Ukraine Support Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Meeks, who is ranking member of this committee. I thank all those who had the courage to stand up and sign this bill. I would say to my friend who just spoke, whom I have great respect for: Nothing in this bill contradicts the concerns that he raised. They are consistent with the concerns he raised, and, in fact, they present a forward movement on the concerns that he raised.
Mr. Speaker, to paraphrase General Eisenhower, the eyes of the world are upon us. Since Putin launched his perfidious invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the House has taken 12 votes to support the Ukrainians in defense of their freedom, of their sovereignty, and of international law.
Over all 12, an average of 80 percent of this House--80 percent of this House--has voted to hold firm to the principle that Ukraine must win this war and Putin and his war crimes must lose it, 12 bills, an average of 80 percent of the House of Representatives voting for it, and, in addition, that America has a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine.
The last time, however, that we voted on a Ukraine assistance package was April 2024. My friend said he was for Ukraine, but not today. I have heard so many times: I am for Ukraine, but not this bill; yes, I will be with you on Ukraine, but not now.
In 2025, American aid to Ukraine fell by 99 percent. Thankfully, international aid to Ukraine stayed close to 2024 levels because European allies stepped up and delivered a 67 percent surge--not a 2 percent, not a 4 percent, not a 5--67 percent surge in military assistance and a 59 percent rise in humanitarian aid.
Europe is carrying its weight in helping Ukraine.
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Mr. HOYER. In the 2 years since we last approved a package, Ukrainians have endured two bitter winters of war.
It is time for us to act. Russian drones have continued to rain terror on civilian neighborhoods. Driven, in part, by their extraordinary advances in drone technology, however, Ukraine is carrying the day.
A generation of young Russians have been sacrificed for Putin's pride. In this moment at the end of my tenure in Congress, I hear echoes from its beginnings when the Cold War was in terminal phase.
Ronald Reagan traveled to Berlin in 1987. Standing in front of the Berlin Wall, just 2 years before it fell, he told of how the Soviets tried to outlast the West during that decade's nuclear-arms surge.
The Soviets had dug their heels in, but Reagan declared the alliance held firm. This is about the alliance holding firm.
Today, we can declare to Vladimir Putin, just as President Reagan did, that our alliance holds firm and that America holds firm. President Reagan had said earlier in 1983 our adversaries ``must be made to understand we will never . . . ''
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Mr. HOYER. President Reagan said in 1983 our adversaries ``must be made to understand we will never compromise our principles and standards [nor] ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire.''
He was talking about the Soviet Union and Russia today.
``To do so would mean abandoning the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.''
Mr. Speaker, this is a moment. This is a moment to choose between right and wrong and good and evil, not tomorrow, but today, tonight. This is a moment to stand with those who are fighting on the front lines for democracy, sovereignty, and international law.
This is a moment for all of us, together, Democrats and Republicans, Americans and our allies, to hold firm.
Let's hold firm and vote ``yes'' on this bill and send a message to the world and to the Ukrainians.
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Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman yield?
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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, it is his time, and I appreciate that.
I congratulate--I am not sure I like the way he did it--
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Mr. HOYER.--but what he did was get the Europeans to understand they needed to carry their part of the load. I congratulate him for doing that.
However, why they have surged is because they see the proximate, immediate danger caused by Russians' avaricious appetite for more land and empire. That is why they surged, and we ought to stay with them because we also need to be concerned about a leader in Putin who wants to create another empire.
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