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Lawmaker opposes H.R. 2913, urges House to bring PEACE Act to the floor
Summary
On the House floor a lawmaker said H.R. 2913 is outdated and would reduce support for Ukraine, warned that some proposed sanctions could backfire (including on SWIFT), and urged leaders to instead bring the Financial Services "PEACE Act" associated with Rep. Zach Nunn to the floor.
A lawmaker on the House floor spoke against H.R. 2913, the Ukraine Support Act, saying the measure is "flawed" and urging House leadership to bring the Financial Services "PEACE Act" associated with Rep. Zach Nunn to the floor instead.
The speaker, identified in the transcript only by role as a lawmaker, said he has a long record of supporting Ukraine and of advocating tougher measures on Russia. "I rise to speak, however, in opposition to H.R. 2913, the Ukraine Support Act," he said, while adding that he has "consistently advocated and voted in support of Ukraine" and has made multiple trips to Kyiv to press for assistance.
The lawmaker criticized H.R. 2913 as out of date and said it "actually cuts $100 million in authorized funding for Ukraine annually," a reduction he said does not reflect funding levels the House agreed to in the bipartisan NDAA. He also said the bill "lists Iran provisions in the document rather than refer to Russia" and contains duplicative or poorly written sanctions that lack clear links to strategic objectives.
He warned specifically about measures targeting international messaging systems, saying sanctions "include, for instance, on the messaging system SWIFT, which I think are exaggerated" and that such steps could prompt some countries to shift to a Chinese messaging platform.
To replace H.R. 2913, the lawmaker pointed to the Financial Services "PEACE Act," which he described as a better-crafted alternative that would cut off Russian energy revenues and channel billions from Moscow's sovereign assets to Ukraine. He said he led the design and passage of the REPO Act in this Congress — a measure he characterized as converting Russian foreign assets for use in Ukraine — and urged leaders repeatedly to bring the PEACE Act to the floor.
The remarks were delivered as floor debate; the transcript records the lawmaker making these arguments but does not record a formal vote or a response to these specific critiques on the floor during this speaking time.
