Aid to Ukraine as it attempts to fend off Russian aggression should be separate from other government funding, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus say.
Lawmakers should have a “full and robust debate” on the level of aid provided to the country ahead of a vote on a measure that would fund aid to Ukraine without financing a bill needed to avert a government shutdown next week, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“As you know, Congress will soon consider an appropriations measure to fund the government before the most recent short-term ’continuing resolution’ expires, as well as President Biden’s request for significant military and humanitarian aid for our friends in Ukraine, and more funding for COVID-19 efforts,” they wrote.
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“We request that you ensure that we take these matters up separately and that we have a full and robust debate on the amount of aid required in Ukraine, the legal and strategic benefits and consequences of providing that aid, the policy choices that must accompany that aid, and then the appropriate levels of spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2022 generally,” the GOP members said.
The group also called on Republicans to support a pivot in energy policy amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, praising House Minority Whip Steve Scalise’s recent outline to facilitate new domestic oil and gas projects, fast-track liquefied natural gas export permits, approve pipeline and energy development, lighten regulations in the energy sector, and stop importing gas and oil from Russia.
”Whip Scalise is right. We believe that American energy fuels freedom throughout the world and urge you to unite both the House and Senate Republican Conferences in demanding and fighting for the inclusion of these policies in the upcoming appropriations bill,” they wrote.
Tying aid for Ukraine to other measures would be untenable as the current spending proposals include “unconscionable“ policies that are unacceptable to Republican members, according to the letter.
“The President gave lip service to the country moving forward from COVID — this despite his administration’s policies forcing Americans to be vaccinated or lose their job, and his recent request for additional COVID-19 funding,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is unconscionable that we would continue to fund government enforcement of vaccine mandates at the expense of healthcare workers, federal workers including Border Patrol, and our brave service members. … We urge you to use the funding bill(s) to demand the administration remove vaccine mandates and immediately fully reinstate all military and federal employees who lost their jobs due to those mandates.”
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On Thursday, the Biden administration submitted a proposal to Congress seeking $10 billion in aid to Ukraine and $22.5 billion to combat COVID-19. Last week, the White House released hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance, but President Joe Biden has remained adamant he will not deploy troops.
Congress faces a Friday deadline before current government funding expires.
