Jimmy Panetta: “I support tonight's bills because we must fund the government, and of course, we must support Ukraine. As the American…”

“I support tonight's bills because we must fund the government, and of course, we must support Ukraine. As the American people get out of COVID, get back to work, and get on with our lives, they are yearning to help Ukrainian lives. Tonight's bills do that by providing aid and armaments so that the Ukrainians can continue to punch Putin right in the face. This bill, H.R. 6968, also punches Putin right in the gut by banning imports of Russian oil, by taking steps to remove Russia from the WTO, and by holding Putin accountable for his violating of rights with tougher sanctions. The last thing we want is war with Russia. However, in order to stop Putin's paranoid adventurism, we need to bolster our commitment to NATO, and we must bleed him of his resources to wage war by crumpling his ruble and collapsing his economy. This will affect us, and it will force all of us to play our part. But despite these costs, we must continue to be as united as we are inspired by this fledgling democracy that has flourished under fire. That is why we must play our part and pass this legislation to support the livelihoods of Americans, to support the lives of Ukrainians, and to ensure that Putin pays his price for his attacks on a peaceful democracy.”