Joyce Votes to Provide Critical Aid to Ukraine amid War with Russia

WASHINGTON, DC – Last night, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) voted to provide critical military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to help Ukraine fend off Vladimir Putin’s invasion. H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, which passed the House by a largely bipartisan vote, included a total of $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. This aid will authorize additional weapons to be provided to Ukraine, bolster cyber and other capabilities to respond to the Russian invasion, fund sanctions development and enforcement, and support U.S. troop deployments in the region to support our NATO allies.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked the largest ground war Europe has seen since World War II,” said Joyce, a member of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. “By providing this critical assistance, we have made it clear to Vladimir Putin that the United States stands with the freedom-loving people of Ukraine in their valiant fight to defend their nation. I was proud to vote for this aid and will continue to do everything I can to support Ukraine and help provide security to its citizens, from those who have fled to neighboring countries for safety to those who stayed and are fighting like hell to defend their home. We must remain unrelenting in our efforts to hold Putin accountable for this heinous war and the impact it’s having on millions of innocent people.”

Previously, on February 28, 2022, the U.S. announced $350 million in military aid for Ukraine which included:

• Ammunition 
• Stringer anti-aircraft weapons being transferred from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
• Javelin missile systems being transferred from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania 
• Anti-armor weapons 
• Small arms
• Body armor

That same day, Joyce joined seven of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling on President Biden and the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine to ensure the tens of thousands of Ukrainian nationals currently living in the United States would not be forced to return to a war-torn country under siege by Russian forces. Later that week, the Biden Administration granted that designation, ensuring that Ukrainian nationals in good legal standing can remain in the U.S. for 18 months, even if their visa expires.

On February 1, 2022, Joyce joined Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) in urging the Biden Administration to sell 250 M1 Abrams combat tanks to Poland that are produced at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima, Ohio. Following that request, on February 18, 2022, the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the approval of that sale to bolster United States’ national security interests in the region and defend Poland’s sovereignty amid heightened Russian aggression.

In December 2021, Joyce voted to support the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorized nearly $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, extended the Department of Defense’s authority to fund and authorize training exercises with Eastern European nations intended to bolster their national security, and authorized a report on the existing nuclear capabilities of Russia as well as a report on military cooperation between Russia and China.