Representatives Steel and Wasserman Schultz re-establish bipartisan VOC Caucus
Reps. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) re-established the bipartisan Victims of Communism Caucus to honor and bring awareness to the more than 100 million people who have been harmed or killed by communist governments.
“As a proud first generation American whose parents fled from communism in North Korea, I understand how precious our democracy truly is,” said Steel. “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. We must never take the hard-won freedoms we enjoy for granted. Through this caucus, I am proud to work in bipartisanship to ensure we never forget the cost of communism, the value of our liberty here in the United States and bring awareness to those who are suffering today.”
“Over the course of the last century, countless people have suffered under oppressive communist regimes more interested in consolidating absolute power than protecting fundamental rights,” said Wasserman Schultz. “But today, on our watch, autocracies like Cuba, China, and North Korea continue to suppress dissent, deny basic necessities, and coalesce to threaten global democracy. I’m proud to join Congresswoman Steel in leading this effort to ensure that victims of communism, past and present, are not forgotten.”
“All of us at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation™ are thrilled about the return of the VOC Caucus to the House and recognize that its work is more important than ever,” said VOC’s CEO, Ken Pope. “Representatives Steel and Wasserman Schultz are leading champions of freedom globally. They know the dangers posed by communism’s failed ideology. We look forward to working with them and all the new Members of the Caucus to ensure that we never forget.”
The Victims of Communism Caucus focuses on commemorating the 100 million victims of communism who perished in the 20th century, and on showing the impact of the communist legacy in former captive nations. It also focuses on the current international impact of the five existing communist regimes of China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam