{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/06/04/baumgartner-statement-on-ukraine/", "Baumgartner Statement on Ukraine", "2026-06-04", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Michael Baumgartner", "B001322", "baumgartner.house.gov", "baumgartner", "https://baumgartner.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "| Press Releases\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) issue the following statement on passage of H.R. 2913, the Ukraine Support Act.\n\n\u201cRussia\u2019s brutal invasion of Ukraine has caused extraordinary suffering and must not be allowed to end without consequences for Vladimir Putin\u2019s regime,\u201d said Congressman Baumgartner. \u201cNearly 20,500 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by Russia. Any durable peace must provide for the return of these children, impose real costs on Russia for this ruinous war, and include meaningful guarantees for Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty and security.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Ukraine Support Act contains several worthy provisions, and I appreciate the passionate outreach by the Ukrainian diaspora in Washington State, but I could not support it in its current form,\u201d Baumgartner continued. \u201cIt bypassed the normal committee process and includes outdated and duplicative provisions rather than the strongest available approach to confronting Russia. I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act and the Sanctioning Russia Act. Both would impose far more sweeping economic consequences on Russia and on the countries continuing to bankroll Putin\u2019s war through purchases of Russian energy. Congress should advance a robust legislative and sanctions package that maximizes American leverage, protects Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty, and makes Russia pay a real price for the destruction it has inflicted.\u201d\n\n\u200b\u200bKey deficiencies of Ukraine Support Act include:\n\nThe bill urges NATO allies to dedicate at least 2% of their GDP to national defense, while in 2025 the commitment was increased to 5% of GDP.\n\nCongress extended the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) at $800 million for FY2026 and FY2027 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year, but this legislation only funds USAI at $600 million for those two years.\n\nThe Ukraine Support Act creates a reporting requirement for U.S.-Ukraine intelligence cooperation, but the NDAA already mandates that Congress be notified if intelligence to Ukraine is halted.\n\nIt contains mandatory sanctions against Russia that don\u2019t go as far as other measures, but once they become law would constrain the executive branch and limit the President\u2019s ability to negotiate a peace agreement.", 1, "2026-06-10T06:36:00Z", "2026-06-10T06:37:32Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/06/04/baumgartner-statement-on-ukraine/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5327618457376957, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}