Jeanne Shaheen Introduces Bill To Protect Ukraine Aid From GOP Cuts, Then Lindsey Graham Responds

Forbes Breaking News

During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) discussed a bill that would remove funding for Ukraine from the Republican rescissions bill.

Transcript

00:00Mr. President.

00:04Chair recognizes Senator from New Hampshire.

00:06I call up my amendment number 2898 and ask that it be reported by number.

00:12The clerk will report.

00:13Senator from New Hampshire, Mrs. Shaheen for herself and others, proposes an amendment number 2898.

00:20To amendment number 2853.

00:23Mr. President, I rise.

00:27Can I have silence?

00:28We have order, please.

00:30Silence in the chamber.

00:39I rise to propose an amendment to strike the rescission of funds to Ukraine.

00:44With Russian attacks intensifying against Ukraine, now is not the time to cut funds that have rebuilt Ukraine's energy grid,

00:53sustained Ukraine's ability to export agricultural goods,

00:56and supported efforts to keep the Ukrainian government accountable to its anti-corruption commitments and reform efforts.

01:03Given the president's support for increasing weapons to Ukraine and for trying to put pressure on Russia,

01:15this is an important amendment because it would preserve the assistance to Ukraine keeping its energy grid online,

01:22preventing the collapse of the economy, and preserving Ukraine's western economic orientation.

01:27I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

01:30We do not want the Ukrainian army and their technological know-how in the orbit of Russia.

01:36We want it in Europe and the United States.

01:39This amendment also has the support of Senators Murkowski and Durbin.

01:44Thank you, Mr. President.

01:46Chair recognize the senator from South Carolina.

01:48For Ukraine, and quite frankly, to all of my Democratic colleagues and Republican colleagues,

01:59I think we're trying to do right by Ukraine.

02:02So what is right by Ukraine?

02:03We've given well over $100 billion in aid, military assistance, and what are we trying to do here?

02:10We're not rescinding the $4 billion that's available for military support, drawdown authority.

02:16We're not rescinding the $300 million that are still available.

02:20We're not rescinding the $14.4 billion loan authority available to Ukraine.

02:26What we're doing is rescinding an account of $460 million that has a bunch of things in it,

02:33including $300,000 for promoting tourism in the Caucasus,

02:37$882,000 to fund social media mentorship in Serbia and Belarus,

02:43and $5 million for green transportation and logistics.

02:46I want to help Ukraine.

02:47And the best thing we can do to help Ukraine right now is what President Trump is doing,

02:51having the Europeans buy our weapons to give to Ukraine.

02:54I think that's good for the American economy, the American taxpayer, and for the Ukrainian military.

02:59But the best thing we can do is what we're doing,

03:02and I want to applaud everybody who's joined in with Senator Blumenthal and myself,

03:06is to break China, India, and Brazil from buying Russian oil to prop up Putin's war machine.

03:16If you want to help Ukraine crush Putin's customers who buy his oil and gas,

03:24and 85 of us have come together and saying to Russia, China, and Brazil,

03:30if you keep buying his cheap oil, which is blood money, we're going to crush the economy.

03:36Senator's time has expired.

03:37That's the best way to help you.

03:38Senator's time has expired.

03:40Questions on the amendment?

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