Good morning esteemed Delegates. I thank you for putting aside your days' work to meet today. Some of you may know already from your work or contacts in the militia committees, but for those of you who do not: our military endeavor against Rossia in Thor Passage has been successful. We could not have successfully eliminated the Rossian threat in Thor Passage without the aid of Toonelan airships and drones. Their sacrifices and grit have given us the resolve we need to weather the storm to come and for that we thank you. With this operation completed, our eyes must now turn to Rossia herself. A threat to the stability of the region and indeed ourselves, we must be willing to thrust ourselves against this menace to the safety and security of our island and the Social Liberal Union. To that end, I authorized the largest naval contingent we have ever assembled to make its way to the southern coast of Rossia. This also meant the mobilization of Militia Army One as well as the Second Republic Air Wing. I did not make this decision lightly. I did not want to bring our nation to war, however President Villianovsky has made this an inevitability. Over the past several years, President Villianovsky has fomented rebellion, armed terrorists, conducted espionage, and induced economic harm on a wide swath of SLU member states and non-member states alike. Our people in New Chicago and along the west coast are feeling the pain of rationing as our food imports dwindled. Trade in the Goncaran Ocean has not been as strong as a nation like ours requires, particularly since the desolation that befell El Dreq. Neighbors have fallen to isolation or ruin and Rossia aims to bring that to the North American Republics as well. I ask you all: should we allow ourselves to crumble? Should we allows ourselves to lay down like dogs to an abusive owner? No, I say. No! We should take the fight to them and put an end to the treachery that Rossia embodies. We want for the peaceful resignation of President Villianovsky, but understand that we will not get that, thus to war we must go. I plead with you all to vote 'Yes' on the War Powers Expansion Act that Muhammed Farooq will be submitting. In it you will find the tools we require to properly engage with Rossia and bring her to heel. We will liberate the people of Rossia from the villain Villianovsky and his cronies. We will bring justice for the people of the SLU into Rossian courts. We will prevail! There may be some among you, even within my own party, who will balk at the measures we require. I understand your concern. This is why the provisions are set to expire upon completion of the operation and must be reauthorized by this body. There are also provisions allowing for the establishment of a committee to investigate our evidence of illegal activity by Villianovsky and our actions in Rossia. The power will be in your hands for oversight. Others still may balk at military action against Rossia proper and fear union retribution or sanctions. Quiet! Do you hear that? That was the growl of a child's stomach as she goes to bed hungry for the third time this week. That was the pain our veterans experienced day after day after coming home from the Noirmarche campaign with their arm or leg missing. I want you all to close your eyes and recall the struggles we had in our past, that you have all lived through. When I close my eyes to remember, I think about what more we could have done to help. What more we could have done to make our union a better place. There was only so much I could do as a major general in our grand militia; there is so much more all of you can do now. Thank you.