LIVE: Rep. Lieu, Sens. Bennet and Blumenthal, and Others Speak on Ukraine

Don't know about this the first one. Yes, after that 1140 Jesus. I mean, yeah I'm not waiting Oh We don't have Oh Just like 123 do you hear me? It's fine, is it fine my check you're good, are you good? Okay. Thank you Hey, yeah, let's see it's still morning. So at least can is this on? Okay Thank you all for coming. This is a pretty important occasion. We have a Large lineup of Supporters here some of our leadership from the house. I'm Alexander Vindman retired US Army lieutenant colonel. I'm a senior advisor to vote vets Today, we're announcing the next in a series of steps that we're launching to continue to put pressure on the Republicans to pass this Ukraine aid bill the campaign today begins with this series of remarks myself and in our Closest supporters on this issue. We have a video billboard coming around Capitol Hill. You'll see it here probably at some point during the During this morning and during the remarks. It's a it's Ronald Reagan Why Ronald Reagan? Well, Ronald Reagan is identified as the you know, most Important up until recently the most important leader of the Republican Party. Unfortunately, that party has now been captured by Donald Trump So we're trying to remind the Republicans of their roots and what Ronald Reagan stood for which is pushing back on authoritarianism He shepherded in the conclusion of the Cold War By resourcing by supporting the u.s. Effort to defeat communism defeat authoritarianism and a bolster democracy So we're trying to remind Republicans of those roots In addition to that we have a Fox News ad buy with this ad that's coming around That that ad will will remind the Fox audience and the watchers the viewers including the Republicans that we need to persuade to vote for this Ukraine aid bill why they they signed up to join Congress Hopefully they John signed up to join Congress and to serve the American people to protect our national security to protect the troops It's kind of hard to see at the moment But we're gonna try to remind them of that that's why they decided to serve in the first place there are a number of folks that served in uniform like I did like that the Congressmen and women behind me that swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic We face those challenges at home We certainly face those challenges overseas and we need to remind them that it's time to pass that Ukraine aid bill The delay has been way too long Countless Ukrainians have died Russia has been emboldened other authoritarian actors have been emboldened and we need to remind them that The war doesn't stop with any Russian successes in Ukraine Russia continues to march forward Russia continues to move on places like Moldova like the Baltics that are perceived as vulnerable and other points in Europe and that Has direct implications for u.s. Security NATO is an ally Europe is our closest partner. It's this the it's the core of our prosperity Our biggest training partner and we will be there to defend them It's better to help Ukraine resource Ukraine to defend its territory now Then fight Ukraine on a NATO territory in the future and we need those Republicans to remember that now I'll tell you that I think plenty of these Republicans know what the right thing to do is But they're willing to cast aside National security They're willing to cast aside and put our soldiers lives at risk in order to cater what to one man That man is Donald Trump That man is a man that's looking to serve his own interests looking to curry favor with Vladimir Putin and looking to punish Ukraine for perceived slights When he was caught out being in a corrupt act trying to extract a investigation Leading to his first impeachment, but I've done enough talking. I'd like to hear from some pretty Yeah, I'd like to hear from our speakers here We're yeah, so actually No money to Israel in the midst of this genocide that's going. Yes, so could I get Hello everyone My name is Ryan O'Leary I Mean Iraq and Afghan veteran who excuse me? I'm not good at public speaking American veteran that was served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I've been in Ukraine since the start of the war since March 1st of 2022 I'm here today. I came back from Ukraine from a deep cut to address the speaker today on this Ukraine aid bill When I took when I took the oath to put on the uniform I didn't take back my I didn't take back my oath when I took off that uniform to defend this country in 2014 I went and fought Isis for five years in Iraq And then after that I spent the last two years in Ukraine fighting against Russian aggression We as a nation have been asleep at the wheel of our adversaries such as Russia Iran and China Continued to threaten our democracy in our way of life with targeted disinformation Stealing of our military and industrial technology and directly threatening our democratic friends and allies across the globe When it comes to Russia the Cold War never ended We chose to ignore it with rose-colored glasses and the threat that they pose and continue to pose to America and our allies This shouldn't be a partisan issue As a middle-ground conservative I see the world like former president Ronald Reagan There is evil in it and it must be confronted immediately not when it's convenient for us The Senate has already approved the bill and speaker Johnson You need to bring it to the florists of the politicians that we as Americans elected to be our voice Are allowed to have that voice again? This is a nation founded on democracy and we do not need any politician or