The House of Representatives has managed to pass the national security supplemental package that will fund Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel as the nations engage in costly conflicts with neighboring countries. US Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) voted to pass the bill.
The foreign aid costs $95 billion became very controversial among Republicans. President Donald Trump (R) and his Congressional supporters have supported an "America First" foreign policy outlook.
Members of the House like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have gone as far as to say that they will push to remove Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) if aid for Ukraine were to be approved. Greene later called Johnson a "traitor" on X.
Rep. Gimenez however, was not a member of the Republican coalition who opposed Speaker Johnson. Gimenez voted for the legislation in the name of defending freedom around the globe, referencing his cousin's experience with Communist Cuba.
"On April 17th, 1961 the young men of Assault Brigade 2506 descended onto the shores of Cuba to liberate their homeland from Communist tyranny. My own cousin was among those brave freedom fighters — they were my first heroes. After advancing for several days, the Bay of Pigs invasion was unsuccessful as President Kennedy refused to provide aerial support and the necessary ammunitions to overthrow the Castro regime. President Kennedy let our heroes run out of bullets & abandoned them on the beachfront — I refuse to let history repeat itself," stated Gimenez.
Gimenez added, "Joe Biden’s policy of appeasement has failed to protect America as war has spread across the globe. Joe Biden is weak — Hamas, Putin, the Communist Party of China, and the enemies of freedom know it. I’m proud to vote to supply our friends with the modern weapons & ammunitions to protect themselves from these dangerous threats. Freedom is not free."
Although enough Republicans votes in favor of the bill, the issues is representative of a larger issue in the Republican Party. After 2024 Republicans need to decide what their foreign policy direction will be.
