Speaker Pelosi’s Remarks at Bill Enrollment Ceremony for the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Jim McGovern, Chairman Gregory Meeks, Chairman Adam Schiff, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Bill Keating and Congressman Jason Crow held a bill enrollment ceremony today for the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Good evening. Thank you for being here.

Here we are: the legislation establishing the Lend-Lease initiative to help the people of Ukraine and the people of Eastern Europe fight for democracy. We're very proud of this legislation, which will now go to the President for his signature. Lend-Lease was a model of cooperation in a fight for democracy then in World War II and a model for, for us to proceed now.

We just came from the airport within this hour. Within the hour the plane landed, came right here to report to the American people how well-received the assistance they have provided so far has been. The President of Ukraine began his remarks being grateful to the people of America, to our President, President Biden, for the leadership that our country has demonstrated. We witnessed in him a leader of great resolve, a leader of great discipline, of focus, and it was – it was very inspiring. I have to say: it was informative, and it was inspiring.

We learned a great deal. We became more informed about the current situation on the ground. We became more inspired by the leadership and the courage of the people of Ukraine. And we came back ready to get the bill done so that the aid can – the assistance can flow. It's really not assistance; it's more cooperation in the fight for democracy.

I was so proud of – I am so proud of our delegation, a heavyweight delegation. Chairs of Committees and Subcommittees of jurisdiction that have everything to do with the legislation that we are about to pass – but I'll let them speak for themselves. We did, though – I just want to brag, say to the president, President Zelenskyy, that just this week we passed this legislation, that just this week we passed what I call ‘seize and freeze.' It has a more official name than that – much of that coming out of, that being the work of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Before that, we had passed legislation to stop the normal trade relations with Russia as well as cutting off the purchase of U.S. oil from Russia, and of course, our previous package of $13.6 billion.

The American people have been generous and strongly in support of democracy – in the fight for it. We have more to do. And our colleagues will tell you how – what they saw and where we go from here. But with this, I'm very proud. It's a very small bill, sometimes these bills are this high.

[Laughter]

But we'll send this to the President, and he – and if each of you would like to hold it?

[Laughter]

I love the legislation – because now it will become law, and then it will make a difference in the lives of the people.

As they are passing that around – we'll start by seniority. There he is, holding the bill: the Chair of the Rules Committee and a champion for hunger security not only in America but in the world – very important subject on our visit there. He'll tell you why. Mr. Chairman, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts.

Chairman McGovern. Thank you. I want to thank the Speaker for leading this historic trip. It was, as she said, inspiring. Our meeting with President Zelenskyy was over three hours – covered a lot of ground. We talked about not only the military challenges that he faces, but also the humanitarian crisis in this war that Putin has launched against Ukraine. It's not just against Ukraine. It is against the world's most vulnerable, the world's poor, because he's blocking the ability of Ukraine, the breadbasket of the world, to get food to people in Africa and the Middle East and all over the world. He's also trying to frustrate efforts to give food to people who are struggling with – inside Ukraine. He's using food as a weapon of war. And it really is unconscionable.

Let me just say one final thing. I have spent my whole life fighting against endless wars and senseless U.S. military interventions around the world, whether it's Central America or Iraq – tried to get us out of Afghanistan for many years. And I've never been hesitant to be critical of my own government when I think we haven't lived up to our high standard when it comes to human rights. What is happening in Ukraine, what Putin is doing in Ukraine, is a human rights atrocity. He's committing war crimes. He is massacring people. He is targeting maternity hospitals and civilian sites. He's trying to starve people. This is evil, what he is doing here, and so this is about human rights.

Know about – somebody asked a question: ‘Why aren't you afraid that some of the things you're saying may provoke Putin?' And I couldn't believe this question because the bottom line is, Putin is the one who has provoked this response. Ukraine is not invading Russia. Russia is invading Ukraine. Russia is massacring innocent Ukrainian people. If you care about human rights, you ought to be on the side of the Ukrainian people. And we want this war to end, and we want – and we want – and the person who can end it right now is Putin. And he's a bully. And my dad always told me: ‘Stand up to bullies, because if you don't, they will continue to bully others.' And so again, this was a great, a great visit. And I look forward to working with the Speaker and this incredible team that she assembled here to get this aid package passed.

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. You talked about the humanitarian aspects of it and the security effort, implications of it all. We were about humanitarian assistance, economic assistance, security assistance and assistance after the war is won for the rebuilding. The two other pieces of legislation that I just mentioned that were passed last week came out of the Foreign Affairs Committee. We were very fortunate to have the Chairman with us to speak about those and what comes next. Mr. Meeks.

