{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=10ddaba0-ee5e-4984-9185-5f329371bb24", "Corker Statement on President Obama Signing Ukraine Freedom Support Act into Law", "2014-12-18", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Bob Corker", "C001071", "www.corker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after President Obama signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act into law.\r\n\u201cI am pleased the president signed our bill into law, and I hope he will do the hard work to convince the Europeans to adopt similar measures and stand with Ukraine against the ongoing threat of Russian aggression,\u201d said Corker. \u201cThis legislation passed with the full support of Congress, so I would urge the president to use the tools provided to help restore Ukraine\u2019s leverage in negotiations and deescalate this crisis instigated by Russia\u2019s hostile actions.\u201d\r\nIn a signing statement today, President Obama indicated he \u201cdoes not intend to impose sanctions under this law\u201d and would instead use the new authority only \u201cif circumstances warranted.\u201d\u00a0 Since the last round of U.S. sanctions on September 12, Russia has repeatedly violated its commitments under a proposed ceasefire by affirming an illegal rebel election in Eastern Ukraine and continuing to support separatist fighters with troops and heavy weapons. The Obama administration has yet to approve the Ukrainian government\u2019s request for arms.\r\nThe Ukraine Freedom Support Act, coauthored by Corker and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), offers lethal military and non-military assistance for Ukraine and expands sanctions against Russia. It also provides Ukraine with energy, defense sector, and civil society assistance, and expands broadcasting programs to counter Russian propaganda in countries of the former Soviet Union.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-list?ContentRecord_id=10ddaba0-ee5e-4984-9185-5f329371bb24"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8006959687918425, "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"}