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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed Congress on Wednesday and received several standing ovations.
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Reps Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz were seen sitting and on their phones through one of them.
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Both are outspoken opponents of US military aid to Ukraine and want to block future payments.
Representatives Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz remained seated and did not applaud as other lawmakers gave a standing ovation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he addressed Congress.
Zelenskyy spoke at a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. It was his first visit outside Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February.
While Boebert and Gaetz attended, neither MAGA Republican seemed impressed.
In his speech, Zelenskyy declared “Ukraine is very much alive” and praised the strength of the US-Ukraine alliance.
He also pleaded with the US, Ukraine’s largest military financier, to continue sending aid to help their military resist Russia.
He received standing ovations at several points in the speech. The cameras captured Gaetz and Boebert remaining seated for approximately 38 minutes into the speech.
The applause came after Zelenskyy described the burgeoning military alliance between Russia and Iran and called for Iran to be stopped before it attacks other US allies.
Watch the moment here:
https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1605730264331833345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1605730264331833345%7Ctwgr%5Eaea4dc56e187d0f9493520e0d93ab7aca670a940%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Flauren- boebert-matt-gaetz-refuse-to-stand-for-volodymyr-zelensky
Other Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, applauded Zelenskyy at other points in his speech.
Gaetz and Boebert were seen alongside other congressmen at another point in the speech. It is not clear whether they applauded.
Both Gaetz and Boebert have sharply criticized the US spending on military equipment for Ukraine, reiterating their belief on Wednesday that such aid should be stopped.
Boebert said on Twitter after Zelenskyy’s speech that she wants a “full audit” of US aid spending before sending more money.
Gaetz on Twitter praised Zelenskyy’s work for his citizens, but said it was wrong for American politicians to “bleed billions of dollars while our country is in crisis.” He said that Zelenskyy’s speech had not changed his mind.
Gaetz was one of 10 Republicans to vote in April against a bill that would make it easier for the US to send military equipment to Ukraine.
The US is making efforts to monitor how its contributions to Ukraine are used. The Pentagon is already checking US weapons and contracts given to Ukraine for signs of fraud.
It also sent weapons experts to Ukraine to personally inspect the equipment. Officials have said they see no evidence of aid misuse, though they also warned that it is difficult to keep a close eye on all the equipment used in a war zone.
Boebert and Gaetz have belonged to a small minority of Ukraine’s skeptics since the outbreak of war. But the new Congress could spark a shift in January as control of the House shifts to the GOP.
Republican congressional leaders have pledged to increase scrutiny of aid to Ukraine, and many lawmakers such as Boebert and Gaetz have said they will continue to step up the pressure.
Biden has said repeatedly that the US will continue to support Ukraine.
Most recently, he told Zelenskyy on Wednesday that he would support Ukraine “as long as it takes”.
Zelensky told Congress on Wednesday about the spending: “Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”
The Independent also reported that Boebert and Gaetz skipped a security check when they went to hear Zelenskyy’s speech.
Read the original article on Business Insider
