Update: After the legislation finally passed the United States Senate earlier this week, with both Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn voting in support of the measure, the bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Saturday, May 21.
A $40 Billion aid package marked to support Ukraine passed the United States House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support on Tuesday, with unified Democrats joining a supermajority of Republicans in giving the spending bill a 368-57 passage but is now stalled in the Senate due to objections from Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky).
Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX11) was one of the Republicans who joined the unified Democrats in voting to support the spending bill that came at the request of the Biden Administration.
The bill constituted the second appropriation of aid to support Ukraine that Congress has recently passed, with a $14 Billion aid package having been approved in March.
The spending package was reported to include $6 billion to arm and train Ukrainian forces, $8.7 billion to resupply American weapon stockpiles that had already been given to Ukraine, $3.9 billion for deployed U.S. Forces, $8.8 billion for economic support to Ukraine, and $4 billion to help Ukraine finance arms purchases.
Pfluger issued a statement Thursday regarding his vote in support of the spending package, saying he has voted against over $5 trillion in federal spending since assuming office, however, Pfluger says his vote for this bill was about national security.
“Since being sworn into Congress a year ago, I have voted against over $5 Trillion in wasteful spending. I’ve fought the Democrats on border security, inflationary spending, and a mis prioritization of matters of American national security. We know that Russian policy has been targeting the oil & gas industry—specifically the Permian Basin for years. The question before us was truly one of national security. I voted to restock the United States’ depleted stockpile of weapons, to manufacture weapons in America, and ensure our allies will continue buying made-in-America weapons. Additionally, I voted to further support U.S. troops stationed in Eastern Europe—all while ensuring EU countries pay their fair share. Ukraine is a test for the West. If Russia is allowed to destroy a sovereign nation, our adversaries in communist China will certainly be watching and the consequences will be dire.”
Congressman August Pfluger
Pfluger also blamed the Biden Administration for the record high inflation that is hitting the nation.
It was widely reported this week that the City of Midland, which Pfluger represents, is experiencing the highest inflation rates in the nation.
“The Historic inflation that is crippling our Nation—hitting Midland and the Permian Basin the hardest—is due to President Biden’s trillions in wasteful big-government spending bills,” Pfluger wrote in a statement.
Not all Republicans were in agreement on the Ukrainian aid bill, including neighboring Texas Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX21) who was one of the 57 votes in the House against the bill.
Roy lashed out on the House floor with passionate criticism against how members did not have sufficient time to read the bill before it was rushed to passage and questioned whether the bill put foreign interests over addressing the immediate needs of the American people.
“We got a 40-billion-dollar bill at 3 o’clock in the afternoon I haven’t had a chance to review the bill, my staff is pouring over the bill to see what’s in it,” Roy said.
“You want to talk about standing alongside Ukraine? Why don’t we actually have a debate on the floor of the people’s house instead of the garbage of getting a $40-billion-dollar bill at 3 PM in the afternoon. Not paid for, without having any idea of what is really in it, with a massive slush fund,” Roy also said, while angrily questioning some of the spending provisions contained in the bill, and ending saying, “We got $40 billion that is unpaid for and you want to sit here and lecture this body about what we are going to do or not do to support Ukraine? Why don’t we talk about the American people who are hurting, the wide-open borders, the inflation that is killing people. I make a motion to adjourn!”
The bill also met opposition from Republicans in the Senate on Thursday, with Senator Rand Paul taking to the floor of the Senate to speak out against its passage saying the continued deficit spending would add to the already high inflation American’s are experiencing and saying the U.S. would have to borrow the money from China to give to Ukraine.
“If this passes, our total aide to Ukraine will almost total the entire military budget of Russia, and it’s not as if we have that money laying around, we will have to borrow that money from China to send it to Ukraine,” Paul said in his Senate objection.
“This packages towers over domestic priorities as well,” Paul added, pointing out how the $60 billion exceeds the entire budget for the Department of Homeland Security, and for the Department of Energy.
“With a $30 trillion debt, the U.S. cannot afford to be the world’s policemen.” Paul emphasized.
Senator Paul’s objection of the bill is expected to hold up its passage until next week, with Paul demanding leadership add a provision that would require a special inspector general oversee how the money is spent and track where the funds and weapons go, saying it would be “irresponsible” to appropriate $40 billion without knowing what happens to it.