9 House Republicans Oppose Resolution Condemning Russian Abductions Of Ukrainian Children

As votes go, it should have been a slam dunk. And it sort of was.

House members were asked Tuesday night if the chamber should formally condemn Russia’s practice of abducting Ukrainian children as part of its ongoing, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. And they agreed, approving a nonbinding resolution with a whopping 390 votes.

But nine House Republicans voted against it, citing a variety of reasons, such as the notion that the bill was meant as a distraction from the U.S. southern border, to fears that it was meant to build support for more Ukraine aid, to vague concerns it would obligate the United States in some other way.

“Our country is under frickin’ siege. Our borders are wide open and we’re going to go run a messaging resolution, a Democrat messaging resolution?” asked Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) Wednesday.

Roy said Democrats were “MIA on Laken Riley,” referring to the Georgia nursing student killed recently, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant.

“Or the children getting sold in the sex trafficking trade right here in America,” he added. “You want to talk about genocide? Let’s talk about what’s happening here!”

The resolution was approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in November on a unanimous 44-0 vote. It was brought to the floor Tuesday under a procedure specifically used for noncontroversial legislation, which requires a two-thirds majority vote instead of a simple majority for approval.

The resolution listed the number of Ukrainian children that have been transferred to Russia so far — an estimated 200,000 to 260,000, according to Ukrainian and U.S. officials.

It also said the House held Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible or the abductions; that facilitating Russian adoptions of Ukrainian children “amounts to genocide;” that Russia is trying to “wipe out” a generation of Ukrainian children and that the invasion raised the risk of Ukrainian children being exposed to trafficking, violence and child labor.

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