House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Wednesday accused Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) of repeating Biden administration talking points after the Ohio senator warned a McCaul-backed bill would hamstring a future Trump presidency’s ability to end the Ukraine war.
On Tuesday, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) circulated a memo to House and Senate Republican colleagues, noting how the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO Act) would kneecap Trump’s leverage to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Vance wrote in his memo that the REPO Act could create significant blowback to America, which includes:
- Hampering the U.S. Treasuries markets and hindering America’s ability to meet debt obligations
- Tying the hands of a future president, including former President Donald Trump
- Empowering Russia and China at the expense of the U.S. financial system
- The majority of the bill’s provisions are shielded from judicial review
McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Chairman, whose committee approved the REPO Act, accused the Ohio senators of repeating Biden talking points.
“Senator Vance’s memo repeats many of the same arguments that I’ve heard previously from the Biden Administration as reasons to not enact this policy.” He said “financial markets understand that this is not a signal that the United States will begin to seize assets from other countries at will,” McCaul said.
The REPO Act will make it impossible for Donald Trump to engage in diplomacy in Europe during his second term. We need to kill this bill or at the very least make it sunset before the next Trump administration. pic.twitter.com/TegoP6HJjP
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) April 16, 2024
Calling this proposed move “unprecedented in peacetime,” the Ohio populist said this represents a “significant escalation” to America’s approach to the Ukraine conflict.
He continued:
Removing the president’s ability to end or alter a sanctions regime, especially in the context of such a significant conflict, would dramatically limit U.S. negotiating leverage, thereby undermining the prospect of reaching a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine war.
McCaul has been an ardent supporter of America’s proxy war against Russia.
McCaul has frequently discounted critics of America’s seemingly endless aid to Ukraine, saying last year that these skeptics do not understand “what’s at stake.”
The Texas Republican has also said in 2023 that providing military aid to Ukraine would help destroy the Russian military.
“I support Ukraine. I think going with the amount of investment we’ve had is very small relative to destroying the Russian military. And that’s what we’ve done without one American soldier being attacked, killed, or in country. To me, that’s a pretty good investment,” McCaul remarked.
Despite McCaul’s endless support for arming Ukraine with military aid, State Department officials admitted in April that the Russian military is “almost completely reconstituted.”
The Ohio senator has also opposed moves to escalate the conflict against Russia.
When Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Ukraine will become a member of NATO, Vance said, “This is completely irresponsible. Ukraine should not join NATO, and to invite them during a war is to invite our nation into war. Do you want American ground troops in Ukraine? If not, we must push back against the idea that Ukraine should join NATO.”
This is completely irresponsible. Ukraine should not join NATO, and to invite them during a war is to invite our nation into war.
Do you want American ground troops in Ukraine? If not, we must push back against the idea that Ukraine should join NATO. https://t.co/FkpPFZxbyP
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) April 4, 2024
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
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