Durbin, Duckworth, Brown, Senators Call For Immediate Legislative Action To Support Ukraine

Letter

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker McCarthy, Leader Jeffries,
Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, Chair Granger, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

We write to request urgent action to advance critical and sustained security assistance and
economic support for Ukraine. We appreciate the bipartisan statement issued by Senate leadership
over the weekend, reiterating that support for Ukraine remains a top legislative priority. Congress
cannot sit idly by while Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine continues.

This past weekend, Congress came together to pass a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) to
keep the government funded and avoid an unnecessary and devastating government shutdown. We
supported this important compromise to ensure a functioning United States government. However,
we share our constituents' frustration and concern that this package failed to include emergency
funding necessary to support Ukraine in its response to Putin's inhumane and illegal war. The
bipartisan Senate CR included significant emergency funding for Ukraine, and we urge you to
build on this work and put forward a bipartisan, bicameral funding package for Ukraine as soon as
possible.

Now is not the time to slow our aid to Ukraine. Russian forces continue to bomb civilian
populations -- targeting hospitals,12 schools,3 churches,456 and apartment buildings.789 Such brutal, egregious violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and Ukrainian citizens' basic human rights must not go unanswered. Our allies and partners continue to look to the United States to lead the effort to
hold Russia accountable and stand up for democratic values and norms.

While Ukraine has started its counteroffensive and made progress in stemming the tide of the war,
without sustained support, Ukraine's aerial defense will falter, and munitions will run critically
low. The Department of Defense (DOD) has exhausted nearly all available security assistance
funding for Ukraine. While the Ukrainian soldiers are some the world's best fighters, the Russian
war machine funding is not stopping and dictators, like North Korea's Kim Jong Un, are aligning
themselves with their malign effort. Our resolve signals to bad actors around the world -- including
the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) -- that the U.S. and world's democracies will not let an
authoritarian regime invade a sovereign nation.

Our states are home to thousands of members of the Ukrainian diaspora. We hear from them daily,
and they remind us of the importance of continuing our commitment to helping Ukrainians defend
themselves and their homes. They have shared stories about their friends and family members who
are living under constant threat of indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilian targets. We must
follow their lead and reaffirm that American leadership remains committed to democracy and
human rights.

Two weeks ago, President Zelenskyy addressed Members of Congress and made clear the vital
need for additional aid. We appreciate the commitment exhibited both by President Biden and
Senate leadership toward meeting President Zelenskyy's call for action. Now that a government
shutdown has been averted, we must provide Ukraine the resources necessary to defend
themselves.

It is past time for the U.S. Congress to take up and pass legislation guaranteeing Ukraine has the
critical resources necessary to continue defending themselves against Putin's illegal war. We urge
you to act immediately to advance legislation that will provide critical and sustained security and
economic support for Ukraine to the President's desk for his signature.

1 Report: Nearly one in every 10 hospitals in Ukraine have been damaged by attacks since
Russia's invasion | CNN
2 Photos: Maternity hospital bombed in Ukraine | CNN
3 War Crimes Watch: Targeting Ukraine Schools, Russia Bombs Future (pbs.org) (stating that the
Ukrainian government reports that 1000 schools have been bombed).
4 Report: 500 Ukrainian Churches and Religious Sites Damaged...... | News & Reporting |
Christianity Today (noting that one-third of the churches attacked are evangelical churches where
members are attacked as "American spies".)
5 Russia Attacks Church in Ukraine on Easter Sunday, 2 Casualties: Report (newsweek.com)
6 Issue Update: Russia's Religious Freedom Violations in Ukraine (uscirf.gov)
7 Dnipro apartment building attack: Death toll rises to 40 | CNN
8 Zaporizhzhia: Russian missiles hit Ukraine apartment complex as China's Xi departs Moscow |
CNN
9 More Russian missiles slam Ukrainian apartments, killing 13 in Zaporizhzhia | PBS NewsHour
Thank you for your attention to this critical priority.

Sincerely,

Source