Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Vote To Advance The Critical National Security Supplemental Package And Offering Senate Republicans A Vote On Their Border Amendment

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the urgent need to vote yes to advance the national security supplemental. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

The question before us is simple: will Senators rise to defend Western democracy, protect our fundamental values, and support our friends abroad fighting for their lives?

Are we willing to stand up to autocratic brutes, and respond to our adversaries with strength, not weakness?

Will we help the people of Ukraine fight against Vladimir Putin, like we promised? This is a moment in history. This is a moment history will record.

The answer to all of these questions should be an emphatic yes. At stake is America’s safety, the survival of democracy, and the future of the war in Ukraine. As we have always done in our history, the Senate should rush to the defense of democracy and stand up to autocratic brutes.

You can be sure Vladimir Putin is watching closely to see if the Senate will approve more aid to Ukraine. Whether or not we approve an aid package will likely sway the outcome of the war. We must act.

To show our Republican colleagues that we care about this issue deeply and are serious about moving forward in a bipartisan way, we are willing to give them an amendment here on the floor on any border proposal of their choice, at sixty votes.

We will not interfere with whatever policy they want to present. It is vital we move forward and to show that we are willing to work with our Republican colleagues to be reasonable.

This, again, is a moment of truth for the Senate, for the country, for the fight for democracy and Western values. Again, history will record this moment. We must rise to the occasion. We must stand with Ukraine.

We should all vote yes.

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