Floor Statements

Last week, we paused to honor the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation and in defense of our freedoms.

For families all across America, the long holiday weekend also kicked off the excitement of summer traditions, but, unfortunately, a year- and-a-half into the failed policies of this all-Democratic government, even modest family celebrations came with pricetags that were literally sky high.

Today, the average price of gas in America reached a new record high. There is now just one State in our whole country where average prices haven't passed $4.30. From trips across town to visits with relatives, driving is becoming an even more painful proposition for working families.

In Boyd County, one Kentuckian said it now cost him about $73 to fill up the tank.

I just hope those prices will go down.

Another in Lexington said:

I'm traveling up north to take care of my mother up in

Michigan. It's a long haul, and yeah, it's hard when it is

this expensive.

And sky-high fuel prices aren't just hurting drivers. April saw the biggest 1-month spike in airfare on record with tickets up nearly 20 percent. The cost of backyard cookouts and all other home-cooked meals are continuing to rise. Prices on everything from ground beef to eggs have clocked the fastest annual increase since 1979.

What about big household purchases? Many families wait for Memorial Day weekend sales to fill a need around the house. Well, tools and hardware are 11 percent more expensive than they were a year ago. Major appliances cost 12 percent more. And furniture is up almost 15 percent.

These record-setting prices have got working families literally surrounded, and the American people know exactly where these hardships are coming from. They know this pain is a direct--a direct--result of the failed policies that Washington Democrats pursued even as everybody warned that their reckless spending would cause inflation.

A little more than a year ago, Democrats dumped $2 trillion of liberal waste onto our economy. Their own experts--their own experts-- told them not to do it. President Obama's top economist warned then it was ``definitely too big for the moment.''

President Clinton's Treasury Secretary said it could ``set off inflationary pressures of a kind we have not seen in a generation.'' And both of them said it at the time.

It was reported a few days ago that even Secretary Yellen, the President's own Treasury Secretary, knew the spending spree was reckless and wished it were smaller.

But our colleague, the Democratic leader, brushed aside expert concerns, saying that ``I do not think inflationary dangers, at least in the near term, are very real.''

Well, now his party is presiding over out-of-control inflation, the worst in four decades, a year-on-year inflation rate of--listen to this--8.3 percent. And even that terrible number may be an understatement.

In the early 1980s, right after the last bout of inflation this bad, the Bureau of Labor Statistics changed how they measure inflation. Larry Summers has coauthored a new research paper that tries to create an apples-to-apples comparison between the inflation figures today versus 40 years ago.

So here is what they found:

The current inflation regime is closer to that of the late 1970s than it may at first appear.

In other words, Democrats have brought inflation much closer to the bad old days of the late seventies than the official numbers even make it look.

Of course, no matter which way economists measure it, the American people know historic inflation when they feel it. It is impossible to ignore, from the gas pump to the supermarket, to the big-box store.

On Democrats' watch, working families' hard-earned dollars are buying them less and less.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

In America, inflation has topped 5 percent every month for the past year. The consumer price index continues to hover at levels our economy hasn't seen in four decades. As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the American people have become reluctant experts in its painful, real-life effects.

The average working family is now spending the equivalent of $5,000 a year on gas money. A year ago, the number was $2,800. Nationwide, gas prices have risen 46.9 cents just in the last month, and in Kentucky, they have risen actually even faster. Here's a quote from one of my constituents: ``I'm getting taken full advantage of,'' said one driver in Lexington.

Another said: ``It costs so much to fill up I have to do it half a tank at a time now.''

But according to President Biden, it is all part of what he calls an ``incredible transition.'' Well, that is a heck of a way to describe his administration's war on the most affordable, reliable, and abundant forms of energy in our country, forcing fuel prices so high that it requires Americans to transition to more expensive cars with supply chains controlled primarily by China and other hostile regimes with lower labor and environmental standards is not my idea of incredible.

But pain at the pump is only one of the tangled consequences of Washington Democrats' radical policies and reckless spending. Depending on where you are trying to go, higher fuel costs are hurting Americans' ability to enjoy major summer traditions. Rental car costs have jumped to 10.4 percent in the past year. Hotel rooms are going for 22.6 percent more, and plane tickets are up 33.3 percent.