party to be gatekeeping for partisan politic Politics it erodes the foundations of our democracy and our institutions if I and hundreds of other Americans and citizens from countries across the globe are willing to stand up and go to Ukraine and Put our lives on the line for freedom and democracy. The least you can do is put a call to vote on this bill I've seen what the effect of America has on abandoning his allies. We saw in 2014 in Iraq with Isis we saw with the fall of Afghanistan in 2021 let's not make the same mistake again. Thank you Mr. Harris, yes, please Hi, good morning, my name is Rick Harris. I'm a veteran of the United States Marine Corps And retired from Marine Corps as a colonel My son was also a Marine veteran He died in eastern Ukraine the day after Thanksgiving last year while serving with Ukraine's International Legion. I Believe Ukraine is a place where truth is standing its ground against evil Americans raised in the fires of 9-11 and its aftermath Recognize and respond to evil in Russia in Russia's terrorist attack against Ukraine Conducted without mercy on Ukrainian soldiers and citizens So when we're talking about my son, our question should not be Why did my son go to Ukraine? But our question should be why would he not go to Ukraine? This is the right framing For the larger question of American support for Ukraine Why would we not support Ukraine as long as it takes to be totally free of Russian tyranny? It is unconscionable to me as a Marine Corps veteran who loves his country and who lost a son who died protecting freedom and democracy That the speaker won't even allow a vote on an aid package that has already cleared the Senate Every day that we lose more Ukrainians and legionnaires like Ryan will suffer and potentially die Without the means to fight back. I am heartbroken for the loss of my son But I am proud of what he did if he were here today He would be joining me and saying these four words However, he would use much colorful language than I'm going to use And I would say to the speaker call the vote now Thank you Thank you vote vets for bringing us together it's an honor to be here with our veterans to be here. Mr. Harris Thank you for sharing your story your patriotism and that of your son. I also want to acknowledge Ryan O'Leary for his service as far as Democracy in Ukraine and really for the world Here we are at a time when the Senate in a bipartisan way has passed very strong Legislation honoring our commitment to democracy. Let us quote your son Give us a vote now. Mr. Speaker. That's what we have to do It is so sad to see that the Ukrainians who for two years have been so courageous Protecting their democracy and really all of ours That's why it's an honor to be with so many members from the House and Senate who have served in our military And now serve in the Congress fighting for democracy there and here So, thank you all for your service and leadership. It's an honor to be with each of you But we really have to get this this This is money in the bill, but it's weaponry and power on the battlefield The Ukrainian people have done their share. We have to do ours Putin must be defeated. We can defeat him by asking the speaker. Give us a vote now I now am pleased to yield to the distinguished chair Once and future chair of the Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLaw who's working for this supplemental to be Thank you. Thank you speaker Thank You speaker Pelosi and thank all of you for joining us today What a what a wonderful outpouring of love and support for Ukraine I want to acknowledge and thank Lieutenant Colonel Vindman for your service to our country and for your commitment to really speaking truth to power as Well as to you Ryan O'Leary you said you weren't a public speaker, but you are a public speaker You speak from your heart and that's what's critically important and from your experience Richard Harris. Thank you as well It's not easy It's not easy to stand here and talk about the loss of your son and stand for the cause that we were here this Today to to fight for and finally a thank you to vote vets for bringing us together For the invitation to speak and for giving voice to our nation's veterans who have so proudly and bravely Defended democracy and freedom and they continue to do so it is however shameful That we must be here pleading for support for Ukraine The urgency of this moment continues to go unanswered by the House Republican majority When lieutenant-colonel Vindman faced a crossroads in the course of history bigger than himself Knowing history would judge him for how he acted and whether or not he acted he answered that call He stood up for what he knew to be true and what he knew to be right when this Congress faced a historic Crossroads knowing history would to judge us for our action or for our inaction House Republicans cowered in fear they hid behind a former president who was impeached for withholding aid To Ukraine in exchange for political favors And they hid behind a lie about what it means to put America first if we do not provide Ukraine with what they need to defeat Putin the legacy of Speaker Johnson and the 118th Congress will be the appeasement of a dictator the destruction of a free nation and a newly fractured Europe gone will be the post-war order that has kept Europe free and prosperous gone will be our Credibility in the eyes of our allies and of our competitors and gone will be the America that once promised to stand up for freedom For democracy for human rights wherever they are threatened or under attack Nations around the globe will move