1 May, 2023 – By Anders Hagstrom | Fox News
McCarthy had said he doesn’t support a ‘blank check’ for Ukraine
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave a heated rebuttal to a Russian reporter in Israel on Monday, rebuking Russia’s invasion and reaffirming his support for Ukraine.
McCarthy, R-Calif., made the statement during a press conference in Israel after addressing the country’s Knesset on Monday. McCarthy and other members of the House of Representatives visited Israel to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the country’s founding.
A reporter representing a Russian news agency asked McCarthy about U.S. support for Ukraine and referenced McCarthy’s past comments about not being in favor of giving Ukraine a “blank check.”
“We know that you don’t support the current unlimited and uncontrolled supply of weaponry and aid to Ukraine, so can you comment? Is it possible in the near future the U.S. policy of sending weaponry to Ukraine will change?” the reporter asked.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rebuked a Russian reporter who asked about ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine on Monday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
“No, I vote for aid for Ukraine. I support aid for Ukraine,” McCarthy responded after clarifying the question. “I do not support what your country has done to Ukraine. I do not support your killing of the children either.”
“I think from one standpoint you should pull out, and I don’t think it’s right. We will continue to support, because the rest of the world sees this just as it is,” he added.
House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., also spoke on the issue after McCarthy and likened America’s support for Ukraine to its support for Israel.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy visited Israel to celebrate the country’s 75th anniversary on Monday. (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)
“I share the speaker’s view,” Hoyer said. “What is happening in Ukraine is criminal. Women, children, the elderly, men are being slaughtered by a very large and very powerful country meeting a courageous people who, in my view, must win this war.”
“I believe the United States of America, as it is committed to Israel’s freedom and security and sovereignty, it is committed to Ukraine as well, and I believe that will remain a consensus among Democrats and Republicans,” he continued.
Both McCarthy’s and Hoyer’s statements received rounds of applause. The Russian reporter did not ask any follow-up questions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin received condemnation from U.S. officials in Israel on Monday. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images
The trip to Israel was McCarthy’s first visit to a foreign nation as speaker.
I added this piece to Sir Foccusser’s because there are a few more quotes in it. It is clear now there is bipartisan support for Ukraine despite the media’s efforts to try to divide the sentiment.
Yes, there’s bipartisan support, but there’s no support from the far-right nutjobs who hold outsized sway over the party. Remember how it took 15 votes to elect McCarthy as speaker? The ones who were voting against him, and who he had to make commitments to, also voted against the second Ukraine supplemental package. (Including Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy, Jim Jordan, Byron Donalds, & Lauren Boebert.) All Democrats voted in favor of it; 57 Republicans voted against it.
And Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “Under Republicans, not another penny will go to Ukraine.”
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/05/marjorie-taylor-greene-ukraine-aid-republicans
“outsized sway over the party” – should say, outsized sway over the Republican party
Nor any support from the far Left, they keep calling for exchanging territory for negotiations. But of course that aspect is conveniently left out of the equation….
Could be, but the far left is not in control of anything that could impede arms deliveries.
For example, if Bernie Sanders would vote against (I don’t think he would), nothing happens, as he is not the speaker of the House or in any position to change anything.
So that does not concern me. McCarthy is theoretically the most important player after Biden, as he can block arms delivery if he wants (although it would lead to great pressure on him of course).
So no, it doesn’t make sense to talk about the “far left” (why writing left with a capital letter, you aren’t Trump), as at this point there is no threat from the far left, at least not in Congress.
So your whataboutism non-argument is completely invalid.
I could also talk about why Cuba or North Korea is not sending weapons to Ukraine, but I don’t think that has any relevance.
The things that do concern (on aid to Ukraine) in the U.S. are :
– a potential shutdown in the U.S.
– a successor to Biden that is not pro-Ukrainian
– the cowardness of the U.S. administration (Blinken, Sullivan, Biden, but mainly Blinken)
– Resistance in the U.S. armed forces itself
– Leaks of classified intel
– Pressure from Congress to decrease the size of the aid package for next fiscal year, especially as the economy is cooling off.
In the long term I am a bit concerned on culture wars replacing attention for foreign policy, especially because cold war era politicians are being replaced by younger people that care more about gender neutral toilets than the army.
But I don’t think this is already a problem.
Here is your quiz of the day, something to help educate and enlighten you.
