our values in its historic fight
to regain its freedom, President Trump has time and again spouted
Russian talking points by admonishing Ukraine and falsely suggesting
that she started the war.
That is false.
Russia initiated its invasion of Crimea in 2014 and the larger full
scale of invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It is just amazing what the
Ukrainians are doing. In trying to negotiate a cease-fire between
Ukraine and Russia, President Trump and Vice President Vance have
squeezed concession after concession out of Ukraine, even its mineral
wealth. At times, the Trump administration has effectively held
Ukraine's economic future ransom for more military aid.
This includes the dastardly moment when President Trump suddenly
withheld U.S. support and intelligence sharing that Ukraine relies on
to defend itself from Russia's onslaught. Such a pause undoubtedly cost
Ukrainian lives.
Trump has stated that Putin wants peace in Ukraine. Surely he can't
believe this. Putin has failed to uphold any cease-fire agreement,
including those struck with the United States of America. Dictator
Putin doesn't want peace. He wants Ukraine, all of Ukraine, and beyond.
{time} 2045
Secondly, the Trump administration has been dividing democratic
alliances.
Yesterday, President Trump astoundingly said the European union is
worse than China. He even has said that the European union was created
to ``screw America.''
In what world does he live? He seems not to know our history.
Our Nation and European nations that won World War II created NATO to
sustain liberty's alliance and as a shield against future invasions.
Together, we comprise a formidable force. In doing so America was
guaranteed strong security partners to defend against a world war and
new threats of tyranny like that of Putin, North Korea, and Iran today.
That is why we have the European allies. They are our oldest friends
and partners and we share a love of liberty. Rather than stand united
as we have been for decades, the Trump administration has threatened
to--are you ready for this--annex Canada and invade Greenland, which is
part of Denmark.
Both are current NATO allies. Canada fought nobly with our troops on
the shores of Normandy on D-day and many other places. Both nations
served honorably alongside our Armed Forces in Afghanistan in response
to 9/11. Threatening our neighbors and allies in such a manner is
taking a page out of the very playbook of lies Putin has used
repeatedly against Ukraine. Our partnerships have been won and
developed as liberty's umbrella with the democratic nations of Europe.
Putin knows that. He cannot defeat our alliance if we stand united.
Instead, he now waits for Trump to break apart our own security blanket
so he can pick liberty's shield off one by one.
Thirdly, the Trump administration has weakened our cyber defense.
U.S. top intelligence officers recently released the annual threat
assessment, which states the following: ``Russia's advanced cyber
capabilities, its repeated success compromising sensitive targets for
intelligence collection, and its past attempts to pre-position access
on U.S. critical infrastructure make it a persistent
counterintelligence and cyberattack threat. Moscow's unique strength is
the practical experience it has gained integrating cyberattacks and
operations with wartime military action, almost certainly amplifying
its potential to focus combined impact on U.S. targets in time of
conflict.''
So yes, Russia is a real threat to our freedom. Its cyber
capabilities are a unique threat. Despite knowing this to be true,
Trump has taken steps to tear down our cyber capabilities in a
comprehensive manner. Why?
Since taking office, Elon Musk and DOGE have decimated cybersecurity,
CISA, our premier cybersecurity agency, with personnel cuts and stop
work orders.
Why would anyone do that?
In March, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly
ended U.S. cyber operations against Russia. This was done without
warning and without consulting Congress.
Then in April, at the beck and call of a far-right, online opinion
influencer, President Trump fired four-star General Timothy Haugh
without warning from his position leading our military cyber forces.
General Haugh--get ready for this--served our Nation honorably with
distinction for 34 years.
The Trump administration has left America's cyber gates unlocked at a
time when cyberattacks are rapidly on the rise. Putin will make our
Nation pay dearly for that set of serious errors.
Fourthly, Trump administration policies threaten U.S. global economic
standing. Through American ingenuity and hard work, the likes of wish
Russia cannot compete against, our Nation's financial systems are a
privileged place at the center of a global economic system.
The United States has the largest economy in the world. Most other
nations rely on the U.S. dollar to hold their savings and reliably
conduct international trade. Putin wants to end that. Trump's
unprecedented and irresponsible reciprocal tariff regime is helping
Putin achieve that goal. Not only has Trump's costly universal tariffs
endangered our good trade relations with our closest economic allies,
moreover, they are also making others think twice about using and
trusting the U.S. dollar.
These costly economic taxes on U.S. consumers will be very difficult
to reverse, even if Trump pulls back his tariffs, supply chains are
clogged already.
Putin has long spoken about his interest in reducing the world's
reliance on America's economic strength and the U.S. dollar. Such a
world leaves each American poorer and with fewer economic
opportunities. Just as Russia relies on oil exports to finance and
undercut the financial sanctions that have been placed on that country
due to its invasion of Ukraine, Putin has called for the world to adopt
untraceable cryptocurrency to protect his assets. He prefers this
unregulated alternative as he pushes the world to abandon the dollar.
Now, Trump is one of the world's biggest promoters of cryptocurrency
and has even started his own cryptocurrency to avoid regulated
financial markets to enrich himself and his family.
Fifthly and finally, the Trump administration's actions to date are
upending America's global reputation. Perhaps most damaging, Trump has
upended our global reputation as a responsible partner and guardian of
liberty across our world. He leans toward dictators.
What is that all about?
It took 80 years for America, with our leaders like Franklin
Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan to meticulously secure our
place as leader of the free world. We didn't seek it, but we did our
job.
America is the global beacon of liberty and justice for all. Our
reputation has been earned by tremendous sacrifice and vision. Our
commitment to liberty has been built on the sacred graves of over
500,000 Americans who sacrificed their lives for the first time in
history and fought not for power or land, but for the liberation of
others from tyranny during World War II.
Over 2 million of our fellow citizens bore the injuries from that
conflict. In the decades that followed, our Nation and our allies
became prosperous not by closing our doors to the world or hiding from
the challenges of the Communist bloc, our forebearers met tyranny head-
on. We met the threats that we faced and stood together on our Nation's
founding commitment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
year after year, in the face of constant threats.
American liberty has been a multigenerational effort, admired around
the world with each generation standing firm. In just over 100 days,
Donald Trump, whose family has no record anywhere of military service
or sacrifice for this Nation, is carelessly throwing liberty to the
wolves. He seems to enjoy dictatorship, plutocracy, and wealth over
principle. Russia celebrates as America retreats from the world, so
does Iran and North Korea.
[[Page H1998]]
Trump has taken Putin at his word. Putin's word can never be trusted.
As long as President Trump keeps trusting Putin over our allies, then
he will continue to do Russia's bidding at the expense of the American
people.
If America doesn't lead, then Putin and Xi and all of their dictator
buddies will rule the day, and in their world, liberty cannot survive.
America must pay attention. Pay attention not just to what is
happening inside our borders but outside our borders. I can tell you
there are enemies to liberty across this world. We have to hold our
ground. We have to tell our own President pay attention, learn from
history, appreciate the relationships that had been won at such a high
price.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen Quigley, Cohen, and Vindman, all of
whom will contribute remarks to the Record this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________