From Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)’s office:
ICYMI: At Press Conference, Spanberger Urges Speaker Johnson to Bring Bipartisan National Security Bill to U.S. House Floor, Deliver Aid for Ukraine, Israel, & Taiwan
Congresswoman: “Are We, The United States of America — The Most Extraordinary Nation on Earth — Going to Walk Away from What is Our Responsibility?”
**DOWNLOADABLE VIDEO: At Press Conference, Spanberger Makes Case for Bipartisan National Security Package, Urges Speaker Johnson to Bring U.S. Senate-Passed Bill to U.S. House Floor for Vote**
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger — a former CIA case officer and Member of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee — yesterday urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the U.S. Senate-passed bipartisan national security package to the U.S. House floor for a vote. The U.S. Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 70-29 early Tuesday morning.
At a press conference alongside U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and fellow U.S. House Democratic colleagues who served previously in military and national security roles, Spanberger spoke to the United States’ role of global leadership, responsibility to protect democratic principles, and duty to stand up to U.S. adversaries. Additionally, she stressed how support for allied nations and partners is consistent with U.S. national security interests.
Click here to watch her full remarks, and a full transcript of Spanberger’s comments is below.
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I just returned from a [congressional delegation visit] to Ukraine where we sat down with Ukrainian leaders — military leaders, intelligence leaders, and the President — and spoke of the extraordinary work that they are doing on the battlefield to protect their nation, to protect democratic values, and to seek freedom.
This moment is existential. It is not an exaggeration to say that this vote is absolutely one of the most important votes that we will cast in the House of Representatives, because when we look at the reality on the ground, in a world where Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and the Ukrainians are doing the fighting to free their own country and fight for democratic values, all they need is a bit of help.
When we look at the fact that Vladimir Putin is indeed meeting with Hamas leadership — when we look at the fact that Iranian drones are flying into Ukraine and attempting to attack Israeli civilians, what stands in the way of that? U.S. aid, funding for the Iron Dome, support to our allies in the Middle East.
And when so many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle speak consistently of their worries about China, confronting China, and here we have a chance to ensure that Taiwan is able to defend itself if China were ever to aggress against Taiwan, they’re not taking up the bill for a vote. This is a moment where when we look at which way is the world going to orient — is it going to orient towards freedom? Is it going to orient towards the United States? Is it going to orient towards democracy?
Or are we, the United States of America — the most extraordinary nation on Earth — going to walk away from what is our responsibility, to walk away from what are our own national security priorities and interests, and allow the defeat of Ukraine, allow the abandonment of our allies, and allow for our foes to rise up allied with one another in destruction of, and certainly against, the democratic principles that every single Member of the House of Representatives should be voting to support.
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When asked about the potential for U.S. House Republicans to propose an alternate border security and foreign aid bill, Spanberger reiterated her belief that Congress must fix the United States’ broken immigration system, but underscored the urgency with which aid to allies must be delivered.
“While I appreciate that some of my colleagues now want to have conversations about what has been a broken system for years upon years, it’s too late to start fresh. The reality is that our Ukrainian allies on the battlefield need us to pass this supplemental — again, we need to pass it for our own national security interests — but if we are going to see the defeat of Vladimir Putin by the Ukrainian army, that support cannot wait another four or five months to then again potentially see, via social media pronouncements, the former President proclaim that he wants the House to take down such an effort. The United States Senate passed this bill with 70 votes. We have to bring this bill up. We have to do it immediately.”
BACKGROUND
Last week, Spanberger joined a bipartisan, official congressional delegation to Kyiv, Ukraine with fellow Members of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The group discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine and underscored the need for continued military aid to the U.S. ally in their fight against Putin’s invasion.
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