Providing for Consideration of S. Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend- Lease Act of and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, many people say ours is a nation of immigrants. But our Nation also has an unfortunate history of political opportunists who attack the latest wave of immigrants and seek to stoke fear and chaos in order to gain or cling to power.

Whether the attacks were against my ancestors, the Irish; those at the southern border today; or the many other groups in between, we have heard the same language and scare tactics year after year, generation after generation. But then as now, those attacks are a sham. They are attention-seeking to divide and distract us from their proponents' lack of seriousness, their lack of solutions, and, at times, their own misconduct.

Now, I rise today in support of the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend- Lease Act and hope to send it quickly to President Biden's desk. The Senate acted quickly to pass this bill and send it our way.

Eighty years ago, the U.S. created the lend-lease program to provide military and humanitarian aid to Great Britain and our Allies in Europe as they stood on the front lines to oppose the Axis powers that threatened democracies around the world, including our own.

Today, the Ukrainian people are standing on the front lines in the fight for democracy and against tyranny. The U.S. needs to provide them with every possible measure of humanitarian and military aid.

To date, Congress and President Biden have led the world in supporting the Ukrainian people, sending nearly $14 billion in food, medical supplies, and military assistance to Ukraine, working in close collaboration with our allies.

With this aid, the Ukrainian armed forces have been incredibly effective in opposing Putin's unlawful and unprovoked invasion. But the Ukrainian success is dependent on them having the equipment and supplies to continue fighting, and this bill will ensure that they do.

This is a bill that every freedom- and democracy-loving Member of the House should support, and I look forward to its swift passage on the floor.

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