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Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Abominable Brutality of Putin’s Illegal War In Ukraine And Condemning Koch Industries’ Push To Weaken Sanctions

Washington, D.C.   Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine including the senseless murder of civilians in Bucha. Senator Schumer also condemned Koch Industries continued work in Russia and their push to weaken sanctions against Putin’s regime. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

As Russia’s War in Ukraine reaches an abominable level of brutality—you see these pictures of the innocent civilians shot, young, old, children, men, women—every single American should unite on the side of the Ukrainian people and against Putin’s indiscriminate violence.

The pictures we have seen coming out of Ukraine and coming out of the town of Bucha are a pure manifestation of evil: hundreds of civilians murdered in cold blood. Men, women, children, the elderly, the defenseless; people were tied with their hands behind their backs, clearly civilians shot in the back of the head because they're Ukrainians. It's the only reason. It is a genocide; it was called a genocide today by a Ukrainian official. It is a genocide when these people are shot simply because of their nationality, they don't have arms, that's genocide, especially when it occurs in the large numbers it has already. Just individuals trying to live their own lives, targeted to be killed because of their nationality.

Putin is a war criminal. When Putin says Ukraine and Russia are together – after he did this – no Ukrainian is ever going to believe it. Even the isolated Putin must know that. But he's cornered, and so he is a war criminal.

Any nation that indiscriminately and intentionally targets civilians should not enjoy doing business with American companies.

But shamefully, Koch Industries is continuing to do business in Putin’s Russia and putting their profits ahead of defending democracy.

There’s an explosive report this morning that the Koch political arm is now pushing for the U.S. to abandon our allies and back-off the hard hitting sanctions the Biden Administration has imposed on Russia.

The Kochs are selling out democracy for their own profits.

Every Senator, Democrat, Republican, we all care about Ukraine. Every Senator needs to condemn this push by the Koch brothers, and call on Koch Industries to immediately suspend their operations in Russia.

I look forward to every tough-talking Senate Republican to come here to the floor and call out the Koch brothers for undermining America’s resolve against Putin’s illegal, unprovoked, and criminal invasion of Ukraine.

Senate Democrats are working on legislation to add Russia to existing laws that already deny foreign tax credits for taxes paid to North Korea and Syria. American companies that continue to do business in Russia should not receive the U.S. tax benefits that offset taxes paid to Putin’s regime.

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