Republican Congressional Representative Victoria Spartz, the only U.S. lawmaker born in Ukraine, has submitted amendments calling for reductions to the proposed Ukrainian aid package that is set to be voted on this Saturday in the U.S. House of Representatives.
One of Spartz's amendments suggests removing provisions from the proposed law regarding the PDA program, which allows the White House to supply weapons directly from U.S. military stockpiles to Ukraine.
Additionally, Spartz's amendments target economic aid included in Johnson's proposal. She proposes eliminating a clause of over $7.8 billion in loan assistance, as well as preventing the U.S. president from forgiving Ukraine's debt under specific conditions.
The fourth amendment eliminates $481 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designated for refugees. Lastly, the fifth proposes barring countries affected by the war in Ukraine from utilizing funds within the FMF program, which allows for the direct purchase of weapons from manufacturers to support a U.S. ally's needs.
Spartz was born in a small city in Chernihiv Oblast, and moved to the U.S. in 2000. She became the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress in 2021 and has been known for her staunch support of former President Donald Trump.