(20 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
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POOL
Washington – 20 April 2024
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. House Minority Leader:
"House Democrats have worked hard to bring about a moment where we are standing with our democratic allies throughout the world, including Israel, Ukraine and in the Indo-Pacific, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and others throughout the world who are suffering in theaters of conflict. This is a moment where the Congress is required to stand up for democracy, freedom and truth and push back against aggression. In a bipartisan way we will defeat the pro-Putin obstructionists in the Congress and do what’s right for America’s national security interests."
(Reporter: Does that mean protecting the speaker of the House?)
"We will have that conversation once the legislation has been passed and make a determination as to what happens on the other side of the aisle. In my remarks on the House floor I commended by name traditional conservatives led by speaker Mike Johnson for doing the right thing. Thank you."
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2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Dan Goldman, (D) New York:
"The fact that there’s an extremist wing of the Republican Party that won’t accept that they don’t have total control over our government has ground this Congress to, to a complete halt, except when Democrats join in to get the essential work of the Congress done. If this passes today, then it will be yet another example of the work of Congress getting completed and accomplished solely because Democrats put the country over party."
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STORYLINE:
House Democrats convened on Saturday in a rare weekend session of voting on a $95 billion package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
Congressional leaders are pushing aside opposition from hard-right conservatives to near the completion Saturday of a monthslong effort to renew American support for Ukraine.
"House Democrats have worked hard to bring about a moment where we are standing with our democratic allies throughout the world", said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "This is a moment where the Congress is required to stand up for democracy, freedom and truth and push back against aggression."
Speaker Mike Johnson has put his job on the line and relied on Democratic support to set up a series of votes on the three aid packages, as well as a fourth on several other foreign policy proposals.
The Senate would still need to approve the measures in the coming days. President Joe Biden has promised to sign the package.
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