Reid Lashes Out at GOP Before Vote on Ukrainian Aid
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U.S. Senate(WASHINGTON) — The Senate voted Monday to start debate on a bill that would provide aid to Ukraine and slap sanctions on Russia but not before Majority Leader Harry Reid cast some blame on Republicans for allegedly permitting Moscow to annex Crimea.
The Nevada Democrat said that GOP lawmakers who blocked sanctions sent a “very weak message” that may have emboldened Russia President Vladimir Putin to take control of the former Ukrainian region.
Reid added, “It’s impossible to know whether events would have unfolded differently if the United States had responded to this Russian aggression with a strong unified voice, which we did not do.”
Not willing to let Reid’s contention go unchallenged, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner accused the Democrat of becoming “unhinged.”
Just the same, the measure to assist Ukraine passed the Senate by a procedural vote of 78-to-17. A final vote to approve or kill the legislation in the Senate could happen later this week.
Although the bill contains language that would allow Congress to impose economic sanctions against Russia, it also includes a non-related provision calling for reforms of the International Monetary Fund, which is opposed by many GOP lawmakers who say it will put U.S. taxpayers on the hook for foreign bailouts.
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