Supporting Ukraine

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, as a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, I rise in strong support of our international ally, Ukraine, and the more than 37 million Ukrainians who remain determined to defend their independence in the face of more than 2 years of state-sponsored terrorism at the hands of Vladimir Putin's Russia.

In submitting his annual budget request to Congress just yesterday, President Biden again appealed for immediate emergency funding for Ukraine--a request the administration first made back in October of 2023. According to the President, absent congressional action on this emergency request, the United States will not be able to continue to provide support to Ukraine to meet their battlefield needs as they defend against Russian attacks each and every day.

Ukrainian armed forces are already enduring the direct impact of this congressional impasse on Ukraine aid. While Russia is dropping guided bombs on Ukraine's positions and firing 10,000 artillery shells per day, Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines have been left to ration munitions and other critical supplies.

It is not surprising that the past several weeks have witnessed the fall of the strategic Ukrainian city of Avdiivka and additional Russian advances in eastern Ukraine. Only through their steadfast will and courage have the Ukrainian people been able to effectively resist the brutal Russian onslaught.

Beyond the battlefield, the United Nations and the World Bank recently estimated that the total cost of reconstruction in Ukraine and recovery after 2 years of war now stands at almost $500 billion.

Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilian population centers have caused devastation and loss of life and damage across several critical areas, including the housing, energy, and transportation sectors. Moreover, nearly 40 percent of the Ukrainian population, or almost 15 million people, are in dire need of basic humanitarian assistance.

Last month, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan national security funding bill that includes more than $62 billion in security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. Inexplicably, the House Republican leadership has refused to consider this legislation, even though I believe the majority of Members have indicated that they would vote for it.

The House Republican leadership is also sitting on bipartisan legislation that would provide President Biden with the authority to confiscate and transfer frozen Russian Central Bank assets to Ukraine for its reconstruction. The bill would also establish an international framework to facilitate the transfer of Russian assets frozen in other Western countries. In total, $300 billion worth of foreign holdings that Russia stashed across the globe could immediately be diverted to support the Ukrainian people.

Importantly, President Biden and his administration have already expressed support for this transfer of funding. As underscored by Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen's statement to the G20 world leaders last month: ``This would be a decisive response to Russia's unprecedented threat to global stability.''

It would `` . . . support Ukraine's continued resistance and long- term reconstruction.''

There is also a precedent for such action. In 2003, the U.S. seized $1.7 billion in frozen Iraqi Government assets under Saddam Hussein and transferred those funds toward the benefit of the Iraqi people.

Madam Speaker, Vladimir Putin once said: ``The borders of Russia do not end anywhere.'' He recently threatened the ``destruction of civilization'' and warned NATO countries that the consequences for potential interventionists will be much more tragic.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge the House Republican leadership to act on these bills before it is too late for the Ukrainian people and U.S. national security. Our democratic allies around the world hang in the balance.

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