GOP Lawmakers Push Back on Trump’s Ukraine Moves
GOP lawmakers trump ukraine tensions broke into the open over the weekend, as Republican members of Congress from both chambers warned that the president’s recent moves toward Moscow — including waiving new Russia sanctions and curbs on Ukraine’s battlefield satellite access — could sink his post-election legislative agenda.
The sharpest warning came from Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who said Trump’s lame-duck agenda in Congress will be “dead” unless the administration reverses course on Russia. Bacon argued that lawmakers will not fund the president’s priorities while his policies prop up the invasion and leave an ally exposed.
Senators Demand Answers on Starshield
Four Republican senators — Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — joined Democrats in signing a bipartisan letter to the Pentagon’s inspector general demanding an investigation into whether US officials “directed” or “authorized” changes to the Starlink and Starshield services Ukraine relies on.
Ukrainian officials said restrictions on the military-grade satellite network limited their ability to intercept Russian drones and operate fast-moving aircraft. Full access was restored Wednesday, but the senators expressed “grave concern” over who ordered the slowdown.
Tillis called the sanctions pause “beyond irresponsible,” accusing the administration of “capitulating to a Russian dictator.” Cornyn, noting that the waived sanctions law bears the name of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, said Graham “would be appalled.”
Funding Leverage and a Speaker’s Unease
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) told the Wall Street Journal there will be “consequences” if the satellite restrictions are not fully restored, warning: “Agencies won’t get funding if they’re not doing their jobs.” Behind the scenes, a growing group of House Republicans is signaling that the administration’s push for at least $350 billion in new Pentagon spending in the lame-duck session will depend on getting tougher with Russia.
Even Speaker Mike Johnson sounded uneasy, telling Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures that a number of his colleagues had raised concerns about the sanctions waiver and that he wanted to “carefully consider the unintended consequences.”
Democrats piled on as well. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, called the waiver “just un-American,” saying Trump has “sided with Putin.”
The revolt marks one of the most significant intra-party breaks of Trump’s second term — and a test of how much political room the president has left with his own party on foreign policy.
Source: Associated Press