[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 12, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1100-H1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SUPPORTING UKRAINE

  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 Subcommittee on National 
Security, I rise in strong support of our international ally, Ukraine, 
and the more than 37 million Ukrainians who remain determined to defend 
their independence in the face of more than 2 years of state-sponsored 
terrorism at the hands of Vladimir Putin's Russia.
  In submitting his annual budget request to Congress just yesterday, 
President Biden again appealed for immediate emergency funding for 
Ukraine--a request the administration first made back in October of 
2023. According to the President, absent congressional action on this 
emergency request, the United States will not be able to continue to 
provide support to Ukraine to meet their battlefield needs as they 
defend against Russian attacks each and every day.
  Ukrainian armed forces are already enduring the direct impact of this 
congressional impasse on Ukraine aid. While Russia is dropping guided 
bombs on Ukraine's positions and firing 10,000 artillery shells per 
day, Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines have been left to ration 
munitions and other critical supplies.
  It is not surprising that the past several weeks have witnessed the 
fall of the strategic Ukrainian city of Avdiivka and additional Russian 
advances in eastern Ukraine. Only through their steadfast will and 
courage have the Ukrainian people been able to effectively resist the 
brutal Russian onslaught.
  Beyond the battlefield, the United Nations and the World Bank 
recently estimated that the total cost of reconstruction in Ukraine and 
recovery after 2 years of war now stands at almost $500 billion.
  Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilian population centers have 
caused devastation and loss of life and damage across several critical 
areas, including the housing, energy, and transportation sectors. 
Moreover, nearly 40 percent of the Ukrainian population, or almost 15 
million people, are in dire need of basic humanitarian assistance.
  Last month, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan 
national security funding bill that includes more than $62 billion in 
security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. Inexplicably, the 
House Republican leadership has refused to consider this legislation, 
even though I believe the majority of Members have indicated that they 
would vote for it.
  The House Republican leadership is also sitting on bipartisan 
legislation that would provide President Biden with the authority to 
confiscate and transfer frozen Russian Central Bank assets to Ukraine 
for its reconstruction. The bill would also establish an international 
framework to facilitate the transfer of Russian assets frozen in other 
Western countries. In total, $300 billion worth of foreign holdings 
that Russia stashed across the globe could immediately be diverted to 
support the Ukrainian people.
  Importantly, President Biden and his administration have already 
expressed support for this transfer of funding. As underscored by 
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen's statement to the G20 world 
leaders last month: ``This would be a decisive response to Russia's 
unprecedented threat to global stability.''

[[Page H1101]]

  It would `` . . . support Ukraine's continued resistance and long-
term reconstruction.''
  There is also a precedent for such action. In 2003, the U.S. seized 
$1.7 billion in frozen Iraqi Government assets under Saddam Hussein and 
transferred those funds toward the benefit of the Iraqi people.
  Madam Speaker, Vladimir Putin once said: ``The borders of Russia do 
not end anywhere.'' He recently threatened the ``destruction of 
civilization'' and warned NATO countries that the consequences for 
potential interventionists will be much more tragic.

  Madam Speaker, I strongly urge the House Republican leadership to act 
on these bills before it is too late for the Ukrainian people and U.S. 
national security. Our democratic allies around the world hang in the 
balance.

                          ____________________