A Democratic representative said Friday that Americans calling on the U.S. government to secure its own border rather than Ukraine’s are “falling prey to Russian talking points.”
Democratic Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the $45 billion in funding for Ukraine and allied counties that Congress included in the $1.66 trillion omnibus bill for the 2023 fiscal year.
“What we have here, unfortunately, is people who are falling prey to Russian talking points, to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s talking points,” the representative told CNN. “The idea that Putin continues to try and divide the United States, not only here domestically, but divide us from our allies, create divisions and sow distrust or dissension among our ranks. So the conversations I’ve been having with colleagues are very simple: do not fall pray to Vladimir Putin’s talking points.”
“Do not give any favor or support to what it is that he would try and push the world ’round, which is denigrating Ukraine, changing the world’s view of what has been a brutal war where they are murdering and raping civilians and just horrific atrocities,” she continued.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Republican Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale are among the congressional Republicans criticizing President Joe Biden’s administration for funding Ukraine and other foreign countries rather than the southern border. In November, Greene accused the administration of “ignoring the dangers” occurring at the U.S. southern border as she called for an audit of Ukraine funding. Republican Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale criticized the decision to send millions to Ukraine “while terrorists, drugs, and criminals flood our southern border.”
Spanberger said funding Ukraine will provide the embattled country with the weaponry and resources needed to independently fight Russian aggression and prevent potential attacks on members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which would oblige the U.S. to send combat troops to fight Russia. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Hammers Congress For ‘Fawning’ Over Zelenskyy While The ‘American Border Collapses Completely’)
The lawmaker said Republican critics of Ukraine aid are setting up a false dichotomy, since the omnibus bill also funds “domestic priorities,” including additional resources and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents for the southern border.
“This funding bill supports domestic priorities here at home. Fighting the opioid crisis, investing in mental health provisions that I put forth that have been included in this legislation, major support to our border security, hiring additional CBP officers, investing in technology so that we can stop this scourge of fentanyl that is being trafficked by transnational criminal organizations across our border and leading to the deaths of people across our communities. We can do both, we must do both and that’s the message that I’ve certainly been delivering to my colleagues.”
The southern border has faced a record-high number of migrant apprehensions during the 2023 fiscal year, which begin in October. Migrants have recently formed long lines at the border and have overwhelmed officials in Texas and Arizona as Title 42, the Trump-era COVID-19 protocol, was expected to expire Wednesday.
The Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt on the policy’s expiration in a Monday ruling.
The 4,155-page omnibus bill also intends to put $40 billion toward natural disaster funding, changes to the 1887 Electoral Count Act to make it harder to refuse the certification of electoral votes and expands a measure banning TikTok from government smartphones. Eighteen Republican senators, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted in favor of the bill.