Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska interjects with colleagues who oppose more funding to Ukraine, claiming he wants to see Russia “win” in the more than two-year-old war with Kiev. did.
“Well, there are no more artillery in Ukraine. If we do not do this, the Russians will be in Kiev. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues want to see Russia win. I don’t know why that would happen. I think this is terrible,” Bacon said in an interview with C-SPAN.
His remarks come as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) moves forward with a series of foreign aid bills that include funding for Ukraine, Israel, Indo-Pacific allies and other national security priorities. It was held during this time. Voting on individual parts of the package is expected to take place by the end of this week.
The move to bring aid to Ukraine to the floor was quickly criticized by some members of the right-wing House of Representatives, who argued that funding should be directed to domestic issues such as securing the country’s southern border.
“Ukraine wants freedom. They want a free market economy. They want to be part of the Western world, and that could be a game-changer for Europe and for Ukraine,” Bacon said. he said. “We should help them get there.”
Mr. Johnson faces intense scrutiny from House conservatives, who are pushing him to take advantage of the Republican House majority to further the party’s victory.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a motion last month to remove Johnson as speaker of the House over her handling of government spending and efforts to bring aid to Ukraine to the floor.
Mr Bacon acknowledged that Mr Johnson could be removed from the top job, but expressed confidence that with the support of the Speaker of the House of Commons he would be able to avoid a motion to stand down.
“I think that’s a possibility, but I think there’s enough support that Johnson will and should remain in office,” Bacon said. “He was a good person. He’s a man of character. Whether you always agree with him or not, he’s trying to do the right thing.”
“He means it in a good way. He’s trying his best and he’s got a good compass, a moral compass, and he’s exploring the need to get this done,” he continued.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) expressed similar sentiments on CNN earlier in the day, claiming those behind the eviction motion are siding with Russia.
“I think their reasoning is that they really want Russia to win, so they want to oust the chairman because of that,” Crenshaw said Thursday. “I mean, it’s a strange position.”
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