A large majority of House Republicans voted with Democrats on Thursday against five GOP-led amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including ones by Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, which would have curtailed the money flow to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The House on Thursday debated the NDAA — which is the Pentagon's budget — for the 2024 fiscal year, which begins in October. GOP leaders are hoping to hold a final House vote by the end of the week.
The Biden administration has provided $75 billion in military, humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank. But many conservative Republicans believe some of that money would be better spent at home.
Gaetz's amendment to prohibit all security assistance for Ukraine was defeated 358-70, with 149 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against the measure.
"I disagree that Ukraine is not a national interest," said Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., a Ukraine native, on the House floor during debate over Gaetz's amendment. She voted against all five amendments dealing with curbing funds to Ukraine.
"Stopping this war and deterring aggressors like China and Russia, it is in our national interest," Spartz said. "... Now we need to help Ukraine, and we need to understand that, you know, there are a lot of [lives] are going, you know, to be lost for Ukrainians, but we need to make sure that we don't have [a] never-ending war and better and faster security assistance will help to restore peace."
Greene's amendment that would have slashed $300 million in funding for Ukraine was shot down 341-89. She also proposed an amendment to stop the creation of a Center for Excellence in Ukraine. That measure was rejected by a 332-95 vote.
Other Ukraine-related amendments proposed by the GOP that were struck down included one by Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio to require the White House to develop a report to Congress on the strategy for U.S. involvement in Ukraine, which was defeated 301-192, and one from Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee to strike a lend-lease authority to Ukraine, which was defeated 360-71.