Ukraine is the Scrimmage Line for Liberty

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her tremendous leadership over a long period of time. She is a great intellectual resource in helping Ukraine. I thank Marcy Kaptur very much for her leadership.

Madam Speaker, nearly 1 year ago, many of you will recall, in this Chamber we had a joint session of Congress. We were honored by the presence of President Zelenskyy who had come directly from the battlefield and brought us a flag signed by the soldiers. He delivered a magnificent speech.

President Zelenskyy made clear the necessity of American support by saying: Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and in democracy.

The fight of the Ukrainian people for democracy is just remarkable to behold, but their fight is for their democracy and ours, as well.

Being empowered by the investment we made last Congress, passed by an overwhelming bicameral vote, Ukraine has battled historically against the tide of the biggest army in Europe, the Russian Army.

It is important for the American people to know that Ukraine has reclaimed and won back 50 percent of the land previously seized by the Russians. They have won back 50 percent. More than 60 percent, close to two-thirds of the money that we have invested in military assistance for the Ukrainians has been spent in the United States. It has been spent in the United States creating jobs here as we support the Ukrainians.

Madam Speaker, nearly two-thirds of the money has been spent here, and 100 percent of the determination of victory belongs to the Ukrainian people.

Others have mentioned, Mr. Hoyer included, that at the same time, our hearts break when we hear about the atrocities committed against women by Putin's forces.

Women are subjected to rape as a weapon of war. They have been murdered in front of their parents or in front of their children and raped in the same way. Tens of thousands of children have been kidnapped by the Russian soldiers.

I said to someone who knows about these things: Isn't it sad that the brutality of war has turned these soldiers into brutes?

They said: Make no mistake. The Russian soldiers do what they are ordered to do.

These rapes, these kidnappings, and these murders of families in front of family members are the direct order of Vladimir Putin, who is a very evil person.

We must put an end to this unadulterated evil. The longer we wait to get them the money, more people will die, more children will be kidnapped, more women will be raped, and more uncertainty will be injected into the situation as to whether or not we are there to protect democracy and to support it.

As the war wages on, the administration has repeatedly made clear: America is at the end of the supply of money we have voted and Ukraine is nearly out of time.

Today, President Zelenskyy returned to the Capitol to make a compelling case for America's continued support to help Ukraine finish the fight; because the battle for Ukraine, again, is a battle for democracy itself, and we will not let death, destruction, and dictatorship of Vladimir Putin prevail.

President Biden's supplemental funding request must be brought to the floor as soon as possible so that we honor our duty to stand with the Ukrainian people until victory is won. It has been said on both sides of the aisle, the cost of war is great. Should Putin prevail and then go on to other invasions of NATO or non-NATO countries, it will only cost more money, more lives, more families separated. That cannot be what we are about.

At the same time, this legislation calls for us to honor a commitment to peace in the Middle East by our support for Israel and the humanitarian assistance that is in the legislation for the Palestinian people as well as others.

Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Kaptur for her leadership during this Special Order and for yielding time.

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