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Dear Northern Virginians:
I am Suzanne Scholte and I am running to serve the people of the 11th District of Virginia. For nearly three decades, as the president of a non-profit foundation, I have worked to maintain a strong national defense and promote freedom, democracy and human rights abroad. In addition to organizing bi-partisan forums on Capitol Hill focused on important issues affecting America, I have also devoted my life to helping save the lives of the world’s most persecuted people ─ our suffering brothers and sisters in North Korea, and the people of the Western Sahara. This human rights work in Asia and Africa led me to be recognized with some of the greatest honors a person can achieve, including the Seoul Peace Prize (2008), Walter Judd Freedom Award (2010), and most recently the Sungnye Diplomatic Service Medal (2013).
Let me explain why I have made the decision to run for the U.S. Congress.
The very principles I have fought for abroad ─ freedom, human rights and human dignity ─ are being undermined here in our beloved Northern Virginia. Our quality of life is being affected, and I believe that the American dream may not be here for your children and mine unless we act now.
Just recently, I attended the swearing in ceremony of a young woman whose family I helped rescue from China after they escaped from North Korea. At that swearing in ceremony ─ where hundreds of people from all corners of the world became American citizens ─ the judge reminded us all of what makes America the greatest nation on Earth: our Constitution and rule of law, our free market system, our freedom of speech, having a strong national defense to keep us secure, and being a country of immigrants.
As I listened to that judge, and watched these new Americans take the oath to become citizens, I realized that everything that makes us great is under direct threat by our current President and the Congressman who is supposed to serve and represent us: Gerry Connolly.
A major reason for this threat is their refusal to consider other opinions than their own, but instead, to be totally partisan and divisive. Worse, they openly ridicule and use the government to target those with whom they disagree. This is frightening. Think of these examples:
The President’s health care law was passed with no consideration of severe concerns that were expressed over the last several years. Instead of helping provide health care to those who are uninsured, it has severely jeopardized the quality of health care for all of us ─ millions have lost their current plan and their doctors, millions have seen their health care costs skyrocket, and soon, when the “employer mandate” kicks in, millions more will lose their current coverage. Instead of listening to real and valid concerns over broken promises made by the President and our Congressman, their response is to attack their fellow Americans.
Our current Congressman has blindly followed the failed policies of our President rather than standing up for us in Northern Virginia. Even worse, he openly mocks and ridicules in the most sarcastic manner those with whom he disagrees, calling federal workers “idiots” and mocking Americans who believe they were victims of unfair treatment by our government.
We saw this most recently during the Congressional hearings addressing the IRS abuses of power, and targeting of our fellow citizens. The IRS is one of the most powerful institutions in the world ─ it has the power to destroy a person’s reputation and ruin them financially. For any of us to believe that an institution of government can target us should be of concern for every single one of us.
Our government is based on the rule of law, and our elected officials are supposed to ensure we are treated equally and fairly. Yet, our Congressman ridicules and mocks those working for the government AND those who feel unfairly treated by the government rather than address their concerns as a servant of the people!
When the parents of young men killed in service to our country went to Capitol Hill to get answers to what happened, our Congressman did not have the time to hear their concerns and walked out on them at a hearing.
If we allow this type of leadership to continue it will no longer be WE THE PEOPLE, but WE THE GOVERNMENT.
Most importantly, WE THE PEOPLE means we should be working together. It does not matter whether we are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents ─ we should be working together to solve the very real problems our country is facing.
Unlike our current Congressman, I have a reputation of working with people of diverse views and backgrounds to accomplish great things together. Thankfully, I could not be a more opposite personality than our current Congressman. As a result, Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats, are coming together to support me because they know my servant’s heart ─ they know I will represent them and even at times when we disagree, we can still work together to accomplish great things to help preserve the quality of life here in Northern Virginia in this wonderful country of America.
REMEMBER what makes America great is our freedom to express our views freely, without being targeted, threatened or mocked. What makes America great is our rule of law, our Constitution, our free enterprise system, our religious freedoms, and of course, our ability to choose our leaders through free elections.
If you vote for me on November 4th and allow me the honor of serving you in Congress, I will work to:
√ Reform the President’s Health Care Law by enacting free market reforms that put patients and doctors first;
I ask for your vote and your support. Please realize I am running against a career politician who has millions of dollars in the bank. I need your financial support to be able to compete. No donation is too small. If you can also help me with a donation, please send to the address below or click here to donate online!
