[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H549-H550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SUPPORT FOR EMERGENCY AID

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Subcommittee on 
National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs, I rise in strong 
support of emergency aid for our Democratic ally and partner and for 
the people of Ukraine, now entering the third year of their fight for 
freedom and democracy in the face of the brutal invasion launched by 
Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022.
  This morning, the United States Senate passed a bipartisan foreign 
aid package that included vital Ukraine assistance by a wide vote of 
70-29.
  In stark contrast to this bipartisan effort, the House Republican 
leadership continues to fall in line behind former President Trump, 
refusing to act swiftly on Ukraine funding on purely partisan political 
grounds.
  Regrettably, Speaker Johnson has already dismissed the Senate bill as 
a status quo measure.
  Madam Speaker, this is a missed opportunity. Members of this House 
should have the right to vote on a package of Ukraine funding, Israel 
funding, and greater security funding for our southern border.
  On the issue of Ukraine funding in particular, this political impasse 
comes at the great expense of U.S. national security, international 
peace, and the freedom of the Ukrainian people.
  It also follows repeated warnings from the Biden administration that 
the failure to enact additional aid will kneecap Ukraine on the 
battlefield. It will allow Putin, an autocratic dictator, to prevail 
and simply pave the way for a Russian military victory.
  Even the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee 
recently reported that with the Ukrainian armed forces now desperately 
rationing munitions, ``We have to get this done. . . . If we do not 
move, this will be abandoning Ukraine.''
  The Ukrainian people deserve better. They are valiantly defending 
their country against relentless campaigns of state-sponsored terrorism 
that the United Nations reports has killed more than 10,000 and injured 
nearly 20,000 Ukrainian civilians.
  The war has also forcibly displaced an estimated 10 million people, 
including 6.3 million people, Ukrainian refugees, who have fled to 
neighboring countries.
  With Putin vowing to continue this unlawful war until Russia achieves 
its nationalist and imperialist objectives, I strongly urge my 
Republican colleagues to abandon their misguided and dangerous 
deference to Donald Trump.

[[Page H550]]

  At a campaign rally this past weekend, the current standard-bearer of 
the Republican Party actually stated that if one of our 31 NATO allies 
did not meet their defense spending goals, he would not protect them as 
President of the United States in honoring our obligations to NATO.
  In fact, he said he would encourage Russia `` . . . to do whatever 
the hell they want.'' He would treat the surrender of millions of 
Ukrainian people as a transaction.
  We must instead be guided by our own founding Democratic principles, 
enduring defense of freedom and human rights around the world.
  Indeed, the House Republican leadership would also be wise to recall 
their own longstanding commitment to a strong national defense and 
embrace American global leadership as a bulwark against expansionist 
schemes undertaken by brutal dictatorships.
  The Ukrainian people deserve better. They are defending their country 
against a relentless campaign of state-sponsored terrorism that the 
United States reports has killed more than 10,000 people.
  `` . . . people are at last free to determine their own destiny,'' 
said Ronald Reagan, who also demanded of Putin's President, Mr. 
Gorbachev, ``Tear down this wall.'' He was a defender of a free and 
democratic Europe.
  I recently returned from a bipartisan delegation to Ukraine where I 
met with President Zelenskyy and examined the security and humanitarian 
situation on the ground. There is zero evidence that the Government of 
Ukraine is directing resources anywhere but toward its singular goal of 
preserving Ukrainian sovereignty and independence.
  I urge my colleagues to support additional aid for Ukraine.

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