Hoyer: Ukraine, to Know We are With You

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"This is a good day. It's a good day for Ukraine. It's a good day for America. It's a good day for those who oppose tyranny. It is a good day. It has a message for the Ukrainian people that we're with you. At the outset, let me say that the vote was 227 to 191. But I want to tell the Ukrainian people, of those 191 votes not for this bill, the overwhelming number of those people are for Ukraine. I'm sorry they didn't see fit to vote for this bill, but I'm glad they are with Ukraine. And the Ranking, the Chairman of the [House Foreign Affairs] Committee said eloquently, he was against Putin, and he was for Ukraine.

"So, the message today is we got the votes to act, and we got the votes to act because of some courageous Republicans. Because the vote in there was, 'Are you standing with Trump, who has not wanted to say anything?' Not whether you're standing for Ukraine. Those who voted for it wanted Ukraine to know we are with you. We are with you in this fight and we believe you must win this fight - for yourselves, for your country, for your sovereignty, for your families, but also for all the rest of us who love freedom, and who oppose tyranny, and who believe in international law. And so, it's a good day for Ukraine. And very frankly, Ukraine is making a lot of good days for itself, Madam Ambassador, with their courage, with their tenacity, with their faith in their fellow Ukrainians and their leadership and in themselves. So, I am very pleased to be here with my colleagues.

"This was never a Republican or Democratic issue. Freedom is a word that everybody should support. And I think everybody does support in the House of Representatives. We see it differently from time to time, but it was important for us to say it. It was important for us to have a vote on this Floor. And Marcy Kaptur, the Co-Chair of the [Congressional Ukraine] Caucus, has kept it alive every day of her service, of Ukrainian background and great knowledge. So, I now want to yield - not yet to the Ambassador, who I'm going to introduce in just a minute - but I want to reference three people: Don Bacon, Kevin Kiley, Mr. Fitzpatrick from the great state of Pennsylvania, who have been [here] - particularly two of them - from the beginning. And but for their efforts, we would not have gotten there. And but for Mr. Kiley's courage, it would not have happened. So, I thank the three of them, and I yield to my friend Colonel Bacon and Brian Fitzpatrick and Kevin Kiley."