President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine arrived on Capitol Hill on Wednesday ready to tout bipartisan support among lawmakers who have helped fund his countryâs efforts to fend off Russiaâs invasion.
And his message was well received, eliciting multiple standing ovations from both sides of the aisle as he addressed Congress. But despite the largely warm reception, several Republican lawmakers, including those set to assume top leadership positions, werenât yet ready to commit to keeping the funding going in the next session.
âObviously, thereâs concern that the moneyâs going to the places that itâs intended. Having any taxpayer dollars that go anywhere, whether itâs domestically or abroad, deserves scrutiny,â House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) told POLITICO as he left the Capitol on Wednesday.
Asked whether the House would continue to support Ukraine next year, Scalise said: âWe expressed an interest in making sure the money is going to be scrutinized. Thatâs something that we still will keep pushing for.â
The reception Zelenskyy received from congressional Republicans on Wednesday was largely positive. Broadly, across the House GOP conference, Republicans say they support both him and his army, as well as the Ukrainian people, in the battle against Russia. But many of those same members also say they plan to exercise oversight powers to scrutinize tens of billions that the U.S. has spent.
âI think the focus of the speech was brilliantly crafted to focus on freedom, which is something that, obviously, in the United States and Europe we hold dear, and the threat to liberty everywhere if you donât take on a rogue regime,â said Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.). âIt was very important that Zelenskyy recognizes that a lot of people are concerned about accountability. He made that point. There is transparency and accountability.â
During his whirlwind visit to Washington, Zelenskyy thanked President Joe Biden and members of Congress for all of the aid already sent to Ukraine as the country continues to defend itself against Russiaâs bloody assault. In addition to more than $20 billion in security assistance, the U.S. has increased the amount and variety of weapons being sent to Ukraine â providing the Patriot system as part of a $1.85 billion package announced Wednesday as Russia launches ongoing airstrikes against the countryâs energy infrastructure.
But looming over it all is the changing of power in the House of Representatives. Republicans there have been more skeptical than their counterparts in the Senate about funding Ukraineâs defenses.
Still, some left the House floor proudly declaring the importance of standing with a country fighting for its independence.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa,), who was among the lawmakers who ushered Zelenskyy down the aisles of the House, said the speech âgave a lot of people chills,â and compared it to the battles of the Continental Army in 1776.
Asked whether the wartime president changed minds with his emotional appeal, Fitzpatrick said: âHe didnât lose any, thatâs for sure. And I canât imagine he did anything but help his cause.â
House Republicans like Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas, who spoke positively of the speech but said it probably didnât change minds, suggested that more Republicans would likely back Ukraine funding if the money was not packed into a larger spending package. And he noted that it is normal to have concerns about funding going to Ukraine in general, citing the countryâs efforts to cut down on corruption.
âHe did mention that weâre interconnected,â Fallon said. âOf course we are. The world is much smaller place than it was 30 years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago. So we need to support them, but we need to do it in a way which is transparent, which makes sure that the resources go to the places that they need to go to.â
During his speech, Zelenskyy made several historical references to not only praise the U.S.-Ukraine alliance but also as a call to action for future funds. The upcoming omnibus spending bill that is set to be passed in the subsequent days or hours includes an additional $45 billion in funding for Ukraine. Prior to the Ukrainian presidentâs remarks, a few Republicans had already made public their opposition to the spending bill and further aid to Ukraine.
âJust like the brave American soldiers, which held their lines and fought back Hitlerâs forces during the Christmas of 1944, brave Ukrainian soldiers are doing the same to Putinâs forces this Christmas,â Zelenskyy said. He also made the point that this war wasnât just about Ukraineâs freedom but had implications for all free independent nations.
The most conservative members of the party didnât withhold their skepticism about supporting additional funding.
âWe should be focused on trying to contain the war, not expand the war. And this kind of sends the message weâre kind of OK with expanding the war. And I think we should be sending a different message,â Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), a Freedom Caucus member, said before Zelenskyyâs address.
As for his support of more Ukraine funding, âno chance,â he said. âIâd be for voting for an inspector general to find what they did with all the money that we already sent them.â
Shortly after the conclusion of Zelenskyyâs speech, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) tweeted out a statement saying that âPresident Zelenskyy should be commended for putting his country first, but American politicians who indulge his requests are unwilling to do the same for ours.â
âHemorrhaging billions in taxpayer dollars for Ukraine while our country is in crisis is the definition of America last. He did not change my stance on suspending aid for Ukraine and investigating fraud in transfers already made.â
Put more bluntly from Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a Freedom Caucus member: âI hope they keep fighting Putin, but theyâre playing with House money.â
Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.
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