Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) compared Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks to Congress to those of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill, during his 1941 speech, in which he urged the United States to join the war raging in Europe.
Pelosi wrote in a letter to lawmakers that she felt “great pride and solemnity” on Wednesday to welcome Zelensky to Congress, where he addressed both chambers during a joint meeting.
In a “personal note,” the speaker (who will soon be leaving her post) compared Zelensky’s congressional speech to Churchill's famous wartime speech in the Senate Chamber when he spoke at an informal gathering of Congress the day after Christmas 1941.
Pelosi wrote:
I encourage you to read my letter of invitation to President Zelenskyy. As the fight for freedom in Ukraine wages on, we look forward to hearing his inspiring message of courage, unity and determination.
…
On a personal note: this is a moment fraught with meaning for me. My father, Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., was a Member of the House in 1941 when Winston Churchill came to the Congress on the day after Christmas to enlist our nation’s support in the fight against tyranny in Europe. Eighty-one years later this week, it is particularly poignant for me to be present when another heroic leader addresses the Congress in a time of war – and with Democracy itself on the line.
I hope that you will be there to be a part of a very special evening, which will be etched into history as well as part of your legacy.
Zelensky's unexpected trip to Washington, DC, to meet with U.S. lawmakers and President Joe Biden came as Congress was set to vote on an enormous 4,155-page, $1.7-trillion omnibus spending bill that will provide funding to the government until September 2023.
The omnibus spending bill also provides $45 billion in economic and military aid to Ukraine—after Congress already approved $66 billion worth of American tax dollars going to assist Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
The massive spending bill also designates a section of the American capital as Ukrainian Independence Park. The park will “include information on the importance of the independence, freedom, and sovereignty of Ukraine and the solidarity between the people of Ukraine and the United States.”
The Associated Press reported that Zelensky's office had released a video of him showing that he planned to request more help, even though the United States, if the spending bill is passed, will already be giving more than $100 billion to his nation.
“We are not in an easy situation. The enemy is increasing its army,” Zelensky said in the video. “We are grateful for [America’s] support, but it is not enough. It is a hint—it is not enough.”
