Madam President, 7 weeks ago, on September 21, the U.S. Senate, on a bipartisan basis, gathered with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the Old Senate Chamber. We don't often use that Chamber. It is often used for incidents that become…
Madam President, 7 weeks ago, on September 21, the U.S. Senate, on a bipartisan basis, gathered with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the Old Senate Chamber. We don't often use that Chamber. It is often used for incidents that become embedded in history, and this was one of them. It was a historic moment.
Many things were said about the courage of the Ukrainian people and the heroism of the troops fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's unjust war, but I recall one particular plea made by President Zelenskyy--and he repeated it. So it was clear he wanted us to remember. I will stress here what he said:
Without the continued financial support of the United
States and NATO, we will lose this war.
He was unequivocal.
Secretary of Defense Austin told me clearly at last week's Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that he agreed with Zelenskyy.
Secretary of State Blinken added that such assistance is critical in thwarting not just Putin but aggressors around the world who are watching and gauging our sustained commitment.
I agree completely. Looking at the world today, I do not believe it is a stretch to say that freedom is currently under siege and fighting for its future. Right now, several democracies across the globe are fighting against tyrannical powers--in some cases, autocratic governments; in others, terrorist organizations--that seek to undermine the global order. But this much is clear: Democratic values are under siege, and the United States and our generation have a responsibility to act.
Two weeks ago, President Biden requested $106 billion in supplemental funding for national security. This includes money to help supply Ukraine with weapons to continue its valiant fight against Russian aggression. It includes money to help Israel defend itself against Hamas, which, on October 7, perpetrated the largest attack against Jewish people than on any single day since the Holocaust. And, importantly, it also includes billions of dollars to support humanitarian needs across those conflict zones around the world, including the crisis in Gaza, because, as important as it is to support nations like Ukraine in their struggle against tyranny, it is equally as important to support innocent citizens who so often become collateral damage and bear the brunt of suffering during periods of conflict.
At the Appropriations Committee hearing last week, Secretaries Blinken and Austin underscored the necessity of this funding request. They made clear that it is critical to deliver the urgent national security priorities as laid out in the President's request.
These challenges facing the world are interrelated. So it is important that we deliver aid in one unified package that speaks to America's values abroad.
I asked Secretaries Blinken and Austin about the recent visit by the terrorist organization Hamas leadership to--believe it or not--Putin in Moscow. Secretary Blinken was blunt: Putin is allied with any effort that may distract the United States from the war in
Ukraine or that undermines democracy and the rule of law.
The Secretary added that other malign actors are watching closely to assess America's reaction and resolve. That is why one comprehensive supplemental that can address all of these interconnected global needs is the only way forward.
When asked about the United States' role in the world, President Biden explained that we have not only the financial responsibility but the moral responsibility to support democracies worldwide.
I agree. Right now, the global community faces profound challenges, the outcomes of which will reverberate to every corner of the world for decades to come. As a global superpower, America has an essential role to play in defending freedom. It is not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do.
Last week, the House provided a Republican-led plan to provide billions of dollars only to Israel, tragically ignoring this call for leadership.
Madam President, I just challenge everyone to take a look at how Republicans put together this package--even this package of aid to Israel. The House bill would cynically cut funding from the Internal Revenue Service that is being used to help auditors catch wealthy tax cheaters in America. The House Speaker wants to cut that.
The Presiding Officer and I represent thousands of Illinoisans, good families who know their tax obligations. They are not happy about them, but they face them and deal with them honestly. Only a handful of people are misusing their power and money to avoid tax responsibility. We need to stop that. They need to pay their fair share of taxes, particularly the wealthy among us.
So how does the House Republican leadership pay for aid to Israel? It eliminates auditors from the Internal Revenue Service who are trying to catch these tax cheaters.
What are they thinking?
Incidentally, that means that the auditors are not recovering the money for our Treasury that is owed to it, and they add to the deficit. This bunch of fiscal hawks, given the chance for a first real act of the new Speaker, decide to find a way to avoid holding tax cheaters responsible and adding to the national deficit. They need some work over there. That bill is a nonstarter that Putin must be enjoying.
Protecting our national security interests and defending American values will take a bipartisan effort, not political games. As such, I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass this funding package and help reassure the global community, as long as there is a United States of America, we will be standing for freedom across the world.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.