forward knowing that the United States is no longer a trusted partner in security of the free world This should chill every one of us to our core and this should bring great shame To those who are driving us toward this outcome. We are ready to do whatever it takes Yesterday House Democrats began the process of forcing a discharge petition of the Senate passed national security bill Because there is no more time to wait Ukraine has no more time to wait It is the speaker who stands silent in the face of this crisis who is forcing us to take this path I call on my House Republican colleagues who support Ukraine and there are those who support Ukraine Make your voices heard talk to the speaker be brave Stand up to your leadership and tell them let us vote. That's what our job is here is to vote There is unquestionably a majority in the House supporter of Ukraine aid we must act now and glory to Ukraine And thank you. I am so pleased now to recognize my colleague congressman actually Senator Blumenthal and Senator McCain and Thank you very much Rosa, it's great to see you madam chair And it's wonderful to be here with our colleagues and also the veterans that are here today, I'm gonna be very brief the Ukrainian people have done Far more than anybody could have expected them to do they didn't ask for this invasion and over the last two years Because of their courage because of their bravery they've taken back half the territory that Russia stole from them Sometimes you hear people in this capital who've never served Lying about that saying that they haven't been successful half the territory they've taken back They've won battle after battle after battle They have basically thrown Putin out of the Black Sea and they have no Navy of their own this is a nation of a bunch of MacGyvers who have figured out how to take tyranny on and to win and they need our support They've earned our support and that's why there were 70 votes in the US Senate to support them 22 Republicans voted for this in the Senate You can't get 70 people to do anything in the US Senate But they realized what's at stake and they realized because of the successes the Ukrainians have They have the receipts, you know, unlike a lot of money we spend at DOD where there are no receipts this is a place where they have the receipts because of the blood they've shed on this battlefield and You hear some isolationists, you know in the house We heard some of these people in the Senate who are saying that the United States can't afford $60 billion to support the effort in Ukraine You hear them saying that if we support this effort in Ukraine that has been successful That we will not be able to have the resources resources to stand up to the Chinese That is a fake argument that is an argument that they are hiding behind and Everybody who has looked at this from the director of the CIA on down has said that if we retreat here That Xi Jinping will see this as a sign of American failure Tyrants all over the world will see this as a failure of Democracy that the Ukrainian people have fought so hard for so it's on that basis that we were able to pass the bill With a bipartisan vote of 70 in the Senate and it's the reason the speaker should bring this to the floor today Ukraine is out of bullets today They shouldn't wait any longer. Thank you. And with that I'll turn it over to my colleague Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut I'm really so proud to be standing with these leaders and You have been such staunch advocates in the house, especially the Dean of my delegation the great Rosa DeLauro But all of you and my colleagues Tim Kaine and Michael Bennett who Went with me to Ukraine just a couple weeks ago my fifth trip To Ukraine in the last couple of years and every time I've gone to Ukraine what has so moved and impressed me is their resolve as President Zelensky told me and my first trip when they were still pushing back the Russians from that initial invasion We will fight with pitchforks if we have to do it That's defense of democracy that is a lesson for the world and should be a lesson For the United States of America. We have something very precious here Ukrainians are bleeding and dying on battlefields to preserve their democracy and freedom and we will be Bleeding and dying with our troops on a battlefield in Europe if we fail to give Ukraine what it needs Because Putin will keep going and our treaty obligations Will require us to put those troops on the ground in Europe if he continues this aggression unstopped by the Ukrainians right now They have enough ammunition and artillery shells To fire only one-third of what the Russians are firing at them. They've been successful in the Black Sea in destroying a major part of the Russian Navy when they have the arms and the tools to fight back they win and What we heard on this most recent trip from our intelligence community and our military Was they will win if they have those tools To prevail but they will lose If they don't have the benefit of this supplemental so my plea to The speaker is give us a vote Allow the house to do its job Do your job? allow the house to vote as We did in the Senate and the result will be as in the Senate an overwhelming bipartisan Majority the American people support Ukraine because they know their fight is our fight so I am very thankful for the Bipartisan support that we have around the country and my colleagues who are standing with us today Thank you. Slava Ukraini and Thank you to Tim Kaine Well, I want to thank vote vets and all my colleagues who are joining us today As you've heard there's