Chairman Meeks. Thank you, Madam Speaker. And thank you for – thank you for putting this trip together. It was an honor to sit across the table from President Zelenskyy. I was in Ukraine about two weeks before the invasion and sat across the table from President Zelenskyy, and he said to the delegation that was there, that he and the Ukrainian people will fight for their freedom, will fight for their democracy. He said, ‘All I ask is for people to stay with us.'

Let's have unity. Because there's a lot at stake. Standing next to – sitting next to him, shaking his hand and looking him in his eye just the other day, you could see that same focus, that same determination. And we also have seen the proof of what he said, because the Ukrainian people are on the battlefield fighting for their democracy, fighting for their sovereignty and fighting for the rest of the world so that we can preserve democracies everywhere and not allow Putin's evil actions to prevail.

So we talked about that unity. And that – here are things that are important to him as we add on additional sanctions. One of the things that the President has done is kept NATO together, for example. Thirty nations strong, not being divided. Pushing, moving, and as we push even more sanctions, as President Zelenskyy was talking about and asking for, causing pressure from the inside. Look, we already had a historic vote: 141-country strong vote in the U.N. to condemn Russia and its actions. I say to the 35 that chose to abstain: come join the majority of the rest of the world. Stand with President Zelenskyy. And to the four other than Russia that voted the other way – need to change your ways very quickly. We're going to stand united. We're going to continue pushing forward.

Secretary Blinken, at a hearing we just had, said that soon the United States Embassy will reopen again. That's important. That's another sign of the United States standing with President Zelenskyy. This Lend-Lease bill – he brought up before I could even bring it up. Seizure – asset seizure to rebuild this country. We're going to say focused on that on the Committee. We're going to keep making sure that we're bringing and having hearings to expose to the rest of the world the tragedy that's taking place by one man and his people. But the rest of the world standing together in unity, in unity, to make sure we win.

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for passing the seize and freeze bill already this week. An important part of our discussion on security, of course, was about intelligence, and we were blessed to have with us the Chair of the Intelligence Committee who will speak to that subject and whatever else he wishes. Mr. Chairman, Adam Schiff of California.

Chairman Schiff. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you, Madam Speaker, and at the outset, I want to thank you for organizing this delegation to Ukraine. I think it was incredibly meaningful, certainly for us, but very meaningful for Ukraine – for President Zelenskyy – that you would travel to Kyiv and demonstrate the resolve of the United States to support our ally.

We visited two remarkable countries on this trip. Ukraine is persevering against some of the most powerful militaries in the world. It is showing incredible courage and resolve. We were, I think, all in awe of the sacrifice and the determination of the Ukrainian people, so ably demonstrated by the President, President Zelenskyy. At the same time, we visited Poland, a country that has taken in millions of refugees. It would be the equivalent of the United States taking in tens of millions of people into our homes. That is an extraordinary act of generosity and humanity by the Polish people. And we're very grateful for all they're doing.

I'm proud of the role the Intelligence Community has played. The Administration – I think, very, very wisely – disclosed exactly what Putin was planning prior to war. He had stripped away any pretext that Putin might have had, and I think helped the Administration marshal the international community in rapid speed to coalesce around a really punishing set of sanctions. That intelligence-sharing goes on a daily basis with real time information to help the Ukrainian people defend themselves.

As in the past with Lend-Lease, the United States is once again the arsenal of democracy. I'm very proud that we're playing that role. And I hope that when this conflict is over, we can play another historic role with a Marshall Plan to help Ukraine rebuild. This is a struggle between freedom and oppression. The Ukrainian people are on the frontlines of that struggle. If the Russians aren't stopped in Ukraine, there's no reason to believe they will leave it at that without invading their neighbors. Putin, I think, much as we saw in the 1930s, views his neighbors as less than themselves, some people to be subjugated and conquered. He irrigates to himself the right to remake his borders anytime he wants. That kind of despotic ambition must be checked. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people, in doing exactly that doing exactly that.

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I began with our trip to Ukraine. We finished with Poland, and I will – and I thank you – we did meet actually – was that today?

[Laughter]

It seems like a long time ago – with President Duda and thanked him for the, what the government of Poland is doing, but more importantly, what the people of Poland are doing to take these refugees into their homes, into their hearts, into their schools. It's remarkable.

Now, so much of what we talk about has to be part of the appropriations process and much of it from State, Foreign Ops. Congress – Madam Chair, Barbara Lee's Committee. Barbara, you cover a lot of territory on this. I want to yield to you.

Congresswoman Lee. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I, too, must thank you for putting together this delegation. It was a true honor. And I just have to say once again: our Speaker has shown the rest of the world what true leadership is all about and standing on behalf of democracy, on behalf of the Ukrainian people.

