Boris Johnson praises 'vital' US democracy as he meets Pelosi

Boris Johnson praises ‘vital’ US democracy as he meets Pelosi who shows him photo of her father watching Churchill addressing Congress in 1941 and trying to persuade US to join WWII

• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as part of his American tour
• He praised United States as ‘vital’ for democracy 
• ‘It is vital for the world that America stands up for that principle,’ he said
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi showed him a photo of Winston Churchill’s 1941 address to Congress
• Her father was a member of Congress at the time and at the speech 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson continued his U.S. tour on Wednesday with meetings with American lawmakers in the U.S. Capitol building where he praised democracy as ‘vital’ to the world.

Johnson sat down with Democratic and Republican lawmakers during his time on Capitol Hill.

As he met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, standing in the hallway outside her office that was overrun with insurrectionists on January 6th, Johnson praised the U.S. government for being an example to the world. 

‘All my life America has stood for some ideals – freedom, equality, human rights, but above democracy. Democracy – the principle that people should choose their government and the people alone should choose their government,’ Johnson said.

‘There are plenty of parts of the world, where they didn’t think democracy really matters that much – that you can have all sorts of systems that are just as good if not better. And I vehemently disagree and it is vital for the world that America stands up for that principle in the way that the U.S. government and the way that everybody on Capitol Hill does. I thank you. I just want you to know that you can count on us in the UK to help you,’ he said.

‘I want you to know we stand by you, shoulder to shoulder with you, in sticking up in our beliefs with democracy,’ Johnson added.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the U.S. as vital to democracy when he met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Speaker Nancy Pelosi showed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson a photo of Winston Churchill’s 1941 address to Congress

The photo Pelosi showed Johnson

Pelosi thanked him for his support.

When Johnson arrived for their meeting, Pelosi showed him a photo from Winston Churchill’s 1941 speech to Congress. 

Pelosi’s father Thomas D’Alesandro was a member of Congress at the time, representing Maryland, and was present at the speech.

The speaker showed Johnson where her dad was in the photo.  

‘You’re kidding me,’ Johnson said, leaning in to look at the photo closer as he grasped Pelosi’s hand. ‘That’s incredible.’  

Churchill made his remarks on December 26, 1941, a few weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The then-British prime minister was in Washington D.C. to meet with President Franklin Roosevelt and used his speech to argue the best way forward was to forge an effective alliance that could win World War II and preserve the peace afterward.

Boris Johnson (L) sits down with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (R), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (2-R) and other members of the Senate

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as part of his American tour

Pelosi took Johnson on a tour of Statuary Hall – the area of the Capitol filled with statues of prominent Americans – on their way to a breakfast with Democratic and Republican House leaders.

Johnson also met with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and other senators as part of his tour.

On Tuesday, Johnson was at the White House for meetings with President Joe Biden. 

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