no question about Ukrainian resolve There might have been questions about that before February 2022, but the last two years have answered all of those questions The question is about American resolve and that's a question that has ripple effects all around the globe I'm on the Armed Services Committee we had a hearing in the last 10 days where we were talking about the threat of China in the Indo-pacific and more broadly and the fact that China's observation about the willingness of democracies around the world to link arms because of US leadership and provide support to Ukraine has been incredibly Important in altering Chinese calculations about their own aggressive behavior We need to send the signal That America is not a fade away Sunshine patriot Somebody who will stick with you for a while, but then walk away and the Senate we sent that message. It took too long I remember Michael Bennett making the the powerful case to us in a caucus meeting in September That more aid to Ukraine was needed and here we are many months later, but the Senate did act 70 to 29 I'm very proud of my Democratic colleagues because among Democrats in the Senate the vote was 48 to 3 Among Republicans in the Senate the vote was 22 to 27 But the overwhelming bipartisan vote in the Senate should send a momentum and we need that vote here the house Occasionally gets frustrated when they pass bills that the Senate doesn't take up I don't know if any of you guys have ever Felt frustrated by that But it will be more than frustration if we do not get this bill taken up and passed on the Senate side It will be a demonstration that America doesn't have the resolve to stick with a Democratic ally We need to do this we need to do it soon Let me now introduce a house member distinguished both by his service in the house, but also by his military background representative Ted Luke Good afternoon. I want to thank vote vets for organizing this press conference and all their senators and representatives for being here today Vladimir Putin attacked the country of Georgia and no one stopped him. So he attacked again He attacked Crimea and no one stopped him. So he attacked again This time he tried to conquer Kiev and if he has not stopped he is going to attack again that's why Poland and other European nations are increasing their defense spending and if he has not stopped he is going to attack Europe where u.s. Troops are stationed But thank goodness we did stop him the Ukrainian people with assistance of the United States and NATO allies Stop them from conquering Kiev push them back But now we're at a dangerous time Because the Republicans and speaker Johnson have stopped Funding Ukraine as a result. The Russians are now gaining ground because Ukrainians are running out of ammunition The Senate passed a bipartisan national security supplemental bill that helps us national security We're simply asking speaker Johnson to allow a vote on that bill Speaker Johnson has said that a house will work its will The only way the house works as well is through votes. We're simply asking for an up-and-down vote Democrats have also launched a discharge petition to force a vote on this bill Please ask Republicans why they don't sign that discharge petition to simply allow us to have a vote on this Senate bipartisan Security bill and with that I'm going to introduce our next amazing member Mikey Sherrill from the great state of New Jersey He had to say that because his chief of staff is from the great state of New Jersey So but I appreciate it, you know in the military We have a phrase lead follow or get out of the way and that is that's right that's exactly what our speaker has to do he has to show some leadership and Put this bill on the floor so we can get an up-or-down vote on it We know we have about 300 people generally in favor of this support to Ukraine. He can follow the Democrats We have put our discharge petition on the floor get his members to sign on to this discharge petition So we can again support Ukraine or he can just get out of the way and we'll handle it because really we know We know that the American people are behind the Ukrainians We know that each and every day that goes by is another day that Ukrainians are dying We have members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in my district people who have lost legs who have lost their vision Because they were standing in the breach trying to protect a town and the townspeople behind them We know there have been Ukrainians who have lost legs Because they were waiting in the field for six hours because they didn't have armored cars to go pick them up So we know time is of the essence. We are fighting hard for this. Mr. Speaker lead follow or get out of the way Turn it over To another wonderful leader. Mr. Goldman. Thank you for letting me hop in line to get back for a kid's performance Today, thank you vote vets for for this. Thanks for all my colleagues for being here And and bringing light again to this critical issue I am proud to be Endorsed by vote vets and supportive of vote vets, even though I'm not a veteran myself but I have a intricate familiarity with the battle between Ukraine and Russia and Donald Trump's horrific influence on that from the impeachment investigation in 2019 I Think my colleagues have laid out the case for Ukraine very well But I want to focus on the case for democracy You don't have to know where Ukraine is on a map to know that we must support Ukraine in its battle for democracy against a dictatorial Tyrant who will not stop until all of democracy is eliminated from this world this is