Press Releases
ICYMI: Appropriations Committee Unanimously Passes Womack Measure Banning Russian-Made Equipment
Washington,
June 29, 2022
Washington, DC—June 29, 2022....During today’s House Appropriations Committee markup, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) proposed an amendment, which would ensure taxpayer dollars used for peacekeeping missions are prohibited from buying Russian-made equipment. Not one dollar should support Putin's war machine. It passed unanimously.  Watch Congressman Womack propose the amendment here.
“Madam Chair I have an amendment at the desk. “I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with. “First off, I want to thank both the subcommittee chair and Ranking Member, as well as the staff on both sides of the aisle for all of the hard work they have done on this bill. “Madam Chair, in 2002, as a lieutenant colonel in the Arkansas National Guard, I deployed my battalion to Sinai, Egypt as the U.S. contingent of the UN peacekeeping Multinational Force Observers. “During that deployment, my soldiers and I worked hand in hand with our partner forces from across the globe to strengthen international relationships and ensure our mission was successful. I know firsthand the critical role that peacekeeping activities play in our increasingly globalized world, and it is why I rise today with this amendment. “My amendment is simple and necessary. It prohibits funds that are provided for contributions to international peacekeeping activities from being used to procure Russian-made equipment. “That is it. “In recognition of the importance of these peacekeeping missions, it also allows for case-by-case exceptions if the Secretary of State reports to this committee that the prohibition would pose a substantial risk to human health or welfare. “We are now entering the fourth month of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and we continue to see Russia inflict catastrophic attacks against the courageously defiant people of Ukraine. “Russia’s actions over the past year have been a complete rebuke of international laws and global norms. There can be no justifiable argument for allowing this Congress, which has overwhelmingly supported the defense of Ukraine, to appropriate any funds for international peacekeeping without ensuring they will not ultimately wind up supporting Putin’s war effort. “Madam Chair, the intent of my amendment is to present a commonsense safeguard for our funding and to be a good steward of this Congress’s international responsibilities. “We should not be providing peacekeeping funds to those who break the peace. “With that, I yield back the balance of my time.” Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. ### |