Address to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

CHICAGO—Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) addressed the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America Illinois Division, and condemned the extreme use of violence against peaceful protesters.

Below is a video and transcript of the speech.

Good afternoon. This is an extraordinary honor. It’s a great pleasure to work with all of you. My friend Steve Mitrell, who I’ve played hockey with for about three years now. It’s interesting, I’ve played hockey since I’m about 7 years old. And this is an amazing job. I’ve now been on Air Force One twice. The last time I spoke with the president, he and I spoke about how many teeth we’d lost in our respective sports. And the answer for me is two. What you may not know is that the president lost his middle tooth in a basketball game. So I’m ahead of him 2 to 1.

Look, there’s much to commend for what the Ukrainian Congress Committee has done in 40 years. But I also recognize that this honor comes at an extraordinarily difficult time. And a lot of what this honor represents is what I’m going to have to earn on this issue in the coming days, weeks and even years. This is not going to be easy. Because while Chicago is home to an active and vibrant Ukrainian American community with an extraordinarily rich culture and heritage, that contributes to the very fabric of this city.

But today, Ukraine faces a pivotal moment in its history as thousands of protestors have gathered in Kiev’s Independence Square. Ukrainians peacefully assembled to support the Romanian agreement, the government cracked down and responded with excessive force. Ukrainian police forces have met protestors with intimidation and the escalating violence has resulted in the deaths of protestors.

The Ukrainian people are making a demand for freedom economic growth loud and clear, protesting President Yanukovych’s refusal to sign accords with the European Union. This unnecessary use of violence to silence peaceful voices undermines the country’s democratic future. Ukrainian leaders must respect their citizens’ right to freedom of expression and assembly, which is the bedrock principle in any developing democracy.

The United States and Ukraine share an ideal of democracy in which citizens may live free of oppression and elect their own leaders. When those leaders break their promises it is even more important that citizens can freely express their discontent. President Yanukovych is willfully ignoring a plurality of those voices, even though he promised the Ukrainian people he would open trade with the EU. Yanukovych turned his back on the citizens and opened his hand to Putin and Russia.

These political trade agreements come at a crucial time in Ukraine’s push to grow its economy, which was stuck in the shadow of Soviet dominance until 1991. Though Yanukovych has now said he intends to sign this, the opposition must continue to hold their ground and make their voices heard. We must all closely watch the negotiations between the current administration and the opposition. The United States should continue to stand with the Ukrainian people and their desire for economic growth and a free republic.

You are all going to watch this play out in Ukraine and here in Chicago and in Washington, DC. This week, on Wednesday, you will hear members of Congress, myself included, speak about this issue on the House floor. This has to happen on the Senate floor. There will be hearings about sanctions. We’re talking with Representative Levin, Representative Marcy Kaptur, who is an extraordinary friend as you know, about sending a delegation of members to Kiev to see firsthand what is happening and demand the changes that democracy dictates. I have to go forward to continue to earn this honor as we go forward on a daily basis. This is what matters. But I want you to know that as Chicagoans and as citizens of this great country, that today we are all Ukrainian.

Thank you so much for this award.