Texas Representative Sylvia Garcia (D) released a statement regarding the passage of four national security bills.
"Today, I voted to pass a group of bipartisan national security bills to support our allies in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, provide humanitarian assistance for those in dire need in Gaza and around the world, and strengthen our ability to hold Iran, Russia, and China accountable,” said Rep. Garcia.
The congresswoman addressed the difficulty Speaker Mike Johnson (R) had in trying to pass the bipartisan bill. Many hardline Republicans opposed the bill, despite urgent calls to pass the foreign aid.
Johnson faced heavy scrutiny from the hardliners ahead of the House voting on the bill's passing. His detractors included Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) who has often faced criticism for being a troublemaker. Greene has threatened to oust Johnson. However, she has not released a schedule for her bizarre potential actions.
The House Speaker made it clear that if he did not draft the bills, House Democrats still would have pushed for the funding without him. House Democrats have already attempted to use what is known as a discharge petition but did not get the necessary signatures to follow through with it.
“Once again, while extreme MAGA Republicans continued to make excuses and play right into Vladimir Putin’s hand, House Democrats put people over politics and democracy over dictatorships and worked across the aisle to ensure America continues to lead on the international stage. We governed from the minority and kept the promises we made to our allies,” said Garcia.
The Texas lawmaker continued, “I am constantly reminded that democracy is a gift each generation passes down to the next, and my vote today keeps that dream alive for millions around the world who are defending these values against dictators, terrorists, and tyrants.”
Garcia highlighted how the foreign aid was delayed and could have been passed a long time ago.
“Make no mistake, the House should have passed this funding months ago, and the blame sits firmly on our Republican colleagues who must reckon with this. But for now, the Senate must work to swiftly pass these bills so that the Biden Administration can start delivering this critical aid to our allies,” concluded Garcia.
