Matt Gaetz Resolution Fails With Only 10 Co-Sponsors As MAGA Flops

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A resolution introduced in the House by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) that would apparently, if approved, lay out a non-binding push against continued aid from the United States for Ukraine amid that country’s war with Russia only has 10 co-sponsors out of hundreds that could be available just among House Republicans alone.

It’s not exactly an impressive showing for a Congressman who seems so sure of himself. The resolution blames the U.S., at least in significant part, for civilian casualties originating with the war in Ukraine, although that’s just really a stretch. The military aid that the U.S. has given Ukrainian authorities, which has involved a long series of weapons the country has used against invading Russian forces, hasn’t been the deciding factor in pushing the conflict forward. It was the Russian military that invaded Ukraine and began targeting that country’s civilians.

If anything, helping Ukraine with the ability to fight back against the invading Russian forces could be argued to have helped keep civilian casualties lower, since the weapons have meant Russian advances have been geographically confined to reaches of the country closer to Russia, although there are threats elsewhere. Imagine even in vague terms what might have happened if the Russians actually took Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, where millions live. In other words, the understanding of the war in Ukraine expressed by Gaetz and his allies is surface-level at best. Do they think if the U.S. stopped providing weapons then the war would just end?

The ten co-sponsors for the Gaetz resolution, which was already referred for consideration by the House Foreign Affairs panel, are in addition to the Florida Congressman himself and include familiar names, like GOP Reps. Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie, and Lauren Boebert. The text of the resolution also raises concerns about the military readiness of the United States due to the large amounts of weaponry provided from U.S. supplies for Ukraine, although it rests on some dubious assumptions, including discussing a potential rate of replenishment for weapons equipment used against tanks by citing recent rates of production without noting that the rate of manufacturing that equipment could change.

The low number of co-sponsors for Gaetz’s resolution mirrors the failure that a push from Greene met that would’ve blocked Biden from making key sales from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. She eventually got a much less sweeping version of the initiative passed by the House. Greene was furious over President Joe Biden making those releases from the reserves to support expanding energy supplies to help with bringing down gas prices. She described Biden as trying to trick Americans, which is odd. Should the president not have done something to address gas prices after all?

Image: Gage Skidmore/ Creative Commons