On the recordNovember 7, 2023
Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I rise today to implore my colleagues to pass a national security supplemental in line with what Senator Shaheen, the great Senator from New Hampshire, just outlined: yes, to stand up to the Hamas terrorists but also to stand up for an open and free Indo-Pacific, to stand up for humanitarian aid, and to stand up to Vladimir Putin and his barbaric invasion of our ally Ukraine. That is what I am going to focus on today because I have seen many of our colleagues on both side of the aisle standing proudly with President Zelenskyy. The rhetoric of standing up for democracy has to be matched by what happens in this bill. Just as Putin has shown his true colors--intentionally bombing apartment buildings, capturing cities, and slaughtering innocents, abducting Ukrainian children--the Ukrainian people have shown theirs in bright blue and yellow against all odds. Since the invasion last February, Ukraine has reclaimed 50 percent of the territory that Russia unlawfully seized from them. As the Ukrainians advance, Putin--what has happened? He tried to capture Kyiv, but he failed. He tried to wipe Ukraine off the map, but he failed. He tried to drive a wedge between the United States and our allies, but he failed. He tried to topple the Ukrainian Government, but he failed. Putin tried to break the Ukrainian spirit, but he has made it stronger. He tried to break NATO, but NATO added member states.…





