U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska explained why he voted in favor of the nearly $100 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, reminding his fellow Alaskans of the despots who are causing wars to pop up around the glob:
“The United States is in one of the most dangerous periods since World War II,” Sullivan said. “Authoritarian dictators—Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and the Ayatollahs in Iran—are on the march and working together across the globe to weaken and challenge America’s national security and that of our allies. Our ability to defend our nation has dramatically atrophied due to the Biden administration’s lack of seriousness on national security issues and America’s declining capacity to produce weapons.
Sullivan noted that the primary focus of the aid package is to enhance America’s industrial capacity to build weapons systems and produce ammunition.
“This has to be our number one priority during these dangerous times. Tens of billions of dollars will go to our country’s capacity to rapidly produce an entire array of weapons—everything from nuclear submarines to 155-millimeter artillery rounds,” he said.
“That’s why I believe this bill should be called the ‘Revitalizing America’s Defense Industrial Base’ supplemental. Helping our allies defeat unprovoked authoritarian aggression by providing them much-needed weapons and intelligence is also critical. The citizens of Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine all face true existential threats posed by dictators that want to crush them,” Sullivan said.
“I was heartened to see 70 U.S. senators come together to support this important legislation that will bolster our defense industrial base, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and help America and our allies deter authoritarian aggression and, if necessary, fight and win wars,” Sullivan said.
Whether the measure will pass the U.S. House of Representatives is another matter. Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has rejected the Senate proposal.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski urged the House to vote in favor of the bill.
“Today the Senate delivered an important message to our allies around the world – you can count on the United States. With the Senate’s support of this comprehensive national security bill crafted through months of bipartisan negotiation, our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan will be one step closer to receiving much needed and overdue support. It is also an investment in U.S. military readiness in an increasingly chaotic world. There is a military saying that ‘The only thing more expensive than deterrence is actually fighting a war.’ I urge the House to carefully consider this package as a strong deterrence to our enemies in Russia, Iran, and China. If we are to preserve freedom both home and abroad, the time to act is now,” she said.
