The passage of a significant $95 billion military and humanitarian assistance package for Ukraine, Israel in the U.S. Esteemed conservative commentator George Will has lambasted a faction of the GOP, calling out the “112 ignoble House Republicans” who voted against the aid.
“Hoping to enhance their political security in their mostly safe seats, and for the infantile satisfaction of populist naughtiness (insulting a mostly fictitious ‘establishment’), they voted to assure [Russian President] Vladimir Putin’s attempt to erase a European nation,” Will fumed.
Will specifically names Senators Josh Hawley and J.D. Vance and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene among those who stand against funding for Ukraine, with Greene even threatening to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson over his support for the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a press conference after the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had “turned the corner on the isolationist movement.” McConnell’s vocal support for the aid package, as well as his criticism of media personalities like Tucker Carlson for demonizing Ukraine. McConnell emphatically pointed out that the hesitation and delay in approving the assistance were based on “sheer fiction.”
President Joe Biden plans to sign the measure as soon as it reaches his desk. Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday “to underscore the United States’ lasting commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom against Russian aggression,” according to a readout of the call from the White House. “President Biden shared that his administration will quickly provide significant new security assistance packages to meet Ukraine’s urgent battlefield and air defense needs as soon as the Senate passes the national security supplemental and he signs it into law,” according to the readout.
McConnell’s statements stand in stark contrast to the faction of the GOP criticized by Will. “Today, the Senate sits for a test on behalf of the entire nation — it’s a test of American resolve, our readiness and our willingness to lead,” McConnell said. “And the stakes of failure are abundantly clear.” The Kentucky Republican rebuked GOP lawmakers who have sought to delay or block the assistance, saying he would “not mince words when members of my own party take the responsibilities of American leadership lightly.”
Relevant articles:
– George Will Scorches GOP’s Anti-Ukraine Wing With A Chilling Thought, HuffPost, 04/26/2024
– Foreign aid bill advances in U.S. Senate as McConnell chides GOP ‘isolationist movement’ • Missouri Independent, Missouri Independent, Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:14:44 GMT
– U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP ‘isolationist movement’ • Oregon Capital Chronicle, Oregon Capital Chronicle, Wed, 24 Apr 2024 02:53:19 GMT
– McConnell hits Biden for ‘sending a green light to Putin’ with Afghanistan withdrawal, Yahoo News UK, Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:28:52 GMT
– Biden Vetoes Anti-ESG Bill, Accomplishing the Barest of Minimums for Climate Change, The New Republic, Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:34:00 GMT