Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall:
"On November 9, 1989, the world witnessed a stirring moment of progress for all humanity. On that day, students, activists, and citizens tore down the Berlin Wall, pulled back the Iron Curtain, and opened the doors of democracy to millions in East Germany and beyond.
"The people of Germany rejected decades of division and grasped the opportunity to determine their own brighter future. They sent a clear message that echoed across the globe in support of freedom, human rights, and democracy.
"Twenty years later, leaders in the United States and around the world must continue to work to tear down the walls of injustice and barriers to freedom that still exist. Just as the Berlin Wall was brought down two decades ago, the struggle continues for those brave citizens who are still forced to live behind walls of oppression. They are dreaming of the day when -- like the people of East Germany -- they, too, can reunite with their families and friends in a celebration of freedom and progress."