Rep. Thomas Massie is one of three to vote against resolution supporting Ukraine
Northern Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was just one of three House members to vote against a resolution supporting the sovereignty of Ukraine as it battles for survival against a Russian invasion.
The resolution, which demands an immediate ceasefire and full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, sailed through the U.S. House by a vote of 426-3 on Wednesday.
The three Republican “no” votes were Massie, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a retiring Republican who voted to impeach former President Trump, called their votes, “unreal.”
“The bright side is over 400 voted yes,” he said, later linking to a tweet showing a Ukrainian city under siege. “Dear Gosar, Rosendale and Massie, you are not anti-war.”
While a spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question explaining Massie’s vote, the 4th District congressman has aggressively tweeted skepticism about mainstream U.S. policy toward Ukraine since Russia launched its incursion last week.
When Kinzinger said the U.S. should declare a no fly zone over Ukraine to disrupt Russian air power last weekend, Massie replied, “No. This is insane.”
After the Biden administration requested $6.4 billion in funds for Ukraine, Massie’s retort wondered how much of the money would “make it back to Hunter Biden and the Clinton Foundation?”
The U.S. resolution declares its support for sanctions, urges additional U.S. security assistance and humanitarian relief and declares that the war in Ukraine “is the frontline of democracy and freedom versus authoritarianism represented by Putin’s Russia.”
“If you want to fight communists in Eastern Europe, head on over,” Massie tweeted last week. “I’m worried about the abandonment of our constitutional republic and troubling shift toward communism and autocracy here.”
Massie’s expected Democratic opponent this fall, Matthew Lehman, has been critical of the incumbent Republican’s positions on social media.
“You are an anarchist hellbent on dismantling a secure and prosperous world order,” Lehman charged. “Your childish stunts endanger millions of Ukrainians and free people around the world.”
