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WASHINGTON, DC — Earlier this week, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) spoke with Sheilah Kast on WYPR’s "On the Record" to discuss the urgent need to pass aid to Ukraine, as well as Israel, before the end of the year. Below are excerpts of his remarks and a link to the interview:
To listen to the interview, click here.
On House Republicans' Dysfunction Delaying Critical Aid
"Congress is working at a snail's pace, Sheilah, and you were very kind to say confusion. There's been chaos in the Congress of the United States. A Speaker has been deposed. [House Republicans] took three weeks to replace that Speaker after going through three of their other leaders first and not being able to get a majority of votes. And so we lost three weeks of legislative time, and then we lost another week with the new Speaker just sort of getting his feet wet."
"We did pass a continuing resolution which kept the government operating, but we did not do either Ukraine aid or aid to Israel as it confronts Hamas and the carnage that occurred in Israel on October 7th. So it is beyond shameful that we have not acted in a way befitting the emergencies that exist in Ukraine and Israel."
On House Republicans' Attempts to Pass Conditioned Aid to Israel
"Well, no, it was not just for Israel. And that was the problem. Normally, what should have happened, is we should have passed a $14.4 billion package for Israel—that would have gotten well over 400 votes out of the 435 votes. But the Republicans decided, under their new Speaker, to add another element that was very controversial and that Senator Schumer said not only would not pass the Senate—would never be considered by the Senate.”
"So when the Republicans passed their bill on Israel, almost every Democrat voted no. Not because they were against aid to Israel, but because the rider that they had put on the bill was unacceptable to the Senate so that the money would never get to Israel. And in fact, it hasn't. We passed it. But the Republicans knew at the time they passed it that it would not be considered by the Senate. So it's sort of pretense, not reality—and a damn shame that occurred.”
"And I've urged Speaker Johnson to put that bill on the Floor—$14.4 billion aid to Israel as they fight to protect their country and their people—and it still has not been done. And you add that to the Ukraine, the failure to fund Ukraine and respond to the President's supplemental request, it is a very, very limp trumpet that we sound to the despots of the world. We need to step up to the plate, do the right thing for freedom, for democracy, for international law, and we need to do it now."
On Republicans' Decision to Link Ukraine Aid with U.S. Border Security Reform
"Whether that was their intent or not, Sheilah, that's the reality of what's done. We've not considered Ukraine. Ukraine needs the resources to confront Russian totalitarianism, despotism, and the breaking of international law.”
"So, although Johnson said we needed to do that, you can bet your sweet life that Vladimir Putin thinks, ‘They're going to be fighting about their own border, and I can proceed apace,’ without America sending the resources that his Ukrainian victims need."
On the Outlook for Passing Aid to Ukraine Before the End of the Year
"Well, I don't know that it's stalemated, because they say there are discussions going on. My point is it's sort of like the Israel money. You know, if it's important to send it to Ukraine, if it's important not to allow Putin—as Johnson said—to think that he's free to commit the international crimes that he's committing, then we ought to send the money.”
"And we ought to send a very, very direct, unequivocal message that we're going to support Ukraine and to see it victorious and defending its country and its people from criminal attack. To say to Putin, ‘Oh, well, we may send it if we can work a deal on border security in the United States,’ Putin is going to laugh at us because he has seen us unable to reach a border agreement in some ten years now. [In] 2013, the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill that the House Republicans refused to take up, which was unfortunate. So if I'm Putin, I'm thinking, ‘If that's contingent, Ukraine's not going to get the money.’ Now, I happen to think that the border security of the United States is a legitimate debate as to how we can make sure that our country is safe and that we make sure that neither drugs nor criminals are coming in but that people who are seeking legitimate asylum under American law can get a hearing.”
"But that's a very serious issue, but it should not be an impediment to doing what America says it wants to be—and that is the beacon of freedom and democracy and international law throughout the world. We need to step up the plate. We need to step up the plate now. And Speaker Johnson needs to put the Ukrainian bill on the Floor and the Israel bill on the Floor. And very frankly, Sheilah, the Ukrainian bill would get over 300 votes. Over the last seven votes that we've had on Ukraine—it's gotten over 300 votes in support of Ukraine. The Israel bill would have over 400 votes. So there's no excuse for not putting those on the Floor other than trying to leverage freedom and democracy and international law on something that the Republicans want or oppressing."
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