Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act. This provides Ukraine with desperately needed aid and munitions to fight back against tyranny, against Putin's tyranny. Vladimir Putin's greed, aggression, and unyielding pursuit of power, has led to grievous loss of life and humanitarian devastation. The cruelty against innocent civilians at the hands of Putin and his cronies is devastating, and we know very well that Russia's invasion is not only a threat to Ukraine's physical security, but it is also a threat to the very core of Ukrainian and global democracy. Putin is betting that he can outlast the will and the determination of Ukraine, the United States, and other Western allies. Some in this body seem inclined to prove him right. We must prove him definitively wrong. It is completely misguided. It is an affront to our Nation's history and our heritage to suggest that we would be putting America first by retreating from the world stage. We put America first by demonstrating the power of American leadership, that we have the strength and the resolve and the heart to fight for the most vulnerable people, protect their freedom, and preserve their dignity. This bill will provide $14 billion for the training, equipment, weapons, logistics support, intelligence, and other supplies and resources to support Ukraine's military. It will provide nearly the same amount for us, the United States, to replenish our own equipment stocks. It also provides $9.5 billion in forgivable loans to support the Ukrainian economy, and $20.5 billion for the U.S. Armed Forces to assist in Ukraine with mission support, intelligence support, pay, equipment, and other resources. If Ukraine does not receive this support which it requires and needs to defeat Russia's outrageous assault on its sovereign territory, the legacy of this Congress will be the appeasement of a dictator, destruction of an allied nation, and a fractured Europe; gone will be the post-war order that has kept Europe free and prosperous; gone will be our credibility in the eyes of our allies and our adversaries; and gone will be the America that promised to stand up for freedom, democracy, and human rights, wherever they are threatened or wherever they are under attack. Our allies are facing existential threats, and our friends and foes around the world are watching and waiting to see how America will respond. Vladimir Putin is watching. Our allies in NATO and across Europe are watching. What course will America take? We must stop Putin in his tracks right now. The world must see our resolve. We need to support Ukraine. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker Emerita.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the distinguished Democratic leader.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, who has been indefatigable and courageous in her struggle to support the Ukrainian people.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the ranking member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Defense Subcommittee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), the ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Chairman, this needs to be a proud moment for all of us. This country, this great United States of America has always led, has always taken the high ground and the moral responsibility to do the right thing, to support a nation which has only asked us to help them maintain their sovereignty, maintain democracy, and let them ally with us in the United States. The Speaker of this House has come out in support of aid to Ukraine. He said: History judges us for what we do. This is a critical time on the world stage. The Speaker continued: ``I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.'' We need to send military equipment, arms, what Ukraine needs to defeat an aggressor who is responsible for the death of millions of civilians. We have a moment today to say ``no'' to tyranny. We have a moment to take back the moral high ground for the United States and say that we do not walk away from an ally; we do not walk away from freedom; we do not walk away from human rights; we do not walk away from democracy. That is not the United States of America. Winston Churchill once said: ``Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.'' We know of no nation today who has had the courage to continue as Ukraine has, and the United States needs to have the courage to stand up and to help them continue when it counts and defeat a tyrant and autocrat whose relish for power knows no bounds. It is our moral responsibility. Today, we need to stand with Ukraine. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, this war is an existential conflict for Ukraine. As important, it is a test for the United States and the United States leadership. One of the best tools we have to get the Ukrainians what they need is Presidential drawdown authority. This allows the United States to send equipment from our stocks to the frontline in a matter of days. There isn't time to delay. This amendment would cut that authority from $7.8 billion to $100 million. It ties our hands and, yes, it hamstrings the Ukrainian military to do the job that they need to do to defeat Putin. We all lose if Ukraine succumbs to Putin's ambitions, and it will not stop there. Putin, in 2016, asserted that Russia's borders do not end-- and this is a quote--do not end anywhere. Russian officials just this spring have threatened Finland, Romania, Armenia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Moldova. Removing the best tool that the United States has to exercise, in terms of a moral clarity and responsibility, that we can move quickly to arm our allies would be a grave mistake. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to please vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, in a post-World War II construct, the United States is the witness to the world on the values of democracy and freedom. These values have provided the United States of America with strong allies across the globe. It has helped our partners in Europe and NATO to support Ukraine against Vladimir Putin's unjust war. If we do not provide munitions, Ukraine will fall and Putin will be emboldened. The Greene amendment allows Putin to control Europe. Abdicating our leadership role and promises to our allies cannot happen. We must support Ukraine's defense. The world prior to World War II was unstable with authoritarian fascist leaders seeking power. Voting ``no'' on this amendment will ensure that history does not, in fact, repeat itself, and I urge all my colleagues to do so. