Kansas delegation in U.S. House divided on Ukraine aid, endorses package for Israel, Taiwan

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids backed new federal spending to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to oppose “tyranny and terror,” but U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann and Ron Estes drew the line at the $60 billion package supporting Ukraine’s fight against a Russian invasion.

The overall $95 billion supplemental spending deal began as four separate bills, but were folded together into one bill as an alternative to a comparable measure approved two months ago by the U.S. Senate. Passage by the Senate of the House version would send it to President Joe Biden.

U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, Mann and Estes, all Kansas Republicans, and Democrat Davids voted in favor of a new round of financial support for Israel fighting militants in Gaza and for Taiwan dealing with threats from China. The delegation voted for the measure requiring divestiture or a ban on social media app TikTok, owned by a Chinese company.

Disagreement among Kansas lawmakers centered on Ukraine. Davids and LaTurner, who said he wasn’t seeking reelection in November, voted for the $60 billion aid package that passed 311-112. Mann and Estes opposed it.

“I’ve previously voted for Russian sanctions as Ukraine faces unprovoked aggression from a tyrant,” said Estes, of the 4th District centered on Wichita, “but the $60.8 billion bill that the House passed (Saturday) was too much for me to support when the United States has already spent more than $100 billion on Ukraine aid.”

Davids, who serves the 3rd District dominated by Johnson County, said the funding would protect American allies and included humanitarian aid to Gaza through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“I voted with Republicans and Democrats to protect our allies in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in their fights against tyranny and terror and to deliver aid to innocent civilians in Gaza,” she said. “While I am frustrated that preserving our national security has been marred with partisanship in times of crisis, we must defend democracy and recognize that stability and prosperity abroad directly impact our safety and economy at home.”

LaTurner, who holds the 2nd District seat, said after a 2022 trip to Eastern Europe that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine was “unprovoked and evil” and required “unwavering support” of the United States through delivery of weapons to Ukrainian troops and humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees. His vote on the new funding bill for Ukraine held to that commitment.

Mann, of the 1st District extending from Garden City to Lawrence, said the United States shouldn’t send more assistance to Ukraine unless attached to oversight and accountability provisions.

He was among 71 House Republicans to vote for Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s failed amendment to strike all funding for Ukraine from the overall package.

“It is in America’s interest for Ukrainian forces to defeat Russia, but it is irresponsible and unsustainable to continue funding a war in Ukraine without any oversight as to how Americans’ tax dollars are spent. We do not allow our own federal agencies to spend our tax dollars that way, and we should not allow foreign governments to either,” Mann said.

Mann said he voted with the 385-34 majority for the $8.1 billion funding measure for Taiwan, the Philippines and other allies because it was important to counter China’s aggression. He said the objective of the United States was peace but “any military offense against Taiwan would have grave and severe consequences.”

The $26 billion appropriation for Israel approved 366-58 would add to aid delivered before and after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israeli territory. More than 20,000 Gaza residents have been killed in the military response by Israel.