Of course, millions of Americans are having a hard enough time paying for basic expenses, let alone planning summer vacations. Grocery stores now stock painful surprises on every aisle. Ground coffee is 14.7 percent more expensive than it was a year ago; eggs, up 22.6 percent. Anyone wanting to grill a bacon cheeseburger over Memorial Day weekend will find ground beef up 15 percent and bacon up 18 percent compared to only 1 year ago.

And utility bills now arrive with gut punches. For ratepayers in New England, electricity rates are projected to cost 16.4 percent more this summer than last summer. Everywhere they turn, American families are having to pare back expectations, put dreams on hold, and make bitter sacrifices.

It is no longer a shocking scandal; it is just normal life in Democrats' version of America: harder to fuel the tank, harder to feed the family, harder to get by.

Tribute to Jennifer M. Kuskowski

Madam President, on an entirely different matter, 9 years and a couple of months ago, an impressive young woman interviewed for a position in my office over in the Russell Building. She had worked for her home State senator out of college. At that point, she sharpened her chops on the House side. I knew 5 minutes into the meeting with Jennifer Kuskowski that we had found someone very special.

And now that young staffer from a decade back is departing the Senate as a commanding policy expert and one of my most indispensable advisors.

Jen began as my legislative assistant for healthcare. In less than 2 years, she earned a no-brainer promotion to be the legislative director for my whole personal office, a sort of player-coach overseeing all policy areas. For a couple of years, Jen briefly betrayed us and obtained committee experience with Chairman Hatch at the Senate Finance Committee. But we soon stole her back for my leadership office here in the Capitol.

For more than 3 years, she has been my crucial point person on some of the most complex issues we face--from healthcare to education to tech and telecom. She is the consummate professional, reliable, calm, clear under pressure. She knows her portfolio like the back of her hand, and Jen genuinely loves the legislative process. As her colleagues playfully reminded her with some frequency, Jen is a policy nerd's policy nerd.

Now, don't get me wrong, Jen's not naive. She has the realism and tenacity of a grizzled veteran, but even as a top staffer who works directly with Senators and coordinates across committees, Jen has still got the same earnestness as the young woman I met a decade back. And I think I know why. I think Jen Kuskowski loves mastering thorny policy issues because she understands that policy impacts people.

In between her first and second stint on the Hill, Jen served in the Peace Corps, working on health issues in Ecuador. That is hands-on experience you never forget.

And towards the other bookend of her Senate service, Jen spent the coronavirus pandemic first as an expectant mother and then with a newborn. She knew what was at stake as she tracked the science and helped assemble the Senate's historic, bipartisan response.

Jen has honed expertise in issues that touch families' lives very directly. And with that expertise, she has done unbelievably well. She was an early driving force to focus Congress on the opioid epidemic. She was alert to the plague of substance abuse years before anybody in Washington was even discussing it.

Jen was the central player in my effort to raise the minimum tobacco age to 21. She played a huge role in structuring the historic relief for hospitals and providers that kept health systems above water in the early weeks of the COVID crisis.

She was a key quarterback as we crafted support for vaccines and therapeutics that got America back on offense. Across many years, across many issues, Jen Kuskowski's expertise and professionalism have literally saved lives throughout Kentucky and across America. It is not an exaggeration; it is literally true. Families across the Commonwealth and across the Nation that will never meet Jen have benefited from the fact that she has been one of the most reliable closers on Capitol Hill. When an issue lands in her court, it gets resolved, period.

Now, saying Jen cares about policy because she cares about people might sound like sort of a sappy cliche, but everybody in the Senate can attest there is nothing remotely sappy or ``Hallmark card'' about her. Jen's sarcastic sense of humor is world-class. She does not suffer fools. She pursues goals with bulldog determination, and a competitive fire burning below the surface. But all this coexists with a deep kindness and care for others. It is really a very special package.

Jen has been the likeliest member of our team to seek out a colleague who is having a hard day and offer a pep talk and the likeliest person to aim a witty barb at a friend who is feeling overconfident and needs to be taken down a peg. Any team would be lucky to have either someone as diligent and professional as Jen or somebody as compassionate or someone as wickedly funny. It has been our special blessing to have all three in one person.