whether this aid bill as it relates to Ukraine is Simply a question of whether you support Vladimir Putin or whether you do not support Vladimir Putin for some reason Donald Trump supports Vladimir Putin and Because he controls half of the Republican Party in the house This bill has not come to the floor Even though there's support from a super majority of the House of Representatives Representatives, but it is not just about Ukraine and it is not just about Russia, which will continue on if they do if Ukraine loses and Russia wins and Ukraine will lose if they don't get this aid We will then have boots on the ground to protect our NATO allies against Russia that will cost a lot more than 60 billion dollars including American lives, but it is also a signal to Iran to China watching very very closely whether or not the United States is going to stand up for democracy and To my Republican colleagues the party of Ronald Reagan who would be rolling in his grave if he knew that his party Was not supporting democracy against Russia We just ask you Let us do our job with an up-or-down vote very simple let the House of Representatives the representative democracy that we have Vote for whether or not American people support democracy against Vladimir Putin Tyranny and terrorism around the world. Thank you Thanks, thank you all the way Hi, I'm Jason Crowe from the great state of Colorado and it is always a privilege an honor to join my colleagues and my fellow veterans You heard from everybody so far today About the importance of defending democracy because we know that democracies will either stand united or they will fall divided We heard about the importance of American leadership We've heard about the importance of making sure we fight autocracy and oppression and all of those things are true What is also true is that this bill is not charity for Americans This is an American national security bill Let's talk about why this is in the best interests of Americans Europe is America's largest economic trading partner businesses our money Our economy is intricately tied to a stable and prosperous Europe And if Europe falls into war and disarray, it'll have a terrible effect on American workers in the American economy Ukraine is the source of a tremendous amount of grain in the world. And if that falls into Putin's hands He will disrupt food supply and food prices Europe is home to hundreds of thousands of Americans Serving in uniform and living their lives and conducting business with Europe We have an obligation to protect Americans wherever they are And we have to make sure that we are supporting a stable and prosperous Europe to stand by Americans living in Europe and their families Let's also talk about how the manner in which we're pursuing this bill is good for our military What we're doing is our military is sending our old Soon to be outdated equipment to Ukraine and you've heard about Ukrainians being amazing MacGyvers and they're using that equipment to great effect Then the new equipment that's purchased with this money Which goes to American businesses and American workers then goes to update our stocks So let's review this We're protecting our greatest economic trading partner We're defending hundreds of thousands of Americans living in Europe working in Europe in uniform and out of your out of uniform we are protecting our food supplies We are investing in American industry and workers and we're updating our own military stocks folks That is a win-win-win-win and you don't find too many of those in Washington Let's get this done because the Ukrainians are not running short of courage and fortitude They are running short of ammunition. We can solve this. Let's put it for a vote Can ask Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger and the future governor of Virginia to come forward. Thanks. I Am so grateful that so many Virginia veterans are here representing veterans who understand The need for us to pass this national security supplemental who understand the fight for freedom that the Ukrainians continue with their resilience with their courage with their grit to continue to wage and We must bring the bill for a vote in February Congressman Crowe and I as well as three Republicans Traveled to Ukraine and met with President Zelensky and with a unified voice thousands of miles from here We told President Zelensky that we would get this bill done It has now been a month and we have not yet gotten this bill done Which is why we have moved forward with the discharge petition and we welcome all of our Republican colleagues to sign that discharge petition Because as Congresswoman Cheryl said if the speaker is not going to lead if he is not going to follow us He should get out of the way and we will do it ourselves with the discharge petition Congressman Crowe mentioned the economic impact the challenges. This is a fight for democracy This is also a fight for our national security This is a fight to ensure that grain from the breadbasket of Europe is able to flow freely and the Ukrainians Without a Navy have already With their own fighting been able to get trade routes and Transit routes out of Ukraine to continue ensuring that they were able to push grain to the world markets They are doing extraordinary work. They are doing extraordinary Fighting and they do not need as has been said they do not need Courage because they have it. They do not need added resolve because they have it what they need is Ammunition and we are here to say that we are grateful for their courage We are grateful for their resilience and their grit and we intend to