Barbara Lee: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this emergency supplemental to support…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this emergency supplemental to support Ukraine and to address the global impacts of Putin's brutal invasion and war. I thank Chairwoman DeLauro, our Speaker, and Chairman McGovern for moving this legislation so quickly. Mr. Speaker, a little more than a week ago, I had the honor of visiting Eastern Europe to meet with Ukrainians and Poles and to learn about what was taking place firsthand. We met with civil society organizations funded by the United States that, in the midst of danger and violence, are supporting refugees, vulnerable people, and women and children. I was deeply moved by their stories and their commitment, their resilience, and recognized very quickly what an emergency this is. So, I thank everyone again for bringing this bill to the floor right away. The Ukrainian people need our support to defend their territory, but we equally need to support their efforts to protect their people, their economy, their way of life, and, yes, their democracy. As chair of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, I am very proud that we provided $18.9 billion in assistance for economic security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine in this bill. This bill will help sustain the Ukrainian Government's essential services, protect refugees and internally displaced persons, clear unexploded ordnance, and combat human trafficking.…”