Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 8035, which would eliminate all nonmilitary funding in this Ukrainian aid package.

Breaking this down a bit, that would mean cutting nearly $10.5 billion, with a b, from this whopping $60 billion Ukrainian bill.

To date, American taxpayers have already given $113 billion to Ukraine since Russia's invasion.

This new spending, $60 billion, is designated as emergency spending, meaning it goes straight to our national debt, a national debt that grows every single second to the tune of $8 billion every single day.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, there has been robust debate in Congress, in this Chamber, about the United States' role in the war. While we here in this Chamber disagree on the role that we should play, there is one thing that I hope we can agree on: We as United States Representatives should not--I repeat, should not--forsake our own national security in favor of another nation. We should not secure the borders of nations abroad while simultaneously ignoring the very real and very dangerous border crisis in our own country.

While we should debate the merits of providing funds for weapons and equipment to defeat Russia in this conflict, funds that fall outside of immediate, narrow, and lethal aid should not warrant the same urgency or consideration.

All told, sections of this bill that are not lethal aid come to about $10.5 billion, with the bulk of it going to support the Ukrainian economy--not the American economy, the Ukrainian economy. Anyone who is living under Biden's economic plan right now knows that it sucks.

We need to be clear. This is emergency spending, again, going straight to our national debt, full stop. Again, we are borrowing $8 billion a day.

Over the past 20 years, Congress has designated $12 trillion in emergency spending. With these funds in the bill that are not designated for military purposes, the American people are resigned once again to absorbing another $10.5 billion to support Ukraine and their economy, while simultaneously adding the debt to our $34.7 trillion national debt. That is simply unacceptable.

We are robbing Peter to pay Paul, and the American people are once again left holding the bag. You cannot stand here on this Chamber's floor as a Representative of the American people in the people's House and sincerely say that you have done everything possible to look out for American national security and American economic security if we don't narrow the focus of this bill.

We have to adopt this amendment. By the way, while I was speaking, we have added another $5.5 million to the national debt.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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