A pro-Ukraine group launched a six-figure ad buy in key districts in a bid to urge Republican members of Congress to push forward the supplemental legislation, which includes military aid for Ukraine, for a vote on the House floor.
The minute-long spot from Republicans for Ukraine, “No Weakness in the Face of Aggression,” features lifelong party members across the country describing the importance of the United States’s continued support of Ukraine.
In the ad, a Republican man from California says, “If we don’t support Ukraine, I fear China to potentially see that as a signal where they believe that they can invade their neighbors, too.”
“There are other countries in the world that are watching the U.S. response to this invasion by Russia,” a male Arizona Republican adds.
A Republican woman from Wyoming additionally recalls, “The core idea of the Republican Party was opposition to the forces of communism.”
According to Republicans for Ukraine, the ad is meant to urge several Republicans in Congress to sign a discharge petition to force a House vote on the supplemental aid passed by the Senate. Last week, the Senate passed a $95.3 billion supplemental bill that would provide additional military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. However, the measure’s fate in the House is uncertain, especially without a discharge petition to bring a vote to the floor.
“It only takes four Republicans signing a discharge petition to help our allies and protect our national security. There’s safety in numbers, and the more Republicans who sign, the safer they will be,” said Gunner Ramer, national spokesman for Republicans for Ukraine, in a statement. “If the Senate bill gets a vote in the House, it would pass overwhelmingly with strong Republican support.”
The video will be running in the districts of Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Ken Buck (R-CO), Mike McCaul (R-TX), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Mike Turner (R-OH), Don Bacon (R-NE), Steve Womack (R-AR), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX). These members were chosen because of their perceived likeliness to support a discharge petition.
The Washington Examiner contacted each representative for comment.
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A spokesperson for Bacon said he would not support a discharge petition, given his concerns with the legislation. “He has since joined Rep. Fitzpatrick and others to introduce bipartisan legislation to address Ukraine aid, as well as Israel and Taiwan. It also addresses border security,” the spokesperson said.
McCaul’s spokesperson did not add anything but pointed the Washington Examiner to the representative’s past comments. The congressman recently remarked, “I think Republicans supportive of Ukraine wouldn’t support a discharge because it’s really going around leadership altogether.” However, McCaul said he believes aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan is going to come to the floor one way or another.