WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Michael Baumgartner (WA-05) issue the following statement on passage of H.R. 2913, the Ukraine Support Act. 

“Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has caused extraordinary suffering and must not be allowed to end without consequences for Vladimir Putin’s regime,” said Congressman Baumgartner. “Nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by Russia. Any durable peace must provide for the return of these children, impose real costs on Russia for this ruinous war, and include meaningful guarantees for Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.” 

“The Ukraine Support Act contains several worthy provisions, and I appreciate the passionate outreach by the Ukrainian diaspora in Washington State, but I could not support it in its current form,” Baumgartner continued. “It bypassed the normal committee process and includes outdated and duplicative provisions rather than the strongest available approach to confronting Russia. I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act and the Sanctioning Russia Act. Both would impose far more sweeping economic consequences on Russia and on the countries continuing to bankroll Putin’s war through purchases of Russian energy. Congress should advance a robust legislative and sanctions package that maximizes American leverage, protects Ukraine’s sovereignty, and makes Russia pay a real price for the destruction it has inflicted.” 

​​Key deficiencies of Ukraine Support Act include:

• The bill urges NATO allies to dedicate at least 2% of their GDP to national defense, while in 2025 the commitment was increased to 5% of GDP. 
• Congress extended the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) at $800 million for FY2026 and FY2027 in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last year, but this legislation only funds USAI at $600 million for those two years. 
• The Ukraine Support Act creates a reporting requirement for U.S.-Ukraine intelligence cooperation, but the NDAA already mandates that Congress be notified if intelligence to Ukraine is halted.
• It contains mandatory sanctions against Russia that don’t go as far as other measures, but once they become law would constrain the executive branch and limit the President’s ability to negotiate a peace agreement. 

Text of the Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act and the Sanctioning Russia Act can be found here and here.