Congressman Mike Ezell
The South Mississippi Congressman says the U.S. can’t afford to continue writing blank checks to other countries.
On Thursday, Mississippi’s 4th District Congressman Mike Ezell was among 70 Republicans who voted for an amendment before the U.S. House of Representatives that would have cut off all U.S. military security assistance to Ukraine.
The other three Mississippi Congressmen – Trent Kelly (R-MS 1), Bennie Thompson (D-MS 2) and Michael Guest (R-MS 3) – opposed the amendment.
The amendment was one of many offered during the House debate on H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.
Offered by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, the one-line amendment stated, “Notwithstanding any provision of this or any other Act, no federal funds may be made available to provide security assistance to Ukraine.”
The amendment failed by a vote of 358-70, as all Democrats and the vast majority of Republicans opposed it.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. has provided the war-torn Easter European nation with tens of billions of dollars in aid along with strategic military assets such munitions.
Congressman Ezell told Magnolia Tribune on Friday that the U.S. cannot continue to write blank checks to other countries.
“The U.S. has already sent more than $75 billion to Ukraine since this invasion began,” Ezell said. “We’re facing major crises at home, including a weakened economy, rising crime, and a wide-open Southern border. We can’t afford to continue writing blank checks to other countries.”
When offering the amendment, Congressman Gaetz acknowledged the inevitability of his amendment losing in the chamber, yet he deemed it important as it put the members on record as to where they stand on the matter.
“My amendment is going to lose overwhelmingly when it is put up for a vote,” said Gaetz. “But the American people will see who wants to represent them, and who wants to represent Crimea.”
Other Amendments of Interest Offered in the House Thursday and How Mississippi’s Congressmen Voted
A slew of other amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 were offered in the U.S. House on Thursday. Here are a few of them along with how Mississippi’s four Congressmen voted:
- An amendment to eliminate any offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion along with the personnel in said offices within the offices of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense.
- Congressmen Kelly (R-MS 1), Guest (R-MS 3) and Ezell (R-MS 4) supported.
- Congressman Thompson (D-MS 2) opposed.
- The amendment passed 214-213 with four Republicans opposed.
- An amendment to prohibit the Department of Defense from establishing new DEI administrator positions and/or taking actions to fill vacancies in currently existing DEI billets.
- Congressmen Kelly (R-MS 1), Guest (R-MS 3) and Ezell (R-MS 4) supported.
- Congressman Thompson (D-MS 2) opposed.
- The amendment passed 218-213 with two Republicans opposed.
- An amendment to prohibit the Department of Defense Education Activity schools from purchasing and having pornographic and radical gender ideology books in their libraries.
- Congressmen Kelly (R-MS 1), Guest (R-MS 3) and Ezell (R-MS 4) supported.
- Congressman Thompson (D-MS 2) opposed.
- The amendment passed 220-209 with two Democrats supporting.
- An amendment to prohibit the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services.
- Congressmen Kelly (R-MS 1), Guest (R-MS 3) and Ezell (R-MS 4) supported.
- Congressman Thompson (D-MS 2) opposed.
- The amendment passed 221-213 with two Republicans opposed and one Democrat supporting.
You can find the full list of amendments offered in the chamber on Thursday along with the votes taken here.
Once the measure is sent to the U.S. Senate, which is under Democratic control, negotiations between the two chambers and amongst members will flesh out the final legislation. Many of the amendments adopted by the Republican-led House may not make it through the process once negotiations with the Senate play out.
Frank Corder
