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 Speaker Pelosi showed PM Johnson of Churchill's 1941 speech to Congress that her father attended; Pelosi's father, a the time, was a congressman from Maryland
After his meetings at the Capitol, PM Johnson visited Arlington National Cemetery where he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
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.
'We are able to beat the life out of the savage Nazi,' Churchill said in his remarks, 'many disappointments and unpleasant surprises await us.'
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson exits the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a U.S. Capitol Police officer stands guard
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stops to look at a bust of Winston Churchill as he departs the U.S. Capitol
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
PM Johnson lays the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery
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.
He also visited Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
On Tuesday, Johnson was at the White House for meetings with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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