Senate GOP To Putin – Merry Christmas, We’re Screwing Ukraine

No, the headline isn’t hyperbole. In their zeal to stick it to the Biden administration and throw red meat to their base Senate Republicans are using U.S./Mexico “border security” to kill funding to Ukraine. So from where I sit they might as well stand together on the Capitol steps (with House counterparts) behind a giant sign of a map of Ukraine with a bound stack of money in the middle BUT with a big, bold red circle with a slash through it (to send the message) “no more help from US” – and the words “Merry Christmas Vlad!”

I say this because my scan of the news this morning includes what for me is an infuriating article from The Washington Post which says Republicans are set to “tank Ukraine, Israel supplemental today.”  It’s an appalling scandal that the supplemental package the WH proposed for aid to Ukraine AND Israel which as a sop to the GOP included money and provisions they wanted for border security didn’t pass weeks ago. In fairness I must note VT Senator Sanders objects because he wants strings attached to the Israeli aid. I don’t like the way they are conducting the war in Gaza either but that’s not a good enough reason to hold up this bill. However, the main issue is the much larger appropriation for Ukraine which is desperately needed. The Pentagon has gone through it’s bag of tricks it can use to shift money around to meet urgent needs in Ukraine and as of the end of the year no money will be left to help.

Do Republicans care? Not only no but HELL NO!

This afternoon there will be a procedural vote on a $110 billion dollar package to provide assistance for Ukraine, Israel/Gaza and also border protection. From the WaPo:

It will fail. All or nearly all — probably all — Republicans will vote against it today because it includes no changes to U.S. policy on the border. The vote will be “decisive,” one senior Republican aide said.

The article goes on to describe how negotiations devolved past debate and argument into shouting and a walkout. Why? Again from the linked article:

Republicans see leverage in a failed vote, suggesting it could push Democrats to realize they must accept a more conservative set of immigration policies to get the Israel and Ukraine funding.

“I think … Schumer will realize we’re serious,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.). “And then the discussions will begin in earnest.”

WHAT   THE   F**K?

Do Republicans not see that the United States is who every other country looks to in order to determine what priority helping Ukraine should get? As Republicans have managed to soften support in the U.S. the “example” has spread to other countries. But hey, rather than sit down and hammer out a stand-alone (and long as in decades) overdue solution to the border and immigration conservatives see an issue to bash Democrats over the head with. If that means Russia regains momentum in Ukraine, in large measure because countries like China start offering significant help to Russia? Or if Russia gains enough control to start screwing with energy and even food (grains) on a scale that negatively impacts world markets so be it. They deal with that later. (By “deal” I mean find a way to blame higher gas prices and food costs on Democrats!) But in the meantime they get to beat their chests to their voters and say “We’re keepin them durned BROWN people from coming over our border.”

You should be appalled. You should be angry. You should be OUTRAGED! Enough so that you call your Senators (both local and DC offices) this morning, especially if like me you’re stuck with GOPer Senators. And remind them that Ukrainians have been fighting and dying so OUR people don’t have to because if Ukraine loses someday it will come to that.  If immigration is such a HUGE issue (and frankly it is) it deserves to be a large, stand-alone bill/policy that gets HONEST and meaningful debate. It’s not a political weapon.

And tell them they should be ASHAMED of themselves for being RUSSIAN PUPPETS and pulling the rug out from under Ukraine.

Ukraine has fought valiantly from the first hour Vladmir Putin unleashed his brutal war to take over that country. With pitiful resources on hand they fought like hell and bought time. Time for help from NATO and other free countries for the weapons, ammunition and equipment they’d need to push Russia back over the border. The didn’t ask for troops mind you. No, they said WE will do your fighting for you. It’s our country and we will defend it if you help us by providing other resources. Everyone in the free world understood that Ukraine was fighting Russia and FINALLY dealing with Putin – so other countries including and especially the United States wouldn’t have to shed our own blood to do what has for so long needed to be done.

I’ve watched with a sinking heart how almost universal U.S. support for Ukraine, both in the general population and in the halls of Congress has waned. For a long while, despite Trump’s support for Putin Republicans mostly were strongly supportive of aid to that embattled country. A country in which from the beginning of that awful war saw Russia committing WAR CRIMES. But over time that support has softened. And those in Congress (almost exclusively Republican) questioning continued support has created a narrative that sadly, even tragically has taken hold with ordinary U.S. citizens.

Hope is and always has been Ukraines “X factor”, the thing that keeps them going. GOPers are blithely taking that away by playing their political games. With the United States, thanks to Republicans on Capitol Hill abandoning them other countries will start doing the same. I’m a senior citizen now. Broken down physically which is why this ole jarhead was politely turned down early in the war when I contacted one of the groups helping Americans who wanted to go fight over there. Because of Republicans I might yet be wanted after all.

But for now I’m spending my time this morning raising all the hell I can raise at GOPers over this STUNT. I hope you will too. Because as noted in the article Democratic Senator Chris Murphy summed up the situation perfectly:

“I just don’t think there’s any question that we are about to abandon Ukraine,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), one of the key negotiators on the border package. “When Vladimir Putin marches into Kyiv and into Europe, Republicans will have to live with the fact that our sons and daughters will be over fighting when Vladimir Putin marches into a NATO country. They will rue the day that they decided to play politics.”

Don’t just think about that. Take action. Now. This morning.