And it has been such a – three days of intense meetings, negotiations, discussions are – this comes at a moment, now a defining moment where we are now beginning to write the bill for the $33 billion in supplemental. Much of what we talked about with the NGOs, with civil society, with USAID – the State Department officials, who are doing a phenomenal job in spite of the violence and the danger that they face – is what, in fact, they need to support the Ukrainian people. Vis-à-vis example, refugee assistance, economic assistance, what we need to make sure – we're excited that our embassy is going to open back up with what we need to make sure that our staff – that they're safe, that the embassy is up to standards that they need to be able to work, that comes again through the bill that are going to pass. And we have to pass this quickly.

Also, Madam Speaker, I was really struck by the atrocities that are – the NGOs and USAID relayed to us, civil society, in terms of what's taking place with women and girls. Russian soldiers raping women and girls over and over and over again, impregnating them. The trauma around this is horrendous. These are crimes against humanity. And in fact, human trafficking – we hear now that's beginning to run once again.

And so there are many issues that we have to address, and we need to support the Ukrainian people our NGOs, civil society, State Department, USAID with our funding. And so as I close, I'm just going to say that what, again, what we witnessed, what we heard, really has come at the right time for us to make sure that this $33 billion supplemental really does take care of the needs of Ukrainian people and support them through this horrific war. But also, puts a marker there for the reconstruction efforts, because we know that the light does outshine the darkness, and they will win.

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you, Madam Chair. As I mentioned earlier, the Foreign Affairs Committee has a good deal of jurisdiction on this, including part of the sanctions package that has come down. And we may do more, and we've gotten some suggestions about what works better than others and what more we can do. But so much of that comes under your jurisdiction – authorizing – and as Member of the Committee but – and Chair of the Committee of jurisdiction in Europe and Eurasia.

Mr. Keating of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman.

Chairman Keating. Speaker, thank you for your leadership. It's great to be with our colleagues in a very important time.

It's just important to realize that there are heroes there in Ukraine; many of them aren't wearing uniforms. We met with humanitarian activists that are on the ground. Some of them have targets on their back. Most of them, if not all of them, face lethal threats. They're risking their lives every single day. And they told us that the horrors that were going on in Ukraine that they witnessed – and try and move people forward to a safer place every single day. The systematic raping of teenagers, the treatment of the elderly and the disabled, and the trauma that's impacted so many children that will affect them the rest of their lives to some degree.

They also were very understanding, as we are, that Putin has no desire whatsoever for negotiations or diplomacy. And so they pleaded with us for the military assets necessary to save lives and to save the country and save democracy there. And they understand what President Zelenskyy – what Ukraine has asked for repeatedly: they want these assets, they wanted the assets they need themselves, and they want them in a timely fashion. And this piece of legislation will do just that. It will empower them to select the weapons that they want. It will empower them, in a timely fashion, to obtain those.

So this is one important piece of not just military victory, but humanitarian necessity.

Speaker Pelosi. Mr. Keating mentioned weapons, and from the Armed Services Committee we – and the Intelligence Committee, we're very well represented on. The American people were very well represented on this delegation by Jason Crow, a veteran himself. When we visited the 82nd Airborne, he could visit as a veteran of the 82nd Airborne.

So I yield now to our distinguished colleague, Jason Crow of Colorado.

Congressman Crow. Thank you, Speaker Pelosi, for your leadership, and again, this really important delegation.

We have heard over and over the stories of the atrocities, human rights violations, the violations of international law, the systematic rape, raping of young women and children, the carpet bombing of civilian populations, the targeting of maternity wards, the intentional blocking of food aid to induce hunger and starvation around the world. To be clear, Vladimir Putin will not stop any of this until the Ukrainians stop it. They have the courage, they have the ferocity, they have the prowess to do it. But what they don't yet have are all of the weapons. So we came with a very single – singular focused message. The United States of America will help you stop it. We are in this to win. We will provide you the aid, we will provide you the weapons to beat Vladimir Putin and to win this victory – not just for Ukraine, but for the United States and the entire free world.

Now this truly is the battle for democracy and freedom that's – we're seeing on the front lines of Ukraine today. So the bottom line is, we're going to move this legislation. We are going to lead in the Congress. We're going to get this done. We had a saying on our trip, and that is: ‘Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition.'

Speaker Pelosi. We came up with – we went to church, in the cathedral, near where the refugees are, and here we are praying, and we believe in prayer, and that our prayers will be answered. But we took on the saying from World War II, where the chaplains led the prayer: ‘Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition.'

So we certainly do pray for the people, especially those little children. Imagine, they're raping little girls, repeatedly. Repeatedly. I just imagine that – you know that children are my ‘why' I'm in Congress. And what they've done to their mothers in front of them. Kidnapping them into Russia. This is beyond, this – so far outside of the circle of civilized human behavior.

