In the News

Hill returns from Ukraine, stresses importance of U.S. support in international conflicts

by Alex Thomas
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
November 2, 2023

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., said Wednesday that Ukraine's success in its war against Russia must continue to involve unified support from the United States and other allies, emphasizing a stalemate or defeat would threaten regional and international security.

Hill's comments to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette came after the congressman from Little Rock led a trip to Poland and Ukraine. A congressional delegation -- which included Hill alongside Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill. and Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. -- met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials to discuss ongoing military efforts and pressing needs hindering Ukraine's defense against Russian forces.

The trip's timing occurred with Congress preparing to debate aid not just to Ukraine, but also to Israel in support of its efforts against Hamas and to the Indo-Pacific amid concerns about Chinese influence.

Hill's priorities in this Congress include the United States' role in international situations; the congressman serves on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, the Financial Services Committee and the chamber's Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

"I believe these three conflicts are interconnected, and they are strategically important," Hill said.

The congressional delegation arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday, where legislators received briefs concerning oversight of assistance supporting Ukraine, as well as reviews of military strategy and intelligence. The delegation spent an hour meeting with Zelenskyy and other officials before speaking with Ukrainian defense leaders.

"I came back with three distinct assessments of military operations by the Ukrainians against the Russians: our intelligence community, our military community and the Ukrainian military community," Hill said.

In a Monday post on X, the social media platform previously called Twitter, Zelenskyy thanked the congressional delegation for the visit, stressing Ukraine's need for the United States' support "in the face of Russian aggression and terror."

"President Zelenskyy reiterated Ukrainians are in this fight to win, they're in this fight for victory; they are going to be successful in this fight due to the support and partnership from their allies," Hill said.

Threats to U.S. allies has been a repeated topic of Hill's business in this Congress. The Little Rock congressman was part of separate congressional delegations to Taiwan and Israel, during which legislators met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-we and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu respectively.

During the meetings, Tsai and Netanyahu stressed the looming threats of China and Iran to their countries and surrounding regions.

"Our three principal adversaries in the world are Russia, China and Iran and Iran's proxies. Those dominate the threats to U.S. service people, U.S. economic interests and U.S. freedom, in my view," Hill said.

Hill returned to Washington, D.C., with legislators in both chambers discussing further support for Ukraine as well as other nations. The Biden administration has presented a $105 billion international security package with $61.4 billion set aside for Ukraine, $14.3 billion in aid for Israel and $7.4 billion for the Indo-Pacific.

The Biden administration used the package to additionally call for $13.6 billion for security concerns at the U.S.-Mexico border.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Congress to approve the package, warning inaction toward these matters could threaten American interests and international security.

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., a Senate appropriator, told the Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday the committee needs to assess if the Biden administration's request best addresses pressing global concerns.

"I don't see [the request] as being the final product at all," the senator from Rogers said. "It's a suggestion. Congress makes the final decision."

As Hill reviews the request, he said the final supplemental appropriations text will need to prioritize addressing persistent challenges from Russia and China, as well as threats to Israel.

"Certainly, House Republicans want to ensure that there is a strategy for the defense of Taiwan, support for Israel and victory in Ukraine," Hill said. "That is facilitated by making the right decisions on tactics and equipment in a timely way."

Members from both parties in the Democrat-led Senate have argued in favor of a measure combining support for Ukraine, Israel and other security concerns.

The Republican-led House, however, is taking a different approach; GOP leaders have proposed a bill solely addressing support for Israel. The legislation would provide Israel with $14.3 billion in emergency funds through rescinding an equal amount from the Internal Revenue Service.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Arkansas, is among the sponsors of the Israel supplemental proposal. In a statement to the Democrat-Gazette, Womack acknowledged while the bill is not perfect, it would support Israel and its military response to Hamas.

"It also allows us to huddle with the Senate and turn our attention to other issues, like supporting our Ukrainian friends, rebuilding our defense industrial base, and improving our conventional military capabilities to enhance our deterrence against PRC threats," the congressman from Rogers added.

Hill said most House Republicans are willing to approve additional aid, yet noted colleagues have been vocal about whether Congress should consider support through separate bills or one package.

"That's a judgment that the leadership in the House is going to have to make," he said.

The White House's request adds another task for Congress to address before Thanksgiving. Federal lawmakers must pass a funding bill by Nov. 17 to avoid a government shutdown.

The House was inactive much of October following the ouster of California Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker; hard-right Republicans led the effort after McCarthy relied on Democrats to pass legislation keeping the government open after Sept. 30.