Congresswoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, released the following statement on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Congresswoman Lee visited Ukraine in 2019 with the House Democracy Partnership (HDP).
“I strongly condemn Russia’s escalation of actions to destabilize Ukraine and further undermine its territorial sovereignty and call for the immediate retreat of all Russian military personnel from Ukraine, including Luhansk and Donetsk.
“While we work in coordination with our European allies to respond and impose targeted sanctions, we must continue to do all we can to de-escalate and utilize the full power of diplomacy to find a negotiated solution to this crisis. If Putin continues to choose aggression over diplomacy, then we must also be prepared to help lead a humanitarian effort to support Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.
“I am confident in President Biden’s repeated commitment to keep U.S. military personnel out of any conflict in Ukraine itself. However, given recent Russian escalation, it is important to stress that any new military deployments must be done in full compliance with Congress’ constitutional war powers and the provisions of the War Powers Resolution.”
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.