Ukraine Children

Floor Speech

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Ms. DEAN. Mr. Speaker, while preparing remarks, I considered showing much more graphic photos of Ukrainian children brutalized at the hands of Vladimir Putin. But then I thought of some of the people who might see this--refugees of war, war veterans who would be reminded of their own pain and suffering.

The truth is, for survivors who actually see the end to war, the trauma never recedes, it never leaves. The cost of war is simply too high.

I come to the floor tonight not as a Congresswoman, but as a mother and a grandmother. My heart breaks at these sights of horror of children lost or scarred forever.

Last night, my son sent me a photo of a child who is nearly the same age as his daughter, my granddaughter. On her back, her mother had written her name, her contact information, her birth date in case the mother was killed, or the daughter was left alone.

I cannot imagine that planning--the fear, the despair, the trauma.

No matter the war, we must think of the children in Syria, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, anywhere on our planet.

I pray for peace for anyone suffering at the hands of a brutal dictator.

We must do everything we can to find a peaceful resolution.

``Slava Ukrani,'' ``Glory to Ukraine.'' ``Slava heroem,'' ``Glory to the heroes.''

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