Baldwin Votes to Support Our Allies, Deliver Humanitarian Aid, and Disrupt Flow of Fentanyl

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after voting to pass the bipartisan national security funding package:

“We have a responsibility to keep Americans safe at home, support our allies abroad, and deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to innocent civilians. Our bipartisan legislation will help Israel and Ukraine defend themselves in wars for their freedom and future, while delivering needed food, water, and aid for the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of these global conflicts, including those in Gaza. I was proud to help ensure that this aid is used in line with our values and international law and that the American people get the transparency they deserve.

“Importantly, we are taking concrete steps to stop fentanyl from coming into our country, cracking down on Chinese chemical suppliers and Mexican cartels who are helping fuel this crisis. Fentanyl has devastated too many Wisconsin communities and we cannot wait to get this bill signed into law.

“This bill is a needed step forward to keep Americans safe, but unfortunately, cynical politics got in the way of real progress on securing our border and helping fix our broken immigration system. We had a bipartisan agreement that would stop fentanyl from coming into the U.S., invest in technology and our border patrol agents, and expedite our asylum process, but Republicans walked away because they would rather use it as a campaign issue. The people of Wisconsin want the border fixed, not for it to just be used as a political football, and we need to come back to the table to solve the issue.”

The bipartisan legislation includes:

• Senator Baldwin-supported FEND OFF Fentanyl Act, legislation to combat the opioid crisis by disrupting the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States.
• $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to provide food, water, shelter, medical care, and other essential services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine, and other populations caught in conflict zones across the globe.
• $4.83 billion to support key regional partners in the Indo-Pacific and deter aggression by the Chinese government.
• $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel.
• $60.06 billion to support Ukraine as it fights back against Putin’s bloody invasion and protects its people and sovereignty.
• $2.44 billion to support operations in the U.S. Central Command and address combat expenditures related to conflict in the Red Sea.
• $481 million to continue support for Ukrainians displaced by Putin’s war of aggression.
• $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to help nonprofits and places of worship make security enhancements.

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.