Blessings to you and your family,
Suzanne Scholte
Internationally Recognized Award Winning Activist for Human Rights, Freedom, and Democracy:
Suzanne Scholte, president of the non-profit Defense Forum Foundation since 1988, a life-long Republican and resident of Northern Virginia since 1974, has received these recent awards:
*Sanders Peace and Social Justice Award 2014 (to be presented in April), the highest award given in the field of social work to individuals in the area of peace and social justice.
*Order of Diplomatic Service Sungnye Medal 2013, highest award given to non-Koreans by the Government of South Korea.
*Champion of the Faith 2013, selected by Christian Solidarity Worldwide-USA for those who exemplify Hebrews 13:3 battling persecution and oppression.
*Walter Judd Freedom Award 2010, presented by the Fund for American Studies to recognize individuals who have advanced the cause of freedom in the United States and abroad, recipients include Donald Rumsfeld, Congressman Frank Wolf, Ambassador John Bolton and Dr. Lee Edwards.
*Seoul Peace Prize 2008, one of the most recognized international awards after the Nobel Peace Prize; recipients include Ban Ki Moon, Vaclav Havel, George Schulz, Oxfam and Doctors without Borders
Current Positions:
President, Defense Forum Foundation since 1988
Chairman and Founding Member, North Korea Freedom Coalition
Honorary Chairman, Free North Korea Radio
Vice Chairman and Founding Board Member, Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
Founding Member and Chairman, U.S. -Western Sahara Foundation
Board of Directors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide-USA
Executive Committee, Susan B. Anthony List
Suzanne Scholte has served since 1988 as the President of the Defense Forum Foundation, a non-profit foundation that promotes a strong national defense and freedom, democracy, and human rights abroad. DFF is best known for its Congressional Defense and Foreign Policy Forums, a non-partisan forum which brings expert speakers to Capitol Hill to address critical issues facing America as well as its work in Asia and North Africa. Recognizing that the regimes that are a threat to the United States are also without exception a threat to their own people, Scholte expanded DFF’s mission to promote aggressively democracy, freedom, and human rights abroad. As a result, she has hosted defectors on Capitol Hill from China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and other nations. She has received international acclaim for her work for the liberation of the people of North Korea and the people of Western Sahara, two countries cited regularly as among the most persecuted people in the world by Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, and Open Doors. North Koreans are arguably the most persecuted people in the world, and the Sahrawi, the people of Western Sahara, represent arguably the most pro-West Muslim people in the world.
Comprehensive Congressional and Legislative Staff Experience:
While working as the youngest chief of staff on Capitol Hill during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, she came to understand the critical importance of working in a bipartisan fashion for the shared values of national security, democracy, freedom, and human rights. She helped establish the Defense Forum Foundation, which has become a well-respected organization hosting nonpartisan presentations of expert speakers for Congressional staff since the 1980s. At that time, both the majority and minority chiefs of staffs for the House Armed Services and the Foreign Affairs Committees co-hosted the forums on a regular basis. Even today, her recent series on the United States’ vulnerability to cyber-attacks attracted a non-partisan audience, including staff from the office of former Speaker of the House Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Senator Ted Cruz.
She has testified numerous times in Congress and at the United Nations, and has given hundreds of speeches all over the world. She is widely credited with being the driving force behind the North Korea human rights movement, and the awareness on Capitol Hill today, of both the situation facing the people of North Korea and the people of Western Sahara.
She has been involved in the rescue of many North Koreans seeking freedom, including a family who now lives in the 11th District. As hard-working new American citizens, they will vote for the first time in the election in November.
Throughout her life, Suzanne has been an activist in the Republican Party of Virginia, recognized repeatedly for outstanding performance as a precinct Chairman in Mason District.
Strong Northern Virginia Roots:
Not only did Suzanne attend high school in Northern Virginia, she settled here after college in 1981. She and her husband of thirty years, Chadwick Gore, have raised their three sons in Fairfax County. Two sons graduated from Jeb Stuart High School, while their third son plans to be a future Jeb Stuart graduate. He currently attends Immanuel Christian School. All three sons attended Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. Her oldest son attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Her second son graduated from Virginia Military Institute, and now serves as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with the 75th Fires Brigade.
Previous volunteer work has included serving for several years as a literacy council tutor with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and as a newsletter editor for her civic association. She has been a kindergarten Sunday School teacher since 1994 at The Falls Church Anglican.
Education:
2008 Honorary Doctorate of Education, Koshin University, Pusan, Republic of Korea
1981 Graduate, Bachelor of Arts, College of William and Mary
Major in English, Minor in Fine Arts
Summer School, Christ College, Cambridge, England
Married to Chadwick R. Gore (just celebrated 30-year wedding anniversary)
Three Children: Chester (26), Christian (23) and James (13)