[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 37 (Thursday, February 29, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H741-H742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      UKRAINE FUNDING IS IMPORTANT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Nickel) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NICKEL. Mr. Speaker, on February 24, 2022, the world watched with 
alarm as Russia invaded Ukraine. Since the start of the invasion, over 
100,000 Ukrainians have died fighting to defend Ukraine's sovereignty 
and the broader principles of freedom and democracy.
  Now, it has been 2 years since Putin's unprovoked assault on Ukraine. 
We can't abandon them in their fight for freedom; not today, not 
tomorrow, never.
  With Ukraine running out of bullets and Russia advancing in Ukraine, 
the eyes of the world are on the United States Congress. Authoritarian 
regimes around the world like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are 
looking closely to see if we will honor our commitments and stand with 
our democratic ally or if we will hand over Ukraine to Vladimir Putin. 
If Ukraine falls, Putin will not stop until all of Eastern Europe is 
within his grasp.

[[Page H742]]

  If Congress fails to act, it will go down as one of the greatest 
foreign policy failures in our Nation's history.
  Let's be clear about where history will place the blame. If Congress 
fails to act, history won't be kind in the judgment that House 
Republicans surrendered Ukraine to Russia.

  In the past, House Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress 
have united and come together in opposition to Vladimir Putin's 
unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. We have just seen 22 Republicans in the 
Senate willing to vote country over party on this issue. I believe 
there are Republicans in the House willing to do the same.
  As we look ahead, House Republicans have a choice. Are they 
prodemocracy or are they pro-Putin?
  House Republicans can choose country over party or Russia over the 
United States.
  House Republicans can stand with our allies, or they can stand with 
Donald Trump and the pro-Putin wing of the Republican Conference.
  House Republicans can either stand with democratic nations like 
Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, or they can bend the knee to authoritarian 
regimes like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
  The longer we delay sending aid to Ukraine, the more powerful Putin 
and other authoritarian regimes become. We can't abandon them in their 
fight for freedom.
  That is why I am calling on the Speaker of the House,   Mike Johnson, 
to bring the bipartisan, Senate-passed security package to the floor of 
the House for an immediate vote.
  Now, many of my constituents rightly question the high cost of this 
aid package. Support for Ukraine and our allies is in our national 
interest. It is a national security issue for the American people. 
While the costs are high, we will spend a hundred times more money 
containing an aggressive Russia around the globe if we do nothing. We 
must stand with our allies. This will be a vote where Members will be 
forced to choose between democracy and authoritarianism.
  As I have voted now for Speaker of the House 19 times, I have learned 
how incredibly fragile our democracy is. We must act now to pass a 
supplemental aid package and stand with Ukraine.
  We can either stand with democracies like Israel and Ukraine, or we 
can bend the knee to Putin and other authoritarian regimes around the 
globe. Democracy should never be taken for granted. We must be vigilant 
and proactive to protect it here and around the world.
  History is watching what happens next. Let's come together, not as 
Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, and stand with our ally 
Ukraine.

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