A pro-Ukraine advocacy group is seemingly drawing a line in the sand when it comes to Congressional support for the war-torn country, giving Texas politicos who think federal taxpayer resources would be better spent securing the U.S.-Mexico border low ratings.
Republicans for Ukraine issued a scorecard grading all Republican members of Congress on their position when it comes to paying for Ukraine’s war. Each legislator was given a grade ranging from “Excellent” to “Very Poor,” with the former reserved for lawmakers who supported every pro-Ukraine initiative to come out of Congress and the latter for those who do not support Ukraine or have been critical of financing its war effort.
Out of the 25 members of the Republican delegation from Texas, 16 were graded poorly or very poorly by the pro-Ukraine organization, even though their voting records were not entirely one-sided.
For instance, Rep. Nathaniel Moran voted against a bill to aid Ukraine but also voted against amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have decreased aid to Ukraine. Republicans for Ukraine’s website also characterized a statement Moran made about the conflict as “neutral.”
“Now, even in light of those questions, I’ll tell you — they understand the need to push back against Russia. They understand the need to ensure that this unwarranted, uninvited invasion by Russia into Ukraine needs to be defended and repelled. So, we’ll start there, and hopefully, we’ll end with a good conclusion — but it cannot be in a world where the money sent by U.S. taxpayers is unaccounted for and used inappropriately,” Moran had said, according to Republicans for Ukraine.
The group gave Moran, who represents West Texas, a “very poor” score.
Rep. Chip Roy of Central Texas also received a “very poor” score. Roy voted against Ukraine in five of six votes. He also expressed the belief that the United States needs to fund efforts to solve its domestic problems instead of sending taxpayer money to Ukraine.
“We cannot continue to have a blank check going to Ukraine without dealing with what we need to do here at home first,” Roy said, per the report card.
Another congressman who got a “very poor” grade was Houston-area freshman Rep. Wesley Hunt. He had questioned why the ongoing crisis at the southern border should play second fiddle to what he called a “proxy war.”
Republicans for Ukraine attributed two anti-Ukraine statements to Hunt:
“The forgotten men and women of the United States cannot afford an endless proxy war in Ukraine. … Putting American [sic] First means rebuilding our country, not draining the American taxpayer to fund the destruction of another.”
“Why has the United States government sent $113 billion to defend Ukraine’s border and NOT a dime of real funding to secure our own border?”
Rep. Troy Nehls also pointed to what he considered the Biden administration’s neglect of border communities in favor of funding the Ukraine conflict. He also received a “very poor” rating.
“It is shameful that the United States is continuing to subsidize the ongoing conflict in Ukraine while the Biden administration is turning a blind eye to our own border communities and domestic national security posture, sending tanks into an unstable warzone creates several logistical challenges, further escalates the conflict, and undermines our own national security,” claimed Nehls, according to the report.
DFW-area Rep. Roger Williams, who also got a “very poor” grade, said, “In the midst of a historic border crisis and looming government shutdown, the United States is in no position to fund the endless war in Ukraine.”
However, not every Texas Republican got low marks from the advocacy organization. Reps. Tony Gonzales, Dan Crenshaw, and Michael McCaul all got “excellent” ratings.
McCaul, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, has been a consistent supporter of using taxpayer money to provide Ukraine with military aid since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
Republicans for Ukraine is a project of Defending Democracy Together, a group founded by Bill Kristol, who served as chief of staff to former Vice President Dan Quayle during President George H.W. Bush’s administration.