[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 162 (Tuesday, October 3, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                UKRAINE

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, another point I would like to make is that 
over the weekend, we managed to avoid a government shutdown with a 45-
day extension, a bipartisan continuing resolution. Keeping the lights 
on is a win for the American people. It used to be considered just 
normal procedure around here. Now it is a reason for celebration and 
victory because we have such a discordant and dissident group heading 
up Congress on both sides of the Rotunda.
  I am disappointed that, unfortunately, the continuing resolution did 
not include critical funding for the war in Ukraine. It is impossible 
to explain to my constituency why, when the Ukrainians are in the midst 
of fighting and dying every single day for their nation against the war 
criminal Vladimir Putin, this Congress somehow or another managed to 
pass a spending bill for 45 days and not include more funding for the 
Ukrainian cause. This assistance is absolutely essential to make sure 
we stop the aggression of Russia against this tiny country.
  A small group of isolationists and Russian sympathizers--largely MAGA 
extremists in the House--threatened to hold the entire country, the 
United States, hostage over this funding despite the overwhelming 
bipartisan support for Ukraine. Ronald Reagan and John McCain must be 
turning over in their graves.
  I am glad that after the vote on Saturday, Senators Schumer, 
McConnell, Murray, Collins, Coons, and Graham released a joint, 
bipartisan statement reaffirming the Senate's commitment to supporting 
Ukraine and addressing the funding in the weeks ahead. I couldn't agree 
more.
  Let's keep this in perspective. The American people have been 
generous to Ukraine, but this critical assistance that has halted and 
reversed Russian aggression accounts for only about one-half of 1 
percent of all the Federal spending in our country. So for a modest 
investment by U.S. standards, we are keeping hope and freedom alive in 
Ukraine while they are offering their lives. Our European allies have 
stepped up and provided even more assistance than the United States, 
and I am glad they have. It is a joint effort.
  Quite simply, Putin is willing to keep sending Russian conscripts to 
their death in the hopes that we in the democratic transatlantic 
alliance will get tired of his war of tyranny. I hope we never do.
  Putin is counting on the West, NATO, the United States to grow weary 
of his Ukrainian war of attrition. We cannot let him prevail by this 
approach. We have to be organized and unified in our effort.

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