So as you can see, Jen has rendered the Senate a special and unique service. So I am happy to report the institution has repaid Jen in a special and unique way as well. When we first met Jen, she was Jennifer Conklin, but she leaves the Senate partnered to her husband Officer Andrew Kuskowski of the United States Capitol Police. They are proud parents of little Zachary.

And after a decade of late-night negotiations and weekend conference calls,

our friend is excited to strike out and tackle new challenges.

So, Jen, I am so grateful for your outstanding service. We know you will continue to be a force of nature wherever you go, and you will keep serving the common good, just in new and different ways.

You have done your family proud. You have done me proud. And I hope you are proud. Your fine service has literally saved lives and changed our country for the better.

Mr. President, I enter a motion to reconsider the vote.

Madam President, our country is sickened and outraged by the senseless evil that struck Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, only yesterday. According to early reports from authorities, it appears that a deranged young man tried to murder his own grandmother, then crashed his car, and then ran into an elementary school and began killing.

At least 19 young children and 2 teachers were murdered--murdered-- for no apparent reason at all. These innocent kids were simply going to school. They put on their backpacks, said goodbye to their parents, and headed off for another day of learning and friendship. There were only 2 days left before summer break. And because of this maniac, at least 19 of these kids never made it home.

One of the victims was a 10-year-old girl whose father described her as ``full of life, a jokester, always smiling.'' A 10-year-old boy who loved sports and art had just received his honor roll certificate a few hours earlier. His mother says he was thrilled--thrilled--about moving up into middle school next year.

It is literally sickening--sickening--to consider the innocent young lives that were stolen by this pointless, senseless brutality; to consider the parents and families who sat waiting at the civic center, waiting to either be reunited with their son or their daughter or to learn they never would be.

The investigation is still underway. The authorities will continue to learn exactly what happened and how. In the meantime, we are also praying for the Border Patrol officer who, according to reports, was wounded after he responded to the scene, and for all the law enforcement, paramedics, and first responders whose dedication yesterday saved lives.

Most of all, the entire Nation's hearts are broken for the victims and for their families. Words simply fail.

Yesterday, the Uvalde school superintendent said:

We're a small community [and] we're going to need your

prayers to get us through this.

We pray fervently that in the midst of this nightmare of grief, our Heavenly Father will make manifest to

those families his promise in Psalm 34 that ``the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.''

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, gas prices have set new alltime record highs every day for more than 2 weeks. Overall inflation is the worst it has been in more than 40 years. And the Biden administration is preparing to follow their botched Afghanistan retreat with a disastrous nuclear deal that would help Iran and hurt America.

But this week, the Senate Democrat majority is not taking action on any of those things; the Senate is instead spending the week cramming more far-left bureaucrats into the executive branch, where they will keep making these problems even worse.

Later today, Senate Democrats want to confirm as Assistant Administrator for EPA someone who has previously researched the environmental impact of football tailgating and concluding it would be best for the environment if the authorities--listen to this--banned charcoal grills and gas generators. This is no joke. Dr. Christopher Frey literally coauthored a research paper that argued that ``the most environmentally responsible policy would be . . . a universal ban on idling, charcoal grills, and old generators''--just the nominee the American people need confirmed by Memorial Day weekend.

So, honestly, where do they find these people? The same nominee wrote in defense of the illegal, job-killing so-called Clean Power Plan. As a past chairman of the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, he worked to politicize its work from outside.

Things aren't going any better at the committee level. This morning, the HELP Committee deadlocked on the nomination of Kalpana Kotagal, whom President Biden wants to put on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Kotagal is a liberal plaintiff's lawyer who is best known for rewriting Hollywood legal contracts to push movie casting toward racial quotas, gender quotas, and sexual orientation quotas. The President has found the one person in America who thinks liberal Hollywood is not woke enough.

The nominee also has a record of hostility to American energy. She has been both an official spokeswoman and a registered lobbyist for a far-left group that wants to eliminate fossil fuels. She is on the board of another organization that has frivolously sued the State of West Virginia over energy issues.

