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Topics: US News, Politics, Vladimir Putin
Jake Massey
Marjorie Taylor Greene was told to stop 'repeating Putin's propaganda' as she contested a Ukraine aid package.
The Republican congresswoman and far-right conspiracy theorist spoke out against the $40 billion (£32.4 billion) bill, citing the need for baby formula in the US and claiming the money would be used to cover up crimes by President Joe Biden's administration.
During the US House of Representatives' debate about the aid package yesterday (Tuesday 10 May), the 47-year-old said: "$40 billion but there's no baby formula for American mothers and babies. An unknown amount of money to the CIA and Ukraine supplemental bill but there's no formula for American babies.
"Stop funding regime change and money laundering scams. A US politician covers up their crimes in countries like Ukraine."
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But Democrat Jamie Raskin was having none of it, snapping back with a formula of his own.
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Responding to Greene's unfounded claims, Raskin said: "Here's a formula for the destruction of democracy: repeating Putin's propaganda and disinformation and appeasing imperialist assaults on sovereign nations."
The bill ended up being emphatically approved, passing by a 368-57 margin.
The measure was backed by every voting Democrat and by nearly three out of four Republicans. It will now need to be passed by the Senate before Biden can sign it into law.
Senate approval of Ukrainian aid seems certain, and members of both parties have echoed the need for quick action.
"As Putin desperately accelerates his campaign of horror and brutality in Ukraine, time is of the essence," said House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The package would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies and replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas, as well as providing $5 billion (£4.5 billion) to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops.
The new legislation would bring American support for the effort to nearly 54 billion (£40.7 billion), including the $13.6 billion (£11 million) in support Congress enacted in March.
That is about $6 billion (£4.8 billion) more than the US spent on all its foreign and military aid in 2019, according to a January report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which studies issues for lawmakers.
It is also around one percent of the entire federal budget.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information