Russia's invasion of Ukraine draws bipartisan outrage from US lawmakers

Russia's military invasion of Ukraine drew a flood of bipartisan fury and condemnation from members of Congress.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle praised President Joe Biden for levying additional sanctions on Russia and called for even stronger punitive measures to deter the belligerent nation from future aggression.

"Putin's Ukraine invasion is the first time in 80 years that a great power has moved to conquer a sovereign nation. It is without justification, without provocation, and without honor," Sen. Mitt Romney said in a statement. "The peril of again looking away from Putin's tyranny falls not just on the people of the nations he has violated, it falls on America as well. History shows that a tyrant's appetite for conquest is never satiated."

On Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz applauded Biden's decision to reimpose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. He also announced he was ending his hold on Biden's nominees to the State Department — something he began last year to protest Biden's waiver of sanctions on the pipeline. Cruz also called on Biden to implement even harsher sanctions against Russia. He was joined by many of his colleagues on both sides of the political aisle.

Sen. Lindsey Graham condemned Putin's aggression and suggested that international law enforcement should seize lavish apartments and yachts from Putin and his "cronies." Sen. John Boozman said in a statement that history will show that Ukraine has "not sought this conflict, but are justified in defending their sovereignty." Sen. Joni Ernst said the Ukrainian people want freedom and that the world should "stand with them." Sen. Chuck Grassley said Putin is "inhumane" and has violated prior agreements to benefit his ego.

Sen. Mark Warner said Russia will pay a "steep cost for Putin's reckless ambition, in blood and in economic harm." Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the United States and the world must unite around the people of Ukraine. Sen. Mark Kelly said Putin bears responsibility for a "devastating and illegal" war. Sen. Joe Manchin said Putin's actions put U.S. allies in the region at considerable risk. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema also called for additional sanctions on Russia, and Sen. Chris Murphy said Putin's actions will be his "defining mistake."

In the House, Rep. Dan Crenshaw said he hopes Putin will fail. Rep. Nancy Mace said she is praying for the people of Ukraine but argued the situation does not warrant a drop of American blood. Rep. Liz Cheney said America must not "ignore evil" and appease Putin.

In a joint statement, Reps. Michael McCaul, Mike Turner, and Mike Rogers described Putin as "true evil" and said they were committed to enacting the most stringent sanctions possible on Russia. Rep. Mike Gallagher called Putin a "KGB thug" and suggested the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan may have been a factor in Putin's decision to go into Ukraine.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described Putin as a tyrant on Wednesday and said U.S. allies must remain united. Rep. Elissa Slotkin said Putin has a "distorted, delusional view of the world" and noted that Congress is developing sanctions against Russia. Rep. Ted Lieu said Russia's actions will result in many people dying for no reason. He noted that Russia has a weak economy and called for the U.S. to create the "same situation that caused the Soviet Union to collapse." Rep. Adam Schiff called the situation in Ukraine a "senseless tragedy."

In a statement after Russian missiles descended in Kyiv on Wednesday, Biden vowed to respond decisively to the aggression. He also condemned the attack on Ukraine as "unprovoked and unjustified." Biden is set to announce additional sanctions against Russia.

While Putin's actions drew bipartisan condemnation, there has also been bipartisan resistance to the possibility of a U.S. military response to the assault on Ukraine. On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of 43 lawmakers ranging from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Rep. Matt Gaetz signed a letter calling on Biden to seek authorization from Congress before deploying U.S. forces to Ukraine.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sparked controversy on Twitter on Wednesday for a tweet in which she appeared to place some blame on the U.S. and NATO for the conflict. She argued the alliance should have taken Russia's "legitimate security concerns" more seriously. Her tweet drew criticism, including from Sen. Marco Rubio.