Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – March 4, 2022

Last week, the world watched in disbelief as Russian forces ruthlessly launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. While President Biden issued some economic sanctions against the Kremlin in response, as well as approved $350 million worth of military aid to Ukraine, we must continue to prod the Administration and the world community to stand strongly against this aggression. The Ukrainian people have shown tremendous resiliency and determination in their efforts to repel the invaders and defend their homeland. I am pleased that countries throughout Europe have condemned the actions of the Kremlin and are giving the Ukrainian resistance some of the tools needed to fight. As the situation unfolds, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people.

Russian Invasion:
For the first time since World War II, the world witnessed a major power invading a sovereign Nation last week. I stand with the American people in our solidarity against Russian aggression, and we pray for peace in Ukraine. This was an entirely unprovoked invasion, and every ounce of blood spilled throughout the conflict will be solely on Vladimir Putin’s hands. The international community must send a strong and clear message to Russia and our enemies that an attack on a sovereign country will be met with swift and devastating consequences. The United States must remain committed to crippling Russia’s ability to make war through crushing sanctions, export/import controls, and a complete cancelation of the United States’ support for the ill-advised Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Although the Biden Administration and our allies took action to block Russia from accessing the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system, the Russian energy transactions were not included in this sanction. The SWIFT system facilitates financial transactions and money transfers for banks located around the world, and thus cutting off Russian access would drastically limit their ability to participate in global trade and commerce. These sanctions must be unified and sustained by the international community in order to truly squeeze the Kremlin and drain them of their resources. I would also urge President Biden to place a far greater emphasis on domestic oil and gas production to combat the inevitable rising energy prices that will come from his previous decisions to cancel the Keystone Pipeline and other energy projects in the U.S.

While I oppose the entry of American troops into the conflict, I was pleased that the Biden Administration authorized $350 million in military aid to Ukraine to help the country defend itself. Countless reports of heroic actions from both civilians and soldiers show the unwavering resolve of the Ukrainian people to repel the Russian invasion. Hopefully, the influx of weapons, ammunition, air defense systems, and fuel that is now being provided by the international community to Ukraine will help aid the country in their efforts to fend off this violation of their sovereignty.

Opposing a Nuclear Iran:
In 2015, President Obama signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, more commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, which claimed to stop the growth of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. In reality, this agreement harmed U.S. interests by enabling Iran to quietly begin developing nuclear weapons, imposed only temporary restrictions while offering permanent benefits, and further enriched an extremist, anti-American state. That is why President Trump rightfully withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018. Unfortunately, in an attempt to resurrect his former boss’ agreement, President Biden restarted negotiations with Iran. Iran’s long history as a state-sponsor of terror exemplifies why the country cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons. Therefore, last week, I joined 164 of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden highlighting the flaws of the Obama-era Iran Agreement and informed him of the actions Members would take if the plan moves forward (listed below). The full letter can be found here.

• Oppose any agreement that lifts U.S. sanctions on the Iranian regime without first verifying Iran has accounted for its nuclear capabilities, dismantled its enrichment capabilities, halted its support for terrorists, and released all U.S. prisoners.

• View any agreement not ratified by the Senate as non-binding.

• Work to reimpose and strengthen any terrorism, missile, or human rights sanctions lifted, suspended, or otherwise weakened by such an agreement.

• Investigate whether President Biden’s dependency on the Russians to revive the Iranian nuclear deal is weakening our deterrence stance

Advocating for the Sixth District:
Governor Youngkin and his team are fighting hard for the people of the Commonwealth, and I was pleased to sit down with the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General last week to discuss the important issues facing the Sixth District. Transportation concerns like widening I-81, expanding economic development in the region, and protecting the rights of Virginians were among the many topics discussed. I look forward to continued conversations like these about how to move Virginia forward through a productive relationship between our state and federal partners.

Promoting the Importance of Reading:
“Fishburn Park Families Read Together” is a biannual program that invites Fishburn Park Elementary School families in Roanoke to share in developing a love of and appreciation for reading. During the month of February, the elementary school provides every family with selected books and a reading schedule. Families are asked to read the assigned pages on the designated night and talk about the book with their children. Then, each day in school, students can win prizes for answering trivia questions based on the previous evening’s reading. I was pleased to participate in this initiative last week when I visited the school. I enjoyed the opportunity to read “House Mouse, Senate Mouse” to kindergarten and fifth-grade students to both foster the importance of reading and teach them about the legislative process.

Touring Graphic Packaging:
Graphic Packaging International is one of the largest manufacturers of paperboard and paper-based packaging in the world with more than 130 facilities across the globe and 24,000 employees. Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of touring one of the company’s facilities in Staunton, which employs 198 people in our community. Aside from seeing the company’s impressive manufacturing operation, we discussed several topics relating to the forest products industry, which is one of the most heavily regulated in the country. While there, we spoke about several legislative solutions to help cut bureaucratic red tape and other ways to support the industry.

COVID-19 Update:
Last week in Virginia there was an average of 28.2 daily cases of COVID-19 per every 100,000 residents. This is down from an average of 43.0 cases from one week prior. This week’s positivity rate was 11.7%, down from 16.3% from last week. For more information, click here.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

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