Political Quotes

“this amendment is, I think, reckless. It would essentially halt 98 percent of the aid that we would authorize and appropriate to go to Ukraine, which would be good news in Moscow but very bad news in Kyiv. This amendment is trying to incentivize our NATO partners to increase their efforts to 2 percent of GDP, and that is a goal that has been agreed to, but the practical, immediate effect would be to undermine the military posture of Ukraine at a time when they are desperately fighting for their survival. But more importantly, they are fighting our fight also, because if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, we will lose, as well as Ukrainians. It will incentivize the kind of autocratic behavior that is determined--at least in the case of Putin--to destroy democracies and destroy the international legal order. We have already expressed our not only desire but strong, strong imperative that NATO reach the 2 percent goal, but this is punishing the Ukrainians for the sins of others, and that would be terrible. I would urge that this position be rejected. Vote on Amendment No. 376”