1- Who was in charge when Ukraine was forced to get rid of her nukes?
2- Who was in charge during the 1st Moskali invasion of Ukraine?
3- Who was in charge during the 2nd Moskali invasion of Ukraine?
4- Who gave Lavrov a reset button after the Moskali invaded Georgia?
5- Who was in charge when the sanctions were removed from Nord Stream 2?
6- Who traveled to Ukraine in 2005 and forced them to give up their MANPADS and other weapons?
7- Who had majorities in the House, Senate and White House just 5 months ago? (Reminder: Putin’s war on Ukraine started 14 months ago)
Answers: 1- Democrats, 2- Democrats. 3- Democrats. 4- Democrats. 5- Democrats. 6- Democrats. 7- Democrats.
Now you know 🙂
RSM – Ironically, one of the ‘Related’ links shown above is:
Kevin McCarthy ‘agreed to cut aid to Ukraine’ to secure US speaker role
https://ukrainetoday.org/2023/01/08/kevin-mccarthy-agreed-to-cut-aid-to-ukraine-to-secure-us-speaker-role/
Stop your laughable bitch war, both of you. When i started with you guys nine years ago a came across with my dear friends John McCain and Nikki Haley. I agree the Trumpet caused huge damage to our reputation, but Obama and Biden made us look like fools as well when refusing to defend Ukraine, warning of WWIII, telling everybody to get out of Ukraine. A president can force decisions via decrete btw.
…
So who the fuck is this Larry constantly attacking me?
RSM – everything I’ve posted is factual and verifiable. I’m just trying to set the record straight – I don’t believe I’ve attacked you in any way, and I apologize if you feel personally attacked – that’s certainly not my intent.
(And I don’t know who you were referring to by “the far Left” – the topic was aid for Ukraine, and no Democrats voted against it, while 57 Republican representatives and 11 Republican senators voted against it. Those Democrats voting in favor included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.)
I am trying to bring as many people together as I can to support Ukraine and then there are a few that loathe one party or person and would throw Ukraine under the bus to make political points. Ask yourself if dividing people helps Ukraine?…
Can’t we drop partisanship for the sake of Ukraine? Look what they’re going through. Do you think they give a fuck about US politics? I don’t hear any Ukrainians complain about Trump nor Obama. They love ALL Americans and we should respect them for that.
BTW, you can use one example to exemplify a point on legislation but the fact is, there are just as many on the Left waiving support for Ukraine as on the Right.
Joe. 😎
lol, he’s too nice to be Joe
Stop bitching on Lary, his points are valid.
Yes, John McCain is awesome, but he is dead and according to polls Nikki Haley virtually has no chance to become POTUS.
The discussion is on the House Speaker, that has said before he was against aid to Ukraine (explicitly, so don’t blame the media) and because of his position, he can choose what the House will vote on.
If during the summer the Biden administration requests a new aid package for Ukraine (the current one will be depleted in a few months), he can decide whether there will be a vote on the aid package: if he doesn’t, the aid will end this summer already.
Fortunately he now seems to have changed his mind, which make me feel less worried.
No one is saying that most Republicans are against helping Ukraine, as most are in favour, but McCarthy seemed to be part of the isolationist wing of the Republican party.
As the Republicans have just a bit more than half of all seats, he needed all Republicans to vote for him, including the small isolationist wing that explicitly said they want support for Ukraine to end.
So he had no other choice than to pretend he was against aid by being vague and say he wanted no blank cheque (it never was).
Fortunately it seems to be just show and I think a new package will get through both chambers easily, maybe an even bigger one than the last package.
It’s always nice when dutch Berts teach full blooded Americans about US politics. I would be lost without your shining expertise.
Especially when their failed ideologies mirror the same failed ideologies as the Soviets, the Nazis and Karl Marx….
Don’t blame the media: he had to pretend to be an arsegiver to get chosen by all Republicans, including those that are against aid. This “no blank check”-narrative is a lame (but apparently effective) way to appease both sides.
They were pretty explicit about this!
However, this is good news, as he would for sure allow a vote on new aid packages.
Not Trump but he was my main concern, as he has the power to end support for Ukraine by not allowing a vote to happen.
I have never doubted that there is bipartisan support: of course the majority of Republicans support Ukraine.
But a majority is of no use when the speaker will not allow a vote on this topic.