A Ukraine aid-supporting House Republican’s plea: Biden needs to address the country

A Ukraine aid-supporting House Republican’s plea: Biden needs to address the country

President Joe Biden needs to go on offense to cement a new funding agreement for Ukraine, one of the longest-serving House Republicans said Tuesday.

“I do wish the president would do a major address to the country and say, ‘This is why,’ and then lay it out,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) said. His constituents, he added, “are not hearing from the White House, they’re just hearing about accusations.”

Smith, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said fellow Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Don Bacon (Neb.) were working the floor to build support for their newly unveiled foreign aid and border security package last week. Smith did not sign onto the Fitzpatrick-Bacon package.

“Where’s the rallying cry from the president or the vice president? Or the secretary of Defense or the secretary of State?” he asked.

Smith’s position is hardly unanimous among House Republicans. The Senate passed an aid package with funding for Ukraine last week with just 22 Republicans in support, while nearly 100 House GOP members have opposed further assistance to the imperiled country during recent votes.

The longtime New Jersey Republican deflected on whether the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny added to the imperative to pass additional aid for Ukraine.

“There’s always urgency, but the commander-in-chief has the singular responsibility to articulate exactly why — not engage in the blame game,” he said.