[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Ukraine

  Mr. President, on Ukraine, it is not an exaggeration to say that 
right now--right now--the survival of the Ukrainian people, the fate of 
American leadership in the world, and the odds of victory for Vladimir 
Putin depend a lot on what Speaker Mike Johnson does in the near 
future. Any moment he wants, Speaker Johnson has the power to put on 
the floor of the House a bipartisan national security package that 
passed the Senate over a month ago with 70 votes.
  This supplemental package will provide Ukraine precisely with what 
they are sorely lacking: military equipment, ammunitions, intelligence 
support, advanced weaponry, and more. Every day that the supplemental 
sits idly in the House is another day more Ukrainian troops are killed 
on the battlefield because they lack the basic tools to defend their 
country. And sadly, because the House has not acted, the situation is 
now very dire in Ukraine.
  Speaking in Germany earlier today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin 
warned that Ukraine's survival is now in grave danger. Russia is now 
making three times as much artillery and munitions as the United States 
and Europe. Making matters worse, Ukraine is now also beginning to run 
out of soldiers. Without more U.S. support, one European official 
predicted last week that ``this is not a question of years, this is a 
question of weeks and months.''
  Leader McConnell and I--in broad, bipartisan support--got the 
supplemental passed here. Leader Johnson should do the same. The clock 
is ticking for Congress to act. The eyes of the whole world are on the 
House. Our allies and adversaries alike are waiting to see what Speaker 
Johnson is going to do about the supplemental. And the answer is very 
simple: Speaker Johnson, put the supplemental on the floor of the House 
for a vote. I guarantee that if Members have a chance to vote on this 
bill, it will pass with the same kind of bipartisan support we saw in 
the Senate.
  I have urged the Speaker repeatedly that he must do the right thing 
and stand up to Putin. This is a legacy-defining choice for the Speaker 
and potentially a history-altering decision. The Speaker can either 
stand up to defend democracy or he can cast his lot with Donald Trump 
and MAGA extremism who are practically rooting for Putin to win.