After months of deliberation, the House of Representatives has finally passed a massive package of foreign aid that contains over $60 billion to support Ukraine’s war against Russia. It would be an overstatement to say that the process was contentious.
Some Republicans argue that it is a dereliction of duty to send more money abroad without doing anything about securing America’s Southern Border. Other Republicans, however, insisted the two issues are not connected and that Ukraine’s support is too important to delay.
There were also the Democrats. The Democrats couldn’t simply take the victory. They had to be as offensive as possible. After the vote, they chanted “Ukraine Ukraine” while waving a flag of another nation.
Rep. Bill Keating, D-MA, then said “Hold my Beer.” He didn’t stop at gyrating in the House. He jumped on a flight to Kyiv, Ukraine so he could personally give Volodymyr Zelensky the vote count.
Find a politician who cares as much about you as Keating does to impress the president of Ukraine. This is embarrassing.
Today in Kyiv I handed President @ZelenskyyUa a copy of the vote totals from Saturday’s affirmation of U.S. support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. pic.twitter.com/jjo2dtPeXt
— Congressman Bill Keating (@USRepKeating) April 22, 2024
Zelensky looks a bit confused in the video. It’s almost as if Zelensky is asking “Why are you here?” This trip is likely taxpayer-funded, but in any case, why travel halfway around the world for something that you could have emailed instead? Even Ukraine, which had to host and secure this photo opportunity while fighting a civil war, wasted time and resources.
It’s all so tone-deaf. It is one thing to send a massive aid package to other nations. Then there’s the refusal to do anything to protect America from the worst immigration crisis the country has ever seen. Then, it’s another thing to fly to Ukraine and act like an excited schoolgirl trying her best to impress the boy who lives next door.
Zelensky receiving a vote count is also incredibly inappropriate. America is a democracy with a representative system. No representative is “bad” if they vote their conscience. It is wrong for a politician, when he goes overseas to talk to a foreign leader and say “Here are the people who voted in favor of giving you money” to be a shill.
Keating is essentially trying to rub everyone’s noses in it. It is not enough for Democrats to pretend that their newfound respect for Ukraine has anything other than slapping Donald Trump in the face because “muh Russian collusion.” The Democrats must also let you know they have defied your authority. It may have seemed awkward, but it was a powerful move that Democrats were not afraid to use.
