Hoyer Discusses the Urgent Need to Send Aid to Our Allies on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC to discuss the urgent need to pass the foreign aid supplemental to bring critical aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. Below is a transcript of his remarks and a link to the video:

Click here for a link to the video.

On House Democrats Supporting the Foreign Aid Supplemental

"Andrea, I think that's a pretty good assumption. We supported the Senate bill. Essentially the bills that are coming up, although they're separated and will be voted on separately, the three bills in particular are essentially the Senate bills and therefore it would be reasonable to assume that A.) We want to see them passed and B.) We will help to achieve that objective."

On Speaker Johnson's Change of Opinion on Sending Aid to Our Allies

"Well, he has made it clear for some months now that he believes confronting Putin was important to do. He believed that if Putin went in and took Ukraine, that he would not stop there and he would pose a threat to NATO nations, and then we would be implicated in that instance and would have Americans participating on the ground and in the air in opposition to Russia.

"So he thinks, and has articulated, that it's important to act now to make sure that Ukraine can be victorious in this effort. I share that view. And what I said, I think it's late. We should have done this two months ago, but it's never too late to do the right thing. And we hope it's not too late to make sure that Ukraine can successfully confront the invasion of its country by an authoritarian figure in Putin. So, I think he is doing the right thing and I think we're going to support that effort."

On Continued Dysfunction Within the House Republican Conference

"Well, I can assume what's going on with Chip Roy and his colleagues that are Members of the Freedom Caucus. It will be a negative response to moving forward with action, which they have impeded so often. But I don't know exactly what's going on. I know that there has been a motion to vacate that has been filed and we'll deal with that at the appropriate time."

On Next Steps for Passing Critical Foreign Aid

"Hopefully no later than Saturday. Of course, we have the Passover break coming, but the Senate, I'm sure, is going to stay and finish this because time is of the essence. And I presume we'll have to come back sometime next week after the Senate has acted unless they pass exactly what we send to them.

"As you know, if it's not exactly like that, we have to come back and get an agreement so that both sides have the same position. Then we'll pass those and send it to the […] President."

On the Fourth Bill in the Foreign Aid Package

"As I understand it, the present rule will provide for a separate vote on a bill that has, excuse me, a section of the bill that has miscellaneous items in it. And the rule will have the […] four separate parts joined after we pass each one of them. Obviously, if one fails, that will not be part of the package and it will be that package as a whole - as one bill - that we'll send to the Senate."

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