[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4795-4796]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                UKRAINE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, last night the Senate took the first steps 
in supporting the people of Ukraine, sending a clear message to Russia. 
I am pleased the Senate voted overwhelmingly in a bipartisan fashion to 
consider this bipartisan bill that was reported to the Senate floor. 
The measure includes a number of provisions: a loan guarantee, 
sanctions, and security assistance. This certainly is a step in the 
right direction. It is not everything, but I certainly applaud the 
efforts of the Members from both sides of the aisle who have labored 
diligently to get us this far.
  I hope the bipartisan support will continue so we can finish the bill 
this week and provide the people of Ukraine with the critical support 
they need while imposing strong sanctions against those in Russia and 
Ukraine who created this crisis. There is no reason why we can't pass 
the bill today.
  According to all reports, the situation regarding Ukraine is getting 
worse, not better. Russian troops are seizing facilities in the Crimea. 
All they have to do is make a phone call. They didn't need to have all 
the brute force, knocking down doors and injuring people in the 
process. They have done this throughout Crimea. The Government of 
Russia looks foolish. The world community understands that. They are 
levying foolish retaliatory sanctions, mocking the efforts of the 
international community to bring about a peaceful and fair resolution 
to the illegal invasion and the annexation of Crimea.
  Yesterday President Obama and other European leaders meeting in The 
Hague formed a strong, united front in denouncing Russia's unlawful 
actions against the people of Ukraine. Under President Obama's 
leadership, the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, 
and the United Kingdom took further action by suspending Russia from 
the G8--as of today it is the G7--and canceling the planned summit in 
Sochi this summer.
  I mentioned those seven countries, but over in Europe yesterday, the 
President was there with some 42 other nations, all of them looking 
with an eye toward what Russia had done that was totally contrary to 
international law. By excluding Russia from the G8, President Obama and 
our allies have sent the message loudly and clearly that bullying 
behavior and rhetoric will not go unchallenged. I applaud the efforts 
of our allies to take a stand against Russia's aggression and welcome 
their further commitment to hold accountable President Putin and his 
cronies--and they really are his cronies. If there were ever a 
thugocracy, this is it. This is a government that is corrupt, and they 
need to be held accountable for violating international law. This 
cannot go unnoticed and unretaliated against.
  As for action here in the Senate, I look forward to stabilizing 
Ukraine and imposing new sanctions against Russia by passing the bill 
that is before us. We should do that today. One way or the other, we 
need to get it done as quickly as possible.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.

[[Page 4796]]

  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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