On the recordApril 28, 2022
And still I rise. I thank Mr. Meeks for what he has done to bring this legislation to fruition, as well as Mr. Wilson. I rise and I stand where I stand because we should all stand together. I stand here because we are engaged in a war for the world, and Ukraine is the front line of democracy in this war. We cannot allow a ruthless, reckless, careless dictator to dictate the terms of engagement. The terms of engagement for us will have to be set by us. Our President has said no boots on the ground. I agree, but that doesn't mean that we can't have planes in the air that Ukrainians will pilot. That doesn't mean that we can't have tanks on the ground with the Ukrainians manning them. It doesn't mean that you can't have torpedoes in the water that Ukrainians are going to fire. It simply means this: We have no choice. If we allow this to happen, what happens when some other dictator decides that he is going to threaten? I believe that this legislation is a continuation of what President Biden has said he would do. No boots on the ground. We provide the armaments; they provide the army. We are engaged in a war for the world. We must win. Ukraine must be victorious in this battle.
