Well, the results are in. And the good news is: Congress overwhelmingly approved the aid package for Ukraine by a vote of 311-112 in the House and 79-18 in the Senate. This will enable the arrival of American-made weapons — including air defense interceptors to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian bombs and missiles — that will save lives.
The bad news? As the above maps show, 31 senators and House members opposed the aid that is creating good jobs for the communities they represent while stopping Russian forces massacring innocent Ukrainian men, women and children.
In the House, 112 House members opposed Ukraine aid, including 16 members in districts where the aid money will support defense jobs, listed below:
Once caveat: Seven House Republicans who voted against Ukraine aid going to their districts did vote for the rule that allowed Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) to bring the bill to the floor — without which aid could not have moved forward. These are: Reps. Mike Bost (Ill.), Glenn Grothman (Wis.), Michael Guest (Miss.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), John Joyce (Penn.), Trent Kelly (Miss.) and Dale W. Strong (Ala.).
In the Senate, 15 senators with aid going to their states opposed the final aid package.
Unlike the House, which divided the national-security package into five separate bills, the Senate voted on one large package that included not just aid to Ukraine but also aid to Israel and Taiwan; the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act, which would empower the United States to sell seized Russian assets to aid Ukraine; sanctions against China, Iran and Russia; and a ban on TikTok in the United States if its parent Chinese parent company does not sell it to a company that isn’t Chinese within a year.
What this means is that some of these senators were so opposed to helping Ukraine that they were willing to block aid to Israel and Taiwan and sanctions on America’s adversaries while allowing Russia to keep billions in frozen assets and permitting the Chinese Communist Party to continue spying on more than 100 million American TikTok users.
Among those 15 senators were five who had previously voted to approve military assistance to Ukraine but flipped to oppose it this time. Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio both voted against money for their constituents to produce High Mobility Artillery Rocket launchers (HIMARS) in Palm Bay, Fla., and Vampire anti-drone munitions in Melbourne, Fla. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) opposed aid money that is building a brand new plant to produce 155mm artillery shells in Mesquite, Tex. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) voted against money to produce Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles and Stryker upgrade systems in Oshkosh, Wis. And Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) opposed the bill because of its included aid to Israel — allowing his hatred of what he called the “extremist Netanyahu government” to cause him to vote against arming Ukraine with AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles produced in St. Albans, Vt.
Arkansas Sen. John Boozman (R), who had previously opposed Ukraine aid, voted this time in favor of helping Ukraine defend itself with Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs(GLSDB) and Army Tactical Missile Systems made in Camden, Ark., and Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range Glide Bombs produced in Rogers, Ark. “By countering Russian, Chinese and Iranian aggression, we are emboldening the allies of freedom and making strategic investments in our own defense capabilities, including through vital arms manufacturing operations in Camden, Arkansas,” he declared in a statement. Good for him.
Some Senate opponents defended their votes against their constituents with blatant falsehoods. For example, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) tweeted: “Another $60 billion for Ukraine. Not a penny for Missouri.” This is flat wrong. Missouri has in fact received at least $600 million in Ukraine aid so far. The money Hawley opposes is going to build two weapons systems for Ukraine in St. Charles, Mo. — the Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range and GLSDBs — as well as MIM-104 Patriot missile systems in West Plains, Mo. How does Hawley not know this? And why is he voting against good defense manufacturing jobs in his state?
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) did not vote but tweeted his opposition to the aid package, declaring: “Globalist Democrats want to use this opportunity to send EVEN MORE MONEY to Ukraine. … I haven’t voted for a dime of Ukraine funding — and I’m not going to start now.” Actually, the money is going to workers in Anniston, Ala., to help produce Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Hercules recovery vehicles; workers in Huntsville, Ala., producing Hydra 70 rockets; and workers in Troy, Ala., producing HIMARS and Javelin missiles for Ukraine. Tuberville’s opposition to not only hurts Ukraine but also defense manufacturing communities across his state.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) dismisses the economic benefits of the military aid he has opposed, declaring, “The notion that we should prolong a bloody and gruesome war because it’s been good for American business is grotesque.” Actually, it is Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s brutal thirst for conquest that is prolonging the war. And what is grotesque is suggesting that Ohio workers are profiting from a “bloody and gruesome war” when they are in fact helping Ukrainians protect their families by churning out Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems in Springboro and Abrams tanks and Stryker combat vehicles in Lima. The aid money he opposes is both saving lives and creating good union jobs in Ohio.
Fortunately, these senators and House members are in the minority. Support for aiding Ukraine was overwhelming in both chambers — which is why the anti-Ukraine minority fought so hard to stop it from ever getting a vote. But the overwhelming majority in both houses understand that giving military aid is not just the right thing to do for Ukraine, it is revitalizing manufacturing communities across the United States, creating good jobs here at home and restoring the United States’ capacity to produce weapons for our own national defense.
Credit: Source link
