Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) compared the speech made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the call to war made by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1941.
Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a letter to her colleagues in the House expressing her “great satisfaction and solemnity” at Zelensky’s statement to a Joint Congress Meeting.
In his “personal remark,” the outgoing speaker compared Zelensky’s visit to Congress to Churchill’s historic wartime proclamation to a quorum of Congress on the day after Christmas in 1941:
Feel free to peruse the invitation letter I extended to President Zelenskyy if you’re interested. As the fight for Ukraine’s independence continues, we look forward to hearing his message of bravery, unity, and dedication. [Emphasis added]
My life has come to a turning point right now. The day after Christmas in 1941, Winston Churchill traveled to Washington, D.C., to address the House of Representatives and gain support for the British effort to free Europe from Nazi oppression. My late father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., was a member of Congress. Our democracy is on the line in this conflict, and it is very touching to be here this week to hear another heroic leader speak to Congress. President Roosevelt delivered his famous “Field of Dreams” speech this week in 1939. This is a loose paraphrasing.
This promises to be one of the most unforgettable evenings of your life, so we hope you can make it.
Zelensky suddenly visited Washington, DC, to meet with U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden, as they were about to enact a massive 4,155-page $1.7 trillion omnibus budget proposal to support the government through September 2023.
Costing U.S. taxpayers $66 billion too far, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is unlikely to end anytime soon. But the omnibus spending package provides an additional $45 billion in military and economic help to Ukraine, as Sean Moran of Breitbart News reported on Tuesday.
A substantial portion of the Ukrainian capital will be purchased with this money and turned into an Independence Park. The park’s exhibits will celebrate “the solidarity between the people of Ukraine and the United States and the importance of Ukraine’s independence, freedom, and sovereignty.”
Zelensky’s administration is said to have published a filmed video in which he begs for additional money, even though the United States has already guaranteed $100 million to his country if the budget plan is effective.
The situation is now less than optimal. In the same video, Zelensky expressed concern, saying, “The opposition is constructing its army.” While we applaud the U.S. government’s efforts, their aid isn’t enough. That’s a step in the right direction, but more is needed.