{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-us-aid-to-ukraine-is-vital-to-americas-security-and-economic-interests", "Reed: U.S. Aid to Ukraine is Vital to America\u2019s Security & Economic Interests", "2023-10-05", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "RI", "Jack Reed", "R000122", "www.reed.senate.gov", "jackreed", "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "scraper", "WAHINGTON, DC \u2013 Seeking a bipartisan path forward on critical U.S. aid to Ukraine, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), called on Congress to work together to pass a comprehensive spending package that includes assistance for Ukraine.\n\nReed said that continued support for Ukraine is clearly in America\u2019s national security and economic interest and urged Congress to swiftly approve it.\n\n\u201cU.S. support for Ukraine is an investment that has saved lives, deterred broader conflict, and strengthened America\u2019s international position,\u201d Reed stated. \u201cCongress must stand by the bipartisan commitments it made to equip Ukraine with security and humanitarian assistance. The American people will continue to stand with and support the people of Ukraine. It is the right thing to do for the United States, Ukraine, peace, and global stability.\n\n\u201cWe will match our defensive and humanitarian support with diplomatic resolve. Putin will not succeed,\u201d Reed continued.\n\nSASC Chairman Reed, who also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged leaders from both parties to urgently act in America\u2019s best interests by upholding America\u2019s word and values and sustaining support for Ukraine and America\u2019s security partners.\n\nTaking to the floor of the U.S. Senate last night, Senator Reed said:\n\n\u201cI must point out that our support is the leading edge of worldwide support. Our NATO allies have stepped forward, and countries around the globe understand that this battle between democracy and freedom and autocracy and inhumanity must be won.\n\n\u201cPresident Zelenskyy came to this very building two weeks ago to ask for our support. He received overwhelming bipartisan promises from Members of both the Senate and the House. Of course, I was proud to pledge my support, and I know nearly all of my Senate colleagues were also.\n\n\u201cIt is shameful that on the heels of that visit, after looking President Zelenskyy in the eye and promising to stand with him, our House colleagues decided to strip all Ukraine funding from their continuing resolution. That decision contradicts the will of the majority of Congress and the American people, and it breaks faith with the people of Ukraine, who are in a battle to preserve their nation and their lives. And their battle is our battle. Their battle against unprovoked aggression by Putin against a democratic neighbor is a battle that we must ensure they can win because he won't stop there.\n\n\u201cWe can't allow the obstinacy of a few members of the House of Representatives to force a cruel deal on those who least deserve it--the Ukrainian people.\u201d\n\nSenator Reed pointed out that Putin\u2019s repressive ambitions don\u2019t stop in Kyiv and would only be bolstered by success in Ukraine. Those who want to leave Ukraine to fend for itself now would only embolden Putin, weaken America\u2019s credibility, and undermine our alliances.\n\nDuring his speech, Senator Reed said: \u201cThis conflict matters not just to Ukraine but to our own security here at home. It is clear that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he will not stop. He made this clear years ago when he talked about that his mission in life, his sole, overwhelming preoccupation, was to recreate the Russian Empire--the Balkans, parts of Poland, Moldova, Georgia. He is very clear.\n\n\u201cIt is ironic in history how dictators can be so clear about what they want to do but ignored by people who should stand up to them. Hitler was very explicit in \u201cMein Kampf\u201d on what his goal was. Yet world leaders appeased him. Will we appease Putin and cut off aid to the Ukrainians? If we do, it will be our problem.\n\n\u201cOur job in some respects is to ensure by our actions here that we continue lowering the probability that American men and women in our service will suffer and die in action. If we renege on our commitment to Ukraine, that probability will go up, not down, and we will regret it immensely.\u201d\n\nSenator Reed also pointed out that the U.S. has mobilized a strong diplomatic coalition to deter Putin and like-minded autocrats from further upending global peace and stability. He argued that with U.S. credibility on the line and the lives of innocent Ukrainian civilians at stake, Congress must take action and do the right thing:\n\n\u201cThe credibility of the U.S. deterrent is only as strong as our actions. Our would-be partners around the world are also watching closely at what we are doing. Will we have their backs if they are attacked? We must show that we are a steadfast ally, not hamstrung by the whims of fringe politicians. Again, our adversaries would see themselves empowered as our alliances dissolve because there is no confidence or a lack of confidence in the United States.\n\n\u201cThis is especially true when we consider how the Ukrainians have proven, time and time again, that, given the right support, they are entirely capable of defeating the assaults launched against them, and there are a number of reasons for this.\n\n\u201cFirst and foremost is the incredible courage and fighting skill of the Ukrainian people as well as the inspirational leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I had the opportunity, like so many of my colleagues, to travel to Kyiv earlier this year and was deeply moved by the Ukrainians' bravery and commitment to defending their homeland.\n\n\u201cSecond is the remarkable statesmanship of President Biden. His administration has forged a unified response, leading the worldwide condemnation of Putin and providing enormous military, economic, and humanitarian support for Ukraine. I doubt if anyone in this Senate, in the weeks before the invasion of Ukraine, would have predicted that NATO would rally as it has to support the Ukrainians; that allies across the globe would dig into their stocks of munitions and transfer them to the Ukrainians; that the whole world would be, in some respects, moved by the actions of our country in standing up and inspiring others to join with us.\u201d\n\nThe stakes in Ukraine are high and there isn\u2019t a moment for Congress to waste. The war doesn\u2019t stop while the U.S. House of Representatives debates a new Speaker, and every day additional aid isn\u2019t provided it gives Putin undeserved momentum he wouldn\u2019t otherwise have.\n\nReed credited the people of Ukraine who have bravely resisted the invading Russians as the heroes of this war, and he credited President Biden for leading an international coalition and said it is crucial to show continued cooperation and resolve.\n\n\u201cThroughout the war in Ukraine, President Biden has led the United States and the international community with admirable resolve. Congress must send a strong message to Putin that Americans continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and that we are committed to supporting them as they fight bravely to defend their homeland.\n\n\u201cThe simple truth is that their battle is our battle. If they lose, Americans lose, and the likelihood that our young men and women will be called upon to enter the fray increases dramatically. We must support our Ukrainian allies,\u201d Reed concluded.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "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.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-us-aid-to-ukraine-is-vital-to-americas-security-and-economic-interests"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8366419933736324, "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"}