Governor Hogan delivered a keynote address at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity in South Korea. This international forum aims to bring together world leaders to discuss how to advance the cause of peace and prosperity. Previous speakers to this global conference include President Bill Clinton, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.

Following are excerpts from the address:

On the Future of Freedom and Democracy- “Today, we are once again at such a pivotal moment in world history. Russia has invaded a peaceful neighbor in Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are emerging nuclear powers and reckless aggressors. China threatens Taiwan and seeks to dominate Asia and the world. Many are concerned about whether the free world still has the will to lead.

To those who again doubt the free world, I would say do not bet against freedom and democracy. People all across the world still yearn to live in freedom. President Zelensky and the brave people of Ukraine have reminded the world of the power of the human heart that yearns to be free. Australia’s stand for economic sovereignty shows us that power cannot be sustained on coercion alone. The historic success of America’s development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines affirms that innovation and prosperity cannot be dictated by any centralized state.”

On Authoritarianism- “Yet, even as we remain confident in the values of the free world, we must not fail to recognize that we are at a fragile and dangerous moment in history.

Authoritarianism is most dangerous when challenged and on the decline.”

On American Values- “We want leaders who can discuss and debate, with as much civility as passion. And with a view to persuade, not to intimidate. To encourage, not demonize or defeat.

We believe that free and fair trade can be mutually beneficial. We want to work together with our allies for peace and prosperity. We still believe that everyone deserves a shot at their dreams.

We still believe in a nation where an immigrant born on a chicken farm in Jeollanam-do province in Korea can grow up to become the very first Korean-born First Lady of any state in American history.”

As out-of-control inflation continues to harm American families, Governor Hogan joined 21 other Republican Governors in a joint letter criticizing President Biden’s Student Debt Transfer plan as “regressive.”

In Maryland, Governor Hogan has led on enacting common sense solutions to expand economic opportunity and make college more affordable, including targeted tax relief incentivizing home ownership, public service participation, and job opportunities, initiating programs to make community colleges more accessible, and launching a first-in-the-nation initiative to eliminate the four-year degree requirements from thousands of state jobs. Governor Hogan has argued that Biden’s Student Debt Transfer plan will only worsen inflation and the cost of college, calling it “a really bad idea, at the worst possible time.”

New data released by Maryland’s Democratic Comptroller shows how Governor Hogan has achieved a remarkable turnaround of the state’s fiscal health in his tenure.

In 2014, Governor Hogan inherited a $5.1 billion structural budget deficit after his predecessor raised taxes 43 consecutive times. Now, after eight years of pro-growth policies and $4.7 billion in tax cuts, Maryland will close the 2022 fiscal year with a record reserve fund of $4.4 billion and a revenue surplus of $2 billion in its general fund.

While Washington’s big spending policies continue to produce crushing inflation on American families, Governor Hogan has restored fiscal discipline while growing the economy and investing in key priorities.

AN UPDATE FROM TWITTER

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