The American people know Washington Democrats' policies hurt working families. They have seen that in our colleagues' legislation. And it is more of the same when it comes to the nominees they are picking to design and carry out their tsunami of regulations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, on the campaign trail, Candidate Biden made some big promises for America's economic recovery. His campaign published ``the Biden Plan to revitalize Main Street and invest in small businesses'' and another ``to give America's working families the tools, choices, and freedom they need to build back better.'' So just how have the working families and small businesses fared with President Biden and the Democratic Party calling the shots? Sixty-nine percent of Americans say our economy right now is bad. Even more--77 percent--say they are pessimistic about costs rising even more in the coming months. Just last month, one longstanding measure of optimism among small business owners reached its lowest level on record.

Month after month, the historic high inflation Democrats helped unleash with runaway spending last spring is taking its toll on Americans' hope for the future, but more immediately, it is taking its toll on their wallets. More than a third of Americans say they are having difficulty paying for usual household expenses.

Just last month, the price of a gallon of milk was 16 percent higher than the year before. Gas prices are scraping the stratosphere. In Kentucky, the average price for a gallon of regular reached an alltime high 2 weeks ago. Today, it is 20 cents higher than that.

In Lexington, one resident who drives a rideshare put it this way:

I'm not trying to be a billionaire, I'm just trying to pay

some bills.

She is facing more pain at the pump, and so are the folks paying even more to fill up trucks, tractors, or delivery vans with diesel.

The costs behind small business owners' headaches are behind consumers' hardship.

But somehow, as our Nation reaps the effects of their first year of one-party control, Washington Democrats are operating as if the exact opposite conditions were afoot. After their spending bonanza helped kick off historic inflation, they want to pile on the biggest tax hikes in history. After their radical day 1 climate agenda hammered the most affordable forms of American energy, they want to double down on far- left fantasies.

As the Biden administration passed its 100th day in office, I urged the President to ``recommit to solving our nation's actual problems.'' Well, here we are, approaching his administration's 500th day in office. By now, America's working families have figured out for themselves that the so-called ``Biden Plan'' for them is just a fast track to historic hardships.

Madam President, the Country Music Highway cuts through seven counties in eastern Kentucky that have produced some of the finest singers in American history, from Loretta Lynn, to Chris Stapleton, to Ricky Skaggs. Now, this formidable list of world-famous Kentucky country artists has a new member: Noah Thompson. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Noah for becoming the first Kentuckian to win ``American Idol.''

A few months ago, few people--even in Noah's hometown of Louisa--had ever heard America's best new vocalist perform. Noah was working as a construction worker at Addiction Recovery Care, had never sung publicly, and hadn't even been musically trained. When Noah's best friend Arthur signed

him up for ``American Idol,'' the singer worried about making it past auditions, never imagining he would earn the ``golden ticket'' to Hollywood, let alone become a finalist.

But Arthur believed Noah had a special talent, and, after several arduous rounds, he emerged victorious after receiving the most votes out of 16 million cast by fans all across the country. In the process, he brought the ``American Idol'' camera crew back to Louisa to film a hometown video with community leaders, his family, and thousands of fans. He shined a light on eastern Kentucky, sharing the special culture and history that makes the region such a hotbed for musical talent.

Throughout the contest, Noah radiated humility and warmth. Labeled the ``king of `aw shucks' '' by one of the judges, he entered every round of competition with the best of Kentucky's attitude and spirit. Even when Noah caught COVID-19 and had to isolate in his hotel room, he performed cheerfully and continued to win viewers' hearts.

I am proud of Noah for winning this contest and jumping headfirst into what I can only imagine will be a successful musical career. And I am proud of Louisa, KY, for producing such a fine young gentleman to represent the Commonwealth on the national stage. On behalf of the Senate, I share our congratulations with Noah and wish him the best as he pursues his dreams as a recording artist.

Mr. President, Americans' concern about violent crime is the highest it has been in 6 years, and the statistics plainly show why that is. Between 2019 and 2020, the murder rate shot up by the largest 1-year increase in over a century, and the rate has kept on rising.

Nearly 60 percent more law enforcement officers were killed in 2021 compared to 2020. Cities all across America set alltime record highs for homicides last year. My hometown of Louisville, KY, was one of those cities. We also now average more than one carjacking every 48 hours.

Innocent citizens across America know this situation has literally spiraled out of control, but, unfortunately, the Biden administration and Senate Democrats continue to team up and find new ways to go soft on crime. The nomination and confirmation of Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court crowns a deliberate effort by Democrats to make the Federal judiciary literally softer on crime. They are specifically intentionally stuffing the Federal bench full of men and women whose starting perspective tilts toward sympathy for criminals rather than victims.

