{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E8FDF82D-5899-4A7F-B20D-C0B2B854167A", "Senate Passes Portman Ukraine Security Assistance Reforms", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Builds on Last Year\u2019s Efforts to Help Ukraine Ward off Russian Aggression\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), founder and co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, today announced that the Senate has passed key elements his Ukraine security assistance package dealing with Ukrainian defense sector reform as part of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). As amended by Portman\u2019s provisions, the FY 2017 NDAA authorizes $350 million in security assistance, including lethal and non-lethal equipment, training, and technical assistance. Half, or $175 million, of this money is linked to Ukraine\u2019s implementation of critical defense reforms such as instituting civilian control of the military, cooperation and coordination with Ukrainian parliamentary efforts to exercise oversight of the Ministry of Defense and military forces, increased transparency and accountability in defense procurement, and improvement in transparency, accountability, and potential opportunities for privatization. This year\u2019s Ukraine security assistance package\u00a0builds on provisions that Portman passed last year. After the Senate passed the bill today,\u00a0Portman issued the following statement:\r\n\u201cThroughout their history, the Ukrainian people have continually fought back against tyranny. Today, as the Ukrainian people continue to pursue the path of democracy, liberty, and peace, they need the moral and material support of the United States to defend themselves. The U.S. and NATO must provide the sustained economic, political, and military support necessary for Ukraine to secure a democratic future. We have a duty to keep our promises to defend Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. Helping free people defend themselves has been the policy of Democratic and Republican Administrations alike for nearly a century, and this Ukraine security assistance package will help continue this longstanding American tradition.\u201d\r\nNOTE: Portman, who recently received the Ukrainian-American community\u2019s highest honor \u2013 the Shevchenko Freedom Award\u2014has long led the effort to provide Ukraine the kind of assistance necessary to ward off Russian aggression and maintain its territorial integrity. In addition to getting key provisions of his Ukraine security assistance legislation included in the NDAA, Senator Portman has also won a major victory in the fight against propaganda that will help the U.S. and its allies such as Ukraine better counter and combat the extensive propaganda and disinformation operations directed against us from countries like Russia.\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.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E8FDF82D-5899-4A7F-B20D-C0B2B854167A"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5723798424005508, "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"}