WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, added his voice on Monday to growing calls from prominent Republicans to pass billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, after some party members accused aid opponents of succumbing to Russian propaganda.
Democratic President Joe Biden’s request for $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel and other allies passed the US Senate with 70 percent support but has been stalled for weeks in the House of Representatives as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to allow a vote.
As lawmakers returned to Washington from a two-week break on Monday, Johnson gave no word of any plans for a vote on Biden’s supplemental request.
Pompeo, a former House member, issued a public letter on Monday urging Johnson to bring up the bill in the House.
“We encourage you to lead with conviction and bring the aid package to a vote,” Pompeo said in a letter written with John Walter, president of the Hudson Institute, where Pompeo is a fellow.
Johnson’s office did not comment on the letter, or recent assertions by the Republican chairpersons of two House national security committees that “Russian propaganda” is influencing party members.
Representative Michael McCaul, who leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Puck News last week: “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.”
And on Sunday, Representative Mike Turner, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s “State of the Union” McCaul’s contention was “absolutely true.”
Turner said: “We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.”
For example, Turner said some members of Congress “incorrectly” say that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO.
“To the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle,” Turner said.
US Republicans urge Ukraine aid vote, after ‘Russian propaganda’ warnings
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US Republicans urge Ukraine aid vote, after ‘Russian propaganda’ warnings
- Pompeo, a former House member, issued a public letter on Monday urging Johnson to bring up the bill in the House
Sweden wants to strip organized crime leaders of citizenship
- A bill submitted to parliament on Friday includes a proposal that would allow revoking passports of double citizenship holders convicted of “crimes”
STOCKHOLM: The Swedish government on Friday proposed changes to the constitution that would allow revoking the citizenship of some criminal gang leaders, as part of its work to combat widespread organized crime.
In January, a cross-party parliamentary committee proposed constitutional changes to allow stripping the passports of people with dual nationality convicted of espionage or treason, but stopped short of suggestions targeting organized crime.
“The government has chosen to go further than the committee’s proposal precisely to make it possible to also revoke citizenship from, for example, gang leaders who are guilty of very, very serious harm to society,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told a press conference.
He said a bill submitted to parliament on Friday includes a proposal that would allow revoking passports of double citizenship holders convicted of “crimes that gravely affect vital national interests” such as serious gang crime.
Sweden has been plagued by organized crime-related violence for well over a decade.
The government and its backers, the far-right and anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, won the 2022 election on a promise to reduce immigration and gang crime, which they say are linked. New general elections are due in 2026.
To change the Swedish constitution, the proposals need to pass a vote in parliament with a simple majority, followed by a general election and then a second Riksdag vote.
Strommer said he aims for the proposed changes to the constitution to enter into force at the start of 2027.