Even the New York Times had to admit this ``concerted push by the Biden administration'' to prefer nominees with ``experience in criminal defense work'' is ``a sea change in the world of judicial nominations.''

The Times continued:

The type of high-profile murder cases handled by some of

Mr. Biden's nominees would have been considered disqualifying

only a few years ago; now the president, who himself served

briefly as a public defender early in his legal career, is

actively seeking to name more jurists who have [that kind of]

experience.

So, Mr. President, we are not arguing that public defenders ought to be excluded from the nomination process. Clearly, their work is important. Everyone deserves a lawyer, even the most heinous criminals. But the American people are not exactly clamoring for President Biden to dramatically tilt the entire judiciary toward the criminal-friendly perspective--least of all during this historic crime surge.

This week, with a long list of serious problems facing the country, the Democratic majority has decided to spend floor time on another judicial nominee with this one particular background, a second nominee who appeared during her committee hearing to be unfamiliar with a basic concept in trial law, and a third nominee whose

pro bono record includes helping sue the New York City government over policing and trying to reverse another person's robbery conviction. So I would urge Senators to oppose these controversial nominees.

I am proud to be one of many Republicans joining a new resolution from Senator Cassidy begging this all-Democratic government to prioritize solutions for the violent crime wave. To start, the administration should stop this willful--willful--campaign to make the judiciary systemically softer on crime. Innocent Americans can't afford it.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, yesterday, in a bipartisan landslide, the Senate advanced legislation to get more arms and assistance to the innocent people of Ukraine.

Senators Collins, Cornyn, Barrasso, and I just returned last night from Europe. Our first stop was Kyiv. It was moving to feel some of the impacts of Putin's aggression, to see a free and independent nation made to literally fight for its life. But it was also inspiring to witness the bravery and the determination that have united Ukrainians in the face of this onslaught.

Ukraine has had more than its share of domestic political differences in recent years. Putin must have thought some Ukrainians would welcome--would actually welcome--invading Russian forces. Instead, both Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking Ukrainians have united in defense of their sovereign nation. Some predicted Ukraine would fold in a few days and Russia would stroll right to Kyiv. That was wrong too. Ukraine is tough, and Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands, with life moving back toward normalcy despite the continued threat.

Our delegation was honored to meet with President Zelenskyy. He expressed his gratitude to the United States for our leadership and support on a bipartisan basis, as well as for other countries that have stood by his people in their time of need. America is not the only free country that has Ukraine's back. President Zelenskyy was moved by certain European countries who have given Ukraine, in his words, literally ``everything they had.'' Of course, other European countries can and should do more to help Ukraine. And the administration should lead an effort to ensure broad, sustained international support for Ukraine.

America's support for Ukraine has highlighted the limits to our stockpiles of certain munitions and shortcomings in our own defense production capacity. A number of European countries have dipped even deeper into their weapons inventories. They will need a refill as well.

As our European friends wake up from their ``holiday from history'' and increase defense spending, I hope the United States will be a reliable supplier of advanced weaponry to our NATO allies, a textbook win-win.

Our delegation reiterated to President Zelenskyy the bipartisan consensus which the Senate demonstrated with last night's vote. The United States of America has Ukraine's back and will stand with our friends until they win.

Ukraine is not asking anybody to fight their fight for them. They are only asking for help in getting the resources and tools they need to defend themselves. And we and our friends and partners across the free world will stand behind Ukraine until they achieve victory as they define it. The outcome of this fight has major ramifications for the West, and the Ukrainians should not be left to stand all alone.

As an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Senate reaffirmed yesterday, America's decision to support Ukraine is not some frivolous act of

charity. It serves our own national security and strategic interests for international borders to continue to actually mean something. It serves our own security and interest to impose massive costs on Putin's long-running campaign of violent imperialism. And it directly and powerfully serves our national interest to deter potential future wars of aggression before they start.

So, Madam President, I assure you that President Xi and the CCP are watching Ukraine carefully. There is a concrete reason why democratic Asian countries like Japan and Taiwan are rooting hard for Ukraine to prevail. Moreover, if we are stuck in a long-term strategic competition with China, we will want a stable, secure, and strong Europe on our side.