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Defense Subcommittee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), the ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which will provide Israel with desperately needed aid to respond to the horrific October 7 attacks and protect itself from Iran and its proxies. What happened in Israel on October 7 was horrifying. On a recent trip to Israel, I saw firsthand the remnants of the violence that innocent people were subjected to, including the site of the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival that Hamas attacked, Kibbutz Be'eri and the homes where so many were massacred, and Hostage Square where I met with families of those taken hostage by Hamas. The United States has not forgotten October 7. Today, we are providing the aid Israel has needed since the day Hamas terrorists killed innocent Israeli civilians in the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust. Just last weekend, Israel was openly and directly attacked by Iran. I applaud the role of the United States in providing Israel with support in its defense against that attack. While we must ensure Israel can stand strong in the face of adversaries like Iran that seek its annihilation, we must also ensure that every step possible is taken to protect innocent life in Gaza and elsewhere. On my trip, we also went to Khirbet Zanutah, a Palestinian village in the West Bank where settlers destroyed homes and a school. On the trip, we were also briefed from Gaza by humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA, which have lost hundreds of staff to the violence. To that end, I have called for an immediate cease-fire of at least 6 weeks to facilitate the safe delivery of aid to civilians in Gaza. We must protect aid workers. We must open additional crossings to bring in at least 500 trucks a day and ensure that food is never used as a weapon of war. Innocent families are in danger, children are starving, and civilian casualties are mounting, not just in Gaza but in conflict zones all around the world. The more than $9 billion in humanitarian support in this bill would make sure that we are not leaving Gazans, the Ukrainians, the Sudanese, the Haitians, or the Rohingya behind. We must pass this bill and ensure Israel has the resources it needs to defend itself and that much-needed humanitarian aid can flow to millions of vulnerable people around the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge your support, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), who is a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan), who is a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. This bill provides urgently needed humanitarian aid for millions of civilians who have been caught in the crossfire across many theaters, whether it is Ukraine against Russian aggression; Israel in its war against Iran and its proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis; or our Indo-Pacific partners against an adversarial China. Innocent families are in danger today. Children are starving, and civilian casualties are mounting in conflict zones all around the world. The humanitarian support in this bill would make sure that we are not leaving these people behind. It is, again, so critically important that the United States demonstrate its support for its allies, and its leadership when it comes to humanitarian assistance, wherever it is needed. We come here to govern. We come here to take our responsibilities seriously, and I believe that the majority of people here do take responsibilities seriously. Today, we have the ability to help to make a difference. In this piece of legislation, in addition to our support for our ally, Israel, we have the moral responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance. The United States cannot stand by and watch people starve to death and be caught in crossfires without our standing up and saying: ``No.'' I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill. As I said at another meeting this week, the moment has met us. We need to meet that moment Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, the work, and memory of one of America's most impactful authors, Roberta ``Robie'' Harris. Robie, a gifted writer, a fierce advocate for free speech, a treasured friend. An educator at heart, she wrote to answer the questions that children asked her, the questions about how to understand their changing bodies, feelings, and experiences of the world they grew up in. Her award-winning writing treated children with respect and autonomy, covered a wide variety of topics from engineering and architecture to nutrition and genetics. There are few people in this life who are kindred spirits. Robie was one for me. I am forever grateful for her friendship, humor, and generosity. Her illustrator and dear friend, Michael Emberly, described her best when he said: ``She was a complicated human being in the best sense, and she had one of the best attributes you can say about a human being--she was memorable.'' I will always remember and be inspired by Robie. My heart is with her family as they grieve. Robie's passion for working with children was a shared mission. Her husband, Bill, founded KidsPac, which advocates for early-childhood education. Her sons, David and Ben, have followed in their footsteps, working to address child poverty in this country and psychological needs. Life without Robie will never feel the same again, but through her writing and her continued work and the work of her family, her kind and her generous spirit will always be with us.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a national tragedy that impacts all Americans. I continue to pray for the families of the bridge workers who were lost in this catastrophe. While our hearts are with them, and with Maryland, the impacts of this disaster have a national and global reach. The Port of Baltimore is one of the most critical pieces of maritime infrastructure in the United States, directly and indirectly employing thousands of hardworking Americans far beyond the Chesapeake Bay. Small businesses up and down the East Coast and across the country will feel the impacts of this disruption, and we must do all we can to minimize the economic toll they will bear, and to protect the workers they employ. While the focus remains on clearing the channel and returning port operations to their full capacity, I stand with President Biden along with Maryland's state and local leaders and Congressional delegation-- we will do all we can to assist those impacted by the loss of this thoroughfare and the closure of the Port of Baltimore. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide the resources needed to rebuild and recover.