Jen Psaki Slams Tom Cotton for Voting Against Vital Ukraine Aid

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki criticized Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for voting against an aid package to help the country shore up its defenses against Russian forces.

Earlier, Cotton still went online and claimed that Ukraine needs the very aid he voted against.

“No more timidity and half measures. It’s time to send Ukraine the weapons needed to end this invasion.” he said.

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Psaki later responded, saying that Cotton “had a chance last week to back his words with actions by voting for the security assistance for Ukraine that the President announced yesterday.”

“He and 30 of his fellow Senate Republicans voted against that money,” she added.

Cotton was one of 31 Senate Republicans to vote against Ukraine aid, a list that includes Ted Cruz (Texas), Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Rand Paul (Kentucky), Mitt Romney (Utah), and Marco Rubio (Florida).

The bill in question provides $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. Senators voted 68-31 on the bill.

Cotton later claimed that Ukraine aid “was <1% of an inflation-busting $1.5 trillion budget,” a claim that Democrats have noted underscores Republican hypocrisy considering that many of them defended former President Donald Trump when he was impeached for his infamous “quid pro quo” in which he threatened to withhold aid from Ukraine if they did not investigate then-candidate Biden, his political opponent.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.