I just want the American people to know how appreciative everyone that we ran into – and I say ran into, that is actually what it was. Whether we ran into them at the monument to the uprising in the ghetto in – in Warsaw, whether we ran into them in the museum there, whether we ran into them in the airport on the way home, Shannon Airport, whether we ran into them in the church, whether we ran into them when we went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the – of Poland. People were just, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you for helping Ukraine.' It was very moving.

So again, we learned in our exchange how to evaluate, prioritize, what we want to do in terms of humanitarian assistance for the refugees, of course, for the displaced, for those who are not even – couldn't even move out of their homes but are blocked into, in areas of conflict, in terms of what that means to, to food around the world. If the Ukrainians are prevented from exporting their wheat – product – and you had another phrase – food and hunger and –

Congressman Crow. And harpoons. Which is anti-shipment.

Speaker Pelosi. Hunger and harpoons. Because that's one of the things we want them to have, so we can solve the problem of hunger.

But nonetheless, just me say, we had a wonderful visit with the Speaker of their Parliament and Members of the Parliament, with the President in Poland, so that we could bond even more closely with them. Share some candid comments about how we can work more closely together, how the Ukrainian situation – as horrible as it is – is bringing people together in NATO, in the world and in the Congress of the United States.

But I think we'll be in good shape as we go forward on the legislation. But we have to legislate.

But – but I have to close by saying it was really – many privileges are afforded us as Members of Congress. We meet many people who have made contributions to the well-being of the people of the world and of our country. To be there with – under the circumstances, of constant threat and horrors going on in the country – to be there with President Zelenskyy was a very, very inspiring time, I think we would all agree.

Any questions?

Q. Madam Speaker, should the Ukraine aid supplemental that President Biden asked for pass as a standalone or paired with something else?

Speaker Pelosi. Well, we want it just to pass. Barbara's a Member of the Committee, so she may want to take that, and I'll take it back –

Congresswoman Lee. As we speak, we're writing the bill, and I think the sense of urgency is upon us. It's great. And so we're trying to get this done as quickly as possible, whatever path that takes. But right now, we're in the midst of putting together the $33 billion.

[Phone rings]

Speaker Pelosi. That was Rosa DeLauro calling.

[Laughter]

On my watch.

Yes?

Q. So, just to confirm, Senate Republicans said they will not twin –

Speaker Pelosi. Who did?

Q. Senate Republicans said they would not –

Speaker Pelosi. Oh, Senate Republicans.

Q. – twin this Ukrainian supplemental with COVID funding. Are you okay if that bill gets to you?

Speaker Pelosi. Like I said, we are legislating, and we're taking one day at a time. But time is very important. As we saw there, time is life. It is – the sooner we can get the weapons and the assistance there, the sooner – the more people's lives will be saved. The sooner we will be closer to ending the diabolical atrocities that are occurring as we speak here.

But we'll see. But we need to pass a COVID bill, too. Because – and that is the challenge to us in terms of the health and well-being of the American people. Whatever is in the COVID bill, is the correct price to pay for the health and well-being of the American people.

Any other questions?

Yes ma'am?

Anybody weigh in on any of these.

Q. Madam Speaker, why wait to enroll this bill until you all had returned, rather than do it beforehand so it could –

Speaker Pelosi. Excuse me? I'm sorry?

Q. Why wait to enroll this bill until you all returned from Ukraine rather than do it beforehand?

Speaker Pelosi. Why would we do this bill before we returned from – ?

Congressman Meeks. When we signed the bill.

Speaker Pelosi. Oh, because it just came from the Senate. It has – it is a process, you understand. No, we passed the bill, what, Thursday?

Congressman Meeks. Thursday.

Speaker Pelosi. And then it had to go over to the Senate because it began in the Senate. And when – thank you for your question. But the reason you got such late notice – we wouldn't have called you, except they called us and said – we got the word on the plane – that the Senate had sent the bill over. So we thought, well, we can all sign the bill together. That's why.

Now, there is a process. It has to – every, every word – you know this is relatively easy. When these bills are this – every single word has to be checked. If one word is off, and the bill is signed, you have to – almost have to start over again.

So that's why. So it's just the legislative process. But thank you, so I can explain why we called you so late.

But unless there are any other questions, I thank you all for responding.

Did you have a question?

Q. Actually, for Representative Lee: is the goal then to have a bill ready when you guys are back, when the House is back in session in two weeks?

Congresswoman Lee. We are working as hard as we can to get the bill done.

[Laughter]

Speaker Pelosi. One week. That would be our hope. They are writing it now, right?

Congresswoman Lee. As we speak.

Speaker Pelosi. And they're writing it now. And we would hope that it would be taken up next week. Yeah, the sooner, the better.

But we are back next week. We are – this week, we're in perfect timing. This is committee week, where we both have hearings and write bills and that sort of – when we come back, we have product, quality product, and the committee is that – the sooner, the better.

Thank you all very much.