Last night, the House voted overwhelmingly-- 368 to 57-- to provide $39.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, 149 Republicans joining all 219 Democrats in favor. 57 members of the Putin wing of the Republican Party followed the pro-Russia line. Before the vote, Speaker Pelosi wrote to Home members that "Time is of the essence-- and we cannot afford to wait. With this aid package, America sends a resounding message to the world of our unwavering determination to stand with the courageous people of Ukraine until victory is won." The MAGA-Putin wing of the GOP disagrees and is locked into an insane anti-Ukraine stance and many of them were fuming that the House passed an aid package that was nearly over $7 billion more than what Biden requested.
House Foreign Affairs ranking member Mike McCaul (R-TX) seemed to lash out at the members of the Trumpist fringe of his own party who opposed the aid: "This is a historic vote, and it could determine the course of this war, and to vote no is a vote for Putin." In that case, 10 Texas Republicans, all far right extremists, voted for Putin-- Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, Michael McCloud, Louie Gohmert, Ronny Jackson, Troy Nehls, Chip Roy, Pete Sessions, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams.
Among the most pro-Putin members of Congress were these 18 ringleaders of last night's vote, all misfits from the pro-Putin faction, who represent severely-gerrymandered low-info districts where they have no reason to fear voter reaction:
Marjorie Traitor Greene (Q-GA)
Gym Jordan (R-OH)
Louie Gohmert (R-TX_
Madison Cawthorn (Nazi-NC)
Thomas Massie (R-KY)
Lauren Boebert (Q-CO)
Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
Scott Perry (R-PA)
Jody Hice (R-GA)
Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
Chip Roy (R-TX)
Andrew Clyde (R-GA)
Mary Miller (Q-IL)
Byron Donalds (R-FL)
Matt Rosendale (R-MT)
Ronny Jackson (R-TX)
Clay Higgins (R-LA)
This morning Zelenskyy tweeted his appreciation. Speaking for the Putin wing of the GOP, former Russian puppet-president, Dmitry Medvedev accused the U.S. of waging a "proxy war" against Russia, seemingly forgetting-- as do Trumpists-- that Russia attacked Ukraine, not the other way around and that Russian troops are occupying Ukraine and massacring its citizens.
The Putin wing of the GOP passed out talking points to its members on how to disparage American patriots standing up to Putin in both parties. I was told that the talking points were put together by Gym Jordan's office, a center of pro-Putin activity. They were told to divert attention away from Ukraine and towards the "open border," and to the high price of baby food and gasoline. Here were some of the lockstep responses from extremist Republicans with dubious loyalty to America:
Lauren Boebert: "Gas just hit $4.37 & people can’t get baby formula in the country Biden claims to be running. He’d rather focus on a bill that members have 4 hours to read & includes $40 billion more for aid to Ukraine & possibly $8.8 billion to fight 'global disinformation'. AMERICA FIRST!"
Marjorie Traitor Greene: "It’s time to pay attention to our country and our borders. Today, I’m voting NO to the $40 Billion America LAST Ukraine First spending bill.
Gym Jordan: "More money for Ukraine while baby formula is out of stock for Americans?"
Paul Gosar: "Biden wants to send FORTY BILLION that has been taken from taxpayers to Ukraine while our borders remain wide open with historic crossings. This Regime prioritizes every other country before it even thinks about our own-- this is the definition of America Last. I VOTE NO!"
Thomas Massie: "Biden is more concerned with sending billions of $ to Ukraine than he is about baby formula shortages here in the United States."
The bill now goes over to the Senate, where Democrats are united in favor and the GOP is split in a dysfunctional, feuding hodge-podge, some-- like Lindsey Graham and Jim Inhofe-- whining that $40 billion isn't enough, and others, like Rand Paul (R-KY) and crackpot Wisconsin Putinist Ron Johnson thinks we should be supporting Russia, not Ukraine. Fortunately, pro-Putin Senator-in-waiting JD Vance doesn't get a vote.
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