Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President of the United States should take immediate steps to support the transfer of requested fighter aircraft to the Government of Ukraine for self-defense against invasion of their sovereign state.

Bill: 117-hres-991
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]
Introduced: 2022-03-17
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Alliances

Aviation and airports

Conflicts and wars

Europe

Foreign aid and international relief

International organizations and cooperation

Military assistance, sales, and agreements

Military operations and strategy

Poland

Russia

Ukraine
Latest action: action_date: 2022-03-17
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-03-17
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives affirms its support for equipping the Ukrainian Air Force with MiG-29 fighter aircraft and calls upon the President to support, pursue, and facilitate such transfers, including by way of approaches to replacing allied aircraft contributions with appropriate aircraft, in support of Ukrainian self-defense in cooperation with willing allied partners. </p>

tv_txt: IV 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 991 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 17, 2022 Mr. Cole (for himself, Mr. Lamborn , Ms. Salazar , Mr. McClintock , Mr. Van Drew , Mr. Bilirakis , Mr. Weber of Texas , Mr. Mast , Mrs. Walorski , Mr. McKinley , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , Mr. Rouzer , Mr. Buck , and Mr. Balderson ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President of the United States should take immediate steps to support the transfer of requested fighter aircraft to the Government of Ukraine for self-defense against invasion of their sovereign state.

Whereas, on February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a malicious, unprovoked invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine; Whereas this onslaught has continued and intensified in the days and weeks since; Whereas the Ukrainian leadership, its military, and its citizens have demonstrated fierce commitment to fight the Russian aggression, and the nation’s brave and steadfast resistance has significantly hindered the invasion and has earned the admiration, praise, and sympathy of the vast majority of the international community; Whereas Russia has significantly increased its targeting of innocent men, women, children, and elderly, as well as civilian infrastructure such as houses, apartment buildings, schools, and hospitals; Whereas Russia has both failed to negotiate in good faith and to abide by commitments to provide for safe humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee the war to safety; Whereas equipping the Ukrainian Air Force to secure its own airspace, to suppress aerial attacks and reconnaissance, and to increase the safe mobility of Ukrainian ground forces could help reduce the need for, and the pressure on, the international community to enter the war on humanitarian grounds, thus reducing risk of involving additional combatants; Whereas the United States has consistently maintained that it would supply Ukraine with weapons to defend its borders and sovereignty, and has already delivered significantly on that pledge; Whereas Congress has appropriated and the President has signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, including approximately $13,600,000,000 in additional emergency assistance for the situation in Ukraine; Whereas Poland has recently made an offer to provide 28 MiG–29 fighter aircraft for the purpose of delivery to Ukraine; and Whereas Ukrainian pilots are already trained to fly and maintain this aircraft, and their delivery could help secure Ukrainian airspace, preventing further loss of innocent life at the hands of Russian aggressors: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives affirms its support for equipping the Ukrainian Air Force with such aircraft and calls upon the President of the United States to support, pursue, and facilitate such transfers, including by way of approaches to replace allied aircraft contributions with appropriate aircraft, in support of Ukrainian self-defense in cooperation with willing allied partners.