On the recordJuly 13, 2023
I regret I have to oppose my colleague from Tennessee's amendment. I believe it is in our national security interest that Ukraine remains independent. If they fall, what happens next? What does the bully do next? He threatens the Baltics. He has already called them renegade states. That is a threat. You stop a bully when he is pushing you around. That is what Putin is doing. He invaded a country one-forth the size of Russia in population. They cannot win without our help. It is not Americans doing the fighting, it is Ukrainians doing the fighting, but they cannot prevail without our material support. Thus far, we have provided about 5 percent of what our military budget equates to. For 5 percent, half of Russia's tanks have been destroyed and almost 200,000 Russians have been killed while they are invading the Ukrainians. We have spent this money in a way that is helping our national interests prevail, and it is helping Ukraine survive. It will prevent what I believe is the next phase, if we stop him here, which is the Baltics or Poland. Mr. Chairman, I recommend that my colleagues vote against this amendment.