ensure they have the ammunition necessary to win this war Thank you very much the wonderful congresswoman Chrissy Houlihan, please It is literally not an exaggeration to call this an existential moment in our nation and in our world's history and the inaction of this Congress Specifically the inaction of the house and specifically the inaction of the speaker of this house. Mr. Johnson To support Ukraine is literally putting this world in peril The other week when I left votes It was dark and rainy and I walked down that corner where there are still people holding Ukrainian flags and in the in the dark And in the rain one held a sign that said it's 1939 again And it struck me and literally brought tears to my eyes because it's generally not genuinely not an exaggeration to say that it is 1939 again, in fact, my dad was born in Lviv, which was then Poland and is now Ukraine in 1942 his father my grandfather was murdered during the Holocaust with nearly every other member of my dad's family Our family tree is bare and Hollowed out and is a stark reminder of what happens when we allow tyrants to invade nations and wage merciless and illegal wars When I was in Lithuania recently I was able to meet with their defense ministers and they shared the same anxiety and the same Extreme fear that when Ukraine fell then Lithuania Moldova Estonia and Eastern Europe would fall So, what the hell are we doing here and I really I don't think I've ever sworn before publicly We're calling for a decent for DC to vote We vote time and time again This week is a great example on Nonsensical bills when we could be instead using our very valuable and precious time doing our job and passing the Ukrainian supplement So let me be very very clear if the Ukrainian supplement were brought to a vote today as many of my colleagues said it would Pass with a resounding majority and speaker Johnson needs to do this, right or get out of the way So it turns out all the military folks talk the same way In hours and in just mere more mere hours. This house will leave town yet again having accomplished yet again Nothing of any substance and I can say emphatically that if there were Democrats who held the gavels here there would be no delay and I'll say that again usually not a very partisan person if Democrats held the the gavel Ukraine would have the support they need right now So many of my colleagues have also referred to President Reagan and certainly he would be rolling in his grave right now Seeing that the Republican Party is literally bending the knee to Putin and the u.s. Is doing nothing We are we have run out of time and the Biden administration has done everything it can to pull rabbits out of the hat But our history can and should judge us this Congress if we don't do anything I really don't want to be right. I don't want this to be 1939 again. I just want to be able to vote Thank you, and I turn it back over to mr. Vidman Congressman Jacob Good afternoon Ukraine is fighting on the front lines of the free world and They have the willpower to win They have the brainpower to win and they know what winning looks like. It looks like a defensible border on their east It looks like control of the Black Sea. It looks like a session to the European Union What they lack is the firepower to win and that is what the United States can provide The US Senate has done its job with a bipartisan supermajority to provide Desperately needed material that as representative crow pointed out is produced here in the United States supporting our own Industrial base and creating jobs here at home. We now need the United States House of Representatives To do its job So I'm calling on my Republican colleagues the ones who tell all of us in private that they support Ukraine To publicly support Ukraine by signing the discharge petition I'm calling on my Republican colleagues the ones who sit in the same committee room briefings that I do learning from classified and unclassified sources about how Xi Jinping is evaluating this war in Ukraine and Seeing whether the democracies will hang together I'm calling on them to sign this discharge petition the Republicans who quote Ronald Reagan and their campaign ads need to sign this discharge Petition I'm also calling on my Democratic colleagues who have not yet signed this discharge petition to sign the discharge Petition the time to debate the merits can come later. This is not an up-or-down vote on the substance of the legislation This is about Empowering Joe Biden and Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Party to lead when Speaker Johnson won't Declining to sign this discharge petition does nothing to help the people of Gaza It does help Speaker Johnson as he submits to the will of Donald Trump as opposed to empowering the will of the people's house Thank you Congressman Don Davis, please Hi, Don Davis, North Carolina's first congressional district and I want to pause for all of our veterans who are here today Thank you, thank you for not only your service to our country, but thank you for your commitment as demonstrated to democracy Vote vets. Thank you for your commitment to democracy There's one thing that we all share that we've worn the uniform at some point in time We raised our hands and we took a solemn oath Something we took to heart part of that oath was to protect and defend against all Enemies against all enemies Let me share as a former Air Force veteran member armed services committee Thought it was important to get to Ukraine to see firsthand. I just returned from Ukraine The spirits are high as I was there on the two-year