US Putin Caucus Suffers Embarrassing Setback

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Ever since Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, there has been a minority of members of the US House of Representatives who have staunchly opposed all US aid to Ukraine.  This group, which ranged at times from just two negative votes upwards to almost sixty at other times, was consistent in the fact that all of its members were from the Republican Party.  

Former Republican US Representative Liz Cheney referred to the members who voted against US war support for Ukraine as the "Putin wing" of the GOP.   Others simply called those Republicans "Putin's caucus."   Recently fired Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, at times appeared to function as the national spokesperson for that extremist segment of Congress.  Losing Carlson's voice on Fox was undoubtedly a blow to the radicals, but it was certainly not as embarrassing as the kick in the ego that those members suffered this past Saturday when Russia's mercenaries, the Wagner Group, turned on Putin and began a military advance on Moscow - and the Russian head of state, Vladimir Putin, was seen by the entire world as a panicked leader.

During the early days of the Russian assault on Ukraine, the United States Congress quickly passed four bills designed to aid Ukraine in the struggle against. the invaders:

1.  The Russia and Belarus Financial Sanctions Act which kept entities owned by US financial institutions from circumventing US financial sanctions on Russia and Belarus.   The US House of Representatives passed that act by a vote of 418 to 2, with the two negative votes coming from Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

2.  The Ukraine Comprehensive Debt Repayment Relief Act which called for a suspension of Ukrainian debt payments during the war.  It passed the House by a vote of 362-56, with the 56 "no" votes all coming from Republicans - including Massie and Greene.

3.  The Isolate Russian Government Officials Act which called for excluding Russian officials from international meetings like the G-20 summits.  It passed the House on a vote of 416-2, with Republicans Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene again casting the lone "no" votes.   And,

4.  The Russia and Belarus SDR Exchange Prohibition Act, a bill intended to block Russia and Belarus' access to International Monetary Fund tools.  That bill passed the House 417-2, with Republicans Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene voting "no."

Some may have come to the conclusion that certain Republicans seemed to cast their lot with Putin based on Donald Trump's long-standing admiration of the Russian strongman.   Others may have used some other political calculus in justifying support of a giant autocratic country invading a smaller, struggling democracy - but oddly, all of the support for the Russian invasion seemed to be deeply rooted in the extreme right wing of the Republicans in Congress.  Liz Cheney called it correctly.

Saturday as I watched the drama unfold with Russia's own mercenary forces turning on their government and beginning the march toward Moscow, my thoughts circled around to the Putin caucus in the US Congress.  Putin was not the only political animal to be exposed as an empty suit this weekend, several members of the US Congress have also suffered an embarrassing political setback - or at least they should be embarrassed! 

Stand strong, Ukraine!   Most of America has your back!