Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered remarks at a screening of “Children in the Fire,” a documentary film about Ukrainian children impacted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in the U.S. Capitol. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
“I want to thank our Ukrainian guests, especially the children featured in this documentary, for coming all this way to share their stories. Their stories are important. It’s critically important to personalize to America the tragedy that has occurred, the carnage that is occurring, the savagery that is occurring on a daily basis. Because America has unfortunately been on the sidelines. Not always. Yes, there are some positive things happening, but we need to do more, much more. This war has touched your lives in different ways. Some of you have lost limbs. Some of you have lost loved ones. Some of you have lost your homes. All of you have lost a childhood in peace and safety, something that every human being and every child deserves. Yet, you’re still here reminding this Congress and this country what is at stake in this world because Ukraine does not stand alone in this world, nor will the consequences of a loss by Ukraine be a loss only for Ukraine.
“It’s a war between democracy and despotism, freedom and fascism. It’s a fight against a dictator who is kidnapping, orphaning, wounding, and killing Ukrainian children every day: Vladimir Putin, a war criminal. A person whose country signed an agreement on a number of occasions saying that they would honor the territorial integrity of Ukraine. They lied. It’s a struggle for liberty [and] survival not only in Ukraine but also in America and around the world. Democracies must stand together if democracy is to survive. It is shameful that this Congress needs that reminder. You shouldn’t have to ask us for support. We ought to already be giving it to you. I understand we have given it to you. In fact, we have voted at least 12 times since 2022 to support Ukraine. By over 80% on average, the majority of both parties have supported defending freedom on its front line, which is now Ukraine. You shouldn’t have to ask us. We shouldn’t have to pass another bill, but we do. We have the consensus to do so. Since the Russian invasion in 2022, as I said, at least 12 bills, young people, have been passed; all those 12 bills said, ‘We support Ukraine,’ or alternatively, ‘We do not support not supporting Ukraine.’ But ladies and gentlemen, we need the will to act. A sense of urgency, a sense of duty and responsibility to act. Yet we sit back while Kyiv burns.
“Young people, I first went to Kyiv in 1986. I was Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation with Europe. I went to tell other dictators of the same country, ‘We need to give Ukraine its freedom.’ I’m working on a discharge petition on the bill introduced by Greg Meeks, the former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and a close friend and colleague of Michael McCaul. We’ve introduced a bill that is [called] the Ukraine Support Act. I talked to some of you about it, I talked to the Ambassador at the residence just the other day. It says what America needs to do: ‘We support Ukraine.’ Mr. Putin, do not misunderstand America’s commitment to Ukraine’s freedom. If we are to say that we need to pass a bill that says that. *applause* We have a [rule], young people, that says you can take a bill out of committee if it is not reported voluntarily. It takes 218 signatures on a petition to do that. We have, as of this time, right now, 217 signatures on that petition. We need one [more]. Just one, just one to come out with the bill and put it on the Floor. A bill which historically, over the last two and a half, three years, four years has gotten over 300 votes. It says we support Ukraine, we support its democracy, we support its territorial integrity, we support its people, and, yes, we support its children. All we need to have is one vote and then must come to the Floor, and the House needs to overwhelmingly say to Mr. Putin, ‘When we’re with Ukraine, we are with Ukraine, and we will be with Ukraine until it is free, undiminished by demands for geography.’ One more Member. That’s all we need.
“This war cannot end without the return of tens of thousands of children Putin has abducted. This war cannot end in the appeasement of the Russian bear. This war cannot end until this Congress acts, until we show an ounce of the courage that these children have shown, that the Ukrainian people have shown. We stood silent when another tyrant threatened, another tyrant invaded – it was then called the Sudetenland – [we] stood silent. We thought we could make a deal. We thought we could make a deal in 1994. We thought we could make a deal in 2014. We cannot make a deal with tyrants, dictators, and despots. We cannot make a deal that we can rely on. I ask all of you, as we watch this film, to see the agony and destruction caused by a war criminal called Putin. I ask all of you to urge just one more Member to sign a petition, a discharge petition that will bring that bill to the Floor. We cannot be silent. And we will get Members of the Congress of the United States to stand up for liberty and freedom. We need to bring the kids back. We need to bring justice and humanity back. We need to bring international law back. We need to let freedom ring in Ukraine. Thank you.”