anniversary celebrating the resistance to To the unprovoked Russian invasion The spirits are high, but let me share with you something that's near and dear to me. It's always talking to Veterans our military and while I was there I had an opportunity of talking to Ukrainian soldiers One amputee lost his leg in the war Another had served Lost her son in the war But let me share with you what they conveyed to me They have given their all But they are willing to continue to give everything To fight tooth and nail to bring this to an end and they also said thank you for what we've already done And then they added but if you help us in particular with munitions We can bring this to an end sooner than later We just need the help So I say to everyone. I mean, this is an amazing story of democracy here The Ukrainians are no longer fighting on the front line just for Ukraine But they're now fighting symbolically for democracies across the world We must stand for democracy today and we must protect Against all enemies So I'm honored to be here today and I'm add to add to the call Let's get this done now for democracy sake at this time. I'm honored to introduce my colleague and friend now my friend Graduated from the Air Force Academy and I'm honored to introduce a Naval Academy graduate Yes, sir, good morning everyone always honored to be joined by so many my fellow veterans I'm here today. I think like all of us because we believe our Republican counterparts need to act Our friends in Ukraine have seen what it means to have American support and I fear I'm sad to say they may find out What it feels like to think it may not be there I think folks across the globe think the American word means something That our bond as a leader in this world means something at its core this war. It's a Russian war of aggression Attacking the heart of the Ukrainian people in their sovereignty their self-determination their democracy It's in America's national interest our interest to support the Ukrainian people in this fight against Putin It's the right thing to do for democracy It's the right thing to do so this fight doesn't end up at the doorstep of our NATO allies where we are treaty bound to defend them It's about responding to crises across the globe humanitarian crises strategic threats to our friends and allies The strength of our allies is important and vital to our own security the Senate passed their bipartisan National Security Supplemental on February 13th. That's been a month It's long enough the Republican do-nothing majority in the house has finally got to do something Let's have it be something that's good for this country and our friends across the world I think the Republican leadership in the house ought to learn a lesson that I learned in the Navy Ship ship made self put the mission first you put others ahead of yourself. It's pretty simple Speaker Johnson can do that and let us vote as straightforward as that. It's time for them to put country over party now I have the honor of introducing a colleague of mine who knows something. I'll put in country over party overcoming his West Point at education Not coincidental that the army's coming and coming up to close us out here After my Air Force and Navy brethren Just at first. I want to say thanks to everybody for being here. Thank you to vote vets Vote vets throughout the last few years in particular has been a voice of moral leadership Talking about and reminding Americans of all parties and all generations. We're about freedom and democracy Those are the things that unite us and and vote vets has consistently Reminded us of that. So thank you for doing that again today Two years ago in the face of an unprovoked invasion by Putin Zelensky president Zelensky turned down a flight as we all remember and said I don't need a flight. I need ammunition That's bravery. That is leadership But in Congress the folks that claim to be leaders right now in the Republican Party Won't even as you've heard from my colleagues hold a damn vote and let the American people see where their Representatives stand on a fundamental issue of freedom and democracy They're too busy running probably right now to get on flights not to Ukraine to check on our allies But tomorrow lago to check in with Putin's puppet Donald Trump who is so clearly now Directing everything that's happening and this failure I And my colleagues were standing here today to call on them to show even a sliver of the courage that you heard Especially from our first speakers on behalf of those that have put their lives on the line or putting their lives on the line in Europe right now Against all odds Ukrainians have defied every expectation every pundit every analyst and held our ground now we need to continue to Hold the line have their back as they have done for us. I Have two young boys. They're two and four years old I think a lot of us feel this way if we don't get this right right now and Hold the line for democracy hold the line for freedom I fear that they will be fighting in a in a war that few alive today can can truly imagine and appreciate So thank you to my colleagues for standing strong. Let's take the damn vote and stand for freedom and democracy one more time. Thank you With that. I just want to one more time. Thank mr. Harris for his Sacrifice Ryan stay safe over there. I know you're heading back over there to continue to fund democracy congressmen and senators and to you all thank you for coming and thank you for the support of the American people in Defense of the nation in defense of our national security interests. Thank you call the vote You