Ukraine is the Scrimmage Line for Liberty

Floor Speech

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, once again, President Zelenskyy is in Washington to make the case for the survival of his country and to show the American people and Congress why this war is so important. He shouldn't have to.

As Americans, we have experienced fighting to save democracy and oppose tyranny. That is why we fought the Second World War and why we formed the United Nations and NATO.

Right now, Ukraine is fighting for those principles. We owe it to our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents to help Ukraine defend against Putin's autocratic threat.

We simply cannot stand by while a sovereign democratic country is wiped off the face of the Earth.

Autocratic regimes around the world are watching to see how the U.S. responds to this conflict. So far, we have shown them what a united NATO, coupled with the bravery and determination of the Ukrainian people, can achieve in the face of tyranny. We must now continue to show them that that commitment is unshakeable.

When President Zelenskyy made his first visit to the U.S. last year, he emphasized the impact of this fight and what it will mean for generations to come. He said that the Ukraine struggle will define in what world our children and grandchildren will live. He was right.

This fight for freedom and democracy has never been partisan. Now should be no different.

In these months, we have seen alarming examples of a shift. This week, allies of Viktor Orban met with conservatives to push for an end to U.S. military support for Ukraine. Over the years, we have been warned of the far right's fascination with Orban and the influence he could impose on their policy. Obviously, these warnings were warranted.

Ukraine's fight is our fight. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't paying attention. I encourage them to imagine a world in which Putin is successful.

Should we fail to aid Ukraine further, we will hand Putin a victory, and he will expand his attacks. I have seen firsthand the devastation he has imposed in places like Bucha, with maternity hospitals in ruins and bodies piled in mass graves following the Russian army's onslaught.

Our aid has contained this bloodshed for now, but Putin has plans far beyond Ukraine. If Putin were allowed to take Ukraine, he would seek to reconstitute the former Soviet Union. He would form a federation with Belarus and Ukraine by installing puppet governments and then target Moldova, the Baltics, Georgia, and others.

Should Russia expand its attack and cross a border into one of these NATO countries, we are bound by Article 5 of the NATO charter to defend them. The aid we have delivered has helped prevent this scenario from unfolding. Rest assured, Putin is patient. He has the time that Ukraine and apparently we lack. Congress has been wasting the time that we should have spent passing a supplemental package.

Congressional dysfunction has reared its ugly head. We have fumbled several opportunities to pass this funding.

There are those who argue that we must choose to support Ukraine or Israel. Now, they argue that we must choose Ukraine or our own border. These are false choices. In the words of NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg: ``We have the capability, the strength, to address different challenges at the same time. We don't have the luxury of choosing only one threat and one challenge.''

The conflict in Israel and the conflict in Ukraine are linked. After October 7, Hamas and Iranian representatives met with Putin in Moscow. Just as Iran is supporting Hamas' attack on Israel, Iran is also assisting Putin in his invasion of Ukraine.

To defeat the terrorist threat in Israel, we must also help Ukraine defend itself from an evil autocrat. When it comes to our border, Congress can and will tackle immigration reform and international aid. In fact, we should be addressing both.

That means passing a clean supplemental and having a separate, broader conversation about our immigration system's needs. Rushed policy reforms are not the answer.

When it comes to Ukraine, we are running out of time. What we do or don't do with Ukraine aid will be one of the most important foreign policy votes we take in our lifetimes. We must do the right thing. The fate of the free world is hanging in the balance.

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