[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 186 (Thursday, December 1, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6923-S6924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Madam President, I rise today to speak on a different topic, and it 
is one that is very timely and important.

[[Page S6924]]

  Yesterday, a number of us received a classified briefing from the 
White House about Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. It was 
sobering. Russia continues to indiscriminately target civilian 
populations and infrastructure, killing tens of thousands of innocent 
people in Ukraine, leaving countless more in the bitter dark and cold 
without access to electricity, water, or heat.
  The briefing was also astonishing because it raised a bigger 
question: What has Vladimir Putin really accomplished with this cruel 
war?
  I will tell you the answer.
  Today, as a result of Putin's barbaric invasion of Ukraine, the 
Western alliance in opposition to him is stronger than ever before. 
Putin's actions have strengthened the resolve of the Ukrainian people 
to fight to the death for a free and democratic country, as they press 
back against the Russian occupation and regain territory from Kharkiv 
to Kherson.
  Moreover, NATO is now stronger and more united, with two new 
countries, valuable additions to the NATO alliance--Sweden and 
Finland--soon to join the fold. And just this week, NATO also 
recommitted to continuing support for Ukraine.
  Countries have rallied behind the United States in sending everything 
from weapons to helmets, to medical supplies, to food, and in imposing 
crushing sanctions that are taking a massive toll on the Russian 
economy.
  Yesterday's briefing also made one thing abundantly clear: Now is not 
the time for the United States or NATO to back down. While Putin 
deceived himself into thinking the Ukrainian people would fold and 
welcome the Russian military with open arms, or that Kyiv could fall in 
days, the Ukrainian people--and their desire for sovereignty and self-
rule--have prevailed.
  The world stepped up to help secure their freedom, bound together by 
the shared principles and international norms that dictators like Putin 
can never and will never wipe away.
  The day will come when Putin and his thugs are held accountable for 
their war crimes, and, sadly, there are many.
  Since February, the United States alone has committed billions of 
dollars in aid to Ukraine, with defense articles delivered at 
recordbreaking speed to support Ukrainian war efforts on the 
frontlines. And just weeks ago, the White House requested another 
supplemental aid request for Ukraine. I support it.

  Now, I understand that some Members of Congress have expressed a 
concern about the economic consequences of increased defense spending 
and whether there is appropriate oversight of the actual funds sent and 
spent. I share those concerns. They are legitimate. They are 
reasonable. And I pushed the administration to ensure that it 
strengthens efforts to fully account for our assistance to Ukraine.
  I might just add parenthetically that over the decades that we were 
in war in Afghanistan, it is well known that so many dollars were 
wasted, American tax dollars, in an effort to stop the forces of 
terrorism that were residing in that country. We should never knowingly 
allow that to occur, and we certainly shouldn't in Ukraine despite my 
wholehearted support for President Biden supporting the efforts.
  I am glad my colleagues on the other side of the aisle finally joined 
us yesterday--yesterday--in the confirmation of Robert Storch. He is 
going to be the next inspector general at the Department of Defense. If 
you want to keep an eye out on how the money is being spent in that 
great and important Department, you need an inspector general. It took 
us months to reach the point where the Senate confirmed his nomination. 
He will be key to oversight.
  Instead of looking for solutions, some of my colleagues on the other 
side of the aisle are vowing to stop assistance to Ukraine or slow it 
down in another way to obstruct the Biden administration. In doing so, 
they are undermining our broader foreign assistance programs and 
ultimately undercutting the success of Ukraine's resistance.
  The Presiding Officer and I both know we have to fund the fiscal year 
we are currently in. It runs from October to October. We are in that 
fiscal year already. We know that if we do a continuing resolution, 
that it will be wasteful spending, and we will not be investing in the 
things we really need to keep America safe and strong. If we do the 
Omnibus bill, the Omnibus appropriations bill, we can cure that problem 
by having specific appropriations bills that target the money where it 
is needed in our future. If we don't do that, it is going to undermine 
assistance in many areas, including Ukraine.
  We can't let leadership fail on either side of the aisle when it 
comes to the spending bill. As the Ukrainian people continue to fight, 
we must continue to stand by their side.
  When the news first broke of Russia's full-scale invasion this past 
February, I was sitting in an airport departure lounge 800 miles away 
in Lithuania. Many in this Chamber have heard me speak many times about 
my mother, who arrived in the United States from Russian-occupied 
Lithuania when she was 2 years old in the year 1911. Life was bleak and 
oppressive for the Lithuanian people at that time. It was no wonder 
that my family tried to escape the Russian czar and his heavy hand. 
That was the case in Eastern Europe for many countries.
  So it is no surprise that when the Soviet Union collapsed, many of 
these same nations reached out to join the community of democracies and 
stand with us behind the shield of NATO. We welcomed and supported 
Lithuania, the Baltic States, Poland, and so many other countries, as 
we welcome Ukraine's efforts now to stop this invasion.
  Today, decades later, Lithuania is a thriving democracy and is among 
the many countries rallying to Ukraine's aid. I want to commend the 
people of Lithuania. So many times, this tiny little nation has spoken 
out in courageous ways to stand up for democracy and freedom. I am very 
proud of them and what they have done.
  The free nations of the world understand Ukraine is on the frontlines 
in the battle for democracy over autocracy. It is a fundamental 
struggle between the rule of law and the rule of brute force. Now is 
not the time for the United States and the rest of the free world to in 
any way diminish their support for Ukraine. Like the Ukrainian people, 
we must show resolve, determination, and a commitment to fighting on 
and standing together in the defense of democracy.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.