Standing with the Vietnamese Community

Floor Speech

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Mrs. STEEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the unacceptable and insensitive actions of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

One week ago, the board proclaimed April 30, 2024, as Jane Fonda Day. Black April, which the Vietnamese community has commemorated on April 30 for decades, is a deeply meaningful day because it marks the fall of Saigon.

Instead of standing with the Vietnamese civilians and American soldiers who were displaced, tortured, brutalized, and killed during and after the Vietnam war, Jane Fonda allied herself with the Communist Viet Cong.

For some reason, the board chose to honor someone with a history of such disdain for innocent Vietnamese and American veterans on the somber anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

By elevating Hanoi Jane over the Vietnamese community, Americans who sacrificed their lives, and the loved ones they lost to communism, the board has offended the freedom-loving Vietnamese Americans who bear such tragic and painful memories of the Vietnam war.

I call on the board to rescind this awful proclamation immediately and unequivocally stand with the Vietnamese community. Commemorating Vietnam Human Rights Day

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Mrs. STEEL. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Vietnam Caucus, I rise today to commemorate Vietnam Human Rights Day.

The district I represent includes Little Saigon, which is home to the largest population of Vietnamese anywhere in the world outside of Vietnam. Many of my Vietnamese constituents are first-generation Americans, like me. The stories they tell of fleeing communism to find freedom in the United States are both tragic and inspiring. Many of them still have families in Vietnam, where the human rights situation continues to be cause for grave concern.

The Communist government there routinely oppresses its own people, arresting and detaining journalists and critics simply for expressing themselves.

I am proud to join my Vietnam Caucus co-chair, Lou Correa, to introduce a resolution condemning the Vietnamese Government, calling for the release of political prisoners, standing with the Vietnamese people, and urging the administration to take immediate action to pressure the Vietnamese Government to respect human rights.

I welcome all of my colleagues to join me and the Vietnamese-American community as we continue working to ensure human rights for all people.

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