Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of my amendment No. 13 to the fiscal year 2025 State-Foreign Operations bill.

This amendment prohibits funds for the TechCamp public diplomacy program within the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

If you believe its website, the TechCamp ``creates connections, sparks innovation, and empowers civil society to solve the world's most pressing challenges through technology.''

In reality, the actual purpose of the TechCamp program is to spread progressive ideology around the world. What is even more shocking is that the TechCamp is linked to Anatoly Bondarenko, and he is a trainer for the taxpayer-funded program. Bondarenko is a founder of the Texty.org.UA, which placed me and 116 Representatives on a hit list for not supporting Ukraine.

Americans should not have to fund efforts to propagandize foreign countries with progressive ideology. Neither should they have to fund programs that have taxpayer-funded organizations that create hit lists that potentially threaten the security of American leaders.

Let's defund the wasteful TechCamp program. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I find this priceless, that it is hindering violent extremism. I just indicated that over 100 of my colleagues were listed on a hit list. Talk about extremism. That is the key component of this.

If everybody has to suffer, I don't think that we will have any problems when we hang these people out to dry that have actually abused this program, and maybe we will have some more civil society in that regard.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, once again, I ask everybody to vote for this amendment because it is hypocrisy at its finest. I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of my amendment No. 14 to the fiscal year 2025 State-Foreign Operations bill.

My amendment prohibits funds for foreign military sales to Ukraine. The Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, Program is a form of security assistance authorized by the Arms Export Control Act.

As of June 7, the United States has spent nearly $600 million in active government-to-government sales cases with Ukraine under the FMS Program. The United States should not approve of foreign military sales to authoritarian foreign countries like Ukraine.

Ukraine has arrested priests, raided a monastery, suspended 11 opposition political parties, and consolidated all television platforms into a single state channel. The country does not even allow Presidential elections.

Even more shocking is that the FMS Program may be used to supply Ukraine with American weapons that can be used to strike inside Russia.

Last May, the State Department approved a possible emergency foreign military sale to Ukraine of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. Concerningly, just last month, an American-supplied HIMARS rocket system was reportedly likely used in an attack inside of Russia. I, for one, would rather not have American weapons being used on the territory of a country we are not even at war with.

President Eisenhower once said: ``A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment.''

We cannot keep the peace when the weapons of our military establishment are being wielded against a third party, against another great power. If you truly support global democracy and liberty, end the foreign military sales to Ukraine.

Mr. Chair, I ask that my colleagues vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, yes, we are very good friends.

I will tell you once again, saying this out loud and putting it in writing is very important, because this is going to go to the Senate, and the Senate is going to have an objective. When you put something down on a piece of paper, they are going to have to take notice of this. From that standpoint, that is why I want this in this bill. It may not have a place yet in this bill, but the Senate also has to know the intentions of this House. The House has its own independent inclinations.

I have got to tell you: We are a third party in an unending war. You have got to be kidding me. I thought we were the only ones who could declare war, the House, the Congress. I have to object to my dear friend and say, listen, I would like this to be put in there.

Mr. Chair, I would ask everybody to vote for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment No. 15 to the fiscal year 2025 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

Amendment No. 15 prohibits funds for the Bilateral Security Agreement between the United States of America and Ukraine. The Bilateral Security Agreement between the United States and Ukraine was signed this month by Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The agreement erroneously implies that Ukraine is a democracy, despite being an authoritarian country that does not even allow Presidential elections.

The agreement also reaffirms that ``Ukraine's future is in NATO,'' even though the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO is one reason the Russian-Ukraine conflict escalated, on top of other things.

While war hawks and neocons are further provoking conflict with Russia, they are also cheapening their golden calf, NATO, by advocating for Ukraine's admission into the alliance.

The agreement further states: ``It is the policy of the United States to support providing sustainable levels of security assistance for Ukraine in support of the objectives outlined in the Bilateral Security Agreement and associated implementation arrangements.''

By putting pen to paper on an executive agreement, Joe Biden is doubling down on billions more of future taxpayers' support for Ukraine. The United States has given $175 billion in emergency support to Ukraine so far while the invasion along our southern border goes ignored by this administration.

When is enough enough? Only Congress should have the power of the purse.

Under the National Emergency Act, we see that the President and the executive branch actually share that power with us. We should not be strong-armed by an executive who wants to drag America into another forever war. Let's put this administration in check.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, there is a great message that this sends. It says this is the time for peace.

When are we going to stop these forever wars? Why don't we get out on top of this aspect and really come clean with the American people?

How do wars even start? Does anybody say that Russian President Putin actually went to the U.N. twice to say: Listen, there was an invasion in my country where 14,000 of my citizens were killed?

I have no fond respect for Vladimir Putin, but he has a right to protect his people. I say that this sends a very clear message that it is time for peace. In fact, I was one of those people who actually offered that. The Cactus League in Arizona is a great time to have people out in Arizona to watch baseball games, and you can talk peace afterward. It is time for peace, not war.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I ask everybody to vote for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of my amendment No. 16 to the fiscal year 2025 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

My amendment prohibits funds for the Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery. Think about that: Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery.

The purpose of the Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery is to work with various actors to ``help forge Ukraine's future as a prosperous, secure, European democracy.'' A European democracy, that is pretty interesting.

It is a slap in the face of hardworking Americans that we are wasting taxpayer dollars to pay for this Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, but there is no such position for America's economic recovery that has been so ravaged by this administration's Bidenflation.

Our national debt is approaching $35 trillion, with $1 trillion being added to that debt every 100 days. The national debt is the leading cause of Bidenflation, the downgrade in credit rating, and overall poor economy.

Since this administration took office, the price index for food consumed at home increased by 21 percent. Energy prices have shot up by more than a third since Biden assumed office.

The U.S. economy is hurting, and American families are struggling. While Americans find it difficult to afford energy and healthy food because of this administration's disastrous domestic economic policies, this administration is giving Ukraine a blank check. This is unacceptable.

Let's defund the wasteful Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery and commit to putting America first.

Mr. Chair, I ask for a ``yes'' vote on my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, European democracy: There is an oxymoron right there.

How about Europe handling this person?

How can there be economic recovery in Ukraine when we can't even do it here at home?

That is sick. That is absolutely sick.

Our taxpayer dollars, $36 trillion, how well are we going to have the establishment in this world bearing $36 trillion in debt, soon to be $50 trillion?

I find this unacceptable that this should be flying right through because this is unbelievable. We are in a proxy war that we never condoned.

We are over here funneling money right and left, and we can't even support our southern border?

Give me a break. Give me a break. Give the American taxpayers a break.

It is time for us to get serious about this. It is time for peace. It is time for us to show our power in the fact that we can mitigate peace, and everybody can honor their promises to each other.

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Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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