Speaker Emerita Pelosi Floor Speech on Ukraine
Washington, D.C. – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks during a bipartisan Special Order Hour on the Floor of the House of Representatives emphasizing the immediate need to pass supplemental funding to support Ukraine.
Watch Speaker Emerita Pelosi's remarks here.
Read Speaker Emerita Pelosi's remarks below:
Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Nearly one year ago, many of you will recall, in this chamber we had a Joint [Meeting] of Congress. We were honored by the presence of President Zelenskyy, who came directly from the battlefield, brought us a flag signed by the soldiers and delivered a magnificent speech.
President Zelenskyy made clear the necessity of American support by saying, 'Your money is not charity. It is an investment in the global security and in democracy.' And the fight of the Ukrainian people for democracy is just remarkable to behold. But their fight is for their democracy and ours as well.
Indeed, powered by the investment we made last Congress, passed by an overwhelming bicameral vote, Ukraine has battled historically against the tide of the biggest army in Europe, the Russian Army.
It is important for the American people to know that Ukraine has reclaimed — won back 50 percent of the land previously seized by the Russians — won back 50 percent. More than 60 percent, close to two-thirds of the money that we have invested in military assistance for the Ukrainians has been spent in the United States, creating jobs here, as we support the Ukrainians. And that's fifty percent of the land, nearly two-thirds of the money spent here and 100 percent of the determination that victory will belong to the Ukrainian people.
Others have mentioned, Mr. Hoyer included, that at the same time, our hearts break when we hear about the atrocities committed against women by Putin's forces. Women are subjected to rape as a weapon of war, murdered in front of their parents or in front of their children — raped in the same way. Tens of thousands of children kidnapped by the Russian soldiers. Tens of thousands. I said to someone who knows about these things, 'Isn't it sad the brutality of war that has turned these soldiers into brutes?' They said, 'Make no mistake, the Russian soldiers do what they are ordered to do.'
These rapes, these kidnappings, these murders of families in front of family members are the direct order of Vladimir Putin, a very evil person. And we must put an end to this unadulterated evil. The longer we wait to get the money, more people will die, more children will be kidnapped, more women will be raped, and more uncertainty will be injected into the situation as to whether we are there to protect democracy and to support it.
As the war wages on, the Administration has repeatedly made clear America is at the end of the supply of money we have voted, and Ukraine is nearly out of time. Today, President Zelenskyy returned to the Capitol to make a compelling case for America's continued support to help Ukraine finish the fight — because the battle for Ukraine is a battle for democracy itself. And we will not let the death, destruction and dictatorship of Vladimir Putin prevail. President Biden's supplemental funding request must be brought to the Floor as soon as possible so we honor our duty to stand with the Ukrainian people until victory is won.
And it has been said on both sides of the aisle, the cost of war is great. Should Putin prevail and then go on to other invasions of NATO or non-NATO countries, it'll only cost more money, more lives, more families separated. That cannot be what we are about.
At the same time, this legislation calls for us to honor a commitment to peace in the Middle East by our support for Israel and the humanitarian assistance that is in the legislation for the Palestinian people as well as others.
With that, again, I thank you for your leadership, for taking this Special Order, for yielding time, and yield back mine.