U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3) is back from a bipartisan trip to Ukraine. She traveled with fellow members of the House Appropriations Committee, on which DeLauro is the top Democrat.
Echoing staunch Ukraine supporter U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal's (D-CT) recent comments, DeLauro said the country is at a critical point in the war — and needs support from the United States to keep fighting the Russian invasion.
“It was an opportunity for us to hear directly from people living through the conflict, a chance for us as appropriators to see how U.S. tax dollars, taxpayer dollars, are being used,” DeLauro said.
Friday morning, DeLauro met with members of Connecticut’s Ukrainian diaspora at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in New Haven.
She explained the complexities of getting Congress to appropriate more money for their country. If Democrats win the House this November, DeLauro would become chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
“[If I] chair the Appropriations Committee, we will increase funds,” DeLauro said. “And if we’ve got that same case in the Senate, then we've got the House and the Senate in sync to try to move forward.”
However, money for Ukraine would likely face a major hold-up in the White House.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump (R) said he would ask European countries to pay the U.S. back for weapons and funds the country sent to Ukraine under the Biden Administration.
“Please let it be known, that the Biden Administration gave far more Munitions away to Ukraine, at no cost to them, whatsoever, than we have used in Iran,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “Hundreds of Billions of Dollars was given to Ukraine and NATO, free of charge, that Europe would have paid for — If they were only asked, but we will be asking for that money, though somewhat belatedly!”
WSHU asked DeLauro for her reaction to that statement. It was the first time she had heard it.
“This is extraordinary…it's outrageous,” DeLauro said. “It's an outrageous commentary. I don't believe he even knows or understands what he's speaking about. I really don't think he understands or he gets it.”
Overriding a presidential veto on a bill for additional Ukraine funding would require major support in both chambers.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. had spent more than $160 billion on the war.
