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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, America must never become a safe haven for anyone who assaults the values for which this Nation stands--values like democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the sanctity of free and fair elections.

We already deny visas to those who are human traffickers, drug traffickers, money launderers, corrupt kleptocrats, and those who commit serious violations of religious freedom. I agree with that policy. We have passed laws to allow for the prosecution in U.S. courts of anyone who has committed war crimes or used children as soldiers in deadly conflict. I have written some of those policies, and I certainly agree with them.

Today, I am introducing legislation to further align our immigration system with our values as a nation. The bill I am introducing would prevent foreign officials who interfere with democratic elections or prevent the democratic transfer of power of their country from taking refuge in the United States.

In recent years, autocrats around the world have used a toxic brew of nationalism, authoritarianism, corruption, and social media to weaken and attack the very foundations of democracy. Fortunately, democracy is winning this battle. Much of the world is unified in support of Ukraine, for example, against Putin's attempt to seize the sovereign democratic nation of Ukraine, and we have the allies in the NATO alliance and others who stand with us with strength and formidable determination to stop Putin.

In late October, the people of Brazil--the largest democracy in Latin America--chose a new President to replace the increasingly authoritarian Jair Bolsonaro. After years of baseless lies by Bolsonaro about the integrity of Brazil's elections, polls show that three- fourths of his supporters no longer trust the electoral process in Brazil.

Sound familiar?

After Bolsonaro lost in October's Presidential election, his supporters turned to violence. They blocked highways throughout Brazil. Many called openly for the military to overturn the election.

Sound familiar?

And, on January 8, as Mr. Bolsonaro took selfies with his supporters in the State of Florida, thousands of his far-right supporters violently stormed Brazil's Presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court--breaking windows and injuring dozens of police officers.

Sound familiar?

It was a disgrace. It was an assault on democracy--not only in Brazil but an assault on democracy everywhere.

Under the bill I am introducing, if the Secretary of State determines a foreign official has interfered with free and fair elections or has sought to prevent the peaceful, democratic transfer of power, that official cannot escape justice by fleeing to the United States.

I ask my colleagues to join in supporting this important measure to hold those who interfere with democratic elections accountable. America should never be a safe haven for enemies of democracy.

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