Below is the final statement released by Congressman Raskin about H.R. 7217. An earlier version was based on remarks he made during the day. This is his revised and extended statement.
Washington, DC—Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement on H.R. 7217.
"At a time when democracy, human rights and peace are under siege everywhere, we must act forcefully to protect democracy, human rights and peace all over the world. But, while President Biden is fighting to defend our democratic allies and the cause of humanity against the rampaging autocrats and terrorists of the world, Donald Trump’s party of chaos and insurrection keeps playing sinister games to divide our country and bolster the foreign dictators and political criminals whose major enemy is a unified democratic America.
"Trump’s party may be willing to play partisan games with critical aid to our closest allies like Israel; Trump’s party may be willing to sell out the struggling people of Ukraine, who will never get any more military assistance this year if we allow the GOP’s 'latest cynical political maneuver,' as the White House called it, to succeed; Trump’s party may be willing to offer not a single penny to alleviate the nightmarish conditions being experienced by the destitute, demoralized and wounded population of Palestinians in Gaza; Trump’s party may be willing to surrender democracy and freedom in the Indo-Pacific to the Communist autocrats and plutocrats of China, a nation which is now very much in league with Russia and Iran seeking to destabilize world democracy and freedom; and Trump’s party may be willing to isolate Israel in this way from the broader cause of democracy, security and human rights on earth; but the Democrats are not willing to play along with this sinister authoritarian nonsense, and we will stand strong for democracy, peace and human rights all over the world while we continue to stand by our foremost democratic ally in the Mideast, Israel.
"I am proud that President Biden said he would veto the Republicans’ divisive ploy to detach billions of dollars in wartime military aid to Israel from billions of dollars in desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, and tens of billions of dollars in essential military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. That is why I voted no on H.R. 7217 and will continue to stand by the president and reject the GOP’s ceaseless and dangerous pro-Putin provocations."
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