House Democrats have come under fire for waving the Ukrainian flag in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives during a vote to approve $60 billion in aid for the country’s defense.
“Ukrainian flags fly in the chamber of the UNITED STATES House of Representatives as they vote to send more of your hard-earned money to a corrupt foreign regime,” Sen Rand Paul, R-Ky., said in a post on X Saturday. “And just like that they shout ‘UKRAINE! UKRAINE!’ while happily working to secure Ukraine’s borders, not ours.”
Paul’s post comes after the House approved a spending package that will send $60 billion to Ukraine to aid in its defense against Russia’s invasion, part of an overall $95 billion foreign aid plan that also includes additional aid for Israel.
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Sen. Rand Paul speaks to reporters as he arrives for a vote in the U.S. Capitol on March 14, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
While the package itself, which passed in a 311 to 112 vote, faced fierce opposition among some lawmakers, others took particular offense to a moment at the end of the vote when Democrats began passing around Ukrainian flags to wave as the timer on the vote expired.
Supporters of Ukraine celebrate after the House passed aid to Ukraine and Israel on Capitol Hill on April 20, 2024. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The move was a violation of House protocol, according to Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., who presided over the vote and told those waving the flags that the display was “inappropriate.”
Molinaro’s comments elicited jeers from Democrats in the chamber, but was backed up by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who took the microphone and told her fellow lawmakers to “put those d— flags away.” Luna would take to social media later to echo a similar sentiment, arguing that it was a “disgrace to display any other flag than the American flag in the House Chamber!”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna attends a news conference with House and Senate Republicans on the west terrace of the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The flag waving was blasted by more GOP lawmakers on social media, with Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., arguing that members of the House showed they care “more about Ukraine than you.”
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“Democrats chanted ‘Ukraine’ while waving Ukrainian flags on the Floor of the UNITED STATES House of Representatives,” Biggs said on X. “The Uniparty approved $60.8 billion more for Ukraine while the US quickly approached $35 trillion in debt.”
Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, speaks with members of the media as he departs during a meeting of the 118th Congress at the US Capitol on Jan. 4, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“For the Swamp, it’s Ukraine First and America Last,” Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C. said of the flag waving on X. “Gleefully waving Ukrainian flags as the American people suffer under Biden’s border invasion.”
“House Democrats are waiving Ukraine flags on the House floor as members of Congress vote to send nearly $61 billion more to Ukraine,” Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, added on X. “Disgusting.”
Ukraine President Zelenskyy holding his hands up with a Ukraine flag in the background (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
“Too much Ukraine. Not enough USA,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah quipped on X while sharing a video of the flag waving.
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The display was also derided by Nicole Shanahan, the running mate of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“I remember as a 12 year old waking up in downtown Oakland and realizing our car had been broken into and the $1.50 I was relying on to buy a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich had been stolen,” Shanahan said on X. “Watching our leadership today send $60B to Ukraine while waving another nation’s flag is gut-wrenching. What about Americans?”