{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcbride-and-secretary-hillary-clinton-urge-global-action-defend-human", "Rep. McBride and Secretary Hillary Clinton Urge Global Action to Defend Human Rights at Munich Security Conference", "2026-02-14", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Sarah McBride", "M001238", "mcbride.house.gov", "mcbride", "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Munich, Germany \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined global leaders and former U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton for a town hall discussion at the Munich Security Conference on the global state of human rights and the impact of democratic backsliding on protections for women, the LGBTQ+ community, and reproductive freedom amidst the global rise of authoritarianism.\n\n\u201cThere is no question in the United States that\u2014after decades of historic progress on gender equality writ large, and specifically more recently on LGBTQ rights\u2014 we are facing a well-organized, well-funded, right-wing regressive movement,\u201d McBride began. \u201cAt the end of the day; transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, and sexism are all rooted in the same prejudice. The belief that one perception at birth should dictate who you are, how you act, what you do, who you love, and how you dress. That is why threats towards trans women are threats toward all women.\u201d\n\nThe panel brought together global leaders and advocates, including Neil Datta, Executive Director and Founder of the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights; Vjosa Osmani Sadriu, President of the Republic of Kosovo; and Denis Mukengere Mukwege, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Founder of Panzi Hospital and Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Secretary Clinton, now Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.\n\n\u201cWe have to understand right now that gender equality is a barometer of democratic stability. And a strongman's greatest asset is scarcity. When there is scarcity in jobs, when there is scarcity of opportunity, they pick boogeymen and they blame them.\u201d McBride continued. \u201cThey blame the immigrant. They blame the trans person. Now, increasingly, what we're seeing is they're not just blaming the immigrant or the trans woman\u2014they're blaming all women.\u201d\n\nThe conversation focused on five key areas: the global state of human rights; coordinated efforts to roll back established protections; the targeting of women\u2019s rights and other vulnerable communities; how democratic backsliding paves the way for authoritarianism; and strategies to build stronger alliances in defense of fundamental freedoms. Rep. McBride emphasized that defending human rights abroad, especially women\u2019s rights and fundamental freedoms, begins with strengthening democratic institutions and safeguarding equal rights at home.\n\n\u201cRight now, we are facing this global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. We know that things are going to have to change. We know that we are in a new chapter. But, we have to preserve, while reforming, the global institutions that have helped to protect freedom and democracy.\u201d McBride noted.\n\n\u201cWe have to protect NATO. We have to protect the United Nations. We have to protect the Trans-Atlantic alliance. We\u2019ve got to restore international aid from the U.S. government to help rebuild some of these NGOs that have been decimated. We have to recommit to building the infrastructure so that we guarantee that we don\u2019t find ourselves in this situation again. So that we don\u2019t underestimate the challenges that we face, and how precious our progress actually is.\u201d\n\nThe Munich Security Conference comes at a moment of profound strain on democratic institutions and transatlantic relations. The conference allows leaders to examine current cooperation between nations, the future of critical alliances such as NATO, and the durability of the rules-based world order that has helped preserve peace and prosperity for generations.\n\nAs a freshman member of Congress and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. McBride\u2019s participation in the Munich Security Conference reflects her commitment to advancing policies that preserve American leadership abroad while delivering results for Delaware.\n\nExcerpt recordings and pictures from the town hall can be found here, and the full recording of the town hall can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcbride-and-secretary-hillary-clinton-urge-global-action-defend-human"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8470800239592791, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}