Hoyer Remarks at Ukrainian Week Press Conference: This Fight is our Fight
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered the following remarks calling for the passage of immediate and unconditioned aid for Ukraine at a press conference kicking off Ukrainian Week 2024:
“Long may thou land be brave.
“It's going to be 28 degrees in Kyiv tonight, probably colder.
“It's cold here. I have my coat on – and my flag. I wear it every day, to remind those that I see, talk to, that freedom is at risk, and on the front line of defending freedom are those brave Ukrainians, who love their country, love their freedom and do not want it stolen by Russia.
“I thank Representative Kaptur, Representative Quigley, Representative Casten, all the other members who are standing here – they’re standing in solidarity with freedom’s holy light, with freedom fighters on the front lines in Eastern Ukraine.
“It's been 397 days since we secured our last aid package for Ukraine. John Kennedy said that we would pay any price, bear any burden to defend freedom here and around the world.
“397 days in which Ukrainian cities were leveled, 397 days in which Ukrainian children were abducted – some of whom I understand are here with us today, and 397 days [where] Ukrainian lives were sacrificed in defense of freedom and democracy – not just their freedom and democracy, our freedom and democracy. Because if Putin can take Ukraine, he and other dictators and autocrats can take any country.
“For 397 days, Congress has failed to act. Most of us want to help Ukraine. In the past five months, supplemental aid for Ukraine came up for a vote on the House Floor seven times, on the House Floor. There are 435 Members, over 300 Members voted to help Ukraine every time it was on the Floor.
“We are not a silent majority. We recognize that democracy's very future is at stake. Rather, we are the silenced majority because that bill has not been put on the Floor by a speaker who introduced a bill three Congresses ago that said ‘one subject per bill.’ In this case that one subject ought to be $60 plus billion for Ukraine right now. I’ve asked the Speaker to put that bill on the Floor because it will pass.
“Silenced by the inaction of the Speaker who refuses to give us a clean vote on the issue despite cosponsoring that bill, of which I talked about – One Subject [at a Time].
“Together, Speaker Johnson, President Trump, and the far right contingent in Congress have deadened ‘freedom’s ring.’ That Liberty Bell in Philadelphia - that's what [President] Kennedy was talking about bearing any challenge, any burden to defend freedom here and around the world.
“And what we found out as we slept in the 1930s, is that ultimately if you sleep, if you retreat, if you neglect – the despots' knock is at your door here.
“So, I thank all of you who are either Ukrainians or American Ukrainians – I’m a Danish American – because this fight is our fight. This fight is the free world’s fight. This fight is about a future of freedom and international law. Let us all join this fight to preserve freedom for the world.”