The House passed a resolution on Wednesday to declare support for Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinBiden State of the Union: A plea for unity in unusual times Watch: Key moments from Biden’s first State of the Union address Reynolds response hammers Biden for ‘weakness on world stage’ MORE, while urging an “immediate cease-fire.”
Lawmakers in both parties voted near-unanimously in favor of the resolution, 426-3. The only votes in opposition were from three Republicans: Reps. Paul Gosar
Paul Anthony GosarGOP leader won’t condemn Greene, Gosar with cameras rolling Ocasio-Cortez: McCarthy doesn’t want to ‘alienate his base’ of white supremacists Herschel Walker pulls out of Greene event after her speech at white nationalist conference MORE (Ariz.), Thomas Massie
Thomas Harold MassieGrowing list of Republicans will not attend SOTU over testing mandate House passes bill making lynching a federal hate crime Pandemic casts long shadow over Biden’s State of the Union MORE (Ky.) and Matt Rosendale (Mont.).
“Talk to me when our border is secure,” Gosar retorted on Twitter.
Massie said he opposed the resolution because he thought it was overly broad in its stated support for providing defense assistance to Ukraine, among other things. He also argued that the call for isolating Russia economically could ultimately backfire if “innocent people in Russia” suffer under harsh sanctions and develop resentments against America.
“I fully support the right of the people of Ukraine to self determination. However there are many reasons I could not vote for the seven page Resolution that passed the House of Representatives today,” Massie wrote in a series of tweets.
The resolution, which is nonbinding, states that the House “stands steadfastly, staunchly, proudly, and fervently behind the Ukrainian people in their fight against the authoritarian Putin regime.”
It also calls for the U.S. and its allies “to deliver additional and immediate defensive security assistance to help Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other threats Ukraine is currently facing from Russian forces.”
The resolution further asserts that American lawmakers “will never recognize or support any illegitimate Russian-controlled leader or government installed through the use of force.”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks
Gregory Weldon MeeksUS Embassy in Kyiv destroying documents as drawdown underway Malinowski is latest lawmaker to test COVID-19 positive after Ukraine trip Pelosi calls for Moscow, Putin to ‘feel the pain’ if Russia strikes Ukraine MORE (D-N.Y.), the author of the resolution, said the vote offered lawmakers an opportunity to formally register support for Ukraine after Russian troops began their assault on the nation last week.
“With this resolution, it becomes crystal clear: Mr. Putin, you can’t win this. We’re going to stand against you and we’re going to preserve democracy, because that’s what’s at stake here,” Meeks said on the House floor.
Wednesday’s House vote came hours after the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria backed Russia in that vote.
The Senate also passed a similar resolution last month in support of Ukraine ahead of the invasion.
Senators agreed to that bipartisan resolution in the face of failing to get a deal on a sweeping package to impose sanctions on Russia as it amassed troops along the Ukrainian border.
Tangible aid to Ukraine in the form of funding for military and humanitarian assistance, however, remains unsettled in Congress.
The Biden administration has asked Congress to approve $6.4 billion to bolster the U.S. response to the Ukraine crisis, but it’s possible lawmakers could approve even more funding.
That includes $2.9 billion for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development for humanitarian relief efforts, as well as security assistance to Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic states and NATO allies. The other $3.5 billion would go toward additional funding for the Defense Department.
Lawmakers are eyeing the inclusion of the Ukraine aid into a broader government funding package known as an omnibus. Current funding for the federal government expires next Friday, March 11, meaning that the omnibus package could be a ready legislative vehicle that would need to be passed by Congress in the coming days anyway.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy PelosiBiden State of the Union: A plea for unity in unusual times Photos: President Biden’s first State of the Union Reynolds response hammers Biden for ‘weakness on world stage’ MORE (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that lawmakers were close to an agreement on the Ukrainian aid package.
“We should probably have all of that done today, because we have to be on schedule for the omnibus,” Pelosi told reporters. “It’s the vehicle that’s leaving the station.”