Speaking of America's national interest, our delegation also visited what we hope and expect will soon be the two newest members of the NATO alliance. We arrived in Stockholm and Helsinki just as the leaders of Sweden and Finland announced their nations will seek to join the alliance that has secured peace in Europe for more than 73 years.

It was an honor to have robust discussions with Prime Minister Andersson, Defense Minister Hultqvist, and key parliamentary leaders in Stockholm; and President Niinisto, Prime Minister Marin, Defense Minister Kaikkonen, and parliamentary leaders in Helsinki. I gave them my assurance as Senate Republican leader that I fully support both Finland's and Sweden's accession. I will do all I can to speed treaty ratification through the Senate.

Finland and Sweden are impressive and capable countries, with military capabilities that surpass many of our existing NATO allies. As new members, they would more than pull their weight.

These two nations' geographic locations are strategic. They have well-equipped and professional armed forces. Their military and high- tech industrial bases are robust. There is already significant interoperability that connects their defenses and NATO's. I will have more to say on this subject in the days and weeks ahead. Finland and Sweden would make NATO even stronger than it stands today.

Finally, it must be noted that our delegation was not the most important group of Americans shipping out to stand with our friends in Europe--not by a longshot. There are 100,000 American soldiers currently stationed in Europe to bolster the peace and shore up NATO. This includes the Kentucky-based V Corps.

And we received word just last week that 4,700 members of the 101st Airborne from Kentucky's Fort Campbell will also travel to Europe in the coming months. The Screaming Eagles have a long history of defending America's national security interests in Europe. I am proud of these brave men and women for being ready to deploy at a moment's notice. I am proud America can make this peaceful contribution to our allies' sovereignty and strength in Europe, and I am proud of the entire Fort Campbell community for keeping these men and women well- prepared for this mission.

Madam President, now on another matter, by early 2020, before the pandemic, Republican policies had helped create one of the best economic moments for working Americans literally in our lifetimes. Unemployment was low, inflation was low, and real take-home pay was rising steadily. In fact, we had wages rising faster for the bottom 25 percent of the wage scale than for the top 25 percent.

The incoming all-Democratic government was handed a reopening economy and a million vaccines going into arms per day. The country was packed with optimism and primed for a comeback. But through their far-left policy choices, Washington Democrats have driven our economy right into the ground. Inflation is setting 40-year records in consecutive months; gas and diesel prices have set new all-time highs on consecutive days; and sticker shock continues to cause headaches for Americans buying household essentials.

One college student in California said that buying groceries has him ``taking extra loans to pay for my expenses. I'm maxing out my credit cards.'' A woman in Virginia reports she has taken to visiting three different food stores in one trip to make sure she is getting the best prices on everything she needs. A warehouse worker in New Jersey says she and her husband are spending more time hunting for coupons.

It's not a lot, but I'm trying to buy healthy things that

also fill us up.

Overall grocery prices have jumped 10 percent in the past year, just one part of why many Americans say the Biden economy is not working for them. Fewer than one in four American consumers say the current economic conditions are even somewhat good, and fewer than one in five say the Biden administration's policies have done anything to help.

Democrats made runaway reckless spending their new normal here in Washington. So historic, painful inflation has become the new normal for working families everywhere else.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, for months, the brave people of Ukraine have been fighting valiantly in a war they did not ask for. Their defense of their homeland from the Russian invasion has already far surpassed the expectations of all the skeptics.

Ukraine is not asking anybody else to do their fighting for them. They ask only for the resources they need to defend themselves against this lawless aggression.

I strongly support the next package of lethal military assistance which the House has passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. I hope the Senate can reach an agreement to consider and pass this legislation today. The Ukrainians need it. We need to do it today.

Helping Ukraine is not an instance of mere philanthropy. It bears directly on America's national security and vital interests that Russia's naked aggression not succeed and carries significant costs. If Ukraine fails to repel Russian aggression, there is no question that the threat to America and European security will actually grow.

Our Nation's history is packed--packed--with painful reminders that America cannot wish away global problems that affect us and our allies simply by burying our head in the sand.

I applaud the strong Republican vote for this crucial assistance over in the House and urge my Senate colleagues on both sides to help us pass this urgent funding bill today.