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[Page S5619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UKRAINE
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on one final matter, the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence has long worked on a bipartisan basis in
secure settings out of the public spotlight to conduct critically
important oversight of classified and sensitive matters. So I have been
disappointed to see our colleague, the Democratic leader, choose to
politicize the committee's ongoing efforts with respect to a recent
whistleblower allegation--the special subject of which is still
unknown.
As my friend Senator Schumer is aware, Chairman Burr and Vice
Chairman Warner have been working together to get the Acting Director
of Intelligence and the intelligence community's inspector general
before the committee this week to discuss the matter. As with most
matters before the committee, I believe it is extremely important that
their work be handled in a secure setting with adequate protections, in
a bipartisan fashion, and based on facts rather than leaks to the
press.
It is regrettable House Intelligence Committee Chairman Schiff and
Senator Schumer have chosen to politicize the issue, circumventing the
established procedures and protocols that exist so the committees can
pursue sensitive matters in the appropriate, deliberate, bipartisan
manner.
Although we don't know the substance of the allegations, there is
speculation that it relates to our relationship with Ukraine. For my
part, as I stated earlier this month, I was very glad to see the White
House release security assistance funds for Ukraine.
I championed U.S. security assistance to Ukraine over the objections
of the Obama administration in 2014 and have consistently believed in
the importance of helping our Ukrainian partners defend their territory
against Russian aggression. In fact, I had been personally pressing
them to release security assistance funding for several months to
ensure the United States did not walk back our important commitments to
Ukraine.
On two occasions I raised the need to keep our commitment to Ukraine
with the Secretary of Defense, expressing my interest in seeing this
money be released to help our Ukrainian partners. I raised it with the
Secretary of State. My staff also engaged senior officials at the
Pentagon, at the State Department, at the National Security Council,
and at the Office of Management and Budget. I also worked closely with
Senator Graham on the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations
Subcommittee and Chairman Shelby.
Throughout July, August, and early September, I worked hard to ensure
that Ukraine received this much-needed assistance. That is because,
going back years, I have urged administrations of both parties to be
completely clear-eyed about the dangerous intentions of Putin's Russia
and the importance of standing with Ukraine.
I sounded the alarm early and often when President Obama went soft on
Putin and missed opportunities to send arms to Ukraine, and during the
Trump administration, I have been a strong supporter of its efforts to
provide defensive lethal weapons to Ukraine and to Georgia.
As I have said repeatedly, Russia poses a significant threat to U.S.
interests. The best way to contest Putin and his hegemonic aspirations
is to rebuild our defenses, work closely with our allies and partners,
and improve the capacity of those threatened by Moscow to defend
themselves.
I am grateful that security assistance has finally been released to
help our friends in Ukraine defend themselves. Now the task falls on us
to pass a Defense bill and make the necessary investment in modernizing
our own military to ensure America's preeminent position in the world
and to deter challenge from adversaries like Russia and China.
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