This story was updated at 7:21 p.m.
The House passed a resolution on Wednesday to declare support for Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinBiden State of the Union: A plea for unity in unusual times Watch: Key moments from Biden’s first State of the Union address Reynolds response hammers Biden for ‘weakness on world stage’ MORE, while urging an “immediate cease-fire.”Lawmakers in both parties voted near-unanimously in favor of the resolution, 426-3. The only votes in opposition were from three Republicans: Reps. Paul GosarPaul Anthony GosarGOP leader won’t condemn Greene, Gosar with cameras rolling Ocasio-Cortez: McCarthy doesn’t want to ‘alienate his base’ of white supremacists Herschel Walker pulls out of Greene event after her speech at white nationalist conference MORE (Ariz.), Thomas MassieThomas Harold MassieGrowing list of Republicans will not attend SOTU over testing mandate House passes bill making lynching a federal hate crime Pandemic casts long shadow over Biden’s State of the Union MORE (Ky.) and Matt Rosendale (Mont.).“Talk to me when our border is secure,” Gosar retorted on Twitter. Massie said he opposed the resolution because he thought it was overly broad in its stated support for providing defense assistance to Ukraine, among other things. He also argued that the call for isolating Russia economically could ultimately backfire if “innocent people in Russia” suffer under harsh sanctions and develop resentments against America. “I fully support the right of the people of Ukraine to self determination. However there are many reasons I could not vote for the seven page Resolution that passed the House of Representatives today,” Massie wrote in a series of tweets. The resolution, which is nonbinding, states that the House “stands steadfastly, staunchly, proudly, and fervently behind the Ukrainian people in their fight against the authoritarian Putin regime.” It also calls for the U.S. and its allies “to deliver additional and immediate defensive security assistance to help Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other threats Ukraine is currently facing from Russian forces.” The resolution further asserts that American lawmakers “will never recognize or support any illegitimate Russian-controlled leader or government installed through the use of force.” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory MeeksGregory Weldon MeeksUS Embassy in Kyiv destroying documents as drawdown underway Malinowski is latest lawmaker to test COVID-19 positive after Ukraine trip Pelosi calls for Moscow, Putin to ‘feel the pain’ if Russia strikes Ukraine MORE (D-N.Y.), the author of the resolution, said the vote offered lawmakers an opportunity to formally register support for Ukraine after Russian troops began their assault on the nation last week. “With this resolution, it becomes crystal clear: Mr. Putin, you can’t win this. We’re going to stand against you and we’re going to preserve democracy, because that’s what’s at stake here,” Meeks said on the House floor.Wednesday’s House vote came hours after the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Only Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria backed Russia in that vote. The Senate also passed a similar resolution last month in support of Ukraine ahead of the invasion. Senators agreed to that bipartisan resolution in the face of failing to get a deal on a sweeping package to impose sanctions on Russia as it amassed troops along the Ukrainian border. Tangible aid to Ukraine in the form of funding for military and humanitarian assistance, however, remains unsettled in Congress. The Biden administration has asked Congress to approve $6.4 billion to bolster the U.S. response to the Ukraine crisis, but it’s possible lawmakers could approve even more funding. That includes $2.9 billion for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development for humanitarian relief efforts, as well as security assistance to Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic states and NATO allies. The other $3.5 billion would go toward additional funding for the Defense Department. Lawmakers are eyeing the inclusion of the Ukraine aid into a broader government funding package known as an omnibus. Current funding for the federal government expires next Friday, March 11, meaning that the omnibus package could be a ready legislative vehicle that would need to be passed by Congress in the coming days anyway. Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiBiden State of the Union: A plea for unity in unusual times Photos: President Biden’s first State of the Union Reynolds response hammers Biden for ‘weakness on world stage’ MORE (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that lawmakers were close to an agreement on the Ukrainian aid package. “We should probably have all of that done today, because we have to be on schedule for the omnibus,” Pelosi told reporters. “It’s the vehicle that’s leaving the station.” This story was updated at 7:21 p.m.